Fisheries and wildlife graduate students

Carice godbey

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Tom Nupp

Thesis title:

Influences on interior least tern (Sternula antillarum antillarum) colony success: site features, disturbances, and predation

Bio and Research interests:

My name is Carice Godbey and I will be working with least terns (Sternula antillarum) on the Arkansas River. I’m specifically interested in different factors of least tern colony site selection, like predator distribution along the river, perception of predator presence, and features of sand bars influencing site selection. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Sciences from Mississippi State University. My main career goal is to become an academic advisor for incoming wildlife biology students. I have spent the last 5 years of my career obtaining a diverse set of experiences in the biological field, and I will continue the next 10 gaining even more in the interest of being best equipped to advise a high variety of students. I love teaching and want to help lead in the next generation of wildlife biologists.

Anthony Zenga

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Sue Colvin

Thesis title:

Research interests: I received my bachelors degree in Wildlife Ecology with a Fisheries concentration from the University of Maine. After graduating, I worked as a fish intern for the American Conservation Experience in Shenandoah National Park, and worked as a hatchery technician for the Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation. My thesis will be looking at how roadside crossing barriers impact fish assemblage and habitat, specifically in the Northwest Karst region of Arkansas where present and historical sites of Arkansas and Least darter are found.

Emily Jonagan

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. John Jackson

Thesis title:

A genetic evaluation of the impacts of dams on Sauger (Stizostedion canadensis) movement patterns in the Arkansas River

Bio and Research Interests:

I grew up in St. Louis, MO, then made my way to Cincinnati, OH to complete my bachelor's degree in Environmental Science. After graduating, I held an aquatic ecology technician position with the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). While with the INHS, I decided I wanted to further my education in fisheries science and move states again! I am currently working on processing and analyzing genetic samples from Sauger collected in the Arkansas River during the last two winters. My goal is to evaluate how environmental separation and the construction of dams have impacted the genetic population structure of Sauger in this region. I hope to work as a fisheries biologist for a local or federal agency, preferably with imperiled species, after receiving my master's degree.

Anju Ghimirey

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Chris Kellner

Thesis title:

Bio and Research interests:

My name is Anju Ghimirey, and I moved to Arkansas in July to begin my graduate studies at Arkansas Tech University. I am looking at mark and recapture and tail break frequency of Sceloporus consobrinus (prairie lizard) in three different types of habitats in central Arkansas. Though born in Nepal, I lived in Pennsylvania for a good half of my life. I received my bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Lebanon Valley College (LVC) in Annville, PA, where I did my undergraduate thesis on the effect of road salt on aquatic carnivorous bladderworts.

Kristi Patterson

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Jorista Garrie

Thesis title:

Bio and Research interests:

I grew up in Kentucky, Missouri, Texas, and Arkansas. I attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where I majored in Fisheries and Wildlife with a focus in Conservation Biology and minors in Biology and Psychology. During my undergrad, I got to study abroad for a year in Melbourne, Australia! Fast forward to now, and I am currently working on my project proposal covering my future research with Georgia Satyrs. We are interested in determining where this butterfly currently is in Arkansas, what habitat it prefers, and its abundance. There is little to no information on this butterfly, so I'm very excited to become an expert on the cute little guy!

Gemma Keegan

Faculty Advisor:

Dr. Jorista Garrie

Thesis title:

Bio and Research interests:

My name is Gemma Keegan, and I will be working with Ozark Big-eared Bats in the Ozark National Forest of Arkansas. I am interested in feeding habits and foraging patterns of these bats as well as insect biodiversity at sites close to maternity roosts. I received my bachelor's degree in Biology and Environmental Science from the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa, where I worked with native bats studying the impact of nocturnal insect light traps on activity patterns.