Natural Resources Career Panel: 

• Andrew Herberg, M.Sc. Animal Survey Coordinator, MN Dept. of Natural Resources – Camp Ripley Training Center.
• Michael D. Lee, M.A. Botanical Scientist, Minnesota Biological Survey, MN Dept. of Natural Resources.
• Deanna Leigh, M.Sc. Community Science Coordinator, MN Dept. of Natural Resources.

Dr. Andrew Mahon, Professor. Central Michigan University

Dr. Sushma Reddy, Associate Professor and Curator of Birds, University of Minnesota and the Bell Museum of Natural History

Dr. Nicole Phillips, Associate Professor, The University of Southern Mississippi

Amaya Bruner, Master’s Thesis Defense

Andrew Herberg, M.Sc. Animal Survey Coordinator, MN Dept. of Natural Resources – Camp Ripley Training Center

Dr. Dan Hornbach, Professor, Macalester College

Christopher Smith, M.Sc. MN Dept. of Transportation

Dr. Dan Larkin, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center

Alyssa Roberts, Master’s Thesis Defense

Dr. Maggie Douglas, Dickinson College: Title:Putting the 'eco' into ecotoxicology: Effects of neonicotinoids on non-target insects from field to landscape

Dr. Sunny Chan, UM Pediatrics: Title:When pluripotent stem cells give you teratomas, make skeletal myogenic progenitors

Dr. Lars Mattison, Medtronic

Dr. Beth Holdbrook, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Title:Hydroacoustics: a sound approach for monitoring cold-water forage fish

Dr. Ryan Schmid, Ecdysis Foundation: Title:Conserving biodiversity and ecosystem function in agricultural settings (Commentary on working at a non-profit)

Dr. Lan Xu, South Dakota State University: Title:How climate change scenarios impact belowground competition between native and invasive grass species

Dr. Mike McGraw: Title:Ornithology as a means of measuring ecosystem health and ecosystem restoration monitoring

Daniel Abaneme, St. Cloud State University Masters Thesis Defense: Title:The Impact of Hunteria umbellata Aqueous Extract on the Morphology of Reproductive and Metabolic Organs in Rats with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Nina Orzica Ineza, St. Cloud State University Masters Thesis Defense: Title:Effect of aqueous extract of Hunteria umbellata on the hematological and metabolic parameters in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome using the Rat Model

Amaya Bruner, St. Cloud State University Masters Thesis Defense: Title:The Effects of Water-Soluble Cannabidiol on the Development and Severity of Type 1 Diabetes in Non-obese Diabetic (NOD) and streptozotocin-induced C57Bl/6 Mouse Models

Dr. Felicia Leammukda, St. Cloud State University: Research review with students

Dr. Michael Bredeson, St. Cloud State University

James Paterson, Ph.D. Research Scientist, Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research, Ducks Unlimited Canada: Supporting Wetland and Biodiversity Conservation with Support Tools and Evaluations

Deanna Leigh, M.Sc. Area Resource Specialist, MN Dept. of Natural Resources: Restoring and Maintaining Healthy Habitat: A Behind the Scenery Look at Minnesota State Parks

Chad Heins, M.Sc. Associate Professor of Biology, Bethany Lutheran College: Becoming an Expert in the Digital Age: Lessons from Making a Spider Checklist.

Heather Waye, Ph.D. Professor, University of Minnesota Morris: Garters on the Coast, Snakes on a Plane, and Tigers on the Prairie; A Herpetological Journey

Brian Schwingle, M.Sc. Forest Health Specialist, MN Dept. of Natural Resources: Effects on Minnesota’s Forest Trees from Shorter Winters and More Flooding

Spencer Ott, St. Cloud State University, Thesis Defense

Mariah Simones, St. Cloud State University, Thesis Defense

Molly Clyne, St. Cloud State University, Thesis Defense

Charles Christensen, St. Cloud State University, Thesis Defense: Assessing Membrane Bioreactor Efficacy in Emerging Contaminant Removal Through Water Chemistry and Fathead Minnow (Pimephales Promelas) Exposure

Andy Fondren, St. Cloud State University, Thesis Defense

Alex Maile, St. Cloud State University, Thesis Defense

Alyssa VanDenBoom, St. Cloud State University, Thesis Defense

Natalia Reyero, PhD, Interdisciplinary Center for Nano Technology, Jackson State University, MS: Using Science to Inform Policy

Alan Kolok, PhD, Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, University of Idaho: Fish out of water: The five-year plan.

Zhiyue Wang, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geoengineering, University of Minnesota: Using Science to Inform Policy.

Jim Lazorchak, PhD, National Exposure Research Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinatti, OH: What do you want to be when you grow up? I wanted to be a scientist

Loren Miller, PhD, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota: Advancements in Studying Population Dynamics in Northern Fish Populations

Paul Edmiston, PhD, Department of Chemistry, Wooster College, OH: Bioavailability of Chemical Contaminants Using Passive Samplers: Science at an Undergraduate Institution

Mary Ann Ottinger, PhD, Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Houston, TX: One Health and the Exposome: A Case Study in Old World Vultures

Mark Strynar, PhD, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC: Lessons learned during environmental forensic investigation of PFAS by nontargeted analysis

Elena Nielsen, PhD, USGS Water Sciences Research Center, Portland, OR

Dr. Matt Davis, St. Cloud State University: Evolution in the Dark

SCSU Alumna Emily Olson, Minnesota Zoo: Careers in Zoological Institutions. Link to Recording of Seminar

SCSU Alumna Shana Rogan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: From MS to PhD: Lessons learned along the way. Link to Recording of Seminar

Dr. Althea Archer, St. Cloud State University: Owls and moose and birds, oh my!

Dr. Jennifer Sweatman, Concordia College: Prevalence of Microplastics in North American Waterfowl

Dr. Grover Brown, Jacksonville State University: TBD.

Bailey Richards, St. Cloud State University, Thesis Defense.

Noel Jones, St. Cloud State University, Thesis Defense.

Michelle Lanam, St. Cloud State University, Thesis Defense.

Alvina Mehinto, Southern California Coastal Water Research Institute (CA): Novel molecular tools to enhance water quality monitoring.

Dalma Martinovic-Weigelt, University of St. Thomas (MN): At the nexus of basic and applied science

Beth Harlander Baker, Mississippi State University (MS): Exploring environmental challenges, conservation solutions, and the ecology of health

Kelly Diamond, Seattle Children’s Hospital (WA): Becoming an integrative biologist: How to work with people and methods from different fields?

Tisha King-Heiden, St. Cloud State University: Creative & Flexible Approaches to Maintaining a Research Program at a Comprehensive University

Anndee Huff, University of Minnesota (MN): Research on advanced nitrogen removal technologies and the career path that led there

Meghan McGee, Astra Zeneka (FL). Teaching my way through an MS, PhD and Medical Affairs: Finding a Career in Lifelong Learning

Takashi Maie, Lynchburg College (VA): International science during the pandemic

Jessica Ward, Ball State University (IN): Behavioral sciences as a sensitive tool in ecotoxicology