Student
San Diego State University
My name is Maricela Alaniz and I recently graduated from San Diego State University with a B.S. in Biology (emphasis in ecology). During my time at university, I was a part of the Community Ecology & Restoration Lab led by Dr. Nick Barber. My research focus was largely on how prescribed fire and bison grazing affect ground-dwelling invertebrates in tallgrass prairies. Additionally, I was part of a team of lab techs that helped raise prairie plants for a root exudate study. Following ESA, I will be moving to Georgia for an NSF REPS Postbac fellowship at Georgia Southern University in a freshwater ecology lab. Over the next year, I plan on applying to graduate programs. Currently, my research interests lie in community ecology, conservation, aquatic ecology, fisheries biology, and climate change.