Alumna accepted into Ph.D. program at Texas A&M

Melissa “Missy” Meierhofer ’11, an alumna of Ripon College’s McNair Scholars Program, has been accepted into the Ph.D. program in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Science at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

At Ripon, she participated in a research project under the guidance of Associate Professor of Biology Memuna Khan, who studies various aspects of Eastern bluebird behavior, hormones and physiology. Meierhofer presented data from her first research experience at the Annual McNair Scholars conference.

“I became aware of how extensive research is while learning about myself as a person and a researcher,” Meierhofer says.

She was accepted to Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, for her master’s degree in biology with an emphasis in animal behavior. There, she participated in an important research project dealing with the devastating and deadly impact of white nose syndrome in bats. A main food source for bats are mosquitoes, so finding a way to reduce or eliminate white nose syndrome is crucial for controlling mosquito populations.

She later was a research specialist in the biological science division at the University of Chicago, and currently is a research associate at Texas A&M where she is focusing on Texas winter bats prior to the arrival of white-nose syndrome. Her team is monitoring for the white nose fungus during the winter. They are gathering baseline data about the roosts and the bat species using the roosts. From this data collection, they will be able to track the potential spread of white nose syndrome thorough Texas.


Related Posts

Jesse Lillis, Ripon College Class of 2013, co-artistic director of the touring Starling Shakespeare Company

Jessie Lillis ’13 returns to Ripon for summer residency, presentation of Shakespeare plays

When a series of free performances of plays by William Shakespeare is presented in the Ripon/Green Lake area this summer, Jessie Lillis ’13 will be […]

Andrew Limouris '94

New book by Andrew Linouris ’94 focuses on building a resilient company culture

Culture through Crisis, by Andrew Limouris ’94, recently was released with Forbes Books, the exclusive business book publishing imprint of Forbes. Limouris is the founder, […]

Zachary S. Morris '02

New Ripon College graduates urged to seek joy in life and in careers

The Ripon College Class of 2023 celebrated the 157th Commencement ceremony at Ripon College Sunday afternoon. The theme was “Strategic Thinkers who Ignite Change.” A […]

Zachary S. Morris '02

Zachary Morris ’02 will be honorary degree recipient, speaker at Sunday’s Commencement

Dr. Zachary Morris ’02 will be the honorary degree recipient at Ripon College’s Commencement May 14. Morris is a tenured associate professor and vice chair […]