Chesapeake student wins poster award for research on James Spinymussel

2016 Jan 20

Katie Sipes, a senior biology major from Chesapeake, Virginia, recently won an Outstanding Poster Award at the Joint Mathematics Meeting student poster session in Seattle, Washington. The meeting was held from Jan. 6-9, and over 11,000 people were registered.

Sipes is minoring in mathematics and focusing on a career in mathematical biology.

"I have been interested in mathematical biology and when I heard there was a new project, I quickly figured out how to become involved," she said.

Sipes, along with Dakota Kobler, a fifth-year biology major, collaborated on the poster titled, "Modeling Habitat Use for the Endangered James Spinymussel." Dorottya Boisen, a second-year graduate student, works on the project and helped the students create supplemental data to help her thesis.

"The James Spinymussel has been critically endangered since 1996," Sipes said.

Sipes and Kobler, led by Dr. Christine May, assistant professor of biology, presented the same poster together at the NIMBios Conference at the University of Tennessee from Nov. 21-22, 2015.

"As a mathematical biologist, I like to put the numbers in data with the biological implications," Sipes said. "This continues to be a challenging project because we, as ecologists, do not know enough information about the mussel to enact a conservation plan to save the species, which is a big goal for Virginia."

Sipes said the meeting was held at an amazing location and attracted many different mathematicians.

"It was also a place that I was able to catch up with old advisors from REUs (Research Experience for Undergraduates) and students that I hadnt seen in a while," she said.

After she graduates, Sipes wants to pursue a doctorate in microbiology. The research was made possible by the Jeffress Memorial Trust Fund.