Pictured is Lander junior environmental science major Sam Williams, who received the award for best student poster in the Animal Biology category at the 2023 annual meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists (ASB). Williams also won the association’s first ever Undergraduate Research Grant to continue his research. Photo courtesy of ASB.
Three Lander University students won awards for their student research at the annual conference of the Association of Southeastern Biologists held March 23 - 26 in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Sam Williams, a junior environmental science major, won the award for best student poster in the Animal Biology category for his presentation, “Shedding some light on artificial illumination’s effects on mammal diel activity patterns.” According to Dr. Emily Prince, an associate professor of biology at Lander, Williams’ award “is especially impressive, because he was competing against graduate students presenting in the same category.”
To continue his research, Williams was also awarded the association’s first ever Undergraduate Research Grant. In addition to covering the registration for next year’s conference, the grant also provides Williams with $500 for equipment to continue his research investigating the impact of artificial light on mammal behavior.
Meanwhile, Ayla Edmiston and Jordan Cannon, both senior biology majors, won the John C. Johnson Award during the TriBeta Ecology and Environmental poster session for their presentation, “Predictors of variation in the secondary metabolites of Usnea strigosa,” (commonly known as the “bushy beard lichen”). The award recognizes excellence in undergraduate research, and provides Edmiston and Cannon with money to present at next year’s National TriBeta conference.
“All of the Lander research students who presented at the conference are doing fantastic science” said Prince. “The biology faculty are all very proud of what they’ve accomplished, and we’re so glad when their achievements are recognized.”