PAst research
Undergraduate Research Project
During the last year of my undergraduate degree, I received an amazing opportunity to apply for and conduct an undergraduate research project with the pygmy rabbits and mountain cottontails. This project allowed me to be in the field for the first time to catch pygmy rabbits- which I found, I am a natural at it! This first trip into the field, and eventually, the rest of the project, made me realize that I was born to do research and vet school was not my true calling. I worked closely with Dr. Lisa Shipley's PhD student, Meghan, running NDF analyses, making pelleted diets that varied in fiber and toxicity, and learning how to run feeding trials with pygmy rabbits and mountain cottontails. At the end of this project, I was able to present a poster at two poster sessions run by Washington State University, and published the results in the school's online journal. This was such a valuable experience for me, that led to an offer to do my M.S. with Lisa and Meghan, and changed my life and my career path.
During the last year of my undergraduate degree, I received an amazing opportunity to apply for and conduct an undergraduate research project with the pygmy rabbits and mountain cottontails. This project allowed me to be in the field for the first time to catch pygmy rabbits- which I found, I am a natural at it! This first trip into the field, and eventually, the rest of the project, made me realize that I was born to do research and vet school was not my true calling. I worked closely with Dr. Lisa Shipley's PhD student, Meghan, running NDF analyses, making pelleted diets that varied in fiber and toxicity, and learning how to run feeding trials with pygmy rabbits and mountain cottontails. At the end of this project, I was able to present a poster at two poster sessions run by Washington State University, and published the results in the school's online journal. This was such a valuable experience for me, that led to an offer to do my M.S. with Lisa and Meghan, and changed my life and my career path.
Master of Science
I began helping with Meghan's research during the summer of 2013 after I graduated with my B.S. and started to figure out what my Masters project was going to entail. The first chapter of my thesis investigated how perceived predation risk influenced where pygmy rabbits and mountain cottontails choose to feed in relation to amount of concealment cover, arrangement of concealment cover, and distance from a burrow refuge. The second chapter of my thesis investigated how pygmy rabbits and mountain cottontails consume sagebrush as separate leaves and stems, and as a whole. In addition to the feeding trials I performed for my thesis, I participated in field work as a part of our larger NSF grant with University of Idaho and Boise State University.
I began helping with Meghan's research during the summer of 2013 after I graduated with my B.S. and started to figure out what my Masters project was going to entail. The first chapter of my thesis investigated how perceived predation risk influenced where pygmy rabbits and mountain cottontails choose to feed in relation to amount of concealment cover, arrangement of concealment cover, and distance from a burrow refuge. The second chapter of my thesis investigated how pygmy rabbits and mountain cottontails consume sagebrush as separate leaves and stems, and as a whole. In addition to the feeding trials I performed for my thesis, I participated in field work as a part of our larger NSF grant with University of Idaho and Boise State University.
current research
PhD research
I began field work for my PhD in April 2016. Between April and August, me and 6 research technicians were able to trap 310 individual pygmy rabbits across 3 study regions in Nevada and southeastern Oregon (Elko, Austin, Hart-Sheldon). Our main goals during the summer of 2016 were to establish base populations of marked individuals for our mark-recapture study and collect DNA samples from them. We continued to trap during the summers of 2017-2019. Additionally, we completed occupancy and burrow surveys at over 300 sites across these 3 regions.
I began field work for my PhD in April 2016. Between April and August, me and 6 research technicians were able to trap 310 individual pygmy rabbits across 3 study regions in Nevada and southeastern Oregon (Elko, Austin, Hart-Sheldon). Our main goals during the summer of 2016 were to establish base populations of marked individuals for our mark-recapture study and collect DNA samples from them. We continued to trap during the summers of 2017-2019. Additionally, we completed occupancy and burrow surveys at over 300 sites across these 3 regions.
Post-Doctoral research
In 2021 we obtained funding from NDOW to begin GPS collaring pygmy rabbits at 2 sites - 1 near Jiggs, NV and 1 near Austin, NV. Technically this was supposed to be a post-doctoral position for me, but I have ended up completing most of this field work while trying to finish writing my dissertation.
In 2021 we obtained funding from NDOW to begin GPS collaring pygmy rabbits at 2 sites - 1 near Jiggs, NV and 1 near Austin, NV. Technically this was supposed to be a post-doctoral position for me, but I have ended up completing most of this field work while trying to finish writing my dissertation.