Students

Advi sors: 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 elements, inducing differential expression...

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 Polemonium Viscosum Complex: A...

Advis or: 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 their ranges either latitudinally...

Ad visors: 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 and diverse career opportunities, making...

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 Wildfires are continuing to increase...

Elli e Tus har 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 unclear how plastic...

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...

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...