The UTSA Department of Environmental Science and Ecology
invites you to join a showcase of student research

Virtual Spring Research Symposium

May 14, 2021   |   10 am – 3 pm

Oral presentations and posters from Environmental Science and Ecology students.
Special guests include Dr. Benjamin Tuggle (former Regional Director for USFWS) and Dr. Cheryl Jefferson.
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Keynote Speakers

Dr. Caren Cooper
Dr. Caren Cooper
Associate Professor
Forestry & Environmental Resources
North Carolina State Univiversity
Dr. Jonathan Koch Uhuad
Dr. Jonathan B. Koch Uhuad
Research Entomologist
USDA Agricultural Research Service

Schedule

10:00 am - 10:15 am

Welcome and Opening Remarks

10:15 am - 11:00 am

Keynote Address
"Public Science Scholars Flock Together: Nesting Anti-Racism Principles across the Participatory Sciences"
Dr. Caren Cooper

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Panel 1: Wildlife Populations in Urban & Developing Regions

  • "Bees in the Big City"
    Alyson Haynes and Dr. Jessica Beckham
  • "Evaluation of the Potential Distribution of the Texas Horned Lizard"
    Jamie Killian and Dr. Jennifer A. Smith
  • "A Multi-Step Approach to Understanding the Effects of Backyard Bird Feeding on the Abundance and Diversity of Birds in San Antonio, Texas"
    Amanda Lamberson and Dr. Jennifer A. Smith

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Breakout Discussion Sessions

  • Mentoring Session: Overcoming Barriers to Success
    Join our keynote speakers for a conversation about overcoming barriers and succeeding in STEM. All presenters and student attendees are welcome.
  • Poster Presentation Q&A Session
    Join the authors of our poster presentations for a discussion and Q&A on their research. Posters will be available online at least 1 day prior to the Symposium.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Panel 2: Plant & Microbial Diversity

  • "Interactions among Two Native Macrophytes and the Invasive Hydrilla verticillata in a Greenhouse Study"
    Angela Maroti and Dr. Jeffrey Hutchinson
  • "Wildfires in the Southern Appalachian Mountains Increases Soil Microbial Nutrient Scavenging with Burn Severity"
    Megan Schill, Shawn Brown, Richard Baird, and Dr. Allison Veach
  • "The Value of a Small Herbarium for Research"
    Gabriela Vara and Dr. Jennifer A. Smith

2:00 pm - 2:45 pm

Keynote Address
"Why the Bad Buzz: Using Museum Collections to Inform Bumble Bee Conservation"
Dr. Jonathan B. Koch Uhuad

2:45 pm - 3:00 pm

Closing Remarks

Poster Presentations

"Proposal for Habitat Survey of the Edwards Plateau Ephemeral Pools and their Developmental Impact"
Andrew Foster, Dr. Brian Laub

"Carbon Sequestration by Habitat Type at the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Main Campus"
Dulcie Maria Gomez, Dr. Jeffrey Hutchinson, Dr. Vikram Kapoor, Dr. Julie Foote

"An ex-situ Analysis of the Physical Variables of Grasses Native to South-Central Texas Grown in Heavy Metal-Infused Soil"
Sarah Gorton, Dr. Jeffrey Hutchinson, Dr. Vikram Kapoor

"Using Community Science to Gauge the Floral Preferences of Native and Introduced Bee Species"
Ainsely Koch, Dr. Jessica Beckham

"Evaluation of Urban Green Spaces as Habitats for Native Bees Along an Urbanization Gradient in Central Texas"
Sally P. Lent, Dr. Janis Bush, Dr. Jessica Beckham, Dr. Jonathan Koch Uhuad

"Seasonal Breeding Phenology and Range of the Mexican White-Lipped Frog (Leptodactylus fragilis) in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas"
Gilbert Martinez, Dr. Jennifer Smith

"Effects of Late Summer Prescribed Burn and Growing Season Grazing as a Prairie Restoration Technique in South Texas"
Tom McKissick V, Dr. Brian Laub

"Urban Environmental Factors Predicting Site Occupancy of Owls in San Antonio, Texas"
Jose Vela, Dr. Jennifer Smith

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