Hello and Welcome!

Welcome to the Rausser College of Natural Resources Spring 2020 Virtual Research Showcase. Thank you for taking the time to learn about the varied research programs and projects that our students are involved in. We hope you leave inspired to pursue your own research endeavors!

A Message from Dean David Ackerly

Dear Students,

Welcome to the 2020 Virtual Spring Poster Sessions! I know this has been an extraordinary semester, for you as students, for your families, and for faculty and staff. Thank you for hanging in there and working with us in the quick transition to remote instruction. For the poster presenters, congratulations on completing your research! Research and teaching are the core of everything we do at the University. Without original research, we would not advance the frontiers of knowledge, and make the discoveries that you learn about in the classroom. Thanks to students, staff, and faculty for bringing the event online this semester!

Best wishes to all
Dean Ackerly 

Spring 2020 Student Research:

Edith Lai Poster

Biodiversity Loss and Phenology in California Grasslands

Edith Lai (Senior, Molecular Environmental Biology + Public Health majors) - Spring 2020

Other participants: Rachael Olliff Yang, David Ackerly


Hannah Lopez poster

Conifer Responses to Changing Fire Histories in the Illilouetter Creek Basin of Yosemite National Park

Hannah Lopez (Senior, Ecosystem Management and Forestry major) - Spring 2020

Other participants: Brandon Collins, Ekaterina Rakhmatulina, Zachary Steel, Jean Wilkening, Scott Stephers; SPUR Project


Jordan Hoff poster

Uncovering the mechanism of a novel phage defense island in Vibrio cholerae

Jordan Hoff (Senior, Microbial Biology major) - Spring 2020

Other participants: Kim Seed; SPUR Project


Rose Curley poster

Soil health to human health: The effects of land management practies on nutrient cycling in an agroecosystem

Rose Curley (Senior, Molecular Environmental Biology major + Food Systems minor) - Spring 2020

Other participants: Yvonne Socolar, Coleman Rainey, Timothy Bowles; SPUR Project


Matin Biekaran poster

Investigating the Effects of the Interferon-Induced Proteins IFI44 and IFI44L on Human Cytomegalovirus Replication

Matin Bikaran (Senior, Microbial Biology major) - Spring 2020

Other participants: Laura Hertel Ph.D


Michael Cockrum poster

Quantification of steroids in tissues between Raldh1-KO and WT mice

Michael Cockrum (Senior, Nutritional Sciences-Physiology & Metabolism major) - Spring 2020

Other participants: Hong Sik Yoo, Joseph L. Napoli; SPUR Projejct


Phillip de Lorimier poster

Characterizing Soil Microbial Community Response to Prescribed Fire Along A High-Resolution Soil Depth Profile

Phillip de Lorimier (Senior, Molecular Environmental Biology major + Forestry & Natural Resources minor) - Spring 2020

Other participants: Monika Fischer, Neem Patel, Matthew F. Traxler; SPUR Projejct, Travel Grant

Watch a narrated presentation of this research here!


Stavi Tennenbaum poster

Relationships between Social Competence and Acoustic Density in North American Red Squirrels

Stavi Tennenbaum (Senior, Conservation and Resource Studies major) - Spring 2020

Other participants: Dr. Ben Dantzer, Dr. Steve Beissinger; Honors Thesis Poster, 


Diversity of Lactarius subgenus Russularia in California

Saumitra Kelkar (Senior, Ecosystem Management & Forestry + Environmental Economics & Policy majors) - Spring 2020

Honors Thesis Poster, SPUR Project


Isabella Muscettola poster

Competition in the Phyllosphere: Epiphytic Yeast Dispersal and Community Assembly in Tomato Phyllosphere

Isabella Muscettola (Senior, Molecular Environmental Biology major + Forestry & Natural Resources minor) - Spring 2020

Other participants: Mason K. Chock, Britt Koskella; SPUR Project


Characterization of an Early-Light-Induced Protein in Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii

Charlder Sutherland (Senior, Molecular Environmental Biology major + Chemistry minor) - Spring 2020

Other participants: Dr. Setsuko Wakao, Dr. Krishna Niyogi; SPUR Project