Students

Meredit h Prentice Master's Thesis Defense Advisors: Dr. April Goebl, Dr. Timberley Roane, & Dr. Paula Fornwalt Date: September 25 th , 2026 Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm Location: Science Building 1111 Zoom Link: http://https://ucdenver.zoom.us/j/91565128311?pwd=C07a4TgS5KWe9j0krhk1wKXafqEwrT.1 Meeting ID: 915 6512 8311 Passcode: 509758 Post-fire Understory Plant Community Assembly in Ponderosa Pine Forests:...

Jacob Presch Master's Thesis Defense Advisors: Dr. Carlos Infante, Dr. Annika Mosier and Dr. Gregory Ragland Date: July 24, 2026 Time: 2:00pm – 3:00pm Location: North Classroom 1403 Genetic Factors Affecting Forelimb Versus Hindlimb Identity in Eublepharis Macularius The genome is expressed through the interactions between genes and their regulatory...

Ashlee Kerber Master's Thesis Defense Advisors: Dr. Jennifer Ackerfield, Dr. Gregory Ragland, Dr. Robert Raguso and Dr. Andrew Wilson Date: July 24, 2026 Time: 9:00am – 10:00am Location: Denver Botanic Gardens Freyer-Newman Center Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/276314548960353?p=7nxPQb2OBFA2OAgMSI Meeting ID: 276 314 548 960 353, Passcode: VT2Hj38H Genetic and Aromatic Signatures in the...

Martha Young Master's Thesis Defense Advisor: Dr. Michael Moore Date: May 22, 2026 Time: 10:00am – 11:00pm Location: North Classroom 3207 The Mountains are Calling, Can I Go? On the Development of Ecological and Reproductive Traits at Novel Elevations in Odonates As the planet warms, organisms are expected to shift...

Jerome Acakpo Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam Defense Advisors: Dr. John Swallow and Dr. Laurel Hartley Date: May 21, 2026 Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm Location: Science Bld 4127 STEM Laboratory Experiences and Sense of Belonging Among International Graduate Students The U.S. higher education system is widely recognized for its high-quality scientific research...

Francis Anaya Master's Thesis Defense Advisors: Dr. Rebecca Hufft, Dr. Michael Moore, and Dr. Diana Tomback Date: April 29th, 2026 Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm Location: Botanic Gardens FNC Classroom 3 Long-Term Impacts of Aerial Seeding During Fire Recovery in Lodgepole Pine (Pinus Contorta) Communities: Beaver Creek Fire, Colorado Case Study...

Elli e Tus har Master's Thesis Defense Advisor: Dr. Gregory Ragland Date: April 24, 2026 Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm Location : North Classroom 1003 Evolutionary Divergence and Thermal Plasticity: Investigating Transcriptional Responses in Tropical and Temperate Drosophila Species. Phenotypic plasticity enables organisms to adjust to environmental variation, yet it remains...

Casey W eissburg Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam Advisor: Dr. Michael Wunder When: Friday, February 13, 2026 Where: Science Classroom, Room 1111 Time: 8:00am Age-and Season-Specific Demographic Rates for the Mountain Plover: Variation Between Populations and Across the Annual Cycle Pinpointing what factors drive population change requires understanding variance in demographic rates...

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...