Showcasing Undergraduate Research in Our Lab: Kirby and Jorin at the Karen L. Smith Undergraduate Research Symposium, Department of Biology, OSU

We are proud to highlight the contributions of our undergraduate researchers, Kirby Wilcox and Jorin Stockebrand, to the Karen L. Smith Undergraduate Research Symposium organized by the Department of Biology at Oklahoma State University. 

Kirby introduced his honors thesis proposal, which focuses on applying remote sensing tools to detect invasive aquatic species and to track how their spectral signatures change across phenological stages. His project aims to develop more efficient approaches for early detection and monitoring of invasive species in aquatic ecosystems. This research is funded by the USGS Water Resources Research Act Program Aquatic Invasive Species program (Grant: G25AP00157).

Jorin shared results from his research on Quercus havardii (shinnery oak). His work examines patterns of leaf morphology at multiple scales: among populations, within populations, and within individual plants. He also evaluated whether differences in leaf functional traits among populations align with environmental gradients across the species’ distribution.

Congratulations to both Kirby and Jorin for their hard work and thoughtful presentations! Their projects reflect the dedication of our lab to provide opportunities for undergraduate research and training to the next generation of scientists.