Anna Rose
Peer Mentor
rose.1472@osu.edu
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Major: Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife
Specialization: Honors with Research Distinction
Career Interests: My future career plan is to become a field ornithology and scientific illustrator. I love all wildlife, but I am specifically looking for future degrees and field technician opportunities related to avian ecology!
Favorite Part of SENR/OSU: My favorite aspect of the School of Environment and Natural Resources is the community and sense of welcome. My best example of this comes from all of the time I spend in Kottman Hall. Even if I only study there for a few hours I will see many friends from SENR and even in my major that greet me. I find it astounding and comforting that even in a school as large as Ohio State, I can see friends and make new ones every day in SENR. The smaller size of the school means that it is easy to get to know a wide number of new and exciting people, and the similarities in passion allow me to create tight-knit bonds with others. This is my very favorite aspect about my school.
Research Experience: This last summer, I was selected to be an Ornithology REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) student at Stone Laboratory on the Lake Erie Islands. I had the chance to study how birds are acting as transport vehicles for Lyme disease causing bacteria. I got to band, take blood samples, and handling lots of wild songbirds. I am also currently working in the Avian Wildlife Ecology lab on an honors project with White-throated Sparrows at the OSU Olentangy Wetlands Research Park. I have also had the pleasure of working with other bird banding stations and bird-related volunteer projects as an undergraduate.
Other Campus Involvements:
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Ornithology Club—president
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Society for Ecological Restoration
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Peer Mentors
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Lab of Avian Wildlife Ecology
Cade Capper
Peer Mentor
capper.15@osu.edu
Hometown: Hudson, Ohio
Major: Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife
Specialization: Wildlife Science
Minor: Geographic Information Science
Career Interests: I would like to go into wildlife research! So I’ll definitely go to grad school for at least a master’s (probably a PhD), but am planning on taking a year or two off to work and get some experience in the field for a bit.
Favorite Part of SENR/OSU:This is a classic, but it’s gotta be the community here. Everyone is so friendly, and I can’t walk through Kottman without running into someone I know. I’ve made so many great friends and connections here.
Research Experience:I am conducting an undergraduate research project studying the reproductive habitat selection of monarch butterflies in urban areas, for which I designed an experiment and have collected data for three years. I’ve learned a lot about research and project design through this, as well as data analysis and writing. I also work as a lab assistant in the Department of Food, Agriculture, and Biological Engineering where we study bioretention cells (rain gardens) and their effects on urban stormwater quality. We take samples from streams around Columbus, run simulated storms in bioretention cells, and examine ecological data related to these rain gardens. Finally, this past summer I worked as an intern at MAD Scientist Associates, an ecological consulting company in Westerville, OH. We worked a lot with wetlands, performing delineations and quality monitoring and assessment to provide our clients with easy-to-understand information about the environmental impacts of their projects. My picture is of me working at this internship on an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) assessment by doing some electroshock fishing in a stream.
Other Campus Involvements:
- Sierra club
- Society for Ecological Restoration
- Ornithology Club
- Buckeye Philharmonic Orchestra
- Undergraduate Research
- Lab Assistant in Agriculture Engineering
Caitlyn Kowalski
Peer Mentor
Kowalski.222@osu.edu
Hometown: Hillsborough, New Jersey
Major: Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife
Specialization: Fisheries and Wildlife Science
Career Interests: To work for the National Parks Service as an educational park ranger!
Favorite Part of SENR/OSU: How passionate everyone at SENR is about the environment. Although they may be in very different ways, the one thing that brings us together is our commitment to the betterment of our environment.
Internship Experience: I worked as a seasonal park ranger for my county government this past summer. I was responsible for visitor services such as educating about park rules, foot/vehicle patrol, answering patron questions and responding to first-aid calls. On less busy days I was responsible for trail and general park maintenance such as trimming of poison ivy, clearing downed trees from trails and checking on playground equipment.
Other Campus Involvements:
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Ducks Unlimited
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Peer Mentoring
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Greek Life
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Ski and Snowboarding Team
Dana Bass
SENR Ambassador
bass.210@osu.edu
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Major: Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife
Specialization: Wildlife Sciences
Minor: Landscape Architecture
Career Interests: I want to eventually go back to school and get my masters in Environmental Design & Architecture to be able to work for a Landscape Architecture firm that focuses on sustainable design.
Favorite Part of SENR/OSU: My favorite part of OSU is the number of students on campus. I love how everyday I see someone new and have the opportunity to always meet someone new. Within SENR, I like the small, family-like community with both professors and students who all have unique perspectives and interests within the environmental field.
Internship Experience: This past summer I worked as a Texas Wildlife Conservation Manager Intern at the Dallas Zoo. I helped with litter clean-ups along the Trinity River, took a trip to South Padre Island to assist Sea Turtle Inc., and created a lawn conversion project that focused on introducing native prairie landscapes to people’s homes
Other Campus Involvements:
- Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated
- Student Research Assistant with the Department of Neuroscience
- Morrill Scholar
Gwendolyn Stamper
SENR Ambassador
stamper.107@osu.edu
Hometown: Kettering, Ohio
Major: Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife, German (double major)
Specialization: Wildlife and Fisheries
Career Interests: Following graduation, I am most interested in environmental advocacy and education. I thoroughly enjoy working outside and working with people, so I'm hoping to bring those two together by spreading my passion for protecting the natural world. Furthermore, I'm interested in learning more about German sustainability practices and am considering pursuing a Master's degree there.
Favorite Part of SENR/OSU: My favorite aspect of SENR is the community it fosters. Through the ENR Scholars program I’ve met so many incredible people and formed close friendships that I don’t know what I would do without. I always look forward to connecting with students and faculty within SENR because of how passionate and welcoming every individual is. The SENR community truly feels like a home within the huge world of Ohio State.
Internship/Research Experience:
I am a research aid with the Strange Bumble Bee Lab here at Ohio State. I first worked here full-time during the summer of 2021 and now work part-time during the school year. I assist graduate entomology students with a variety of projects. These include analyzing bumble bee population gene flow across an urban to rural gradient and studying pathogens that infect the guts of bumble bees. I absolutely love this job! My favorite parts are collecting bumble bee samples in the field and doing bee dissections at the lab. Through this position I am gaining invaluable research experience that I look forward to applying to my future career.
This past summer of 2022, I completed a 12 week internship with the Ohio Division of Wildlife's Olentangy Research Station. I got to assist with a variety of wildlife biology research projects. This included snake surveys, pollinator surveys, Lake Erie colonial waterbird nest counts, roadside quail surveys, and much more. I also really enjoyed working during the Ohio Fair at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Park. This position really gave me a good idea of what work as a full-time researcher looks like.
Other Campus Involvements:
- Bumble Bee Research Assistant
- German Ambassadors
- German Club
Lizzy Sakulich
Peer Mentor
sakulich.3@osu.edu
Hometown: Beavercreek, OH
Major: Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife
Specalization: Wildlife Science
Minor: Entomology
Career Interests: Eventually, I would like to pursue a masters and continue research in wildlife ecology and conservation--whether I stick with bumble bees or venture into mammal territory is yet to be determined. As of right now, my plan is to take a year off and continue working at a zoo or wildlife center to see if animal care is where my heart truly lies, as well as give myself some time to make graduate school decisions.
Favorite Part of SENR/OSU: The community of SENR is truly a special aspect of this school. OSU is huge, so it can be easy to feel overwhelmed with how many people there are around. The faculty, staff, and students in SENR create a warm, welcoming environment where I have made so many meaningful connection.
Internship/Research Experience:
Internship Experience: Last summer I was a wildlife rehabilitation intern at the Ohio Wildlife Center, and it was one of the best experiences I have had so far. I got meaningful, hands-on experience with animal care, and I learned a lot about conservation of Ohio's local wildlife. I also got to meet many volunteers and staff who had incredible amounts of passion for wildlife.
Research Experience: I am currently working on my research project studying population genetics of bumble bees across the western United States. My goal is to look at the impacts elevational gradients have on their genetic diversity across several mountain ranges. This experience provided me with the opportunity to present my research at conferences, learn scientific writing skills, and meet other researchers in the field.
Other Campus Involvements:
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Bee Club
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Time for Change
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SUSTAINS Learning Community
Maddie Wilson
Ambassador and Peer Mentor
wilson.4477@osu.edu
Hometown: Springboro, Ohio
Major: Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife
Specialization: Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
Minor: Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability
Career Interests: I would like to go to graduate school after I finish my undergraduate degree. Would love to work in aquatic species research and management!
Favorite Part of SENR/OSU: The connections I have been able to make with my peers and instructors. It makes school so much more enjoyable!
Research Experience: This past summer I was the Wildlife Management intern at the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s District-1 Office. My internship was through the Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Lab here at OSU. I got to travel all over the state and participate in wildlife surveys, trail maintenance, and public education.
Other Campus Involvements:
- Net Impact
- Undergraduate researcher in Dr. Pintor’s lab
- Facility Assistant at Jesse Owens South