Lander University biology major Chandler Russian, right, of Ninety Six, discusses “Going Nuts: Eastern Gray Squirrel Behavior Is Unaffected by Predator Activity,” at this year’s Student Academic Symposium. Russian, who worked on the research project with Senior Lecturer of Biology Elizabeth McDonald and Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Emily Prince, said that squirrels are escape artists. “Maybe they’re ignoring the presence of predators until the point that the predators are trying to eat them, because they’re small, nimble and quick. If they can eat as much as possible before they run, that’s better for their survival,” he said.