Skip to body

Biology

College of the Sciences
Give to Biology

Contact Us

Department of Biological Sciences
Science Building, Room 338
400 E. University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926-7537
(509) 963-2731
biology@cwu.edu

Follow Us

    

Alumni Information

We would love to hear from you! Email us as biology@cwu.edu and let us know what you've been doing since graduation!

 

Naomi Sibayan (B.S. 2015, M.S. 2018) is a Research Scientist at the Center for Immunity & Immunotherapy, Seattle Children's Research Institute.

Jeff Charbonneau (B.S. 2000) has been appointed to the Central Washington University Board of Trustees (2022).

Teresa Ryan (B.S. 1997) earned a PhD. in Resource Management and Environmental Studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver. 

Bryan Plankenhorn was accepted into the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island.

Alex Parkhurst has been accepted to the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California.

Amanda (Ladner) Qvigstad is attending the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Northwestern University.

Jinho (Richard) An was accepted to the William Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, part of the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago.

Alex McCarrel (M.S. 2020) is the Research Coordinator for the Sitka Sound Science Center in Sitka, Alaska. The SSSC is a non-profit focusing on science research and education, acting as a field station for visiting universities and science fellows. She will assist with research projects and help plan excursions. 

Ashton Bunce (M.S. 2018) is a Project Coordinator with the Montana Aquatic Resources Services in Livingston, MT.  She oversees stream and wetland restoration projects.

Paul Messier (B.S.) is working at the Wapato USDA-ARS research station.

Alan McNolty (M.S. 2018) and Heidi Anderson (M.S. 2015) combined paper was published in 2021: 
McNolty, A., Anderson, H., Stryker, G.A., Dondji, B. Investigations on the effects of anti-Leishmania major serum on the progression of Leishmania infantum infection in vivo and in vitro – implications of heterologous exposure to Leishmania spp. Parasitol Res (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-021-07130-x 

Jocelyn Wensloff (M.S., 2021) has a position with the National Park Service supervising crews to study amphibians in subalpine lakes (Sierra Nevada, King's Canyon).

Kayleigh Mullen (M.S. 2020) was promoted to Conservation Programs Supervisor at Hogle Zoo in Utah.

Susmita Unni (B.S. 2014) graduated from medical school in March and will be starting an MPH program in May 2021.

Amairani Martinez accepted a science teaching job at Toppenish Middle School.

Sean Gadson graduated with his DVM from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.  

Kiah (Jones) Sullivan  graduated with her MD from WSU College of Medicine and will be doing her residency in pediatrics in Phoenix, AZ. 

Sarah McNutt graduated from Penn State College of Medicine and will be staying there for a residency in neurosurgery. 

Silvia Gutierrez was accepted into PA school at University of St Francis in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Laura (Steiner) Hutchinson completed her MS at University of Idaho in the Summer of 2021 and is teaching biology at College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, ID. 

Danielle Kuchler (B.S., M.S. Biology 2020) is a Secondary Science Teacher at Chief Leschi in Puyallup, WA.
 

Jordan Ryckman (B.S., M.S. Biology 2020)  is a Conservation Associate for Conservation Northwest's Sageland Heritage Program. She has also been working on a Washington Conservation Corps Crew sponsored by the North Yakima Conservation District. 

Anneliese Myers (M.S. Biology 2019) teaches math at Riverside Christian School in Yakima, WA.

Chris Gaulke (B.S.) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) 

Madison Martin (2019) has been admitted to the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine

 

Alex Snodgrass has been admitted to the Pacific University College of Optometry program in Forest Grove, OR. 
 

Jacob Darley has been accepted to PNWU

Lindsay Millward (M.S. Biology 2018) is currently working on data analysis for USFS in Corvallis, OR.  Accepted into Ph.D. program in Wildlife Science in the Dept. of Fisheries & Wildlife at Oregon State University; will begin Fall 2020.

Anjanette Wilson (B.S. Biology 2019) was accepted into the M.S. program in Environmental Studies & Science at Pace University in NYC.

Tom McIntyre (M.S. Biology 2019) accepted a Biologist II position at Cedar Creek Associates in Ft. Collins, CO.  He will be conducting wildlife and plant surveys across western US. 

Sandy Ahn was accepted to a dental school in Boston.

Ryan Archibald is attending dental school in Arizona.

Jocelyn McCormack graduated from the UW School of Medicine and will be doing her residency in psychiatry in Spokane. 

Connor Parrish, Master's Alum, is the Fisheries Biologist and Project Manager with Mid-Columbia Fisheries.  In March 2021 for the Mid-Columbia Fisheries' Winter Speaker Series, he presented Smolt Outmigration in the Yakima Basin: A Challenge for Fish, A Challenge for Us.

Jakob Sprague is finishing his Masters Thesis at Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology in Germany and is applying for PhD programs.

Bryant Sawada, B.S. 2013, recently completed his M.S. in Science Education and is teaching AP Environmental Science, Forensic Science, college and career prep, Band, and Photography at a high school on the big island of Hawaii.  He and his wife Raina are expecting their first child (in March).

Carl Barrentine (B.A. Zoology, 1974; M.S. Biology, 1978) retired from a career in college teaching (2014) and has moved to Spokane where he is currently studying the moths of eastern Washington.  Follow him at https://fieldguide.net/carl

Taylar McGuire (B.S.) has been accepted into the WSU Medical School program.

Heather Mahurin (B.S.) will start at the UW School of Medicine Fall 2018.

Eric Garcia (B.S.) graduated from PNWU (2018) and is going into emergency medicine in Michigan.

Prosper Doe and Evan Sainsbury (B.S.) both graduated from the WSU School of Pharmacy in May 2018.

Katie Nation (B.S., M.S.)  accepted a postdoctoral position at Tufts University, in the Infectious Disease & Global Health Department, School of Veterinary Medicine.

Timothy Mayer (B.S. 2011) After completing his Bachelors degree, Tim worked for the USFS in the Columbia River Gorge, before pursuing his Masters at the University of Illinois, Springfield (M.S. 2017). Tim was recently hired as the NASA DEVELOP Center Lead at the USGS | Colorado State University Node (Fort Collins). https://develop.larc.nasa.gov/nodes/CO.html

Jennifer Herdmann (B.S. 2014) worked as a crew leader and biological fisheries technician for Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Grand Canyon National Park, and US Fish and Wildlife Service monitoring and recovering endangered fish throughout the Upper Colorado River Basin. She is currently Salmon Education Lead at Cascade Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group, a nonprofit dedicated to native fish and habitat recovery.

Carly Wickhem (M.S. 2016) After completing her Master’s degree, Carly began working as an environmental contractor at the Yakima Training Center (a US Army training installation) monitoring greater sage-grouse and common raven populations.  She has recently been hired as the Assistant District Biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Region 5 - District 9 (White Salmon).  

Raegan (Nelson) Skelton (B.S. 2017) received her PhD in Immunology and Infectious Disease in the Basic Biomedical Sciences Program of the Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota.  Dissertation Title: Investigating effects of the influenza NS1 protein on host immune responses against influenza A and D viruses. She is now working as a Chemical Lab Technician at BD, a medical device company.

Taggert Butterfield (B.S. 2013, M.S. 2016) is pursuing a PhD in the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in the Evolutionary Ecology lab of Rodrigo Macip-Ríos. Taggert studied the ecology of turtles in Chamela for his masters project and is now studying their evolution and will be mentoring and working with CWU's SOBRE México students in Chamela.

Natasha Ewing (B.S. 2015) is employed at Omeros, a Seattle-based pharmaceutical company.

Sara Healas (M.S. 2013) is currently a Marine Science Interpreter at the Seattle Aquarium (07/14).

Paul Houghtaling (M.S. 2012 ) is a Field Biologist for the Santa Cruz Puma Project, University of California-Santa Cruz.  Houghtaling is featured in an NPR article on the project, On the Trail of a Mountain Lion, Hunters Hope to Help.  

Patrick McAfee (B.S. 2006) is currently attending the U.S. Air Force - Navy Striker Trident Program.

Melissa (Reitz) Babik (M.A. 2011) and William Meyer (M.A. 2002) were interviewed about a Yakima River restoration project.  See AP: A Big Story from October 7, 2014.  Often Pesky Beavers Put To Work Restoring Streams  by Phoung Le.
Babik is the Project Manager on the Yakima Beaver Project and is with the Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group, a nonprofit that works to restore salmon populations. Meyer coordinates the Yakima Basin water resources plan for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Birkin Owart has published his paper, Selection on Crop-Derived Traits and QTL in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) Crop-Wild Hybrids under Water Stress.  Birkin R. Owart,1 Jonathan Corbi,2 John M. Burke,2 and Jennifer M. Dechaine1,*  William J. Etges, Editor.  PLoS One. 2014; 9(7): e102717.  Published online 2014 Jul 21. doi:  10.1371/journal.pone.0102717

Alumni Links

CWU Alumni Association 

CWU Foundation 

Take the Next Step to Becoming a Wildcat.

Admissions@cwu.edu