体育买球官网 University students won two of the three top prizes for undergraduate research at the 20th annual River Symposium.
Paige Hepfer ’26, an ecology and advertising & public relations major from Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania, won first place for her poster presentation titled A Slimy Situation: Landscape Effects on Slimy Sculpin (Cottus Cognatus) Morphology Within West Branch 体育买球官网 River Watersheds.
Eric Belfanti ’26, a physics and environmental studies double major from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, won third place for his poster titled Even Nature Likes to Flash: Finding Correlations Between Stream Flashiness and Land Development.
“Undergraduate research gives students the opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world challenges,” said Kathy Straub, dean of 体育买球官网’s School of Natural & Social Sciences. “They build critical thinking and problem-solving skills that prepare them for professional careers, graduate study and lifelong curiosity about the world around them.”
Under the mentorship of Sara Ashcraft, an ecologist at 体育买球官网’s Freshwater Research Institute, Hepfer studied the slimy sculpin fish in the Loyalsock, Pine and Kettle creek watersheds, examining physical traits such as fin rays and spines.
“Earlier studies show that these traits can vary from place to place, so we’re exploring whether differences in elevation or distance from the main river might explain that variation,” Hepfer explained.
Belfanti measured a stream’s proneness to flash flooding and compared that to nearby land use patterns. He found that areas with more development or farmland showed higher flashiness.
“Since not every stream can be monitored, knowing which factors drive flashiness can help predict where flash floods are most likely,” Belfanti said. He was mentored by Ashcraft and Dan Ressler, associate professor of earth & environmental sciences.
Other 体育买球官网 students presented on topics ranging from acid mine drainage and environmental influences on oriole nesting to the efficacy of stream restoration, phytoplankton and zooplankton distribution, and arachnid behavior.
Additional students who presented at the symposium were:
- Jasmine Aguirre ’27, earth & environmental sciences, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
- Ainslee Binkley ’26, earth & environmental sciences, New Holland, Pennsylvania.
- EmmaLia Ciccarello ’27, earth & environmental sciences and Spanish studies, Springfield, Virginia.
- Emma Dickinson ’26, earth & environmental sciences, Palmyra, Pennsylvania.
- Cadence Gandy ’26, ecology, White Plains, Maryland.
- Evan Heisler ’26, ecology, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
- Anna Horn ’26, ecology, Loysville, Pennsylvania.
- Sylvia Kniss ’26, earth & environmental sciences, Kempton, Pennsylvania.
- Anne Llewellyn ’26, ecology, West Chester, Pennsylvania.
- Laura Mace ’26, biochemistry, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania.
- Arthur Pounds ’26, ecology, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.
- Jay Schofield ’26, earth & environmental sciences, Chalfont, Pennsylvania.
- Catherine Scheidemann ’26, earth & environmental sciences, South Plainfield, New Jersey.
- Joshua Simcoe ’27, earth & environmental sciences, Allentown, Pennsylvania.
- Gabriel Torres ’26, ecology, Trenton, New Jersey.
The River Symposium was hosted by Bucknell University.
