Mentors and projects!
Below is the list of graduate student mentors and a brief description of their research and opportunities to participate. Please see the mentoring program page for details about the program format and goals. This list is updated at the beginning of each semester (sometimes more frequently). If you are interested in a position, you can contact the graduate student directly, providing them with a brief introduction and a resume. You may also reach out to envisci-mentoring@virginia.edu if you have any questions.
Graduate students: If you would like to update or add to this page, please contact Elise Heffernan, Willow Lovecky, or Will Loner at envisci-mentoring@virginia.edu
Revisited April 2025
Who: Elise Heffernan, eh9hg@virginia.edu
What: This project is focused on primary research and seeks to complement my own boreal forest treeline research in the Arctic. A student would choose a topic (if possibly related to another major/minor, great!) and conduct primary research, create an annotated bibliography and write a report on the topic throughout the term. The goal is to get a broader, multidisciplinary understanding of my research area. The student will gain experience with primary source research and writing, and will have rather wide discretion in their chosen topics. I am particularly seeking students who are interested in social-environmental interactions.
Openings: multiple
Who: Amanda Armstrong (amanda.h.armstrong@nasa.gov)
What: Allometry simulations using a Forest Model
The student will gain experience running a cutting edge forest model to simulate a forest in Virginia. We will compare how well the model does simulating trees with parameters measured in the field and taken from the literature as compared to parameters measured by ground-based lidar. The student will be running the model (python) and interpreting results (R). No coding experience necessary though at least exposure to coding preferred.
Forest Model Research
This research-based experience will involve a little bit of detective work. We will be developing a database of global forest model parameters, combing through literature and books to piece together in one place model parameterizations from around the globe. No modeling experience necessary.
Openings: 1-2 students
When: Fall 2024
How: Academic credit.
Who: Mirella Shaban, qwe2qh@virginia.edu
What: I have micro-meteorological data for wind, solar radiation, ground moisture, and air temperatures for an undergraduate to visualize and analyze using R. This work will entail mostly data analysis and running statistical tests to understand relationships among the variables and between the variables. Qualified individuals will have a reasonably strong understanding of R and the ability to commit time weekly to work with the data and meet weekly for ~30min-1hr.
Openings: 2 students
When: Fall 2024 - Spring 2025
How: Academic credit and Volunteer
Who: Preston Thompson, pmt3z@virginia.edu
What: This project would mainly consist of data processing. Over the summer, I collected video data on bumble bee nests and am interested in counting the number of individual workers and describing their behavior in each video. This project is looking into the effects of bumble bee nest depth and temperature on hive productivity.
Openings: 1-2 students
When: Fall 2024
How: Academic credit and Volunteer
Who: Stephanie Petrovick, (dwv4dj@virginia.edu)
What:
- An opportunity for 3-4 students to help with field work for two weeks in the summer, specifically the weeks of July 7th and July 14th. This will be at Blandy Experimental Farm and housing will be provided. The work will consist of collecting biomass samples, identifying plants, taking soil samples, and implementing treatments, among other things. Instruction will be provided, so prior knowledge of things like plant identification is not required. If interested, more information is available upon request.
- An opportunity for 2-3 students in the Fall 2025 semester processing biomass samples. The samples will be dried, sorted according to plant functional group, and then weighed before being stored accordingly. Will involve plant identification and work with excel. This will consist of a set number of work hours per week (negotiable based on student’s availability) and instruction will be provided, so prior experience in either plant identification or excel is not required.
- An opportunity for 1-2 students in the Fall 2025 semester processing samples for foliar nutrient concentration. This consists of a set number of work hours per week (negotiable based on student’s availability) where the student grinds foliar samples to powder, stores them, and then once all the samples are processed, packages them into tins for nutrient analysis. Instruction and help will be provided.
- An opportunity for 1 student starting in the Fall 2025 semester working with sample trays growing in a greenhouse, specifically identifying seedlings from these sample trays. No watering, etc., work would need to be done, just the identification and cataloguing the seedlings during two visits per week, totaling around 3-6 hours of work per week at least. Instruction and help identifying the seedlings will be provided.
- An opportunity for 1 student starting in the Fall 2025 semester processing soil samples. This will include sieving, weighing, and sorting the samples, as well as recording the numbers. Instruction will be provided, and prior knowledge of excel is not required. This will consist of a set number of work hours per week (negotiable based on student’s availability).
Openings: Several!
When: Summer & Fall 2025
How: Academic credit and Volunteer
Who: Kim Union (keu8gwx@virginia.edu)
What: My project is focused on remote sensing of vegetation ecosystems across life stages, and I am looking for 1-2 students to assist with biomass sorting, soil sample processing, and potentially literature review. The end goal of this project is to use hyperspectral data at the field, drone, and satellite level to predict non-photosynthetic vegetation factors in successional grasslands, wetlands, and forests across Blandy Experimental Farm.
Openings : 1-2 students
When: Fall 2024
How: 1-4 research credits to be applied to Spring 2024 semester or volunteer