Biology and Wildlife Graduate Students
Phillip Andrews (M.S.)
419 IRV 1
Research Interests: Modeling the spatial distribution of Great Gray Owls in Alaska using public data including: recorded species occurrences, climatic data, and environmental data.
Major Professor: Falk Huettmann
Robin Andrews (Ph.D.)
407 IRV 1
907.474.7906
Research Interests: Soil Microarthropods, Acarology, Nutrient Cycling, Nutritional Ecology, and Successional Processes
Major Professor: Roger Ruess
Janelle Badger (M.S.)
323 Murie Building
Research Interests: Life history and demography of grey seals breeding on Sable Island, Nova Scotia--individual heterogeneity in reproductive success.
Major Professor: Greg Breed
Christopher (Chris) Barger (Ph.D.)
214 WRRB
907.474.6232
Major Professor: Mark Lindberg
Tynan Becker (Ph.D.)
223 Murie Building
Research Interests: The mechanisms of antigen presentation.
Major Professor: Andrea Ferrante
Roxanne Beltran (Ph.D.)
Research Interests: For my graduate research, I hope to better understand the influences of ecology and physiology on animal behavior. Specifically, the demographic consequences of environmental change and anthropogenic resource extraction are pressing global issues. Climate change is already impacting polar marine environments, the species that inhabit these areas, and the human communities that rely on local natural resources. Remarkably, the sensitivity of many species to predicted climate scenarios have yet to be quantified. Some questions of critical importance include: (1) How will species respond to global change, in terms of fine-scale behavior, large-scale distribution, and long-term demographic patterns?; (2) What mechanisms are driving these shifts; and (3) How can we use our knowledge of these mechanisms to plan effective conservation and management strategies and thus preserve ecosystem integrity? I plan to address these questions by combining prediction modeling with empirical methods such as remote weather sensing, anesthesia procedures, and advanced biotelemetry.
Major Professor: Greg Breed, Jennifer Burns
Maile Branson (Ph.D.)
Major Professor: Eric Bortz, Falk Huettmann
Justin Burrows (M.S.)
408 IRV 1
Research Interests: Plant-herbivore interactions between moose and feltleaf willow in interior Alaska floodplains.
Major Professor: Knut Kielland
Matthew Cameron (M.S.)
323G Murie Building
Research Interests: My research interests are in the movement ecology of large mammals and my current work is focused on the spatial ecology of caribou of the Western Arctic Herd here in Alaska. I am specifically working toward 1) using GPS data to detect calving events, 2) investigating annual patterns at the individual and herd levels in calving area utilization, 3) identifying the influence of abiotic factors on fall migration, and 4) investigating the effects of space use on individual fitness.
Major Professor: Knut Kielland
Iris Cato (M.S.)
Major Professor: Diana Wolf, Roger Ruess
Helen Cold (M.S.)
Research Interests: Wildlife Ecology, Conservation Biology, Invasive Species Ecology, Human Dimensions of Wildlife Management. My graduate work involves attempting to define the biophysical characteristics and mechanisms of environmental disturbances influencing human access to ecosystem services in boreal Alaska.
Major Professor: Todd Brinkman
Stephanie Crawford (M.S.)
470 Duck
Research Interests: Broadly, I am interested in techniques used to assess wildlife and ecosystem health status. Specifically, I am measuring plasma metabolites in Steller sea lion pups on Russian and Alaskan rookeries (1990-2015); the profile generated allows us to assess nutritional stress, which is often proposed as an explanation for population declines and/or non-recovery. These results are paired with morphometric body condition indices and evaluated with respect to the population trajectories in each distinct population segment.
Major Professor: Robert Coker
Else Demeulenaere (Ph.D.)
Major Professor: Steffi Ickert-Bond
Jackson Drew (M.S.)
Research Interests: I am studying the dendroecological signal of Alnus viridus fruticosa and its relationship with three other arctic plants.
Major Professor: Syndonia Bret-Harte, Roger Ruess
Adam DuBour (M.S.)
208 IRV 1
907.474.6602
Research Interests: Feeding ecology of Lesser scaup ducklings on the Yukon Flats NWR and their vulnerability to trophic mismatch. Generally, I am interested in wetland ecology and conservation; avian ecology, conservation and management; stable isotope ecology; avian energetics; aquatic entomology; land management; climate change.
Major Professor: Mark Lindberg
Joseph Eisaguirre (Ph.D.)
323 Murie Building
907.474.7142
Research Interests: Movement ecology and behavior of migratory Golden Eagles.
Major Professor: Greg Breed
Kathryn Everson (Ph.D.)
244 WRRB
907.474.1195
Research Interests: Evolution, Phylogeography, Species Delimitation, Tenrecidae, Madagascar
Major Professor: Link Olson
Graham Frye (Ph.D.)
208 IRV 1
907.474.6602
Research Interests: Population ecology of ptarmigan; Application of quantitative methods to ecological questions; Population ecology; Community ecology; Behavioral ecology; Wildlife resource selection/space use; Avian ecology
Major Professor: Mark Lindberg
Robert Gabbitas (Ph.D.)
Research Interests: Plant Systematics, Phylogeography, Post-Pleistocene diversification and colonization of high latitude flora.
Major Professor: Steffi Ickert-Bond
Thomas Glass (M.S.)
417 IRV 1
Research Interests: I am interested in how climate change and intraguild dynamics influence behavior and habitat selection in arctic carnivores. Specifically, I'm working to understand how wolverines use snow as a structural feature of their habitat on Alaska's North Slope.
Major Professor: Knut Kielland
Jesse Grunblatt (Ph.D.)
Major Professor: Mark Wipfli
Emilia Grzesik (M.S.)
Major Professor: Teresa Hollingsworth, Roger Ruess
Adam Haberski (M.S.)
Research Interests: My research focuses on the diversity and distribution of arthropods along elevational gradients in Denali National Park.
Major Professor: Derek Sikes
Joelle Hepler (M.S.)
417 IRV 1
Research Interests: I am studying parturition rates, calf survival, and date/location of calf birth for the Porcupine Caribou Herd. My surveys are done from a plane looking for collared female caribou and their calves in the spring above the Brooks Range. I did my undergrad in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology at Oregon State University with a specialization in Mammal Biology and Conservation. I have experience working with salmonids, black-tailed deer, bighorn sheep, waterfowl, telemetry, GPS collars, and more!
Major Professor: Brad Griffith
Diane Huebner (Ph.D.)
118 AHRB
907.474.7695
Research Interests: Shrub recruitment in disturbed Arctic tundra
Major Professor: Syndonia Bret-Harte
Michelle Johannsen (Ph.D.)
323A Murie Building
Major Professor: Robert Coker
Michael Johns (M.S.)
323 Murie Building
Research Interests: Generally, I am interested in the spatial ecology and movement of seabirds once they depart their breeding colonies, and the ways in which oceanographic variability affects seabird productivity. Specifically, my masters work will address questions related to age-specific reproductive strategies of Cassin's auklets, along with their winter dispersal patterns from Southeast Farallon Island, California.
Major Professor: Mark Lindberg, Greg Breed
Charlene Johnson (Ph.D.)
Research Interests: I am studying the ecohydrology of alpine headwaters in the Chugach Mountains. I aim to produce higher order description of the characteristics and functions of depressional, slope, and swale wetlands associated with alpine headwater drainages. I will also develop a research program to assess the effects of naturally occurring and anthropogenic impacts to alpine headwaters and headwater wetlands; and ultimately assess the strength of the role headwater wetlands have in watershed dynamics, particularly in downstream developed areas. This effort will help to support land use and management strategies in alpine valleys of the Richardson Training Areas located in the Chugach Mountains, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
Major Professor: Jeremy Jones
Devin Johnson (M.S.)
323i Murie Building
Research Interests: Gyrfalcon ecophysiology and diet on the Seward Peninsula.
Major Professor: Cory Williams
Affiliations: ABNP, B&W
Christopher Kasanke (M.S.)
Research Interests: Microbial biodegradation of emerging contaminants.
Major Professor: Mary Beth Leigh
Shawnee Kasanke (M.S.)
158A AHRB
907.474.6720
Research Interests: I study primary succession in front of a retreating cirque glacier in the central Brooks Range, and how communities found there relate to plant communities developing on older glacial moraines in the Arctic foothills. The main objective of my research is to understand how quickly vegetation develops in the Arctic alpine, and what type of habitats may become available as a result of colonization.
Major Professor: Donald Walker
Don Larson (Ph.D.)
270 AHRB
907.474.6067
Research Interests: Amphibian Parasitology, Wood Frog Freeze Tolerance, and Parasite Overwintering Strategies
Major Professor: Brian Barnes
Scott Leorna (M.S.)
sites.google.com/a/alaska.edu/todd-j-brinkman/
323 Murie Building
Research Interests: My interdisciplinary research focuses on advancing knowledge on the distribution and movement of North Slope caribou. Currently, I'm working on a citizen science caribou project that engages hunting guides/transporters, wildlife viewing companies, other researchers, and the public, and integrates their field experience and knowledge into assessments of Central Arctic Caribou behavior and distribution. We intend to use information gathered through this project and data collected from caribou with GPS collars to assess caribou distribution in areas readily accessible to hunters during the hunting season. I’m particularly interested in providing opportunities for the public to participate and engage in wildlife research.
Major Professor: Todd Brinkman
Jon Martin (Ph.D.)
Research Interests: Systematics, migration, distribution, and disease in the order Chiroptera of SE AK
Major Professor: Kris Hundertmark, Todd Brinkman
Madison McConnell (M.S.)
408 IRV 1
Research Interests: I am interested in how the abundance of hares influences the breeding and fledging success of great horned owls in the Arctic.
Major Professor: Knut Kielland
Kendall Mills (Ph.D.)
013 Museum
Research Interests: Phenotypic plasticity in mammals, gene expression, climate change biology.
Major Professor: Link Olson
Claire Montgomerie (M.S.)
408 IRV 1
Research Interests: My research investigates factors contributing to the lynx-snowshoe hare cycle in Northern Alaska.
Major Professor: Knut Kielland
Elizabeth (Fleur) Nicklen (Ph.D.)
Major Professor: Roger Ruess
Ann Olsson (Ph.D.)
907.474.6777
Research Interests: Permafrost soil science
Major Professor: Jeremy Jones
Kelly Overduijn (M.S.)
907.474.7735
Research Interests: Breeding ecology of American and Pacific Golden-plovers
Major Professor: Abby Powell
Jayme Parker (Ph.D.)
223L Murie Building
Research Interests: Improving public health diagnosis of viral illness in Alaska
Major Professor: Jack Chen
Anna Rix (M.S.)
323 Murie Building
Major Professor: Kristin O'Brien
Matthew (Matt) Sexson (Ph.D.)
alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/seaducks/spei/index.php
USGS Alaska Science Center
907.786.7177
Research Interests: Sea duck ecology and conservation
Major Professor: Abby Powell
Sarah (Rose) Vining (M.S.)
158A AHRB
907.474.6720
Research Interests: I am primarily interested in how plant community shifts and subsequent litter inputs impact ecosystem biogeochemistry, microbial communities, and feedbacks to climate change. My key systems of interest include wetlands, permafrost regions, and alpine ecosystems. I engage in scientific outreach and education, mostly at the college and high school level, and in cross-disciplinary collaboration with undergraduates. In my spare time, I love to play the violin and ballroom dance!
Major Professor: Donald Walker
Rachel Voight (M.S.)
019 AHRB
Research Interests: Permafrost hydrology and inorganic carbon export in boreal forest streams.
Major Professor: Jeremy Jones
Elyssa Watford (M.S.)
208 IRV 1
Research Interests: Physiology of Pacific Common Eiders breeding along the Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska. Specifically focused on energetics in relation to nest microclimate and climate change.
Major Professor: Tuula Hollmen, Mark Lindberg
Sophie Weaver (M.S.)
019 AHRB
Major Professor: Jeremy Jones
Sasha White (M.S.)
2W06 AHRB
907.474.6677
Research Interests: Alaska Native health with a focus on the Alaska Native traditional diet.
Major Professor: Andrej Podlutsky
Wilhelm Wiese (M.S.)
208 IRV 1
Research Interests: Breeding ecology of common eiders in the Beaufort Sea.
Major Professor: Mark Lindberg
Sara Wilbur (M.S.)
authenticexperiencesinscienceblog.wordpress.com
270 AHRB
907.474.6067
Research Interests: Sara is interested in how variable hibernation physiology affects macromolecular integrity. She is curious to see if arctic ground squirrels, an extreme hibernator, have telomere length dynamics that are correlated with the degree of tissue-specific oxidative stress experienced throughout hibernation.
Major Professor: Brian Barnes, Cory Williams
Mark Winterstein (M.S.)
Major Professor: Donald Walker, Teresa Hollingsworth
Allison Woodward (Ph.D.)
Major Professor: Richard D. Boone, Gary Kofinas
Jiake (DJ) Zhou (M.S.)
323 Murie Building
Major Professor: Gary Kofinas, Knut Kielland
