Graduate Students

The distribution, abundance, and life history of the salmonid parasite Salmincola californiensis in Willamette Valley Reservoirs; fish health; toxicology and water quality

Ecology, space use, and habitat modeling of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) in New Zealand's highly industrial South Taranaki Bight region

I will be studying the microclimates of bat hibernacula in New Mexico, how environmental factors relate to bat behavior, and using LiDAR to make 3D cave models. 

I am investigating physiological and behavioral stress responses to chemical cues in sharks, skates, and rays with Dr. Taylor Chapple's Big Fish Lab. 

As a Master’s student in the Big Fish Lab, Josh is investigating the physiology and behavior of sharks as they relate to predator-prey dynamics. As large predatory fish, sharks have few natural predators and therefore are...

My research focuses on seasonal habitat use and movement of Pacific  White Sturgeon in the John Day Reservoir of the Columbia River.

I am a master's student in Will White's Fisheries Oceanography and Population Dynamics lab. My project is modeling the impacts of offshore wind farms coming to the coast of Oregon.

I study long-term change in the tropical forest bird communities of Panama.

Composition, distribution, and abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities with a special emphasis on aquatic insects in agricultural channels in the Willamette Valley.

I study coastal wolves in Alaska and arboreal carnivores in Guatemala using non-invasive methods. 

My dissertation research is focused on ecology of wintering grassland birds, including area-sensitivity, habitat selection, and habitat segregation. My research includes an analysis of wintering habitat use by chestnut-collared longspurs, and Sprague’s pipits (a former Endangered Species Act...

I am a social scientist who uses ideas from social psychology and behavioral science to study and (hopefully) improve conservation program success for people and the planet. My dissertation focused on why people trust and distrust each other and the emotions people felt in the context of...

Developing a high-density flow-through system for rearing Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) larvae. 

I am researching Mule Deer Resource Selection looking specifically at the impact of annual grass encroachment on native mule deer forage composition, cover, biomass, and quality. 

My graduate research explores the impact of juniper removal on Greater sage-grouse and the surrounding vegetative and invertebrate communities. More generally, I am passionate about conservation and ornithology. I have prior research experience related to bird banding, robber fly ethology and...

My interests are Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), also known as Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and how these knowledge systems can used and incorporated in research and policy. 

My thesis project explores potential growth opportunities and mortality risks for juvenile salmonids rearing in seasonally disconnected habitats in the Skagit River.

My work involves invertebrate ecology and riparian management in Northeastern Oregon. Specifically, I am investigating (1) the response of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities to Low-tech Process Based Restoration (LTPBR) and (2) the response of non-bee...

My academic interest is in the possible reintroduction of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) to the Oregon coast. 

My research focuses on exploring belief systems of Latino/a/x communities in the Pacific Northwest and understanding how these relate to outdoor recreation habits and use of outdoor spaces.  

I am researching plastic pollution in Oregon gray whales and their prey, mysid shrimp, in the Brander Lab.

I am investigating juvenile Chinook salmon dispersal patterns based on spawner origin and riverscape conditions, and juvenile abundance at habitat restoration sites in northeast Oregon. I'm also interested in differences in distribution and dispersal patterns between wild and hatchery origin...

Investigating the ecological role of salmon sharks on the Oregon coast.

I study community ecology and life history patterns in seagrass and reef systems.

Migratory waterfowl usage of semi-permanently flooded wetlands in the Intermountain West and western Prairie Pothole regions

I am focusing on the early life history of tropical marine fishes and their responses to environmental changes. My research aims to uncover how these early stages influence marine tropical ecology over time, providing insights into ecosystem resilience and sustainability.

I am conducting research on coastal steelhead and rainbow trout in the Ventura River of Southern California. The focus of my research is genetic population structure, landscape genetics, smoltification patterns, and migration of juvenile O. mykiss.

My research focus is the environmental impact of anthropogenic contaminants using the measuring stick that matters most: the wildlife. My current research measures how mercury pollution affects dragonfly and amphibian behaviors and bioaccumulates through the food web. 

Evaluating bat species richness and occupancy in south-central Oregon

Social-ecological systems approach to understanding how wolves, wild and domestic ungulates, and drought affect the relationships between people, specifically ranchers, and wildlife on Western rangelands.

animal behavior, nutritional ecology, trade-offs, population dynamics, community ecology, food web dynamics > generally with focus on mammals large and small

The goal of Mee-ya’s master’s project is to perform a feasibility analysis for an alternative form of electronic monitoring in Oregon’s recreational charter fleet. Mee-ya’s research will utilize stereo-video photogrammetry (calculating measurements and/or the creation of models of objects...

Liam is currently working on his master's thesis, using stable isotope and satellite tagging data to study the movement and feeding ecology of humpback whales in the North Pacific. To aid in this, Liam recently graduated from IsoCamp (class of 2022), a world-renowned short course on stable...

• Marine mammal species recovery and conservation
• Data Analytics and Data Management
• R and RStudio
• Geospatial analysis through R, Python, and ArcGIS Pro

I am studying the biological and physical factors that are driving bowhead whales in the western Beaufort Sea.

I am investigating an alternative early life history pathway in Chinook salmon in the upper John Day basin. I am estimating abundance, mapping distribution, and determining the physiological status of these downstream rearing juveniles.

As part of Dr. Taylor Chapple's Big Fish Lab, I am researching the movement and foraging ecology of a top coastal predator - the Broadnose Sevengill Shark - within the Northern California Coastal Current to eventually incorporate shark predators into fisheries...

Despite their often significant roles in local ecosystems though, large sharks have been conspicuously absent from management efforts in the Northern California Current System. Using techniques such as bio-logging, stable isotopes, and stomach content analysis, Jess’s research will provide...

 I'm interested in using birds as an environmental indicator to see how the economic value of birds reacts to the change of landscape composition across time. In particular, I'm using citizen science projects in my research (e.g., eBird, Breeding Bird Survey).

My research is focused on ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) vital rates, movements, and habitat use in southern Oregon. 

Potential impacts of red imported fire ants and other factors on monarch butterfly reproductive success in the Texas coastal prairie.

Effects of thermal variability on Pacific Cod (Gadus macrocephalus) foraging, growth, and metabolism in the Gulf of Alaska.

PI: Jared LeBoldus

I will be using next generation sequencing to analyze the genetic structure of albacore along the Pacific coast and using that data to delineate stock boundaries and help manage sustainable albacore fisheries.