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Shunji (Suki) Li is a doctoral student in professor Paul Rowley’s lab in the Department of Biological Sciences. She received her master’s degree from Iowa State University where she studied the interactions between honeybee gut microvilli and Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus that is one of the causes of colony decline in the North America. She identified her interest in infectious diseases related to global health, and she started her doctoral research at U of I investigating the interactions between HIV-1 and the nuclear pore complex. She is specifically interested in understanding how genotypic changes lead to the overall structures and functions of proteins, and how the changes impact interactions with the virus phenotypically. The title of her doctoral thesis is “The Novel Interaction between HIV-1 capsid and Nucleoporin 153.”

Justin Mathias is a postdoctoral fellow working with Associate Professor Tara Hudiburg in the Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences. He is a plant ecophysiologist who studies how environmental disturbances such as climate change, air pollution and wildland fire impact tree function from leaves to the globe. He integrates experimental, observational and modeling approaches to understand the extent to which forests will continue to be carbon sinks and how changes in their structure and function feedback to climate at regional to continental scales.

Heather is a candidate for the Master of Science in water resources at the University of Idaho. Her research is focused on river restoration, water quality and soil carbon. Her field site is located near Bellevue at Rinker Rock Creek Ranch. Her study centers on the effects of beaver dam analogs installed within an intermittent stream. She earned a bachelor’s in geosciences with an emphasis in hydrology from Boise State University in December of 2018. She is experienced in hydrological and geologic analysis. Previously, Heather has performed water resource work for the Idaho Department of Water Resources and has operated as a research assistant for the University of Idaho Ecohydraulic’s Center.

Ernest is currently a postdoctoral researcher in professor Mike Strickland’s lab at the University of Idaho. He is investigating a variety of topics, including effects of dairy nutrient management practices on soil microbial communities, effects of Tasmanian devil declines on soil microbial communities and impacts of agricultural antibiotic use on soil ecosystem processes. Ultimately, the goal of his research is to understand how global change factors will influence the long-term health of our soils.

Alex Pace graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelor’s in animal science in the spring of 2021 and began working towards a master’s in animal science in professor Amy Skibiel's lab in the fall of 2021. Her research is focused on the impacts of wildfire smoke on dairy cattle health, growth and milk production. Wildfires will continue to threaten public health by inducing poor air quality, and much work is needed to understand how wildfire smoke contributes to adverse health outcomes in both humans and animals. This research will contribute to a growing body of knowledge that cattle producers may use to make decisions to preserve the health of their animals and continue to produce healthy and safe products for consumers.

Lindsey Stachofsky is a junior at the University of Idaho studying biological engineering. One of her biggest interests has always been utilizing both the medical and environmental applications of biological engineering in improving human health. She is working in Assistant Professor Sarah Wu's lab, and her research is on the production of plasma activated water as a green disinfectant for E. coli inactivation. Her research focuses on providing a green and sustainable solution to address the needs for green disinfectants within the scope of factors affecting plant, animal or human health and diseases.