Annual BGSO Spring Symposium

Location: ODU Main Campus, Webb Center, James-Lynnhaven River Rooms & York-Potomac River Rooms

Date: Saturday, Apr 4, 2026 (8 am - 2 pm)

Abstracts

Abstracts are available online: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w_Nm2BSgjg2IyZqk48VtFBEVSUbAqIIN/view?usp=sharing

Schedule

8:00–9:00 am Registration & Breakfast (James-Lynnhaven River Rooms)

9:00–9:15 am Opening Remarks (York-Potomac River Rooms)

9:15–10:15 am Session I (York-Potomac River Rooms)

- 9:15–9:30 am: Bryan Byrd (MS in Biology), Computational analysis of gamma-chain T-cell receptor (TCR) transcripts clonally expanded in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) lesions from patients with AAA

- 9:30–9:45 am: Oleksii Dubovyk (PhD in Ecological Sciences), How I learned to stop worrying and love agent-based modeling

- 9:45–10:00 am: Morgan Grant (MS in Biology), Squid squadrons in neritic waters: Do brief squid, Lolliguncula brevis, form organized collectives?

- 10:00–10:15 am: Eric Liu (MS in Biology), Spatial and temporal variability in flowering, seed production, and seed viability of Spartina alterniflora, an essential plant in wetland restoration

10:15–10:30 am Coffee Break (James-Lynnhaven River Rooms)

10:30–11:30 am Session II (York-Potomac River Rooms)

- 10:30–10:45 am: Kaitlyn Pounders (MS in Biology), Effects of reactive nitrogen form on living shoreline ecosystem service provisioning via plant functional traits

- 10:45–11:00 am: Lindsey Reimels (PhD in Ecological Sciences), Filter feeding simulation reveals a pathway for microplastic consumption in baleen whales

- 11:00–11:15 am: Patricia Schenke (MS in Biology), Stable isotope analysis reveals physiological strategies for body water management in polar bears (Ursus maritimus)

- 11:15–11:30 am: Heather Sheffey (PhD in Ecological Sciences), Analysis of microplastics in invertebrate communities and surrounding waters in lower Chesapeake Bay marinas

11:30 am–12:30 pm Lunch (James-Lynnhaven River Rooms)

12:30–1:30 pm Session III (York-Potomac River Rooms)

- 12:30–12:45 pm: Jessica Miller (PhD in Ecological Sciences), Preliminary insight into temperature-dependent survival of Rickettsia parkeri: Implications for tick expansion and avian hosts

- 12:45–1:00 pm: Shania Sanderson (PhD in Ecological Sciences), ALTSIM: A simulation of Asian Longhorned Tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) population dynamics and transmission of Theileria orientalis

- 1:00–1:15 pm: Umme Akter (PhD in Ecological Sciences), Seasonal activity and species composition of Ambrosia beetles in southeastern Virginia

- 1:15–1:30 pm: Kaitlyn Young (Undergraduate Student), Evaluation of BirdNet Analyzer parameters to accurately reflect avian soundscape along an urban gradient

1:30–1:45 pm Break & Judge Deliberation

1:45–2:00 pm Closing Ceremony (York-Potomac River Rooms)

Awards

Stay tuned

Acknowledgements

This event would be impossible without the support provided by the Department of Biological Sciences (College of Sciences) at Old Dominion University, namely the Chair, Dr. Holly Gaff, and the office staff: Bianca Tapia and Amanda Jackson. The BGSO also appreciates the help of the volunteer judges (Dr. Christina Hernández, Dr. Shirel Kahane-Rapport, Dr. Deborah Waller) and all the faculty who encouraged their students to present their work.

Location: ODU Main Campus, Webb Center, 2nd floor, Isle of Wight/Cape Charles Room

Date: Mar 29, 2025

Abstracts

Abstracts are available online: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lAMxVxjj0f5rGrc4bOeCM28DQMym2pUk/view?usp=sharing

Awards

People's choice award: Chi Wei "Family matters and so does avoiding inbreeding"

1st best PhD presentation: Ryan Kilduff "GTP-derived alarmones attenuate type-I interferon signaling in RAW-Dual cell line"

2nd best PhD presentation: Oleksii Dubovyk "Metrics of observed taxonomic bird diversity vary by time of day"

3rd best PhD presentation: Emily Ogawa "Applying a macro lens to microplastics: Modeling microplastic ingestion risk by Humpback Whales in the Chesapeake Bay"

1st best MS presentation: Cate Hemphill "Effects of sediment composition on two marsh species in Coastal Virginia: A thin-layer placement experiment"

2nd best MS presentation: Lily Sisk "Ant species classification on Old Dominion University’s campus"

3rd best MS presentation: Mel Lhuillier "Swimming behavior of Longfin Squid (Doryteuthis pealeii) paralarvae"

Acknowledgements

The BGSO Spring Symposium is organized by the Biology Graduate Student Organization, an Old Dominion University student organization sponsored through Student Engagement & Traditions.

This event would be impossible without the support provided by the Department of Biological Sciences (College of Sciences) at Old Dominion University, namely the Chair, Dr. Holly Gaff, and the office staff: Bianca Tapia and Amanda Jackson. The BGSO also appreciates the help of the volunteer judges (Dr. Daniel Barshis, Dr. Shirel Kahane-Rapport, Dr. Michelle King) and all the faculty who encouraged their students to present their work.

Location: ODU Tri-cities Center (1070 University Blvd, Portsmouth, VA 23703)

Date: Feb 24, 2024, 11 am

Program

11:00 – 11:30    Arrival & Reception

11:30 – 11:45   Ella DiPetto "Evaluating the short-term trajectory of small-scale living shorelines within a socioecological context"

11:45 - 12:00    Zlatka Rebolledo Sanchez "Wetlands and protected areas in Hampton Roads"

12:00 - 12:15    Alex Wright "Longleaf restoration strategies and their effects on avian and plant communities"

12:15 – 12:30   Chandell Jablonski "Spatial and temporal genetic variation between two populations of Toothed Ponyfish (Gazza minuta) from the Philippines"

12:30 - 12:45    Niaylah Means "Evaluation of T cell development as a cause for Tc1 vaccine failure during chronic schistosomiasis"

12:45 - 1:00      John Schaefer "Examining 100 years of human impacts on the genetic diversity of the common pony fish, Leiognathus equula"

1:00 - 2:00        Lunch & Social

2:00 - 2:15        Nathaniel Ostrum "Understanding tick-borne disease dynamics: insights from small mammal reservoirs in Richmond, Virginia"

2:15 - 2:30        Ayesha Atique "Estrogen, progesterone, and hCG: gatekeepers or enablers? Hormonal impacts on Listeria monocytogenes trojan horse translocation across the placental barrier"

2:30 - 2:45       Chi Wei "Breeder dispersal in the cooperative breeding Acorn Woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus)"

2:45 - 3:00       Maizer Sparkman "Distribution of H. americana in the Chesapeake Bay"

3:00 - 3:15       Annette Berkin "Proposed investigation of cell fate redirection via 3D-bioprinted mammary organoid models"

3:15 - 3:30       Oleksii Dubovyk "FilterABM: an agent-based model of trait-based environmental filtering"

3:30 - 3:45       Break

3:45 - 4:00       Closing Ceremony & Awards

Abstracts

The abstracts should be available on this web-site (see Resources) or using the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1daR_akXw3JRSHwVFRAhVM7oVt3GgJqyI/view?usp=sharing

Awards

People's Choice Award: John Schaefer

MS talks - I place: Chandell Jablonski

MS talks - II place: Nathaniel Ostrum and John Schaefer (tie)

PhD talks - I place: Ella DiPetto

PhD talks - II place: Zlatka Rebolledo Sanchez

Acknowledgements

Dr. Isaura Simoes, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences

Dr. Christina Steel, Senior Lecturer, Department of Biological Sciences

Dr. Eric L. Walters, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences

Julie Jo Walters, Lecturer, Department of Biological Sciences

Special thanks to Chair, Dr. Holly Gaff, and Office Manager, Megan Milla

Special thanks to ODU Tri-cities Center staff, especially, Evon Hughes, Lex Richels, and Davion Hussen