ESU students and faculty made their usual strong showing at the annual Kansas Natural Resources Conference in Wichita, Kansas, January 25-27, 2017. In attendance were:
Undergraduate students: Logan Sleezer, Caite Schoeck, Tyler Thomsen, Mallory Reynolds, and Chase Beyer
Graduate students: Heather Kraus, Ben Wilson, Bill Blair, Marcus Portofee, Dustin Michelson, Bin Li, and Sarah Noller
Faculty: Alexis Powell, David McKenzie, Brenda Koerner, and Bill Jensen
Four students (Beyer, Blair, Portofee, and Schoeck) attended an educational workshop on stream restoration a day and a half prior to the regular conference.
Also as is usual, other attendees of the conference included numerous ESU Biology graduates now employed in various natural resources professions. It was good to hear feedback from former students about how their education at ESU, and temporary employment opportunities / internships, got them to their positions of full-time employment.
Oral Presentations:
- Logan J. Sleezer (Biology undergrad), William E. Jensen (Biology faculty), Colin D. Kraft (Earth Science undergrad), and Richard O. Sleezer (Earth Science faculty) -- Effects of Ponds and Mineral Sites on Trailing Behavior of Domestic Cattle (Bos taurus) and Bison (Bison bison) as Determined from Remote Sensing.
- Brenda A. Koerner (Biology faculty) and Erin E. Lingenfelter (Biology grad student, 2016) -- Fuel Load and Burn Season Effects on Sericea Lespedeza Growth and Reproduction.
Poster presentations:
- Sarah Noller (Biology grad student) and Brenda A. Koerner -- Sericea Lespedeza Influences on Microbial Biomass Carbon in Native and Restored Prairies.
- William E. Jensen, Gregory R. Houseman, and Mary L. Jameson (latter two: Biology faculty, Wichita State University) -- Grazing of CRP Grasslands and Wildlife.