Elsa and Kathryn Dawdy Discus Plant Size Measurements, 2023

Ceci Rigby Preps for Pollinator Observations, 2021

Elsa and Orly Put Pollinator Exclusion Bags on Flowers for Nectar Collection, 2023

Elsa and Kathryn Dawdy Discus Plant Size Measurements, 2023

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Mentoring Philosophy

I strive to cultivate a supportive, fun and safe research environment where students can grow and develop skills they can use to pursue their goals. I believe that each mentoring relationship is a two-way street where both participants have things to contribute and learn. It is important to me to create trusting and sustainable relationships where people can bring their authentic selves and passions to goals and projects.

Mentee Profiles

Melia Sinacori

Melia (she/her) worked with me as an undergraduate researcher at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in the summer of 2024. She conducted a project assessing how the timing of snowmelt influences the physiological drought stress of three subalpine plant species.

Update & Contact Information
Melia is in her second year studying Wildlife Biology with a minor in Botany at Cal Poly Humboldt. She is currently working with the Tomescu Lab where she is observing fungal lesions in fossilized plants to better understand prehistoric interactions between plants and fungi. Melia is interested in how plants adapt and respond to different stressors throughout time and how they are being impacted by climate change. In the future she hopes to focus on research that can benefit conservation efforts to limit harmful anthropogenic impacts.

Contact: msinacori444@gmail.com

Orly Lindner

Orly (she/her) worked with me and Amy Iler as an undergraduate researcher at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in the summer of 2023 funded through SURG program at Northwestern University. She conducted a project assessing how the impact of drought on flower duration of a subalpine plant species.

Update & Contact Information
Orly is a sophomore at Northwestern University where she is pursuing a dual degree in Environmental Science and Oboe Performance. She is interested in conservation biology, plant ecology, and the effects of climate change on both alpine and marine environments.
Contact
orlylindner2026@u.northwestern.edu

Carmen Searles

Carmen (she/her) worked with me as an research experience for undergraduate (REU) researcher at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in the summer of 2023. Carmen researched the effect of snowmelt timing and soil moisture on floral traits and rewards in two subalpine plant species.

Update & Contact Information
Carmen is a junior at the University of California Berkeley, where she is double majoring in Environmental Science and Ecosystem Management & Forestry. She is currently working with the Kueppers Lab Group, studying the effects of climate change on forests. She is very interested in the impacts of climate change on plant community composition and reproduction, particularly in forests and montane ecosystems.
Contact
carmensearles4@gmail.com

Kelley Asselin

Kelley (she/her) worked as a research assistant with me at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in the summer of 2022. Kelley collected physiological, demographic and environmental data to assess how snowmelt timing impacted four subalpine plant species reproductive success.

Update & Contact Information
Kelley is a senior at Oregon State University majoring in Environmental Science with an emphasis on Conservation, Resources, and Sustainability. She is also minoring in Botany. Currently, Kelley works for the OSU Hazelnut Breeding Program. Her research interests include plant-pollinator interactions, plant breeding, and the effects of climate change on alpine and agrarian ecosystems.

Contact
kelley.asselin@gmail.com

Angelique Acevedo

Angelique (she/her) worked with me as an research experience for undergraduate (REU) researcher at the Chicago Botanic Gardens in the summer of 2021. Angelique researched the effect of pollen limitation treatments on seed viability and genetic diversity of two subalpine plant species.

Update & Contact Information
Angelique currently works at New York University as a lab manager and research technician focusing on the developmental anatomy of Phaseolus vulgaris. She is a recent graduate from Cornell University where she received a degree in Environment & Sustainability with an interest in plant biology. She's fascinated by anatomical plant anomalies, conservation, and how diverse plant forms evolved.

Contact
aaa10379@nyu.edu

Ceci Rigby

Ceci (she/they) worked with me as a undergraduate researcher and at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in the summer of 2021. They conducted a project assessing how the timing of snowmelt influences both the success and frequency of plant and pollinator interactions.

Update & Contact Information
Ceci is a 2022 graduate from Westminster University in Salt Lake City and is extremely interested in pollination ecology and environmental justice. They have an ecologically focused research background studying pollinators and would love to pursue a career that involves science communication or other means of promoting intersectional environmentalism. Ceci also loves music, film, photography, and books—in the off season, she works as a rare book specialist and seller at Weller Book Works, the oldest independent bookstore in Utah. She is currently applying for graduate school and hopes to enter an ecology Masters or PhD program next fall.

Contact
ceci.rigbyy@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceci-rigby-22591820a