Lila Humlick, Outstanding Senior, Environmental Science

Lila is graduating this spring with a degree in environmental science and minors in mathematics and ecohydrology. At the University, Lila not only maintained an exceptional grade-point average, but also became an invaluable member of Assistant Professor Scott Allen's lab. After graduation, Lila will continue as a master’s student in Allen's lab, where she will focus on the effects of organic litter layers on soil evaporation in forest ecosystems.

Aillis McCormack, Outstanding Senior, Forest Ecology & Management

Aillis is graduating this spring with a bachelor’s degree that follows her passion for fieldwork, the outdoors and plants. She has maintained an exceptional grade-point average at the University and particularly enjoyed learning about plant morphology and entomology. Studying plant breeding greatly deepened her respect for plant capabilities. After graduating, Aillis plans to pursue a master’s degree in botany, potentially studying microgreens and their benefits.

Michael Maggio, Outstanding Senior, Wildlife Ecology & Conservation

Michael is graduating this spring with a degree in wildlife ecology & conservation and a minor in geotechnologies. Michael has maintained an exceptionally high grade-point average, while also working in a supervisory role as a student food-service worker and gaining research experience working on lizards. After graduation, Michael is going to spend two to three weeks in Scotland, hiking the 100-mile-long West Highland Way from Milngavie to Fort William. 

Kristina Ramsey, Outstanding Master's Student, Natural Resources & Environmental Science

Kristina is a productive and motivated student. She designed and field-tested sampling protocols for a challenging study of tree dieback, growth, soil-water, and climate response to drought and thinning treatments in pinyon-juniper woodlands. She wrote two submission-ready master's thesis chapters from the study and presented her work at two major conferences. Kristina led large field crews with positivity and professionalism, while maintaining great working relationships with scientists and managers, demonstrating exceptional leadership skills.

Johanne Albrigtsen, Outstanding Ph.D. Student, Hydrologic Sciences

Johanne exemplifies what it means to be an outstanding graduate student through her commitment to excellence in research, community building and broader impacts. She has conducted rigorous field research in challenging backcountry conditions, with two published first-author articles in Ecology and Evolution and Geophysical Research Letters. Her findings advance understanding of ecohydrological succession in subarctic ecosystems. Johanne secured a $7,500 filmmaking grant and has given public presentations from Alaska to Norway.