The Third annual Interfaces of Global Change (IGC) Graduate Research Symposium was held on April 19, 2018 in Fralin Hall. The gathering provides a forum for students and faculty to interact and explore connections between labs across campus. Record numbers were set for participation this year, and the day included 13 oral presentations and a poster session by 27 students.

The symposium highlighted the latest research from the program’s graduate student fellows, whose collective work addresses critical global changes impacting the environment and society. This includes problems surrounding climate change, pollution, invasive species, disease, and habitat loss.

Platform awards for Best Presentation were selected for the top three oral presentations. This year’s winners were:

First Place - Ryan McClure, “Hypolimnetic oxygenation increases methane ebullition in a eutrophic drinking water reservoir”

Second Place - Tamara Fetters, “A summary of my dissertation work on changes in physiology and life history in an invasive lizard”

Third Place - Ernie Osburn, “Soil microbial response to Rhododendron maximum understory removal in Appalachian forests”

Kudos to all the student participants!  Your work is truly inspiring, important and impactful to the Virginia Tech community and beyond.  Thank you to the GCC Faculty and other researchers on campus who came out to show their support for the IGC Fellows!

IGC Graduate Symposium 2018