Graduate Students

My name is Grace (they/she), and I will be working under the guidance of Dr. Charlotte Milling. During my time at EWU, I will be researching community trophic interactions in the Prairie Potholes Region of Manitoba using stable isotope analysis, centered around the waterfowl nesting season. My research can be narrowed down to a seemingly simple question: who is eating duck eggs? The Prairie Potholes is arguably one of the most important bird nurseries on our planet, especially for migratory waterfowl. I am hoping that through my research, I can help guide management decisions in the region to better protect ducks, and the region at large. Outside of research, I am also a member of the Spokane Audubon Society, and an environmental educator. My driving mission in life is to protect the earth through meaningful research, and to make science and the outdoors accessible to all.

My name is Sam Caruso, and I am a graduate researcher in Dr. Paul Spruell’s lab, studying genetic population dynamics of Westslope Cutthroat Trout in the Lower Pend Oreille watershed. My research focuses on strengthening the existing genetic baseline to improve assignment accuracy to natal streams and analyzing temporal shifts in allele frequencies to estimate effective population size. This work will help support long-term conservation and management of the native Westslope Cutthroat Trout populations through improved genetic monitoring.

I will be joining Dr. McNeely’s lab to study how beaver dam analogs function. I am excited to further explore my interests in ecohydrology, aquatic ecology, and conservation hydrology during this time.

My name is Sadie Gray, and I will be working with Dr. McNeely starting this fall. I will be researching the effects of trace metals on secondary production in the Spokane River. My focus will be on invertebrate sampling within the watershed to determine where and how toxic metal pollution is affecting the river ecosystem. I am excited to begin researching a topic that will determine the effects of pollution and will make a lasting impact in this community.

Hi! I’m Sam (She /Her), advised by Dr. Charlotte Milling I am researching the impacts of wildfire on small mammal communities in forest ecosystems. My research will support the Washington Department of Natural Resources 20-year forest health strategic plan by informing management strategies that promote ecosystem resilience and biodiversity. In a future career I hope implement scientific techniques to inform management decisions in the face of climate change. 

I am performing population genetic analyses on the plants of the Palouse Prairie, investigating the relationship between low genetic diversity and reduced viability and germination rates. My research focuses on how inbreeding, driven by fragmented habitats, affects seed germination traits. The goal is to understand how these factors impact prairie ecosystems, as well as to deepen our knowledge of plant genetic variation and its influence on seed development.

Hello! I’m Scott (he/him), and I am researching the instructional practices and resources used by science teachers in the classroom. Whether learning the fundamentals in the classroom or exploring science in the field, I enjoy taking part in the learning journeys of others. Through teaching and research, I hope to help make science more accessible to a wide variety of audiences.

Hello! I’m Teddy Pierson (they/them). Advised by Dr. Rebecca Brown, I will be researching ecological restoration of the Palouse Prairie. I will be focusing on efficient and effective land management strategies, working with Eastern Washington University’s Prairie Restoration Project. I have spent over a decade in the field of ecology, applying restoration methods and working in rare plant research and conservation. I am excited to dive back into plant ecology in an academic context.

Hi! My name is Stephen and I am joining the Ashley lab to study Fringe protein modulation of osteoclastogeneis. Starting in the Fall of 2025, I will be conducting, along with my colleagues, knock-down and overexpression experiments on Fringe protein members known to produce various glycosylation patterns on notch receptors in osteoclast-precursors and thereby either enhance or suppress osteoclastogenesis. Additionally, we will be utilizing an ER-Hoxb8 immortalized osteoclast-precursor cell line to aid in the logistics of our experimental design. We hope our results help elucidate novel molecular targets for longitudinal pharmaceutical therapies for patients burdened with osteoporosis. I feel very privileged to be welcomed on this team and am excited for my next two years at EWU!

I am currently collaborating with Dr. Judd Case to describe fossil specimens of Macropodidae (the kangaroo family) from specific biostratigraphic zones dating approximately from the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene, found in the Etadunna Formation of South Australia. My research focuses on the major fossil clades of Macropodidae, comparing them with extant taxa in terms of kangaroo clades and taxonomy, as well as tooth morphology across the four major clades. I aim to investigate how this morphology relates to dietary habits among these species, and I will also study hindlimb morphology to understand its implications for different modes of hopping within the family.

As a first-year graduate student, I hold an undergraduate degree in Geology from Central Washington University. During my studies, I undertook undergraduate research focused on the taxonomy of a genus of Oreodonts known as Brachycrus, working alongside a local paleontologist to examine various specimens and determine whether they represent distinct species.

My lifelong passion for dinosaurs drives my dedication to studying paleontology and understanding the ancient world. With a strong foundation in geology and an emerging background in biology, I aspire to pursue a Ph.D. and build a career as a paleontologist.

My research focuses on plant ecology, specifically the role of wild bees in pollinating native plants across diverse habitats. I will be collecting wild bees from the region and analyzing the percentage of pollen they carry from various floral hosts. Native plants rely on pollinators like bees for effective reproduction, as these pollinators facilitate genetic transfer by moving pollen between flowers, which enhances genetic diversity and resilience. My goal is to address the questions: Do non-native plants compete with native species for pollination, and are there any native species particularly vulnerable to this competition? This research aims to deepen our understanding of bee and plant interactions to aid in restoration efforts and inform conservation strategies.

I am studying the sulfur reducing pathway of Desulfovibrio piger, a human gut bacterium that has been associated with a range of inflammatory diseases due to its production of the pro-inflammatory metabolite, hydrogen sulfide (H₂S). My project includes the use of molecular microbiology techniques to elucidate the function of key genes thought to be involved in regulating H₂S production within this opportunistic pathobiont. I hope to discover which genes are essential for this process to aid in the production of H₂S negative mutants that will be used in murine studies on multiple sclerosis and obesity by our collaborators at the University of Iowa.