Fall 2022
Ali Shakoor
Ali is a PhD student studying Aquatic Ecology. He completed a master’s degree in Resource Ecology and Management from the School of Natural Resources at the University of Michigan in 2014. Prior to that, he completed his bachelor’s degree, with a major in Biology from Siena Heights University, while competing on the track team and earning All-American status. He has an interest in outreach and science communication to the general public and non-governmental stakeholders such as community groups. Ali has a research interest in impacts of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) on aquatic food webs, community distribution, and predator-prey interactions. As a T-RUST fellow, he is interested in researching how community involvement and activities may impact HABs formation and severity as a result of urban inputs into aquatic systems. In his free time, Ali is an avid outdoors person and enjoys fishing, hunting, and spending time in the woods and water.
Tierney Shaible
Tierney is an incoming PhD student in the Biological Sciences department, in the division of Evolutionary and Organismal Biology with a concentration in Ecology. Tierney completed her BSc in Biological Sciences in 2018 at the University of Pittsburgh. During her undergraduate career she worked on research examining microbe – pollinator interactions using the model species Bombus impatiens, the common Eastern Bumblebee. Tierney then completed her MSc in Entomology at the University of Arizona. Here, she focused on the cactus loving fruit fly, Drosophila mojavensis. She examined the physiological and life history traits that allow this fly to survive the intensely hot summer in the Sonoran Desert. As a PhD student and T-RUST fellow, Tierney is looking forward to combining her interest in insects with urban sustainability practices. She hopes to address issues such as climate change and environmental injustices through her research. In her free time, Tierney enjoys spending time outdoors with her partner and dogs.
