Palveen Sekhon

One crucial topic in ecology is understanding how animals respond to environmental pressures. My research aims to study the behavioral ecology of animal defenses in an evolutionary biology framework. Specifically, this project focuses on voluntary release of legs by arachnids. Although beneficial in the short term, this behavior can carry important negative consequences in the locomotion, physiology, and behavior of animals. Daddy long-legs are ideal for this research because of their unique morphology and behavior. Their accessibility also offers the possibility of performing extensive fieldwork and laboratory experiments in the […]

Yuniba Yagues

The ability to measure vibrations is a vital engineering problem. From measuring pulse for health diagnostics to sensing pressure on a touch screen for a smart phone, the applications vary far and wide. In our group we study the use of polymer-based devices called piezoelectrets to measure pressure signals for a variety of applications. Our microfabricated polymer approach yields superior flexibility, piezoelectric coefficients, and costeffectiveness when compared to traditional ceramic material competitors. The devices themselves also vary in material composition and geometry depending on the application. In this project we […]

Xiamara Martinez Peredia

This project will focus on transition-age youth (TAY) in the foster care system. TAY are among the most vulnerable young adults in our society and are at increased risk for various negative outcomes including homelessness and low educational attainment. Although the child welfare system is concerned with improving their outcomes, it has not considered how their histories of maltreatment and foster care may impact their self-love and their subsequent relationships with adults. This project will employ a mixed-methods approach and aims to: 1. Examine the impact of maltreatment and foster […]

Elisa Yang

Nest structures are widespread across animals and yet are one of the most understudied components of avian life history. Some of the most remarkable examples of elaborate nest design are within the Weaverbirds (Ploceidae), an Old World family of birds containing over 100 species, making them an ideal model system for studying patterns of biodiversity. While it is known that each species constructs a uniquely designed nest, the evolutionary factors that influence design are unknown. Research questions to address include: 1.) What are ancestral versus derived nest characters? 2.) Are […]

Nikolay Velkov

Laboratory seismology uses a scale-model approach to complement the wealth of research on in situ earthquakes that cannot be observed directly. A simple mechanical system applies shear stress to two blocks with a roughened interface, such that it produces stick-slip behavior with energy signatures matching in situ earthquakes. Lab scale seismic sensors allow us to apply typical seismological analyses. Additional instruments provide measurements not available in the field, which are used to expand our understanding of the underlying processes as well as the results and limits of the seismological methods.

Daniel Khuu

Sierra Nevada snowmelt is predicted to occur up to two months earlier by 2080, but we do not know how aquatic food webs will respond. Changes in snowmelt timing could decrease stream insect abundance and biodiversity via increased temperature and duration of low flows. This project seeks to understand how extended low flows alter stream food webs. My graduate student mentor collected samples from nine artificial streams that had different durations of low flow this past summer. I will help sort and identify these samples, which will ultimately result in […]

Michelle Tampa Flores

This project asks, how can agriculture work for both people and in the environment? Through field, greenhouse, and lab work, this research explores how diversified farming practices influence soil health, particularly arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and wild bee communities. In the field, my graduate student mentor and I are working with small-scale farmers of color embedded in the monocultural landscape of Californias San Joaquin Valley and investigating how their farming practices influence soil and pollinator health. In the greenhouse, we are conducting greenhouse experiments to determine the mechanistic connection between […]

Lia Keener

Squirrels are extremely agile, comprise the second-most diverse group of rodents, and have colonized a wide range of environments across five of the seven continents, making them an ideal group in which to study the evolution of arboreal locomotion. My graduate student mentor and I are interested in understanding how their form (morphology), how they move (kinematics) and how they learn and adapt (cognition) help them navigate the complex environments they live in. Our research will involve designing and building jumping setups, field-trapping of chipmunks, camping in the Sierras, animal […]

Fernando Trent Diaz

The development of seeds and seedlings represent perhaps the most critical stage of a plants life. Within and on seeds live a multitude of bacteria and microfungi that can either deteriorate (pathogens) or improve (mutualists) seedling health. Seed microbes can be transmitted from both the surrounding environment (horizontal transmission) as well as from their mother plant (vertical transmission). This maternal inheritance gives seed microbes priority in the colonization of plant tissue once germination occurs. This can significantly affect the trajectory for future adult plant microbiome composition and plant health. The […]

Julia Dunker

Novel traits (i.e. new traits or behaviors that allow organisms to perform a new function) have long fascinated biologists. Their evolutionary origins, however, are poorly understood and may involve changes in multiple behaviors and traits. The effects of these changes do not occur in a vacuum and may have downstream effects on other processessuch as the formation of reproductive barriers between groups. This research investigates the relationship between the evolution of novel traits and the formation of reproductive barriers using the scale-eating pupfish. Scale-eating is an example of a novel […]