MENTORED UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH PROJECTS:

Research Projects at Emory & Henry College 2014-Present:

Current Student Projects:

● Estimates of Small Mammal Diversity and Community Structure in Eastern Tennessee and Southwest Virginia: An Analysis Based on Owl Pellets (Tyto alba). (Fall 2022-Present).
Student-Rachel Ritter

● Prevalence of Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) in Wild Canidae. Spring 2023-Present). Student-Chelsi Jones

● Prevalence of Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) in Wild Bears (Ursus maritimus and U. arctos). Fall 2023-Present). Student-Samantha Pepevnik

Completed Student Projects:

● An Initial Assessment of Phylogeny and Historical Biogeography of Plethodontid Salamanders: A Mitochondrial Data Mining Approach using Cytochrome B. (2015-2016) Student-Keri Roberts

● Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Gut Flora (Enterobacteriaceae) in a Community of Stabled Horses (Equus caballus): Implications for Community Acquired Drug Resistance (2015-2016) Student-Anna M. Green

● Phylogeography of Montane Salamanders in Southwestern Virginia: A Mitochondrial Analysis (2015- 2017) Student-Erin M. Kirk

● Epithelial Body-Swabbing as a Non-Invasive Method for DNA Sampling in Salamanders (2015-2016) Student-Erin M. Kirk

● Impacts of Pesticides and Biosolids on Lumbricus terrestris (2016-2017) Student-Emily Welch

● Epithelial Mucosal Swabbing of Frogs (Ranidae) as an Indicator of Bovine Fecal Coliform Contamination of Aquatic Habitats in Southwest Virginia (2016-2017) Student-Brandon M. Gearhart *co-mentored w/Dr. Melissa P. Taverner

● Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Gut Flora of a Community of Domesticated Livestock in Southwest Virginia (2016-2018) Student-Casey Chaplin

● Taxonomic Status and Systematics of the Monomoy Island Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus ammodytes) (2016-2018) Student-Taylor F. Richardson

● Mitochondrial Biogeography of Montane Lepidoptera of the Shenandoah Valley and Whitetop Mountain, southwest Virginia (2016-2018) Student-Allison Singleton

● The Effects of the Fermentative Digest of Medicago sativa (Alfalfa-Grass Hay) on Gas Production, pH Changes, and Bacterial Growth in Ruminant Capra hircus (Goats) (2017-2018). Student-Roberta Rodemann. E&H Honors Thesis, 58 pp. *Recipient of 2018 E&H Senior Research Award

● Taxonomic Status and Systematics of the Nantucket Island Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus fusus) (2016- 2019) Student-Taylor Blevins

● An Ecomorphological Ratio Model for Inferring Habitats in Extant and Extinct Testudines (2017-2019). Student-Benjamin Sexton

● Barn Owl Pellets as an Indicator of Small Mammal Community Structure in Eastern Tennessee:
A Composite Skeletal and Mitochondrial Analysis. 31 pp. (Honor’s Thesis Project 2016-2019) Student- Thomas Wolfe

● Prevalence of Skeletal Pathologies in Arboreal and Volant Sciurids (2017-2020) Student- Carly Gunnell

● Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) as Mechanical Vectors of Parasitic Protozoa (2017-2020). Student- Liberty Sheppard

● Fish as Environmental Indicators of Fecal Coliform Bacterial Contamination in Southwest Virginia. (Fall 2018-2020). Student-Ben Gallimore

● Antibiotic Resistance in the Enterobacteriaceae of Coastal and Mountainous Equus ferus Populations. (2020-2021). Student-Caroline French

● The Effects of Probiotic Yeast on the In Vitro Rumen. (2019-2021). Student-Alexandra Barbee

● Prevalence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Freshwater Bivalves of Davenport Bay Columbia, N.C. (Spring 2020-Fall 2020). Student-MaKayla Rakes

● Farm to Table: Occurrence of Bacterial Pathogens on Raw Consumer Purchased Produce in Southwest Virginia. (Spring 2020-May 2022). Callie McMurray

● A Comparison of Stress-Associated Behaviors in Wild and Captive Animals: Does the Kind of Zoo Matter? (Spring 2020-Fall 2020). Student-Alison Inggs

● Geographic Variation of the Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) in North Carolina: A Morphometric Analysis of Phenotypic Differences among Coastal and Inland Populations Using Image-J Analysis. (Fall 2019-May 2021). Student-Caroline French

● A Comparison of Dental Injuries in Gregarious and Solitary Carnivorous Mammals Relative to Long-term Survivability. (Spring 2020-May 2022). Student-Callee Cox

● Anurans as Environmental Indicators of Bacterial and Fungal Pathogens. (Fall 2019-Spr 2020). Student- Sarah Savona.

● Prevalence of Cross-Species Transmission of Antibiotic Resistant Fecal Coliform Bacteria Within a Stable Community of Horses, Flies, and Bats in Northeast Tennessee. (Summer 2021-May 2022). Student-Sarah Savona

● Methodologies to Assess Prevalence of Vector-borne Disease in Hard-Bodied Ticks: A Biogeographic Analysis of Pathogen, Vector, and Reservoir Hosts. 60 pp. (Honors Thesis Project 2017-2019). Student-Amanda Whitlow

● A Comparison of Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in Wild and Domesticated Horses (Equus caballus). (2017-2020) Student- Madison McKinsey (Honor’s Thesis Project)

● Estimates of Small Mammal Diversity and Community Structure in Eastern Tennessee and Southwest Virginia: An Analysis Based on Owl Pellets (Tyto alba). (Fall 2020-Spring 2022). Student-Tori Kestner

● A Comparison of Osteological Pathologies in Arboreal and Non-Arboreal Primates. (Spring 2020-Spring 2023). Student-Savannah Mynatt.

● A Comparison of the Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in Wild Horse Populations of the Outer Banks of Virginia and North Carolina. (Spring 2020-Spring 2023). Student-Holly Orfield

● Prevalence of Fecal Coliform Bacteria in the Skin Mucous of Minnows from Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. (Spring 2022-Spring 2023). Student-Haley Jackson

● A comparison of Antibiotic Resistance Levels in Populations of Wild and Domesticated Horses (Equus ferus caballus) from Virginia, North Carolina, and North Dakota. (Spring 2021-May 2024). Student-Sarah Walters (Honors Thesis)● Antibiotic Resistance of Fecal Coliform Bacteria in Manure and Runoff in the Holston Watershed, Southwest Virginia. (Spring 2022-May 2024).
Student-Jordan Leatherman.