Mentoring
Mentoring is critical form of teaching that I find highly rewarding. Research and projects introduce students to the scientific process and how to apply that scientific knowledge to engage the community and influence management and policy. This experience is essential to training and preparing students for a career after graduation. It also allows students to apply and build on concepts they have learned in the classroom.
Master of Environmental Management (MEM) Students
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Alexia Cooper
I am researching how the application of biosolid compost on rangelands in the Gunnison Valley effects soil health, pant productivity, fungal relationships, and carbon stocks in the soil. My project was catered to address the expressed needs of the ranching community to increase their resilience to drought by improving the health of the soil. I plan to begin a soil consulting business while pursuing a PhD in Agreoecology at the University of California, Merced with Dr. Rebecca Rhyals on a carbon sequestration project in California. I hold a BS in Environmental Science form Westminster College. |
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Haley Horvat I have focused my master’s project around science communication for marine ecosystems and I am currently interning for iCORAL as their Citizen Science Communicator and also for High Country News Magazine as their Fact-checking Intern. I grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago and found my passion for marine ecosystems and oceans while visiting my grandparents in Florida every winter as a child. In my free time, I adore scuba diving tropical waters and creative writing (with a pen and notebook, of course). Find out more about Haley here. |
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Heather Reineking
My project focuses on mine reclamation under the Western Alliance for Restoration Management (WARM) organization. I’ll use a series of three experiments to determine the best combination of limestone and biochar conducive to native plant restoration at the Ben Butler Mine site in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. By establishing native plant growth on site, I’ll reduce the acidity in runoff from waste rock left on the surface after the mining process as well as reduce the likelihood of soil erosion and leaching of heavy metals into the waterways of Colorado |
Master of Science in Ecology (MS in Ecology) Students
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Alexandra "Alex" VanTill I graduated from Michigan State University in 2015 with a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Biology/Plant Biology. For my Master's degree I will be studying the impact of compost additions on soil microclimates of rangelands in the Gunnison Valley. Specifically, I will be assessing how soil microbial communities and mycorrhizal associations influence the potential for carbon sequestration. |
Undergraduate Students
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Scott LaRocca I’m an undergraduate student in Biology at Western Colorado University. I studied soil carbon and nutrient changes due to managed grazing in a rangeland in Colorado. My research is funded by the Thornton Biology Research Grant and the Western Fund for Scholarly Opportunities, Undergraduate Research, and Creative Expression (SOURCE). |
Alumni
Elizabeth Hartson
Aaron Lewis
Michael Schuster
Jodi Elam
Cameron Ruyle
Aaron Lewis
Michael Schuster
Jodi Elam
Cameron Ruyle