Everything Nac

Three Stephen F. Austin State University students received first place honors for their research presentations at the annual Ecological Integration Symposium.

Jordan Griffin and Zachary Hutchens, both SFA biology majors, won first place in the symposium-wide undergraduate poster contest for their project investigating potential impacts of the non-native Sheepshead minnow on the Red River Pupfish, a species native to Texas.

Connor Adams, an SFA forestry graduate student, won first place in the symposium’s graduate student division that focused on fish and reptiles with his oral presentation titled “Trophic and Community Structure of Snake Assemblages in Shortleaf Pine Forests with Different Management Regimes.”

The annual symposium, which generally draws leading scientists and students from across the fields of ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation to the Texas A&M College Station campus, was held virtually this year as a result of health restrictions in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“These results show our students are producing high-quality research that is valued by their colleagues,” said Dr. Christopher Schalk, SFA assistant professor of forest wildlife management. “It also shows they can effectively disseminate their results and communicate their ideas using distance-learning platforms.”