Many undergraduate students work on research projects with faculty, staff, postdoctoral associates, and graduate students at the Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Lab. Many other students intern with Lake Champlain Sea Grant to extend aquatic science to K-12 teachers and students. Meet some of our students and learn about their work.
Dani Berger
Major: Wildlife and Fisheries Biology
Graduation year: 2023
Research involvement: Dani works with Ariana Chiapella on mapping the food web of Lake Champlain using fish diets, fatty acids, and stable isotopes of multiple trophic levels.
Naomi Chandler
Major: Zoology
Graduation year: 2022
Education involvement: Naomi is a Watershed Educator working with Lake Champlain Sea Grant and UVM Extension to extend current lake and stream science to K-12 teachers, students, and communities within the Lake Champlain basin.
Gabe Frigo
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Graduation year: 2023
Education involvement: Gabe is a Watershed Educator working with Lake Champlain Sea Grant and UVM Extension to extend current lake and stream science to K-12 teachers, students, and communities within the Lake Champlain basin.
Undraa Irvin
Major: Wildlife and Fisheries Biology
Graduation year: 2022
Research involvement: Undraa works on an EU AQUACOSM project to assess how zooplankton migration behavior is affected by fish predations, nutrient additions, and hypoxia.
Lia Ivanick
Major: Environmental Sciences
Graduation year: 2022
Research involvement: Lia is leading the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) project ZooST (Zooplankton over Space and Time). The project is examining whether results from space-for-time surveys of zooplankton are reproducible. Her research will form her Honors Thesis at UVM.
Seana Kelly
Major: Animal Sciences
Graduation year: 2023
Research involvement: Seana works with Natalie Flores in assessing the lipid content of fish from Shelburne Pond, in relation to cyanobacteria blooms and cyanotoxins.
Madeline Lerz
Major: Wildlife and Fisheries Biology
Graduation year: 2023
Research involvement: Madeline currently works with post-doctoral associate Ariana Chiapella on mapping the food web of Lake Champlain using fish diets, fatty acids, and stable isotopes of multiple trophic levels.
Chris Liazos
Major: Wildlife and Fisheries Biology
Graduation year: 2022
Research involvement: Chris currently works with Rosaura Chapina on Mysis ecology in Lake Champlain and Lake Ontario.
Margaret Polifrone
Major: Biological Science
Graduation year: 2022
Education involvement: Margaret is a Watershed Educator working with Lake Champlain Sea Grant and UVM Extension to extend current lake and stream science to K-12 teachers, students, and communities within the Lake Champlain basin.
Bethany Smith
Major: Wildlife and Fisheries Biology
Graduation year: 2023
Research involvement: Bethany currently works with post-doctoral associate Ariana Chiapella on mapping the food web of Lake Champlain using fish diets, fatty acids, and stable isotopes of multiple trophic levels.
Lindsay VanFossen
Major: Environmental Sciences
Graduation year: 2022
Education involvement: Lindsay is a Watershed Educator working with Lake Champlain Sea Grant and UVM Extension to extend current lake and stream science to K-12 teachers, students, and communities within the Lake Champlain basin.