Congratulations to the 2025 Recipients
Hannah Ameli
Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy
Mary Frances Early College of Education
Bio info not available
Tina Borah
English
Franklin College of Arts and Scieces
Bio info not available
Dillon Cook
Counseling and Human Development Services
Mary Frances Early College of Education
Dillon Cook is a graduate student in the department of Counseling and Human Development Services at the University of Georgia. His research explores the role of a growth mindset in tackling the challenges of postsecondary education for rural students.
Cook graduated summa cum laude from The University of Alabama in May 2025 with three bachelor’s degrees in Communication Studies, Human Environmental Sciences, and Criminal Justice with a triple-minor in Women’s Studies, Global & Cultural Perspectives, and Public Policy. While at UA, he participated in a variety of student initiatives involving civic engagement, leadership, and service. In recognition of his academic achievement and commitment to student success, Cook was awarded the Morris Lehman Mayer Premier Award, awarded to the top 7 students who exemplify the highest standards of scholarship, service, leadership, and character.
Currently, he is pursuing a dual M.Ed./Ed.S in School Counseling. Upon graduation, he plans to work in a rural school to advocate for the accessibility of education, encouraging students to chase their dreams and aspirations. He believes supporting rural students is crucial to ensuring equal access to educational opportunities. By empowering them to overcome challenges and fostering their academic and personal growth, Cook is paving the way for rural students everywhere.
Julia Janeczko
Human Development and Family Sciences
College of Family Consumer Science
Julia Janeczko is a first-year doctoral student in the Human Development and Family Science program at the University of Georgia, where she studies the intersection of family systems and policy under the guidance of Dr. Catherine Walker O’Neal.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. After several years working in the biological sciences, she returned to graduate school to align her career with her passion for helping families remain or regain stability.
Janeczko chose UGA for its strong emphasis on applied research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and commitment to serving vulnerable populations. Her current projects include evaluating financial education programs for the Department of the Air Force and conducting research on financial well-being among service members. She is also contributing to national conference presentations and co-authored publications.
Beyond her academic work, Janeczko serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), advocating for children in foster care and ensuring their voices are heard in legal proceedings. This service fuels her commitment to translational research, which aims to make academic findings accessible and actionable for families, practitioners, and policymakers. She also supports her department as Treasurer and Event Coordinator for the Graduate Student Organization, fostering connection and community among her peers.
Janeczko’s long-term goal is to bridge the gap between research and policy, ensuring that family-focused policies are grounded in rigorous evidence and designed to promote equity and well-being for families facing complex challenges.
Anushi Deraniyagala
Cellular Biology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Anushi Deraniyagala is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of Cellular Biology at the University of Georgia, where she studies intracellular patterning in Tetrahymena thermophila in Dr. Jacek Gaertig’s lab. Her research focuses on how precise spatial structures emerge inside cells—patterns that are critical for essential cellular functions.
Originally from Sri Lanka, Deraniyagala chose UGA for its collaborative research environment, exceptional faculty, and advanced imaging facilities. She is mentored by Dr. Jacek Gaertig, a leader in the field of Tetrahymena research whose lab is well known for its impactful imaging and research findings.
Outside the lab, Deraniyagala has been an active contributor to the UGA Mentor Program, the Cellular Biology and Developmental Biology Graduate Student Associations, and the Sri Lankan Student Association. She is also passionate about microscopy, writing, and science communication. One of her imaging works was featured on the Journal of Cell Biology content page, and she is part of the writing team for the Association for Women in Science (AWIS).
Deraniyagala’s long-term goal is to lead an independent research program in cell biology. She is deeply committed to making science more inclusive, visual, and accessible.
Audrey Sandoval
Infectious Diseases
College of Veterinary Medicine
Audrey Sandoval is a Ph.D. student in the department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Georgia. Her research, performed under Dr. Rebecca Poulson at the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS), is focused on the surveillance of Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) in wild bird and mammal populations in the Southeast.
Her current project focuses on characterizing highly pathogenic H5N1 AIV in North American snow geese populations before and after its introduction in 2021. Individual immune status to AIV is generated using well-established serological tests for serum antibodies to the hemagglutinin (H5) and neuraminidase (N1) surface proteins. Other projects include profiling highly pathogenic H5N1 spillovers in wild mammals that are collected through wildlife rehab centers in North America.
Originally from Colorado, Sandoval received her bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Colorado State University in spring of 2021. Through her undergraduate and post-baccalaureate research experience, she quickly discovered her passion for infectious disease research in Dr. Candace Mathiason’s lab studying chronic wasting disease (CWD) and Bluetongue virus (BTV). This established her initial connections to UGA and SCWDS through a collaborative multistate study on CWD, which was a driving factor in her decision to attend UGA. Sandoval enrolled at UGA through the Integrated Life Sciences program in fall of 2024.
Upon completion of her Ph.D., she hopes to continue wildlife infectious disease research. In the meantime, Sandoval is becoming acquainted with Athens through exploring concerts, food, and estate sales.
Clayton Hale
Plant Biology
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Clayton Hale is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of Plant Biology at the University of Georgia, working in Dr. Megan DeMarche’s lab. He is interested in leveraging population and community ecological and evolutionary research to inform biodiversity conservation in a changing world.
He received a B.S. in Forestry from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where he studied how multi-species tree plantings can be used to increase biodiversity in forest restoration. Hale then received an M.S. in Forestry from Mississippi State University where he studied the regeneration potential and developed landscape-level habitat suitability models for three rare and imperiled woody plant species. The goal of his current Ph.D. work is to understand the effects of global change on plant species interactions and how it will affect their phenology, fitness, and population persistence.
After he graduates, Hale plans to continue his research linking basic ecological research to conservation. If he is not working, you can likely find him exploring the whitewater rivers of the Southeast or on the disc golf course.
Shinyeong Park
Integrative Conservation
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Shinyeong Park is a doctoral candidate in the Integrative Conservation (ICON) program at the University of Georgia. Under the guidance of Dr. Jesse Abrams and Dr. Jim Beasley, her research focuses on the relationships between humans and wildlife in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a unique ecological and political landscape. She explores how feeding practices, local knowledge, and kinship shape multispecies coexistence in contested territories.
Originally from South Korea, she studied environmental sciences and ecology during her undergraduate and master’s studies. Her passion for solving complex environmental challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration led her to UGA, where the ICON program provided the ideal platform to bridge natural and social sciences in pursuit of conservation solutions. With a strong foundation in the natural sciences, she integrates ecological fieldwork with ethnographic methods to understand conservation not only as a biological imperative but also as a relational, ethical, and culturally embedded practice.
She recently completed extensive fieldwork in the Korean borderlands and is now in the dissertation-writing stage. Her work on relational dynamics between humans and wildlife—especially through the lens of feeding interactions—was recognized with the J. Peter Brosius Integrative Conservation Research Award from the UGA ICON program and the Best Doctoral Student Paper Award from the International Association for Society and Natural Resources (IASNR).
Following graduation, she hopes to continue working at the intersection of research, policy, and community engagement, contributing to place-based, culturally attuned conservation efforts in East Asia and beyond.
Keely Fox
Sociology
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Keely Fox is a doctoral candidate in the Sociology Department at the University of Georgia, where she explores topics in women’s health and romantic experiences under the guidance of Dr. James E. Coverdill.
She earned her Master’s in Sociology from East Carolina University in 2020. Keely is a trained mixed methodologist, specializing in both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. Fox’s dissertation investigates how women in the United States and the United Kingdom navigate menopause. Her research aims to shed light on the often-overlooked social dimensions of menopause, which are contoured by both macro and micro factors such as workplace policies and healthcare systems. Fox’s work seeks to amplify women’s voices and challenge cultural silence surrounding menopause.
In addition to her research, Fox is passionate about teaching. She has taught Medical Sociology, Sociology of Health Care, and Sociology of the Family at UGA, where she brings energy and empathy into the classroom. She loves to engage and challenge students to consider how sociology can be used to understand our daily experiences.
As a first-generation college student from Saluda, South Carolina, Fox’s academic journey is grounded in community and connection. When she’s not teaching or working on her dissertation, she enjoys spending time with family in SC, exploring new restaurants, and staying curious about the everyday ways people make meaning in their lives through art.
Francisco Gallardo
Mathematics
Franklin College of Arts & Sciences
Francisco Gallardo is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Georgia. He looks forward to continuing his study of arithmetic geometry.
In 2022, he received his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC) and then completed a Master’s degree in Mathematics at the same university under the supervision of Professor Siddharth Mathur. As a child he was interested in integers and patterns between them, resulting later in a deep interest in number theory.
As an undergraduate he studied mostly number theory and algebraic geometry, aiming to understand problems in arithmetic geometry. Later, as a Master’s student he focused in scheme theory and cohomology theories, in order to understand what would then become his thesis topic, an old question of Grothendieck about Brauer groups of schemes.
Gallardo thinks UGA is ideal to continue his studies in arithmetic geometry because of its renowned professors. He also loves teaching and explaining math to people with different backgrounds, and wishes to improve his skills as a TA at UGA. Ultimately, he wants to become a researcher and educator in mathematics, but he is also open to do different things related to math in the future.
Haley Havard
Mathematics
Franklin College of Arts & Sciences
Bio info not available
Claire Runyon
Mathematics
Franklin College of Arts & Sciences
Claire Runyan is a Ph.D. student in the department of Mathematics at the University of Georgia. Her research interests include the broader areas of algebra, number theory, and combinatorics.
Originally from Greenville, South Carolina, Runyan graduated from the University of South Carolina and the South Carolina Honors College with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and minors in computer science and theatre. Other awards Runyan has received include the University of South Carolina’s Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Mathematics and Pi Mu Epsilon awards, the Thomas Markham Mathematics Scholarship, and the Jeong S. Yang Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mathematics.
She is also honored to have spent the summer of 2024 in the SUMaR program at K-State, where she gained first-hand research experience in algebraic geometry under the leadership of Dr. Rina Anno. She and her groupmates presented a poster summarizing their work at the Joint Math Meetings in Seattle, Washington in January, 2025. After the completion of her PhD, Claire hopes to complete a postdoc and obtain a research/teaching position at a university.
Rachel Okamoto
Human Development and Family Science
College of Family and Consumer Sciences
Rachel Okamoto is a third year Ph.D. student in the Human Development and Family Science department at the University of Georgia, working under the supervision of Dr. Catherine Walker O’Neal. Her primary research interests include how couples navigate entering a new romantic relationship, especially as it relates to finances, as well as the way that parents teach their children about financial principles.
Okamoto chose UGA based on the excellent mentorship from faculty and the opportunity to not only be involved in research, but also to engage in applied research. Her research focuses on families and finances, specifically investigating couple processes and parent financial socialization.
After completing her Ph.D., Okamoto hopes to become a professor and continue expanding research surrounding family finance. She is also passionate about teaching and looks forward to educating and mentoring future students. Beyond the academic world, Okamoto plans to promote educational interventions that will help parents learn how to teach their children about finances and financial principles in a developmentally appropriate way, as well as helping implement more financial education programs into schools.
Courtney Scott
Soil Biogeochemistry
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Courtney N. Scott is a Ph.D. candidate in the Warnell School of Forestry within Dr. Rebecca Abney’s Soil Biogeochemistry Lab. Her research focuses on understanding the soil biogeochemical processes that influence urban tree condition.
Scott received her undergraduate degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado and her master’s degree in Biological and Environmental Sciences at Georgia College and State University. She has served as a graduate teaching assistant and currently works as a graduate research assistant at the Center for Applied Isotopes Studies.
During her doctoral program, Scott has been awarded the Garden Club of America – Zone VI Fellowship in Urban Forestry, the UGA Sustainability Grant, and 1st place in the Urban and Anthropogenic Soil Poster Competition at the Soil Science Society of America conference.
She is passionate about researching urban forestry and how cities can incorporate nature into urban landscapes to ensure that nature thrives despite the ever-growing threat of urban expansion. Scott advocates for creating sustainable urban spaces, community building, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Sustainable cities with large, robust trees will enhance the quality of life for all inhabitants and help to mitigate the Earth’s climate crisis.
In her free time, she enjoys ultimate frisbee, hiking, camping, backpacking, paddleboarding, and trying new outdoor recreation activities. She is a proud mom to her dog, fish, and plants.
Chera Jo Watts
Religion
Franklin College of Arts & Sciences
Chera Jo Watts is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Religion at the University of Georgia, working under the supervision of Dr. Carolyn Jones Medine. Her research explores African American religion and literature, focusing primarily on African American Buddhist practice and experience.
Watts’ degrees include a B.S. in Psychology (2010) and an M.A. in Religion (2022) from UGA, Her dissertation is the first book-length project which engages author and activist Alice Walker’s life and literature in the context of her Buddhist religious practices. This research has been supported by the Jane Mulkey and Rufus Green Graduate Fellowship and the Lee Roy B. Giles Award, along with a Willson Center Graduate Research Grant, the Graduate School Dean’s Award, and other honors.
Her graduate work builds upon a career at UGA as a professional Academic Advisor, including five years as the Academic Advisor in Residence to the Franklin Residential College (FRC). Watts previously served as the GTA in the Institute for African American Studies, where she also completed the Graduate Certificate. She worked for other prestigious programs during summers of her graduate school career, including the UGA-Oxford Study Away Program in 2022 and the xPD internship with the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District in 2023. Currently she serves as the Graduate Assistant for the Office of Sustainability.
As a first-generation scholar from a rural, poverty-class background, Watts draws upon personal experiences while rejecting conventional academic detachment in favor of scholarship which does not merely analyze inequalities but actively works toward healing. She seeks a future career reflecting this alignment, including post-doctoral opportunities, teaching or student services positions at universities, grant writing, digital humanities, or non-profit work. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside, cheering for her son at soccer games, gardening, lifting weights, and practicing yoga.
Abraham Adokwei
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
College of Public Health
Abraham Adokwei is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Georgia. Under the guidance of Dr. Amy Winter, Adokwei’s research focuses on improving estimates of measles vaccination coverage by incorporating the age at which vaccines are administered.
Traditional metrics often overlook timeliness, relying on crude vaccination coverage by a benchmark age. However, the timing of vaccination is critical, as both vaccine efficacy and infection risk vary depending on a child’s age at immunization. His work provides more refined coverage estimates that will be useful as parameter inputs for disease transmission models used to simulate the impact of vaccination strategies. Strengthening both coverage and timeliness is essential in sustaining measles control and progressing toward achieving the Immunization Agenda 2030 which seeks to reach every child anywhere with vaccines.
Originally from Ghana, Adokwei earned his undergraduate degree in Statistics from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and a master’s degree in Statistics from Iowa State University. He also completed a graduate certificate in Bioinformatics through UGA’s Institute of Bioinformatics, reflecting his interdisciplinary interests in data-driven public health research. Adokwei aspires to work as a Biostatistician in the pharmaceutical industry, where he hopes to contribute to clinical research and data-driven decision-making in drug development.
Outside of academics, he is committed to community service and volunteering with Chess and Community, mentoring youth and using chess as a tool to teach strategic thinking and life principles.
Samantha Clinton
Health Promotion and Behavior
College of Public Health
Samantha Clinton is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavior at the University of Georgia under Dr. Nathan Hansen. Clinton’s research is on harm reduction practices among people who inject drugs and HIV prevention among at-risk populations. Her research interests also include mental health and sexual health among marginalized populations such as those who are unhoused or incarcerated.
She plans to complete her dissertation on relationship stress and the impact on HIV prevention among Southern Black women. To do this, she plans to integrate technology through ecological momentary assessment in order to gather data in a novel and timely manner.
Clinton is a Georgia native who completed her Bachelor of Biology, Bachelor of Psychology, and Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at the University of Georgia. She has returned to complete her doctoral degree at UGA because of the diverse expertise and experience related to her interests within the department of Health Promotion and Behavior and the College of Public Health.
Her experience of teaching sexual health classes during her MPH internship at the Athens-Clarke County Jail solidified her interest in health promotion and teaching. After graduation she hopes to complete a post-doctoral research position and later become a university-level professor.
Christina Endara-Arnold
Cellular Biology
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Christina Endara-Arnold is a Ph.D. candidate in the Neuroscience program at the University of Georgia, working in the laboratory of Dr. Rachel Roberts-Galbraith. She will conduct research that identifies novel neuropeptides and discover key pro-regenerative signals
Endara-Arnold received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Lee University. She worked as a medical assistant at Clinical Medicos, a family practice and obstetrics clinic where employees were required to speak English and Spanish. She served a population primarily composed of Hispanic immigrants who were stricken with linguistic, cultural, and financial barriers. This experience sparked her passion for scientific and medical education.
Her primary research goal is to understand successful regeneration using planarians, a flatworm species and model organism with robust regenerative capabilities. She focuses on elucidating how cell signaling molecules called neuropeptides promote regeneration and stem cell activity. She also investigated enzymes important for making neuropeptides. Her data showed that those enzymes are critically important for brain regeneration and stem cell function.
During her graduate career, Endara-Arnold received the Genetics NIH T32 grant and an ARCS scholarship award. She is passionate about science communication and has developed and led multiple bilingual science outreach events in her community. She aspires to be a medical science liaison, which is a science communicator tasked with educating healthcare professionals about treatments, drugs, and other products. In this role, she aspires to serve as a bridge between laboratory science, healthcare, and communities.
Shirin Rezaeimalek
Environmental Design and Planning
College of Environment and Design
Shirin Rezaeimalek is a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Environment and Design at the University of Georgia, where she applies data-driven approaches to environmental design and planning. Her research focuses on health disparities linked to urban form, park visitation patterns, and users’ perceptions of urban landscapes, using geospatial analysis, statistical modeling, and Natural Language Processing techniques. She is advised by Dr. Jessica Fernandez.
Rezaeimalek holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, Iran, and a Master of Science in Urban Design from Imam Khomeini International University in Qazvin, Iran. As a licensed architect with several years of professional experience in Tehran, she joined UGA in Spring 2022 to deepen her scientific understanding of built environment design in relation to both human experience and environmental context.
During her doctoral studies, Rezaeimalek has contributed to multiple interdisciplinary research projects examining the connections between the built environment and public health. At CED’s RED Lab, she explored disparities in public space accessibility and use across rural and urban settings in Georgia, resulting in peer-reviewed publications. These experiences informed her dissertation, which investigates how built environment characteristics associated with urban vibrancy relate to health outcomes, particularly depression.
Beyond research, Rezaeimalek has been actively involved in teaching and professional service at UGA, including instructing at CED, interning with the Office of University Architects, and working as a data analyst at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. Her long-term goal is to build a career that translates evidence-based design research into healthier, more sustainable urban environments.
Ashley Beresch
English
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Ashley Beresch is a graduate student in the Department of English at the University of Georgia. Her research will explore the entanglements of history, culture, and the environment that emerge in the texts of Southern women writers. She plans to study the work of Lillian E. Smith, a writer, activist, and fellow Floridian/Georgian. She will also work in the Willis Center for Writing as a tutor and as a Franklin College research assistant under Dr. Rebecca Hallman Martini.
Beresch received her B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from the University of Georgia. She was awarded the 2025 Porter Fleming Literary Award in fiction and the 2024 Virginia Rucker Walter Poetry Prize. Her writing has appeared in Roi Fainéant, Apple in the Dark, Maudlin House, and elsewhere. She is currently at work on her first novel.
Beresch is thankful for the support and mentorship she’s received from many within UGA’s English Department. She gratefully accepts the Hunt Fellowship to support her studies.
Hunter Hobbs
English
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Hunter Hobbs is a Ph.D. student in the Department of English at the University of Georgia. As a researcher, he is interested in the relationship between form and knowledge production and the role of poetry as a means of inquiry capable of recognizing—or even creating—unique epistemological possibilities.
Hobbs was born in Tennessee; he holds an MFA from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and an MTS from Boston University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He is honored to be a part of UGA’s academic community, and upon completion of his Ph.D., he hopes to go on to teach creative writing at the collegiate level, and to continue publishing his own poetry.
Kelsey Amon
Health Promotion and Behavior
College of Public Health
Kelsey Amon is a graduate student in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavior at the University of Georgia. Supervised by Andrew Kiselica, her research primarily focuses on issues commonly faced by older adults, including cognitive impairment, loneliness, and risk of suicide.
Her time at the University of Georgia started with her undergraduate degree in Psychology. Amon currently holds two research positions with Dr. Andrew Kiselica and Dr. George Mois. She is passionate about the elucidation of the early stages of the Alzheimer’s Continuum, believing that developing a better understanding of the problems faced early on in this disease will help us further develop preventative treatments for Alzheimer’s. She also has a strong focus on the applications of new technology for older adults, seeing new technology as a promising avenue to help prevent and treat issues like loneliness and suicidal ideation in older populations.
After completing her master’s degree, Amon plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Neuropsychology, with the goal of working as a professor at an academic institution. She hopes to continue to contribute to our knowledge and understanding of older adult issues by conducting research and building up the next generation of researchers.
Emma Bales
Psychology
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Emma Bales is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Georgia. Under the supervision of Dr. Jeffrey Olenick, she will research teamwork dynamics and effective training in the workplace.
Bales graduated Summa Cum Laude with her Bachelors of Science in Psychology from the University of Georgia in May of 2025. She was a member of Dr. Michelle vanDellen’s lab, where she contributed to NIH-funded R01 study on smoking cessation. Additionally, she was a CURO Summer Research Fellow in 2024 and completed her Undergraduate Thesis in Dr. Jeffrey Olenick’s lab.
Bales currently has one publication, two in-progress manuscripts, eight poster presentations (three of which won awards), and two oral presentations. In May, she received the William T. James award, granted to the most outstanding graduating senior undergraduate student majoring in psychology at UGA.
After living in 12 cities across five states, Athens feels the most like home to her. The support and guidance she received from faculty, staff, supervisors, and peers as an undergraduate student made staying at UGA for two more degrees an easy decision. Bales’ long-term goal is to become a research professor in the field.
Paola Boshra
Integrated Life Sciences
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Paola Boshra is a Ph.D. student in the Integrated Life Sciences program at the University of Georgia. Her research interests relate to the study of proteins in microorganisms that are not fully understood. She is still open to studying protein functions in plant model systems, human cell culture, and potentially working on microbes.
A first generation college graduate, Boshra completed her bachelor’s in Biochemistry in which she found joy working in the lab. She always remained curious and eager to learn. This curiosity, alongside dedication, have allowed her to secure over two years of extensive research experience during her undergraduate training specializing in the evaluation of antimalarials. Additionally, Boshra worked for a medical lab and specialized in hormone testing using radioactive labeling.
Boshra’s experience alongside her passion for learning fueled her to move from California to Athens and pursue a doctoral degree in Biochemistry. A deciding factor for her committing to UGA was the program’s financial support and dedication to her success. UGA’s emphasis on community, professional development, and student support gave Boshra the opportunity to continue her education. She looks forward to lab rotations, where she will learn a variety of interdisciplinary lab experiments such as protein separation and identification, cell culture, RNA extraction from plants, and possibly some computational work.
With a Ph.D. in biochemistry, Boshra is interested in continuing her work in academia and becoming a professor.
Kira Buford-Rucker
Integrated Life Sciences
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Kira Buford-Rucker is a Ph.D. student in the Integrated Life Sciences program at the University of Georgia, who is also dually obtaining her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine through the Veterinary Medical Scientist Training Program. She hopes to further investigate how environmental factors and anthropogenic stressors influence animal health, development, and survival with a particular focus on wild and managed populations.
Originally from Urbana, IL, Buford-Rucker earned her B.S in Biology at Benedict College in Columbia, SC. Previously, she conducted research at UGA’s Savannah River Ecology Lab (SREL) in the Parrot Lab where she studied how interactions between organisms and their environments influence development, aging, and life history, using the American Alligator and Japanese Medaka Fish as their model species.
She has been recognized for academic excellence and research leadership. At Benedict College, she was a Founders Scholar and a four time recipient of the President’s Trophy for Academic excellence in recognition for her outstanding 4.0 GPA. In 2024, she was selected as an NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA) R25 scholar. During the program, Buford-Rucker earned the NIH NIA R25 Leadership Award and placed third for Best Presentation at the Summer Research Symposium. She is also the 2025 recipient of the Harvey James Newsom Scholarship.
Buford-Rucker hopes to pursue a career at the intersection of veterinary medicine and environmental research. Her goal is to contribute to groundbreaking research that translates into effective clinical solutions, bridging the gap between lab finding and practical veterinary care.
Annabel Coyle
Integrated Life Sciences
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Annabel Coyle is a Ph.D. student in the Integrated Life Sciences program at the University of Georgia. She will be conducting research that investigates the disease ecology, immunology, and host-pathogen interactions of zoonotic and vector-borne pathogens.
As an undergraduate at Virginia Tech, Coyle was involved with research on mycoplasma transmission among house finches and on the seasonality of influenza epidemics. After graduating with honors in Biological Sciences, she pursued infectious disease research as a post-baccalaureate fellow at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. There, Coyle used in vitro models to evaluate the antiviral differences of type I interferon subtypes in bunyavirus infection.
Coyle is passionate about various facets of infectious disease research. Therefore, she is excited to join the ILS program for the wide array of robust research opportunities that align with her interests. Ultimately Coyle hopes to conduct research at the One Health interface.
Outside of the laboratory, she enjoys coffee, outdoor sports, and time with friends and family. Coyle is delighted and honored to pursue her doctoral degree at the University of Georgia.
Katherine Dixon
Integrated Life Sciences
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Katherine Dixon is a Ph.D. student in the Integrated Life Sciences program at the University of Georgia. She is drawn to research neurodegenerative disease pathology but finds nearly all avenues of neuroscience equally as exciting.
Dixon graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, but is originally from Guam, USA. Her research journey began in her undergraduate studies, beginning in a biophysics lab before transitioning to neuroscience. Her most recent work investigates oxytocin as a potential treatment for opioid addiction in rodent models, with a focus on sex differences and dose-dependent effects. She has presented her findings at the Capital of Texas Undergraduate Research Conference and the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, and recently published in Physiology, Biochemistry and Behavior.
Beyond the lab, Dixon is a McNair Scholar and member of A.X.I.S., a campus initiative dedicated to creating community for underrepresented students in STEM. Her long-term goal is to lead her own research lab investigating the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases while serving as a mentor for the next generation of scientists from all backgrounds.
Dixon is deeply grateful to her family, whose sacrifices made her education possible, and to the mentors and friends who encouraged her at every stage of her journey.
Felicity Donkor
Communication Studies
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Felicity Donkor is a Ph.D. student in the department of Communication Studies at the University of Georgia. Donkor will work under the supervision of Dr. Belinda Stillion Southard while she pursues research focused on political rhetoric, Black (African) feminist thought, rhetorical criticism, and media framing.
Originally from Ghana, Donkor earned her M.A. in Communication Studies from Colorado State University and her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Ghana. She gained wide recognition during her time at CSU, where she won the first prize for presenting her paper at the Africa Center Student Poster Symposium at Colorado State University. She also received a Top Debut Paper Award from the Organization for Feminist Research for Gender Communication (Western States Communication Association).
Her master’s thesis, “Speaking Without Permission: Metaphor, Media, and the Framing of Black Women’s Vice-Presidential Leadership in Ghana and the U.S.,” examined the rhetorical and media portrayals of Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang and Kamala Harris.
Donkor chose the University of Georgia to pursue her Ph.D. in Communication Studies because of its strong faculty expertise in political rhetoric, gender studies, and rhetorical criticism. She was also drawn to UGA’s supportive academic community and commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship.
She hopes to pursue a career as a professor, creating academic spaces that center African perspectives and nurture underrepresented voices
Erleen Ellis
History
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Erleen Ellis is a Ph.D. student in the department of History at the University of Georgia. While working under the guidance of Dr. Cindy Hahamovitch, Ellis aims to fully flesh out connections between labor organizing and social mobilization for Black and Brown women in the southern United States in the context of the global oppression of subaltern labor. She will also work to extend their oral history research to other southern urban cities.
Ellis received her masters in History at the University of New Orleans, and received her bachelor’s in History and Cultural Studies from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA. As a scholar of Black women’s labor history, US social welfare and care organizing, and global studies, she received departmental honors at UNO for her master’s work in African-American History by aiding in the curation of the “Don’t Stand Alone: Black Labor Organizing in New Orleans” public history exhibit.
She has presented at conferences such as the Association of Black Women Historians, Labor and Working Class Historians Association, Southern Labor Studies Association, and Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Pursuing a doctoral degree in History at UGA will allow Ellis to facilitate continued research surrounding her master’s thesis titled “Rest if you must, but don’t quit: Black Women’s work and welfare in the New Orleans Welfare Rights Organization, 1970s-1990s.”
Anthony Ferreyra
Sociology
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Bio info not available
Maximillian Frye
Geography
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Bio info not available
Delancy Griffin
Anthropology
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Delancey Griffin is a Ph.D. student in the department of Anthropology at the University of Georgia. While working under the guidance of Dr. Victor Thompson, her research will focus on Indigenous Archaeologies in the Southeastern United States, particularly on the intricacies of conducting collaborative archaeology on ancestral land with forcibly removed Tribal Nations.
An enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation from Oklahoma, Griffin completed her Bachelor of Arts at Columbia University in Archaeology. There she received departmental honors for her thesis, “A Collection Caught in the Net: The Legacy of Indigenous Displacement Within Archaeological Practice in the New York Metropolitan Area,” supported by research pursued through the Ella Cara Deloria Undergraduate Research Fellowship.
Griffin’s decision to pursue doctoral research at the University of Georgia was due to the Laboratory of Archaeology, which hosts established collaborative relationships with Tribal Nations whose ancestral territories include the state of Georgia, as well as the department’s commitment to community engagement and ecologically-focused anthropology. Passionate about expanding research questions beyond those posed in the context of discrete chronological periods, Griffin aims to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into interpretations of archaeological data of ancestral Cherokee material culture and landscapes to bridge contemporary Indigenous communities with sites and collections that have been largely considered without descendant input. She aims to create opportunities to engage with and foster pride in cultural preservation and revitalization through archaeology, especially for Indigenous people removed from ancestral lands.
Kendall Hall
Integrated Life Sciences
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Bio info not available
Callie Hambuechen
Integrated Life Sciences
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Bio info not available
Paul Knopf
Lamar Dodd School of Art
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Paul Knopf is an MFA student in the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia. His art explores how form and materiality are connected to both dreams and memory, as well as identity.
Originally from Germany with a background in architecture, Knopf’s installations and sculptures are informed by building elements and domestic objects which serve to question the integrity of the home and its narrative as a self-made, Arcadian refuge. Working with materials and artifacts relating to the domestic, their surfaces are often the product of digital manufacturing processes situating the sculptures in the ambiguity between and digital. The resulting instability of belonging is central to his work. Yet, he combines temporary fasteners and DIY-joining techniques, and visibly applies them in a repairing and prosthetic manner to construct a fragile reality. Knopf’s work has been part of exhibitions in Berlin, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Kassel, Tokyo, Weimar, and Zella-Mehlis, and it has been published in Class Favourite Magazine, PORT, and blank magazine among others.
Before joining the School of Art, Knopf was part of the International Media Architecture Master Studies—a joint program between the University at Buffalo, SUNY (USA) and the Bauhaus-University Weimar (GER). During his time in Buffalo, he was a member of BICA School—a free, collective art school at the Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art. In parallel to his undergraduate studies in architecture and after a semester abroad at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (Austria), he joined the class for Sculpture, Object, Installation of Prof. Björn Dahlem at BUW. He received scholarships from the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (German Academic Scholarship Foundation) and the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service).
Knopf chose UGA for its inspiring community of both fellow students and faculty alike, excellent facilities, and outstanding support for art students. In combination, these factors provide the perfect substrate to advance his artistic practice and pursue becoming a full-time artist.
TJ Montgomery
Integrated Life Sciences
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Todd (TJ) Montgomery is a Ph.D. student in the Integrated Life Sciences program at the University of Georgia. His research interests focus on implementing and improving evidence-based teaching practices in undergraduate STEM courses.
Originally from Hendersonville, North Carolina, Montgomery earned his Associate in Science degree at Blue Ridge Community College. He then earned his Bachelors of Science in Biology degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). In his time as an undergraduate, Montgomery received the James M. Johnston scholarship and completed his honors thesis on a biology education research project. His work included analyzing the quantity of active learning practices in biology lectures across various disciplines in the department. He also served as a supplemental instructor (SI) for an introductory biodiversity course, which ignited his passion for teaching college-level biology.
Montgomery decided to pursue his graduate studies at UGA for its exceptional faculty, welcoming community, and strength in biology education research. He aims to continue research on advancing student-centered pedagogical approaches for improving learning outcomes in undergraduate biology courses. Additionally, he is interested in finding ways to support transfer students’ transition to college, especially those from rural backgrounds.
Ultimately, Montgomery hopes to become a college biology professor where he can combine his research with his love for teaching biology.
Morgan Murff
Integrated Plant Sciences
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Morgan Murff is a Ph.D. student in the Integrated Plant Sciences program at the University of Georgia. Interested in studying the evolution of medicinal plants, her research interests span multiple disciplines. But her passion is rooted in medicinal plants and creating better plant citizens.
Murff graduated from Purdue University in May of 2025 with a Bachelors of Science in Botany and a minor in International Studies in Agriculture. She came to UGA to further her education in the plant sciences, attracted by UGA’s collaborative nature and rigorous research program.
She is a published scientist and an awarded leader from her undergraduate University and various national institutions. Most recently, she was awarded Outstanding Chancellor from Alpha Zeta, a national professional development organization for agriculturalists. After her Ph.D., Murff plans to be a teaching professor and researcher in academia.
Wei Qiang
Psychology
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Wei Qiang is a Ph.D. student in the department of Psychology at the University of Georgia. Under the guidance of Dr. Yimin He and Dr. Jeffrey Olenick, her research focuses on understanding and improving workplace dynamics, with particular emphasis on fostering fairness and employee well-being.
She holds an M.A. in Applied Psychology from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and a B.A. in Psychology from Peking University. Qiang’s fascination with organizational behavior began during her first psychology lab experience, where she realized how seemingly small misunderstandings—such as a manager’s offhand comment—could escalate into toxic workplace dynamics. This sparked her commitment to using research to give voice to unspoken struggles, especially those faced by marginalized groups.
Her past work has explored how stressors, gender norms, and organizational practices influence behavior—from job-related strain to newcomers’ adaptation to workplace challenges. Qiang is dedicated to generating findings that help organizations create environments where individuals can thrive. Qiang chose UGA for its strong resources in Industrial-Organizational psychology and its culture of collaborative problem-solving, which she believes offers an ideal platform to expand her research on inclusive and effective organizational practices. She looks forward to leveraging the university’s mentorship and collaborative environment to advance her work.
Her long-term goal is to pursue an academic career, becoming a professor who produces impactful research that promotes fairness, respect, and mutual support in workplaces worldwide.
Sarai Rivera
Integrated Life Sciences
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Sarai Rivera is a Ph.D. student in the Integrated Life Sciences program at the University of Georgia. Her research interests include neuroregeneration, neuroscience, microbiology, and regenerative biology.
Rivera, a first-generation graduate student from Florida, Puerto Rico, and the first in her family to study abroad, is a passionate advocate for diversity. She earned her bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo. Coming from a lower-class Latino background, she credits her family with instilling the values of perseverance and determination that have guided her academic journey.
During her undergraduate studies, Rivera completed three Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) at R1 institutions, including work on brain plasticity using mouse models. She also spent a year on a project investigating the genetic basis of lactase persistence in the Puerto Rican population. During this research, she mentored other undergraduates in collaborating on the study, highlighting the importance of addressing health disparities in underrepresented communities.
After graduating, Rivera joined the Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at the University of Georgia, where she studied regeneration using the flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea. This work sparked her interest in neuroregeneration and reinforced her desire to pursue interdisciplinary research at the intersection of neuroscience, microbiology, and regenerative biology.
As she begins her doctoral program, Rivera looks forward to expanding her skills through lab rotations during fall 2025 and contributing to research that advances both science and mentorship for underrepresented students. Her long-term goal is to build a career in academic research where she can teach, mentor, and inspire future minority scientists.
Claire Runyan
Mathematics
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Claire Runyan is a Ph.D. student in the department of Mathematics at the University of Georgia. Her research interests include the broader areas of algebra, number theory, and combinatorics.
Originally from Greenville, South Carolina, Runyan graduated from the University of South Carolina and the South Carolina Honors College with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and minors in computer science and theatre. Other awards Runyan has received include the University of South Carolina’s Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Mathematics and Pi Mu Epsilon awards, the Thomas Markham Mathematics Scholarship, and the Jeong S. Yang Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mathematics.
She is also honored to have spent the summer of 2024 in the SUMaR program at K-State, where she gained first-hand research experience in algebraic geometry under the leadership of Dr. Rina Anno. She and her groupmates presented a poster summarizing their work at the Joint Math Meetings in Seattle, Washington in January, 2025. After the completion of her PhD, Claire hopes to complete a postdoc and obtain a research/teaching position at a university.
Victoria Walden
Integrated Life Sciences
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Bio info not available
Lyric Wardlaw
Integrated Life Sciences
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Lyric Wardlaw is a Ph.D. student in the Integrated Life Sciences program at the University of Georgia. Through ILS, she looks forward to sharpening her research skills, identifying a departmental home, and contributing to impactful biomedical discoveries.
As a proud native of Vidalia, Georgia, Wardlaw graduated from Savannah State University where she earned her B.S. in Biology. Her passion for women’s health led her to pursue biomedical research to make a lasting impact on underserved communities.
Wardlaw believes that one of life’s greatest gifts is being surrounded by those who choose and believe in you — a sentiment she found fulfilled at the University of Georgia. UGA affirmed her aspirations by selecting her for the prestigious NIH-funded Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) for 2024–2025. During this program, she investigated the effects of novel antimalarial compounds on Plasmodium falciparum parasites. She also participated in the Gateway to Graduate School Summer Bridge Program (2025), where she explored liver-stage malaria from an immunological perspective.
Wardlaw chose UGA for its collaborative research environment, commitment to diversity, and the flexibility of the Integrated Life Sciences (ILS) program. In the future, she hopes to build a research career focused on women’s health, especially in areas where biomedical science can uncover innovative treatments and advance health equity.
Lauren Womack
Integrated Plant Sciences
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Lauren Womack is a Ph.D. student in the Integrated Plant Sciences program at the University of Georgia.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. During her senior year, Womack studied apomixis in blackberries and crabapples in the Harkess Lab at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Alabama, confirming her passion for research and plant science. After graduation, Womack worked as a lab technician in the Harkess Lab.
Womack is excited to learn from so many renowned scientists while she completes her Ph.D. at UGA, and looks forward to facing new challenges and developing as a scientist.
Adaugo Chiejina
Micro & Health Promotion
School of Social Work & College of Public Health
Ada Chiejina is an MSW candidate at the School of Social Work at UGA. She was an AmeriCorps Food Fellow, facilitated through UGA’s Office of Service Learning, where she served food insecure populations. Chiejina served populations experiencing homelessness, which proved to be a very humbling and rewarding experience for her. She was awarded the James D. Horne Memorial Scholarship in the Spring of 2025. Chiejina was selected for the DBHDD fellowship where she will have the opportunity to train and work with populations receiving behavioral health services.
Chiejina was born and raised in New Jersey and attended Rutgers University where she majored in Sociology. After her undergraduate schooling she attended Widener University Delaware Law School where she obtained her Juris Doctorate. Following her graduation from law school, she settled in South Carolina with her husband and first-born son, where she passed the South Carolina Bar and opened a Family Law Practice.
After practicing for some years, Chiejina welcomed a daughter and second son, and made the decision to stay home to take care of them. Her family moved to Georgia, where they welcomed another daughter. After her youngest started school Chiejina began substitute teaching, and while working with struggling students her desire to work with children and families was reignited. She decided to get her Masters degree in Social Work so she could provide support to families and children.
After graduation, Chiejina plans to continue working with children and families and provide needed clinical behavioral services.
Courtney Nutt
Micro and Health Promotion
School of Social Work & College of Public Health
Courtney Nutt is a graduate student in the Micro and Health Promotion departments at the University of Georgia. Her research focuses on sexual health, exploring ways to improve education, and health promotion strategies in this critical area. She is guided and supported by experienced faculty advisors dedicated to interdisciplinary scholarship and community impact.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of North Georgia, where she served as a research assistant and was president of the Psi Chi Honors Society. Her strong academic foundation and leadership experiences fueled her passion for advancing knowledge in sexual health. Nutt chose the University of Georgia for her graduate studies because of its prestigious reputation and its unique dual degree program combining a Master of Social Work (MSW) with a Master of Public Health (MPH). This integrated approach aligns perfectly with her long-term goals of promoting comprehensive sexual health education and therapeutic support.
Previously, Nutt was recognized as the Outstanding Psychology Student in 2024, an award that underscores her commitment to academic excellence and research. Looking ahead, she plans to become a sex therapist and work towards reforming sexual health education through health promotion initiatives, aiming to create safer and more informed communities.
Brittany Belser
Sociology
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Brittany Belser is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Georgia. Her research centers on juvenile delinquency and racial inequalities within the criminal legal system. Under the mentorship of Dr. Sarah Shannon and Dr. Justine Tinkler, her work examines the intersection of race, the legal system, and policy, aiming to reveal and address disparities in how young people are treated within legal and institutional settings.
She earned her B.A. in Criminal Justice and Sociology from UGA, where her undergraduate experience fostered a deep commitment to understanding and addressing systemic inequalities. She returned to UGA for the university’s strong academic resources, but also because it already felt like home and allowed her to stay connected to her family and community.
Belser is driven by a passion for criminal justice policy reform, she aspires to pursue a career in applied research where she can contribute to data-informed, equitable policy solutions. Her long-term goal is to influence reform efforts that improve outcomes for juveniles and disadvantaged communities, ensuring that research plays a central role in building a more just and inclusive system.
Ben Enyetornye
Veterinary Pathology
College of Veterinary Medicine
Ben Enyetornye is a doctoral student in the department of Veterinary Pathology at the University of Georgia, studying under the supervision of Dr. Nicole Gottdenker and Dr. Binu Velayudhan. His research is focused on how variations in poultry production systems and live bird markets in Ghana contribute to the spread of avian influenza, Newcastle disease, and infectious bronchitis. He also seeks to understand the molecular epidemiology of these viruses across production systems and study regions.
Originally from Ghana, Enyetornye obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a master’s degree in animal science from the University of Ghana. In Spring of 2023, Enyetornye served as an exchange fellow at the University of Georgia through a USDA funded exchange program. In addition to being a Ph.D. student, Enyetornye is also pursuing a graduate certificate program in international law at the Dean Rusk International law center at the University of Georgia. In Spring 2025, Ben was awarded a Graduate School summer grant to support his research.
In the long term, Enyetornye intends to work as a liaison scientist between developing countries and international organizations such as WOAH, FAO, USDA, or an international veterinary pharmaceutical company as a scientist.
Deborah Shomuyiwa
Health Promotion and Behavior
College of Public Health
Deborah Shomuyiwa is a Ph.D. student in the department of Health Promotion and Behavior at the University of Georgia, studying under the supervision of Dr. Lucy A. Ingram. Her research focuses on maternal health equity, emotional resilience, and the psychosocial dimensions of health promotion.
With a background in pharmacy and public health, Shomuyiwa is particularly passionate about using interdisciplinary approaches, including artificial intelligence, behavioral science, and narrative methods, to surface community perspectives, investigate health disparities and inform culturally grounded interventions.
Hailing from Nigeria, Shomuyiwa brings extensive experience in health education, community mobilization, and youth empowerment across rural and underserved African communities. At UGA, Shomuyiwa examines issues spanning maternal health and reproductive justice, health systems innovation, and digital tools for understanding lived experience and informing equitable intervention development. Through an interdisciplinary lens, she explores how community-based strategies and responsive health systems can advance holistic well-being.
Shomuyiwa aspires to build a career that bridges academia, consulting, and community impact in global public health, developing interventions that humanize data, amplify community voices, and reimagine and redesign systems around the lived realities of those most affected.
Molly Smith
Animal and Dairy Science
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Molly Sloan Smith is a doctoral student in Animal and Dairy Science at the University of Georgia, specializing in the physiology of reproduction. Under the mentorship of Dr. Pedro Fontes, her doctoral research investigates the effects of paternal nutrition on post-implantation placental and fetal development—an area critical to livestock production efficiency and reproductive success.
Originally from Lockhart, Texas, Smith holds both Bachelor’s and Master of Science degrees in Animal Science and Physiology of Reproduction from Texas A&M University, where she conducted extensive research on reproductive microbiomes and cytokine profiles in beef cattle. Her master’s thesis explored fertility outcomes in relation to microbial and immune parameters.
Smith chose the University of Georgia for its strong emphasis on applied reproductive physiology and access to leading researchers in the field. Throughout her academic career, Smith has received numerous awards, including the American Embryo Transfer Association Scholarship, the Block and Bridle Outstanding Graduate Student Award, and the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef Scholarship. She has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications and presented at national conferences including ASAS and the Society for the Study of Reproduction.
Beyond her research, Smith has served in leadership roles with graduate student associations at both Texas A&M and UGA and mentored undergraduate students in laboratory settings. Upon completion of her Ph.D., Smith plans to pursue a career in research and outreach, focusing on improving reproductive management practices and sustainability in beef cattle production systems.
Daniel Gilley
Odum School of Ecology
Bio info not available
Diane Klement
Wildlife Sciences
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Diane Klement is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Clark Rushing’s Population Ecology Lab at the University of Georgia. Her research expands on this work by examining buntings’ space use and diet during the post-breeding season—a poorly understood life stage critical to full annual-cycle conservation—at study sites on Little Saint Simons Island and at Wormsloe.
Originally from Augusta, Georgia, Klement earned her undergraduate degree in Ecology with a minor in Studio Art from UGA, where she was named a 2019 Udall Scholar for the Environment. After graduating, she worked as a bird technician on Little Saint Simons Island, Georgia, monitoring breeding populations of seabirds, shorebirds, and wading birds. She then served as a marine education fellow with UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, teaching coastal ecology classes and school outreach programs.
From 2022 to 2024, Klement completed her M.S. under Dr. Rushing, studying how management of imperiled maritime grasslands on Little Saint Simons Island influences the diet and habitat use of a declining migratory songbird, the Painted Bunting. For this work, she received the Graduate School’s Master’s Fellow Award and a Georgia Sea Grant Research Traineeship.
After graduation, Klement plans to continue working in migratory bird conservation in the southeastern U.S., helping to protect vulnerable landscapes for future generations.
