Academics
Displayed below are projects I have completed in various courses throughout my time at LSU. These projects encouraged growth in multiple skill areas including multimodal communication, technical writing, software proficiency, scientific research, and field methodologies.
RNR 4012: Waterfowl Ecology and Management
In this course, I learned about the ecology of various waterfowl species, ranging from Louisiana natives to sea ducks. There was a heavy emphasis on species identification, especially wing ID. Our class had the opportunity to take multiple field trips over the course of the Spring 2024 semester, and I created a short video on one of these experiences. We traveled to Pinola Conservancy and Aviary in Shreveport, LA, learning about what the conservancy's mission is and how they manage their land for waterfowl species, as well as gaining hands on experience banding Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca). This video is intended to give prospective students a glimpse into the experiences and hands-on opportunities we have in the Natural Resource Ecology and Management program.
This video project brought me out of my comfort zone, as I have never created something like this before! I was able to teach myself the PowerDirector365 program and compile images and clips in a way that conveyed what we were doing throughout the trip. After completing this project, I am confident in my ability to learn new software and communicate with others using technology and verbal communication.
Banding Green-winged Teal at Pinola Conservancy
RNR 3004: Photogrammetry, GPS, and GIS
RNR 3004 focused on the software system ArcGIS Pro. Students were taught how to operate the system and resources to obtain data from. Our final project in the class was the culmination of all of our obtained skills thus far, requiring us to create an ArcGIS Storymap on a topic and utilizing ArcGIS Pro to create maps to tell the story. I did my project on risks posed to endemic species from of a proposal planning to alter the floodplain of the Pearl River at the Ross Barnett Reservoir just south of Jackson, MS. This project is the culmination of my efforts in RNR 3004, encouraging me to apply what I learned while also pushing me to educate myself on a relevant conservation issue. Everything we covered in the course was expected to be applied, as well as an added research component. I not only had to produce a certain amount of maps, but also needed to be able to demonstrate my findings through writing and website organization.
​​
​
RNR 4107: Human Dimensions in Natural Resources
Human Dimensions in Natural Resources aims to connect what we have learned about wildlife and habitat management with how to interact with the public and convey that information to them. When you are tasked with managing an area, you are also responsible for managing the needs and concerns of the people in that area. This course solidified my understanding of this. The premise of the course is based on a semester long project. Each student joins a group, which then selects a relevant natural resource related topic. The group formulates hypotheses about how the public will view a certain topic based on their background, and creates a survey for the public to answer. Once we had results from our survey participants, we analyzed the data and compiled our findings into a publicly available website.
Image from www.Wix.com
RNR 2031: Principles of Wildlife Management
Principles of Wildlife Management discusses interest groups in natural resources and how they influence management actions. This paper was assigned to encourage students to research current events in the natural resource field. My essay focuses on the border wall between the United States and Mexico and how it is disrupting natural travel and migration patterns of the species in that area. The wall fragments the habitat these individuals live, putting populations at risk. ​
​This course emphasized our need to understand past management actions and mistakes, but also how we can improve moving forward. Writing this paper showed me an issue I had not heard of before, and through writing I learned how to look at current events and consider the potential effects to natural resources, whether positive or negative.
Image from Los Angeles Times
HNRS 2021: Colloquium in the Arts
HNRS 2021 focused on disruptors in music through time and how they affected not only their own genre, but the history of music altogether. We were assigned a project that required us to connect something we learned in class to one of our personal interests. I connected birds of the same species having variable songs based on their location to how music created different places and cultures also differ from each other. ​
​​
This specific project was challenging for me because I had to pinpoint a relationship between something I am interested in in the natural resource field to one of the topics covered in class. Through research and thorough explanations in my presentation, I was able to teach my class about the birds they see and hear everyday while also establishing a connection to our class discussions. I wanted to be able to teach my peers something new about the environment they live in!
Communication Across the Curriculum
Communication Across the Curriculum (CxC) is a resource LSU offers its students for them to not only dive deeper into their class content, but to also develop themselves as effective communicators for their future endeavors. The department works alongside professors to offer Communication Intensive (C-I) courses, many of which I have taken. In fact, my RNR 4012 video and HNRS 2021 course counted towards C-I course credit. ​
The Distinguished Communicator Program is facilitated through the CxC department, which encourages students to communicate in a variety of modes, including written, visual, spoken, and technological communication. Through my experience in the program, I have participated in several C-I courses, which have developed my ability to convey information to others, no matter the mode. I am confident this program has equipped me to be an effective communicator, learner, collaborator, and leader.
Image from LSU CxC