Student News

Jessic a Loeffler M a ster’s Thesis Defense Adviso rs: Dr. Andrew Wilson, Dr. Michael Greene, and Dr. Sara Branco When: November 21, 2025 12:00pm – 1:00pm Where: Science Building, Room 2001 Join Zoom Meeting: https://ucdenver.zoom.us/j/98409192103 Meeting ID: 984 0919 2103 or Join by SIP • 98409192103@zoomcrc.com Comparing the Fungal...

Gabr ielle Cerep-Funke Master's Thesis Defense Advisor: Dr. Chrissy Alba When: Thursday, November 20, 2:00pm - 3:00pm Where: Science Building, Room 4127 Zoom: https://ucdenver.zoom.us/j/94940451010 Evaluating the Performance of Horticulturally Relevant Native Forbs under Increasingly Limiting Water Availability Climate models predict a hotter and drier future for Colorado, which can impact...

J ustin J. Loucks Defense Exam Advisor: Dr. Andrew Wilson When: Friday, November 14, 2025 1:30pm – 3:30pm Where: Science Building, Room 4127 Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/77907961149?pwd=VdQqOUhtyKl0fvWM2Ua56Vz8s9Jg4p.1 Meeting ID: 779 0796 1149 Passcode: QEb2VF TAXONOMY AND SYSTEMATICS OF THE FUNGAL GENUS BOLETOPSIS IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA The fungal genus Boletopsis...

Alyssa Hohorst PhD Dissertation Defense Advisor: Dr. Ben Greenwood Department of Integrative Biology When: Friday, November 7th 2025 10:00am Where: Science Building, Room 4127 Clarifying the Mechanisms Underlying Estrous Cycle Modulated Fear Extinction and Relapse Extinction that occurs during high ovarian hormone phases, proestrus or estrus (Pro/Est), or following E2...

Ali Alghamdi Ph.D. Student Dr. Diana Tomback's Lab Department of Integrative Biology When: 10/28/2025 - Time: 11:00 am Where: Science Building 4127 Ecological Restoration in Forest and Aridland Systems: Nature-Based Solutions to Counter Disturbance and Degradation. My dissertation investigates how ecosystems recover when disturbances push them to their resilience limits...

Ryan Jones Ph.D. Degree Candidate Advisor: Dr. Paula Cushing (Denver Museum of Nature and Science) When: Friday, October 17th, 2025, 12:00pm Where: Science Building, Room 2001 A phylogenomic and biogeographic hypothesis for North American solifuge family Eremobatidae (Arachnida: Solifugae) and the resurrection of genus Eremospina Roewer Quantifying and qualifying biodiversity...

Emmy Johnson Master's Degree Candidate Advisor: Dr. Laurel Hartley CU Denver Department of Integrative Biology When: Friday, October 10th, 2025, 12:00pm Where: Science Building, Room 2001 Impacts of Professional Development on Perceptions and Emotions of Graduate Teaching Assistants as Mentors in Biology CUREs (Course-Based Undergraduate Research) through the framework of...

Alex Moss Ph.D. Candidate Advisor: Dr. Michael Greene CU Denver Department of Integrative Biology When: Friday, October 10th 2025, 9:00am Where: Science Building, Room 4127 (4th Floor Conference Room) Follow the leader: Group recruitment in the "greedy" ant T etramorium immigrans Urban environments are one of the fastest growing environments...

Axel Espinoza Master's Degree Candidate Committee Members: Dr. Christopher Phiel, Dr. Carlos Infante, Dr. Xiaojun Ren CU Denver Department of Integrative Biology When: Tuesday, July 8th, 2025, 10:00am Where: Science Building, Room 4127 (4th Floor Conference Room) Polycomb Repressive Complex Subunit Interactions Underlying Developmental Gene Regulation Polycomb group (PcG) proteins...

Audrey Spencer Ph.D. Candidate Ackerfield & Bruederle Lab CU Denver Department of Integrative Biology | Denver Botanic Gardens When: Friday, April 25th, 2025, 12:00 - 1:00pm Where: North Classroom, Room 3207 Systematics and Biogeography of the Eastern Asian-North American Disjunct Genus, Physocarpus (Rosaceae) The contemporary distributions of species reflect their...