Graduate Student Directory
Alademehin, Deborah
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Can Freshwater Fisheries Provide Sustenance in an Age of Scarcity, Simplification, and Strife? A Biophysical Economic Analysis of Ice-Angling for Panfish in Central Maine.
Advisor: Dr. Stephen Coghlan
Location: 220 Nutting Hall
Adu Asieduwaa, Gladys
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Covering Ground: Assessing Effectiveness of Interseeded Cover Crops in Late Season Vegetables to Enhance Soil Health and the Effects of Supplemental Fertilization and Irrigation on Annual Ryegrass in the Northeast.
Advisors: Dr. Rachel Schattman & Jason Lilley
Location: 108B Deering Hall
Amador, Lizbeth
Preferred Name: Liz
Program: Ph.D.
Research Topic: Scales of influence on plant phenological sensitivity to climate change and geodiversity; flowering onset forecasts
Advisor: Dr. Sydne Record
Location: Nutting Hall
Bausman, Parker
Program: MS
Research Topic: Subsidy dynamics in sub-alpine rocky mountain wetlands
Advisor: Dr. Amanda Klemmer
Location: Deering 217
Behrens, Kate 
Program: PhD and Ecosystem Science NRT
Research Topic: Social-ecological networks of the Maine lobster fishery
Advisor: Dr. Tora Johnson and Dr. Jessica Jansujwicz
Location: Libby Hall
Bello,Ali
Program: PhD
Research: Impact of temperature and precipitation change on wild blueberries
Advisor: Rachel Schattman
Email: ali.bello@maine.edu
Location: 206 Roger Clapp Greenhouse
Benson, Stevie
Program: M.S.
Research Topic: Wetland Ecology of Northern White-Cedar Lowlands
Advisors: Dr. Christina Murphy & Dr. Noah Charney
Location: 202 Nutting Hall
Boots-Ebenfield, Joseph
Program: SAUNNA Program (EES and Anthropology)
Research topic: Socio-environmental systems, landscape change in Arctic environments
Advisors: Jacquelyn Gill and Darren Ranco
Brodie, Ryan
Program: MS
Research topic: Species distribution modeling of at-risk, migratory passerines
Advisor: Dr. Amber Roth
Location: 202 Nutting Hall
Brown, Eric
Program: PhD
Research Topic: A comparative investigation of sciurid energetics and thermoregulation
Advisor: Danielle Levesque
Email: eric.brown1@maine.edu
Carovillano, Christy
Program: MS and Conservation Science NRT
Research Topic: A more integrated approach to jointly managing Maine’s forests and wildlife habitat
Advisors: Dr. Sabrina Morano & Dr. Adam Daigneault
Email: christy.carovillano@maine.edu
Location: 232A Nutting Hall
Castiblanco, Paula
Program: MS
Research Topic: Respiratory viruses in moose and effects in behaviour
Delaney, Sara
Program: Ph.D.
Research Topic: Farmer adaptation to climate change: understanding farmer learning, decision-making and social networks
Advisor: Rachel Schattman
Location: 206 Roger Clapp Greenhouse
Dixon, Sequoia
Program: MS
Research Topic: Population and movement ecology of wood turtles on Maine’s working lands
Advisor: Dr. Matthew Chatfield
Location: 217 Murray Hall
East, Alyson
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Disturbance, biodiversity, and landscape ecology in Northeastern forests
Advisor: Dr. Sydne Record
Fedarick, Jill
Program: Ph.D.
Research Topic: Yellow Lampmussel Range-Wide Assessment and Conservation
Advisor: Christina Murphy and Sydne Record
Location: 101 Nutting Hall
Flye, Melissa
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Homeward bound: Returning Atlantic salmon to Maine rivers using aquaculture
Advisor: Carly Sponarski
Co-Advisor: Joseph Zydlewski
Email: Melissa.flye@maine.edu
Location: 244 Nutting Hall
Gavin, Amanda
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Integrated Arctic freshwater resource management
Advisor: Dr. Jasmine Saros
Email: amanda.gavin@maine.edu
Location: Sawyer Environmental Sciences Center
Goldspiel, Harrison
Program: Ph.D.
Advisor: Noah Charney
Research Topic: Conservation Capacity Building for Cryptic Ecological Communities: Expanding the Toolbox for Vernal Pools
Location: 202 Nutting Hall
Grindle, Thomas
Program: Ph.D.
Research Topic: Understanding the link between climate change and Arctic lake systems through paleolimnology and active monitoring
Advisor: Jasmine Saros
Location: Sawyer Environmental Research Center
Guthrie, Kayla
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Nutrient cycling in glacially fed lakes, terrestrial-aquatic linkages
Advisor: Jasmine Saros
Location: Sawyer 137
Hotopp, Alice
Program: PhD
Research topic: Adaptation in tidal marsh sparrows
Advisors: Dr. Brian Olsen and Dr. Kristina Cammen
Email: alice.hotopp@maine.edu
Location: Environmental Science Lab
Humphreys, Brigit
Program: Ph.D.
Research Topic: PFAS in Maine’s game species
Advisor: Dr. Pauline Kamath
Email: brigit.humphreys@maine.edu
Location: 212 Nutting Hall
Huston, Grayson
Program: PhD (EES, SBE, Maine eDNA)
Research Topic: Using sedimentary DNA to understand historic species distribution and community shifts in Maine lakes.
Advisor: Dr. Michael Kinnison & Dr. Jasmine Saros
Email: Grayson.huston@maine.edu
Location: 307 Murray Hall
Website: https://graysonhuston.wixsite.com/my-site
Johnson, Ben
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Reduced-risk management of the invasive Spotted Wing Drosophila in Maine’s wild blueberry agroecosystem.
Advisor: Dr. Philip Fanning
Location: Deering 304
Jekielek, Phoebe
Program: Maine eDNA
Research Topic: Developing eDNA tools to monitor reproduction and recruitment processes in aquaculture and wild shellfisheries
Advisor: Dr. Heather Leslie
Email: phoebe.jekielek@maine.edu
Location: Darling Marine Center
Program: PhD
Research Topic: A Structured Decision-Making Framework to Guide Wild Turkey Population and Harvest Management in Maine
Advisors: Dr. Erik Blomberg & Dr. Joe Zydlewski
Location: Nutting 101A
Kilchenmann, Joelle
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Human dimensions of the Maine lobster fishery
Advisor: Dr. Joshua Stoll
Location: 227 Libby Hall
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Adaptations to climate change in the Maine Lobster Fishery through bio-economic analysis
Advisor: Keith Evans, Yong Chen
Location: Wiscasset, ME; Orono UMaine campus
Kronisch, Gregory
Program: Ph.D.
Advisors: Dr. Michael Kinnison & Dr. Nathan Furey (University of New Hampshire)
Research Topic: Ecology of Arctic Charr trophic phenotypes and their potential resilience to climate change
Email: gregory.kronisch@maine.edu
Location: 307 Murray Hall
Lamb, Avery
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Using paleolimnology and sedimentary eDNA to assess links between climate change and cyanoHABs in Maine lakes
Advisor: Jasmine Saros
Location: Sawyer 206B
Lamb, Jasmine
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Creating a local climate and energy action network for organizations and municipalities in Maine
Advisor: Dr. Sharon Klein
Email: jasmine.lamb@maine.edu
Location: Winslow Hall
Landrum, Madi
Program: Ph.D.
Research: Using paleoecology to understand interactions between people, vegetation, and climate in Maine; Maine’s fire regimes
Advisor: Dr. Jacquelyn Gill
Location: 206B Sawyer Research Labs
Laro, Serena
Program: MS
Research Topic: Investigating Mayfly Populations in northern Maine ponds
Advisor: Hamish Greig
Location: Deering 217
McDonald, Ella
Program: MS
Research Topic: Building landowner partnerships to protect brown ash from the emerald ash borer
Advisor: John Daigle
Location: Nutting Hall
McLagan, Kayla
Program: MS
Research Topic: STEM Education and Saltmarsh sparrows
Advisor: Kate Ruskin
Location: 304 Deering Hall
McLaughlin, Bailey
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Plant species’ responses to climate change
Advisor: Dr. Brian McGill
Location: 304 Deering Hall
Mereghetti, Alessandro 
Program: Ph.D.
Research Topic: Paleoecology of megaherbivore/vegetation interactions
Advisor: Dr. Jacquelyn L. Gill
Location: Sawyer Building 206B
Merz, Maisie
Program: Ph.D.
Topic: Small mammal personality and resource use in a landscape of fear
Location: 202 Nutting Hall
Miles, Monica 
Program: MS & OneHealth and the Environment NRT
Research Topic: Parasite ecology focused on understanding socio-ecological drivers and impacts of parasite infections (winter ticks) on moose (Alces alces)
Advisor: Dr. Pauline Kamath & Dr. Sandra de Urioste-Stone
Monroe, Marisa
Program: MS
Research Topic: Using community science to study amphibian road crossings in Acadia National Park
Advisor: Dr. Noah Charney
Location: 202 Nutting Hall
Najjar Khodabakhsh, Zahra 
Program: Ph.D.
Research Topic: Forest Health Monitoring
Advisor: Parinaz Rahimzadeh
Email: zahra.najjar@maine.edu
Ongman, Kurt
Program: MS
Research Topic: Demographic and habitat characteristics of a sympatric population of Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers
Ortiz, Sonora
Program: M.S.
Research Topic: PFAS uptake, fate, and transport in agricultural systems
Advisor: Ellen Mallory and Jean MacRae
Email: sonora.ortiz@maine.edu
Location: 108 Boardman Hall
Oyikeke, Tolulope S.
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Local and Regional seafood systems
Advisor: Joshua Stoll
Location: Libby Hall, 227
Risley, Sarah
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Estuarine Ecology
Advisor: Dr. Heather Leslie
Location: Darling Marine Center
Roeder, Kenzie
Preferred Name: Kenzie Roeder
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Linking genome, phenome, and performance in tidal marsh sparrow bill morphology
Advisors: Dr. Brian Olsen (UMaine) and Dr. Adrienne Kovach (UNH)
Email: Mackenzie.Roeder@Maine.edu
Sabzian Papi, Hossein
Program: Ph.D.
Research Topic: Modeling Cultural Adaptation to Climate Change
Advisor: Dr. Timothy Waring
Scearce, Alex
Program: PhD
Research topic: Multitrophic interactions in wild blueberry cropping systems: Plant-fungal and plant-pollinator associations
Advisors: Rachel Schattman and Seanna Annis
Email: alexandra.scearce@maine.edu
Location: 200 Roger Clapp Greenhouse
Schierer, Meg
Program: Ph.D. OneHealth and the Environment NRT
Research Topic: Social and ecological dynamics of mosquito-borne disease
Advisor: Dr. Allison Gardner and Dr. Sandra de Urioste-Stone
Email: megan.schierer@maine.edu
Location: 304 Deering Hall
Simon, Melissa
Program: MS
Research Topic: Avian influenza in Maine waterfowl
Advisor: Dr. Pauline Kamath
Email: melissa.simon@maine.edu
Location: Hitchner Hall
Taylor, Tegwin
Program: Ph.D.
Research Topic: Echinococcus in Maine wildlife
Advisors: Dr. Pauline Kamath and Dr. Carly Sponarski
Email: tegwin.taylor@maine.edu
Location: 216 Hitchner Hall
Tirrell, Andrea
Program: Ph.D.
Research Topic: New England alpine plant community response to climate change
Advisor: Dr. Jacquelyn Gill
Location: 127 Sawyer
VanderStouw, Ben
Program: MS
Research Topic: Biogeography of Antarctic fungi
Advisor: Dr. Pete Avis
Location: 430 Hitchner Hall
Vogel, Sarah
Program: PhD
Research Topic: Program evaluation of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Units Program
Advisors: Cynthia Loftin and Joseph Zydlewski
Location: Nutting Hall Room 104
White, Holly
Program: PhD
Research Topic: STEM education
Advisor: Kate Ruskin
Location: 304 Deering Hall
Woods, Alaina
Program: Ph.D.
Research Topic: Parasitic and bacterial infections in Maine moose.
Advisor: Dr. Pauline Kamath
Yen, Ivy
Program: Ph.D.
Research Topic: Consequences of small mammal personality on seed dispersal, stress response, disease, and interspecific competition
Advisor: Dr. Alessio Mortelliti
Email: ivy.yen@maine.edu
Location: 202 Nutting Hall
Zhang, Xiuyan (Sylvia Zhang)
Program: Ph.D
Preferred Name: Sylvia Zhang
Research Topic: Genetic and biological characterizations of
bacterial complex causing potato blackleg
Advisor: Jianjun Hao
Email: xiuyan.zhang@maine.edu
Location: Hitchner 296
