This project evaluates a new eDNA assay targeting the tufA gene to improve early detection of the invasive algae Caulerpa prolifera, which poses a major threat to California’s marine ecosystems.
Awardee: Erica Ro, an undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Science with a concentration in Conservation Biology, is broadly interested in urban ecology and conservation science.
Awardee: Lauren Glevanik, a PhD candidate in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, works with a plant community of annual wildflowers and grasses.
Student Team: Bec Chenowith, Kolby Emison, Jacqueline Gonzalez Hurtado, Isaac Law, Angela Sarunchartinonth, Sarah Schmitt, and Emma Strassner Client: UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability Advisor: Dr. Andy Kleinhesselink View our Story…
Raptors, birds of prey that include hawks, owls, and falcons, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates. As top predators, raptors exert top-down control over…
Awardee: Sean O'Fallon, Ph.D. student in the Pinter-Wollman lab at UCLA. Sean's research focuses on the collective behavior of ant colonies, focusing on the factors that determine behavioral variation within populations and the relationship between ant nest architecture and collective behavior.
Awardee: Janine Fischer, Ph.D. candidate co-advised by Dr. Grether and Dr. Shier at UCLA, who is interested in how aggressive interference between species influences their coexistence and habitat use.