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SENR

School of Environment and Natural Resources

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Graduate Students Organize and Host Research Symposium

March 31, 2023
Cover of the SENR Student Symposium program showing a picture of Kottman Hall

Graduate students in the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) organized and hosted the 2023 School of Environment and Natural Resources Student Research Symposium on March 27, 2023 at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center.

With more than 85 registering in-person and online the symposium included a full day of student featured (both undergraduate and graduate) oral and poster presentations of their research (Symposium Agenda here), a luncheon and networking opportunities. 

A room with people sitting at round tables looking toward the stage where there is a person at the podium.

Students, faculty, staff and sponsors of the symposium learned from one another about the important research conducted by students in the areas of forestry, fisheries, wildlife, water, climate, soils, and nature and outdoor recreation and the impact of this research in their respective fields.

Posters on display in a room.

Abby Thiemkey, committee chair and SENR graduate student provided welcome remarks and Eric Toman, professor and interim director of SENR provided the Keynote Address touching on the important role of student research and expressed appreciation to the committee for organizing the symposium and thanked the sponsors for their continued support.

Three awards were presented as part of the symposium. Students recognized included:

Courtney Anderson, William J. Mitsch Best Oral Presentation Award, given by Karen Wise, Davey Resource Group, Inc. for "Felid species presence and differential response to varying levels of human activity in the Madidi National Protected Area, Bolivia."

Marcos Gimenez Diaz, best graduate poster presentation, "Species distribution model for invasive cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) in relation to environmental gradient variations and disturbances in the western United States" given by Rachel Morlock, ODNR Division of Forestry

Elizabeth Sakulich, for best undergraduate poster presentation, "Effects of landscape isolation on bumble bee population genetics" given by Rachel Morlock, ODNR Division of Forestry.

A group of 5 people.

Sponsors of the symposium

Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry; Davey Resource Group; Ohio Chapter of the Wildlife Society; Clean Fuels Ohio; Green Energy Ohio; Ohio Water Environment Association; Ohio Environmental Protection Agency; The Dawes Arboretum; Ohio Wildlife Management Association; Ohio Air Quality Development Authority; Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife; The Ohio Forestry Association; and the Ohio Society of American Foresters.


The SENR Student Symposium Organizing Committee included:

Chairs: Abby Thiemkey and Allison Williams
Fundraisers: Tyler Johnson, Jess Dong, Kimberley Ordonez
Communications: Zoe Korpi and Andrea Spurck
Social Media: Ashlyn Halseth
Moderators: Dylan Darter, Kimberley Ordonez


Learn more about the 2023 SENR Student Symposium here.


Photos by Jessica Caton Diefenbach.