Tarleton wins top award at international research conference in Poland

STEPHENVILLE (April 27, 2017) — Two Tarleton State University students presented research this week at the University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland. One brought home top honors for his study on the nest survival of an endangered gamebird.

Jordan Giese, who recently finished his master’s degree in Tarleton’s Wildlife, Sustainability and Ecosystem Sciences program, received honors for the best oral presentation in the Animal Science Division at the 6th International Conference for Young Researchers. Graduate students and young scientists from universities worldwide participate in the annual event.

Jordan’s research on the environmental factors that limit the reproduction the White-tipped Dove will help the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department maintain stable populations of the bird. The understudied game species nests in remnant woodlands and citrus groves in south Texas, both of which have declined drastically over the last 30 years in favor of row crops and urban sprawl.

Jonathan Baker, an undergraduate student in the university’s Department of Animal Science and Veterinary Technology, also presented at the conference.

Recent Tarleton State University graduate Jordan Giese (left) won best oral presentation honors at the 6th International Conference for Young Researchers held in Krakow, Poland. Also attending the conference was Giese’s faculty advisor, Dr. T. Wayne Schwertner (right), head of the Department of Wildlife, Sustainability and Ecosystem Sciences within Tarleton’s College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences.

“We are extremely proud of Jordan and Jonathan for conducting the kind of quality research that merits international attention and honor,” said Dr. Barry Lambert, associate vice president for research and dean of Tarleton’s College of Graduate Studies. “They represented Tarleton well and had opportunities to connect with like-minded young scientists from several European countries during the conference.”

Jordan’s faculty mentor is Dr. Heather Mathewson, and Jonathan’s is Dr. Kimberly Guay.

For more information on Tarleton’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, visit www.tarleton.edu/coahs. To learn more about the College of Graduate Studies, go to www.tarleton.edu/graduate.