Intestinal pathogen surveillance in Los Angeles region mammals
Awardee: Sarah Helman, Ph.D. in Professor Jamie Lloyd-Smith's lab. Sarah is interested in disease surveillance of marine and terrestrial mammals along the California coast.
Projects
Investigating divergence with gene flow in the plant genus Linanthus
Awardee: Ioana Anghel, second year Ph.D. student in the Zapata Lab. Ioana is interested in the drivers of diversification and how taxa maintain their phenotypic and genetic identity while co-existing in a small area with the potential to hybridize.
Only one way to succeed in a city? Urban Dark-eyed Junco adaptation across multiple novel environments
Awardee: Eleanor Diamont, Ph.D. in the Yeh Lab. Eleanor is interested in using the Dark-eyed Junco as a model system to understand how birds can cope with and adapt to urban stressors.
Post-fire impact on biological community of coastal lagoons in southern California
Awardee: Rachel Turba de Paula, Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Rachel studies population genetics of endangered and extirpated species in southern California, as well as community change in coastal lagoons to address local conservation efforts.
Quantifying the effects of soil microbes on California annual plant community dynamics
Awardee: Gaurav S. Kandlikar, PhD candidate and NSF Graduate Research fellow in Dr. Nathan Kraft’s plant community ecology group. Gaurav is deeply fascinated by the origins and consequences of diversity, and in his research he uses a combination of ecological theory, field experiments, and molecular techniques to study the ecological processes that help maintain plant species diversity, especially in southern California grasslands.
Reducing Wildfire Risk in Southern California
Wildfires in California are becoming more frequent and destructive, resulting in increased loss of property and life. In November 2018 alone, fires throughout the state caused up to an estimated…
Sustainable ebony production in the Congo Basin
Rainforests have long been recognized for their importance to the entire planet. They absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, something all animals need to survive. They are also home to…
UCLA La Kretz Center 10th Annual Public Lecture: California on Fire
The UCLA La Kretz Center 10th Annual Public Lecture examined the impacts of wild fire on California conservation. Featuring preeminent ecologists Carla D’Antonio (UC Santa Barbara), Jon Keeley (US Geological…
Western Pond Turtle at-risk species assessment
The western pond turtle is California’s only native freshwater turtle. The turtle’s numbers have been declining due to urbanization, limited water availability, and competition or predation from invasive species —…
An Institutional Guideline for Ecologically Sound and Aesthetic Landscaping
The Biodiversity and Landscaping Team is a group dedicated to enhancing the ecology of the UCLA campus. We believe that being ecologically sound and aesthetically pleasing are not mutually exclusive. UCLA was…
Assessing mechanisms that facilitate the success of the invasive brown alga, Sargassum horneri, and enhance community susceptibility to invasion
Awardee: Emily Ryznar, PhD Student in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Emily's research focuses on enhancing the understanding and early detection of the invasive marine alga, Sargassum horneri in Southern California through predictive modeling and experimentation.
Assessing the strength of kelp and seagrass in mitigating ocean acidification
Team: Anna George, Noah Horvath, Destiny Johnson, Eileen Ly, Roajhaan Sakaki, Shang Shi Advisor: Rob Eagle Client: The Bay Foundation