Alumni

(listed chronologically)

Megan Nicholson (B.S. 2022)
Undergraduate Research: Erosion resistance as a function of species-specific interactions

Lauren Wood (Ph.D. 2021)
Dissertation: The mechanisms and consequences of shrub encroachment on the Virginia barrier islands.

Joseph Brown (Ph.D. 2021)
Dissertation: Plant communities in dynamic systems: how disturbance influences coastal plant community structure and function.

Katheryne Ramos (B.S. 2021)
Undergraduate Research: Composition of belowground biomass in artificial and natural sand dunes.

Shannon Walker (M.S. 2020)
Master's thesis: Belowground characteristic of dominant coastal dune grasses and potential community-level effects on coastal erosion. 

Nicole Keller (M.S. 2020)
Master's thesis: Stimulated growth response to sand burial of a coastal shrub. 

Philip Austin Tuley (M.S. 2020)
Master's thesis: Comparing coastal storm impact to decadal change in barrier island ecosystems.

Dustin Zeliff (B.S. 2020)
Undergraduate Research: Root traits of dominant dune grasses.

Caitlin Bishop (B.S. 2020)
Undergraduate Research: Salinity effects on tree seedling germination.

Eddie Long (B.S. 2019)
Undergraduate Research: Biotic influences on carbon cycling in barrier islands.

Natasha Woods (Post-doc)

Caroline Baucom (B.S. 2019)
Undergraduate Research: Seedling recruitment of Morella cerifera: environmental and biotic filters.

Audrey Kirschner (M.S. 2019)
Master's thesis: Planting density effects on growth of coastal dune grasses.

Michael Sinclair (M.S. 2019)
Master's thesis: Facilitative and competitive trade-offs between Morella cerifera seedlings and coastal grasses.

Philip Austin Tuley (B.S. 2018)
Undergraduate Research: Long-term dynamics in maritime forest on Parramore Island

Ben Nettleton (M.S. 2018)
M
aster's thesis: The role of vegetation-topographic interactions in a barrier island system: island migration in a changing climate.

Ashley Moulton (M.S. 2017)
Master's thesis: Short term effects of nutrients on a barrier island community

Stephen Via (Ph.D. 2016)
Dissertation: From seed to sky: impacts of explosive compounds on vegetation across spatial and developmental scales

Joseph Brown (M.S. 2016)
Master's thesis: Emergent interactions influence functional traits and success of dune building ecosystem engineers

April Harris (M.S. 2016)
Master's thesis: Differential responses of barrier island dune grasses to species interactions and burial 

Joseph Thompson (M.S. 2016)
Master's thesis: Mechanisms of native shrub encroachment on a Virginia barrier island

Taylor Price (B.S. 2016)
Undergraduate Research: Plant community assembly across an environmental gradient

Paul Manley (M.S.  2015)
Master's thesis: Plant functional trait and hyperspectral reflectance responses to Comp B exposure: efficacy of plants as landmine detectors

Audrey Kirschner (B.S. 2015)
Undergraduate Research: Grassland species vary in tolerance to stressors associated with climate change

Spencer Bissett (Ph.D. 2015)
Dissertation: Consequences of vine infestation: linking abiotic influences and biotic interactions to successional and structural changes in coastal communities

Sheri Shiflett (Ph.D.  2014)
Dissertation: Physiological mechanisms of shrub encroachment: linking enhanced hydraulic capacity tp efficient light capture and processing

Ben Dows (M.S.  2014)
Master's thesis: Roles of seed dispersal and environmental filters in establishment of the dominant shrubs: Morella cerifera and M. pensylvanica, on an Atlantic barrier island

Molly Hokkanen (M.S.  2013)
Master's thesis: Environmental influences on sex ratio and spatial distribution of dioecious Morella cerifera L. on a Virginia barrier island

Stephen Via (M.S.  2012)
Master's thesis: Impacts of RDX soil contamination across and age gradient for the native shrub Morella cerifera

Kati Rubis (M.S.  2011)
Master's thesis: Shrubs as sentinels of ordnance contamination: using plant physiology and remote sensing to detect TNT in soils

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