The population of the tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) has declined significantly since the introduction of the fungal disease white-nose syndrome. Christian Rines, a master’s student in wildlife and fisheries science, seeks to understand the roosting habits and stress levels of tricolored bats to aid in their conservation. Rines’ work involves capturing bats using mist nets, recording various physical and biological data, and attaching radio transmitters to track their movements. He studies roost selection at different scales—individual trees, local environments, and broader landscapes—by comparing used and available roost sites. Additionally, Rines measures stress hormones in bat feces to assess their health and the quality of their roosts. This research aims to inform conservation strategies and support wildlife management plans.

Ecosystem services encompass the benefits that ecosystems provide to people, such as water purification, carbon sequestration, and soil regulation. Scott Greeves, a PhD student in communication and information, applies Schwartz’s theory of basic human values to enhance the study of ecosystem services. His work addresses a common critique of social assessments of ecosystem services—that they often overlook the deeper reasons behind people’s preferences for certain ecosystem services. Using the Portrait Values Questionnaire, Greeves conducted a national survey to examine how individuals’ core values shape these preferences. His findings demonstrate that Schwartz’s value framework can uncover value-driven reasoning, improving the scalability and applicability of ecosystem service research. As part of this research agenda, Greeves is focusing on the Tennessee River, one of the most polluted rivers in the U.S., to explore stakeholder preferences and develop insights for creating more effective environmental policies.

The Chocó rainforest of Ecuador is a biodiversity hotspot with many species, a majority of which have insufficiently protected habitat and extremely narrow ranges due to topographic barriers and impacts of human activities. Jessie Elliott, a PhD student in ecology and evolutionary biology, seeks to understand how forest structure influences the habitat use of various mammal species in the region. By using advanced technology like NASA’s GEDI LiDAR data, which creates 3D models of forest structure, and camera traps, her team can predict which areas are suitable for different species. This information helps in making informed land management decisions to protect core habitats and improve unsuitable areas. The research aims to address the challenges posed by limited funding and difficult field conditions, providing cost-effective methods to prioritize conservation efforts for endangered species like pumas, Andean bears, and oncillas. 

Recognizing that lymphomas account for approximately 15-25% of all canine cancers, Mayzie Miller, a master’s student in comparative and experimental medicine, focuses on using flow cytometry, a technique to analyze the physical and chemical characteristics of cells, to study canine multicentric lymphoma in dogs currently undergoing chemotherapy. The study aims to assess the expression of specific receptors, such as chemokine and sphingolipid receptors, on lymphoma cells. These receptors are proteins on the cell surface that can influence the behavior of cancer cells. By analyzing these receptors, Miller hopes to identify patterns that correlate with clinical outcomes like remission and survival. This could improve the prognostic value of current diagnostic methods and help tailor treatments for better outcomes. 

The black soldier fly has given insect farming the potential to advance sustainable initiatives in the United States that can reduce waste, use renewable resources, and replace fossil-based products. Sydney Michelle Crowe, a master’s student in entomology and plant pathology, is exploring the use of black soldier flies as a sustainable method for managing agricultural waste and producing high-nutrient animal feed. Her study involves feeding larvae with different types of farm waste, including hemp, hops, and food crops, to evaluate their efficiency in waste digestion and nutritional content. By analyzing the larvae’s protein and fat composition, she aims to demonstrate how farmers can use black soldier flies to reduce crop waste while simultaneously generating a valuable food source for livestock. This approach not only enhances farm sustainability but also provides an additional revenue stream for small-scale farmers.  

Subhash Chandra Bose Tadiparthi, a PhD student in biosystems engineering, centers his research on mitigating the risks posed by birds carrying foodborne pathogens in fresh produce fields. Traditional bird dispersal methods lose effectiveness as birds become habituated, and these methods often disrupt beneficial bird species. To address this, Subhash proposes a digital tool integrating sensors, electro-mechanical systems, and machine learning models for digital surveillance and automated triggers. This novel approach aims to enhance the efficiency and longevity of current methods by enabling species-level identification to target high-risk birds while preserving beneficial ones, thus maintaining ecological balance.

The rapid rise in global waste production has caused materials like discarded tires, synthetic-blend textiles, food packaging with residue, and bulky Styrofoam to accumulate in landfills due to challenging and expensive recycling processes. Saeed Davar, a PhD student in civil engineering, aims to address the global waste problem and housing shortage by recycling these materials. His project focuses on using these recycled materials to create lightweight, load-bearing components for 3D-printed concrete structures to provide a sustainable solution for affordable housing. By enhancing the bond between tire wires and concrete through surface treatments, the study also improves the tensile strength and durability of the resulting construction materials.