Lab Alums

Listed from most recent to least recent.

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Corbin Blanch

Corbin graduated 2025. He studied the use of eelgrass habitats by fish in a variety of southern California estuaries. He is currently working and living in Germany. 

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David Boehmer

David graduated in 2025. He studied the population dynamics and habitat associations of the Belding’s Savannah Sparrow in southern California marshes. After a CA SeaGrant fellowship, he is currently a Conservation Ecology Manager at Wildcoast. 

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Sebastian Garcia

Sebastian graduated in 2023. He studied fish communities in estuarine marine protected areas throughout California. He is currently working a research technician in the Boyer Lab at SFSU. 

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Amanda Martinez

Amanda graduated in Winter 2022 with her Master’s in Biology from CSULB. She studied food availability for the CA least tern in coastal and freshwater locations. She is currently a wildlife biologist with ICF. 

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Jess Burton

Jess graduated in 2024. She studied studying raft use in the federally endangered light-footed Ridgway rail in various southern California wetlands. She is currently a biologist with a local consulting firm.

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Anita Arenas

Anita graduated in 2024. She studied studying the impact of various non-native plants including tamarisk and yellow flag iris in southern California salt marshes. She is currently working for Endemic Consulting as well as a lab technician with CSULB Wetland Ecology Lab.

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Alyssa Taylor

Alyssa studied that habitat use and restoration trajectory of the fish community following oyster and eelgrass restoration in Newport Bay. She is currently a biologist with Endemic Consulting. 

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Cody Fees

Cody graduated in Summer 2022 with his Master's in Biology from CSULB. He studied the efficacy of paired oyster and eelgrass restoration for invertebrates and fish in Upper Newport Bay.

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Kenny McCune

Kenny graduated in Summer 2022 with his Master's in Biology from CSULB. He studied how ecosystem services, specifically carbon sequestration, are provided by permanent versus ephemeral eelgrass patches in Newport Bay.

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Parker Richardson

Parker graduated in Winter 2022 with his Master's in Biology from CSULB. He studied the restoration trajectory following sediment augmentation in Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge. He is currently working with SWCA Environmental Consultants as a biologist.

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Elishebah Tate-Pulliam

Elishebah graduated in Fall 2021 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. She studied the restoration trajectory of invertebrates following oyster and eelgrass restoration. She is currently a Coastal Program Analyst at California Coastal Commission.

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Kyra McClelland

Kyra graduated in Summer 2021 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. She studied the small mammal population at Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge. She is at the University of Washington as an instructor.

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Chloe VanGrootheest

Chloe graduated in Summer 2020 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. She studied the effects of habitat fragmentation on the distribution and diet of two goby species. She is working at CSULB as an instructor and the interim Navy Biologist at SBNWR.

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Nick DaSilva

Nick graduated in Spring 2020 with his Master's in Biology from CSULB. He studied the differences in invertebrate communities among different SAV species in Colorado lagoon. He is currently a an environmental scientist with CA State Parks.

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Marjorie (Howard) Mednikova

Marjorie graduated in Summer 2019 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. She studied the effectiveness of oyster restoration for fish and invertebrate communities in Upper Newport Bay and is a Ph.D. student at University of New Hampshire.

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Madison Thomas

Madison graduated in Summer 2018 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. Her research focused on the restoration trajectory of invertebrate communities and food webs in the San Diego Salt Ponds. She is currently working with the California Department Of Boating And Waterways.

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Molly Burdick-Whipp

Molly graduated in Summer 2018 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. Her research focused on the differing habitat conditions and fish and invertebrate communities resulting from an underground culvert. She is currently working as a science teacher in southern California.

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Kaelin (McAtee) Minkel

Kaelin graduated in Spring 2018 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. Her research focused on the short-term impacts of sediment augmentation on the plant and invertebrate communities at Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge. She is currently working as a project biologist with Chambers Group, Inc.

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Jessica Lee

Jessica graduated in Summer 2018 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. Her research focused on tracking restoration success through time using innovative statistical approaches. She is currently working as a Regulatory Specialist at HELIX Environmental Planning, Inc.

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Morgan Brown

Morgan graduated in Summer 2017 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. Her research focused on impacts of an invasive isopod on respiration rates and invertebrate communities. She is currently a Ph.D. student at UAF Geophysical Institute.

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Michelle Barton

Michelle graduated in Summer 2016 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. Her research focused on the nesting success of the Light-footed Ridgway Rail. She is currently an Environmental Affairs Officer with Los Angeles World Airports

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Megan Fitzgerald

Megan graduated in Summer 2016 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. Her research focused on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functions in a restored coastal salt marsh. She is currently working at EPA in the PA area.

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Sokanary Sun

Sokanary graduated in Summer 2015 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. Her research focused on the ecosystem functions in both marine and brackish wetlands in Huntington Beach, CA. She is currently working a vector ecologist at Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District.

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Terry Champieux

Terry graduated in Summer 2015 with his Master's in Biology from CSULB. His research focused on the impacts of oyster restoration techniques on the neighboring invertebrate communities. He is currently working in the clinical field in southern California.

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Anastasia Shippey

Anastasia graduated in Summer 2014 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. Her research focused on climate change impacts on salt marsh communities. She is currently working as a senior planner with the Sacramento County Planning and Environmental Review

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Tania Asef

Tania graduated in Winter 2013 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. Her research focused on the impact of an invasive plant population (tamarisk) on the invertebrate community of two southern California salt marshes.  She is currently working as and environmental specialist at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

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Rachel Wigginton

Rachel graduated in Summer 2012 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. Her Master's research focused on sparrow use of an invaded habitat. After finishing her Ph.D. at UC Davis on impacts of an invasive plant and being a CA SeaGrant fellow, she is now a special assistant for planning and science to the Delta Stewardship Council.

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Emily Blair

Emily graduated in January 2012 with her Master's in Biology from CSULB. Her Master's research focused on wetland restoration trajectory following active planting. She is currently working with a wetland restoration project team at San Dieguito Lagoon.

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Shira Maezumi

Shira graduated in June 2010 with her Master's in Archaeology from CSULB. Her research focused on paleosalinity reconstruction in a local wetland. After recieving her Ph.D. from Univ. of UT and completing a post-doctoral fellow at Exeter University, she is a researcher at Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology.