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

Recent news

Congratulations Shannon Walker's paper on dune grass traits is now published in Ecosphere!

Congratulations Dr. Natasha Woods for being named one of the top inspiring black scientists in America! You are always an inspiration to us.