Catie grew up exploring the diverse landscapes of Arizona’s shrublands and Eastern Washington’s grasslands. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Eastern Washington University and has hands-on experience as both a field technician in riparian zones and as a lab technician in animal research. Her research interests include grassland and plant ecology, particularly in conservation, management, and impacts of climate change.

Contact Information:

palmquist@marshall.edu

PEOPLE

Kyle A. Palmquist, Principal Investigator

Alexis Belt, BS in Computer and Information Technology

Emma Crouch, BS in Biological Sciences and Environmental Science

Lab Alumni

Jorge Vera, MS in Biological Sciences

Zak Bartholomew, MS in Biological Sciences

Catie Schwartzmann, MS in Biological Sciences

Noah is from Tecumseh, MI and has always enjoyed exploring the natural world. He completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 2024. Noah’s research interests are in plants, forest ecology, and ecosystem ecology. Currently, he is examining the ecosystem services provided by urban trees in different neighborhoods of Huntington, WV. Ultimately, Noah hopes to earn a graduate degree and work in academia or natural resource management. In his free time, Noah enjoys running, kayaking, playing the violin, gardening, and exploring with maps.

Emma is from South Charleston, WV. She is a sophomore double majoring in biology and environmental science, with an emphasis in ecology and evolutionary biology. Her research interests are plant ecology, climate change, and conservation. In her free time, she likes to tend to plants in the Marshall greenhouse, spend time outside, rock climb, run, hike, and crochet.

Kyle is a plant ecologist interested in the ecological processes that influence and maintain plant biodiversity. She is particularly interested in asking ecological questions over large spatial scales, ultimately to inform landscape conservation.

Kyle received her BS in Biology and Environmental Studies from the College of Charleston and her PhD in Ecology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining the Department of Biological Sciences at Marshall University in January 2019, she was a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Wyoming working jointing with William Lauenroth and John Bradford.

PALMQUIST LAB

Plant Ecology at Marshall University

Graduate Students

Moses Shafer, MS in Biological Sciences, 2023. Present: Staff Scientist, Alliance Consulting Inc., Beckley, WV.

Cody Goodson, MS in Biological Sciences, 2023. Present: Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine, MA.

Maggie England, MS in Biological Sciences, 2022. Present: Veterinary Technician, Hurricane Animal Hospital, Hurricane WV.

Rebekah Shupe, MS in Biological Sciences, 2021. Present: High School Science Teacher, VA.

Undergraduate Students

Alijah Kuhn, Senior Capstone, BS in Biological Sciences, 2024.

Leslie Titus, Senior Capstone, BS in Biological Sciences, 2023.

Jacob Webb, Senior Capstone, BS in Biological Sciences, 2023. Present: Biological technician, Wayne National Forest, OH.

Khyla Johnson, Senior Capstone, BS in Biological Sciences, 2022. Present: MS Student, Utah State University, UT.

Cassie Bacon, Senior Internship, BS in Environmental Science, 2021. Present: Hydrologist at the US Army Corps of Engineers, WV.

Matthew Roswall, Senior Capstone, BS in Biological Sciences, 2021.

Mary Doherty, Senior Capstone, BS in Biological Sciences, 2021.

Jordan Bowan, Senior Capstone, BS in Biological Sciences, 2021. Present: Graduate student at Marshall University, WV.

Aria Searles, Senior Capstone, BS in Biological Sciences, 2021. Present: Intern at the North Carolina Botantical Garden, NC.

Moses Shafer, BS in Environmental Science, 2020. Present: Staff Scientist, Alliance Consulting Inc., Beckley, WV.

Reyna Abreu-Vigil, BS in Environmental Science, 2020. Present: Technician with US Forest Service, AK.

Alexis is from Clay, WV. She graduated at Marshall in 2021 with her bachelor's and is hoping to get certified in teaching through her master's. She hopes to teach programming one day. In her spare time, she likes to read, sew, and play video games.

Noah Mauszak, NSF RaMP Postbac Research Assistant

Zak’s interest and relationship with plants ranges from managing a home garden to seeking out wildflowers in river valleys and on mountain slopes. Through his work in environmental restoration in the Pacific Northwest, Zak became interested in exploring how remote sensing and GIS applications can help us understand the effects of climate change on vulnerable ecosystems. Zak’s research at Marshall is centered around studying the effects of sea-level rise and storm intensification on coastal vegetation in South Carolina. Zak received a BS in Anthropology and a BA in Archaeology from the College of Charleston, SC. Previously, Zak worked for eight years in the environmental restoration field around Seattle, WA and spent five of those years working for a local Tribe. Zak also served on the board of the Washington Native Plant Society and co-managed the Central Puget Sound Chapter’s native plant nursery.

Jorge grew up in Ecuador and enjoyed playing outside and climbing trees as a kid. He graduated with a Bachelor's in environmental science from Marshall University in 2021. He works as an Extension Associate at West Virginia State University on a post-harvest grant helping local farmers throughout the state. He spends the summers working at Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound Schools as a field instructor introducing kids to learning though the outdoor experience. He is at Marshall to study urban trees and the ecosystem services they provide for us.

Google Scholar Profile

ResearchGate