CWU's graduate program in the Biological Sciences offers opportunities for gaining research experience and expertise through a diverse complement of academic courses. Biology faculty in our department are active in research using multidisciplinary approaches to answer questions across the Biological Sciences. These research areas include: Ecology, Evolution, Genetics, Infectious diseases, Immunology, Microbiology, Neuroscience, Physiology, and Science Education.
Our graduates go on to be:
- Biomedical researchers in academic, government and industrial labs
- Technicians in research labs
- Regional field biologists in government agencies
- Biologists with environmental consulting firms
- PhDs in the sciences and professional fields
- Educators at K-12 schools and community colleges
This collection features theses from Master of Science students in the Department of Biological Sciences Graduate Program at Central Washington University.
Theses from 2025
THE ROLE OF WESTERN FRESHWATER MUSSELS IN SHAPING STREAM NUTRIENT PATHWAYS AND FOOD WEB RESILIENCY, Taylor Crews, Clay Arango, Jason Irwin, and Alexa Maine
FRUCTOSE INDUCES METABOLIC CHANGES DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT FROM GLUCOSE IN A N2A CELL LINE., Catherine A. Ghigleri
Trait-Based Predictors of Social Rank in Astatotilapia Burtoni, Joshua T. Johnson
Clark’s nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) occupancy in a post-fire whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) ecosystem, Ashley M. Sacco, Alison Scoville, and Taza D. Schaming
If You Build It: Using Ground Squirrel Risk Perception to Test Wildlife Crossing Structure Success, Sarah Sanz
Theses from 2024
Cooperative Bargaining During Mate Competition: A Test in Male Guppies, Maddisen Bell
The Genetic Diversity of an Endangered Buttercup, Ranunculus triternatus, Ryan Garcia
Estimating Steelhead Smolt Abundance from a Mixed Resident/Anadromous Oncorhynchus mykiss Population, Gabriel Temple
Prenatal Androgen Exposure Reduces Ovarian Function, Marlee Weets
Theses from 2023
DEMOGRAPHY AND HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS OF THE BASALT CACTUS: PEDIOCACTUS NIGRISPINUS, Zarha Dillon-Zuppelli
EFFECT OF SOIL TRANSPLANTATION ON FUNGAL COMMUNITIES DURING RESTORATION, Thomas Luehl
Characterizing cellular injury and inflammation with ALDOB-/-Mouse model of MAFLD, Andy Rashid
Establishing a Neuronal Cell Model to Probe the Toxicity of Commonly Used Phthalate-free Alternatives, Kyle Sease
Effects of Solar Arrays on Southwestern Desert Thermal Landscapes: Consequences for Terrestrial Ectotherms, Adrian Slade
Manipulating Social Mobility to Measure Group Stability in Crickets, Anne Tolo
Theses from 2022
Activity Levels of Bat Species at Interstate Highway Sites with and without Wildlife Underpasses in the Washington Cascades, Jenna Chapman
Evaluating Variation in Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) Diet Using Feather Stable Isotopes, Jasmine Ruiz
Longitudinal Patterns of Microplastic Abundance and Potential for Food Web Uptake in the Yakima River, Janell Shah
Spatio-temporal Movement Patterns of Sub-adult Adfluvial Bull Trout, Aimee Taylor
Theses from 2021
Development of Environmental Metabarcoding Analysis for Use in Ecological Studies of Aquatic Fungal and Oomycete Communities Using Nanopore Sequencing, Douglas Bennett
Cold-Induced Metabolic Changes in Lean, NAG-1 Transgenic Mice, Rachel J. Davey
Comparing Semi-Urban and Forest Populations of the Jalisco Mud Turtle (Kinosternon chimalhuaca), Jose Garrido
An Ecological Comparison Between Resource Subsidies: Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) and Pacific Salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), Jocelyn Wensloff
Theses from 2020
Me, Myself, and I: The Impact of Metacognitive Strategies on Student Locus of Control and Critical Thinking Skills, Danielle Kuchler
Early Life History and Stock Discrimination of Kokanee Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in an Alpine Lake Environment, Alexandra McCarrel
Environmental DNA is an Effective Method to Monitor Species in Various Freshwater Habitats, Kayleigh Mullen
Toadal Isolation: Genetic Connectivity of the Western Toad (Anaxyrus boreas) along I-90 in the Snoqualmie Pass Area of Washington State, Anneliese Myers
Effects of Western Spruce Budworm Herbivory on Forest Soils and Litter Decomposition in Central Washington, Izak R. Neziri
Ecological and Genetic Connectivity of Shrews (Sorex spp.) across Interstate-90 in the Washington Cascade Range, Jordan Ryckman
Floral trait architecture in crop sunflower (Helianthus annuus) under drought conditions, Lauren Segarra
The Effects of Induced Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in NAG-1 Transgenic Mice, Nicholas Werner
Diversity Analysis of Soil Fungus Communities in Disturbed, Nursery, and Mature Forest Conditions, Dana Whitmore
Theses from 2019
Transgenerational Plasticity is Sex-dependent and Persistent in Yellow Moneyflower (Mimulus guttatus), Kayla Akkerman
Fire and Road Disturbance Impacts on Forest Plant Species and Seed Rain in Table Mountain Fire Arai, Kittitas County, Washington, Jonathan A. Betz
Endogenous Gene Tagging of pfr2 and pfr5 in Trypanosoma cruzi Using CRISPR/Cas9, Naomi Bryant
DNA Methylation and Genetic Divergence Associated with an Inducible Defensive Response in Mimulus guttatus, David Farr
Modelling Stream Metabolism and Fish Biomass in Headwater Streams of the Eastern Cascades Mountains, Zach Lessig
Are Highways Stressful for Pikas?: Analysis of Stress Hormones of the American Pika (Ochotona princeps) Living Adjacent to Interstate 90 in the Cascade Range of Washington State, Thomas J. McIntyre III
Space Use and Nesting Ecology of Common Ravens (Corvus Corax) in Central Washignton State, Brandon A. Rossi
Effects of 5��-Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on Mouse Gut Microbiome– A Study of Sex Differences and Hormonal Effects on Gut Microbiome Composition, Bikesh Shrestha
Sea Star Wasting Disease in Pisaster Ochraceus on the Washington Coast and in Puget Sound, Caitlin Wilkes
Theses from 2018
Improving the Phylogenetic Understanding of the Genus Juniperus, Therese Balkenbush
Coloration, Camouflage, and Sexual Dichromatism in the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus), Jefferson Brooks
Life in the Dirt: Factors Influencing the Behavior and Distribution of Spea Intermontana in Eastern Washington State, Corey Brumbaugh
Characterizing Low Nutrient Stress Resistance in Crop Sunflowers (Helianthus annus), Casey Croshaw
Occupancy of Stream-Associated Amphibians within the Interstate 90 Snoqualmie Pass Corridor, Anne Gustafson
Antibody Dependent Enhancement of Visceral Leishmaniasis, Alan K. McNolty
Evaluation of Anthelmintic Properties and Toxicity of Pure Compounds Isolated from Dalea Spp (Plantae, Fabaceae), Victoria LH McPherson
Small mammal microhabitat use and species composition at a wildlife crossing structure compared with nearby forest, Lindsay Millward and Kristina Ernest
Cold Tolerance, Diapause and Winter Survival of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Halyomorpha halys), Naomi Sibayan
Theses from 2017
Effects of Wildfires on Rattlesnake (Crotalus Oreganus) Growth and Movement in Washington State, Joseph Chase
Thermal and Behavioral Ecology of the Mexican Beaded Lizard (Heloderma horridum), Kerry Holcomb
Modeling Sex-Specific Seasonal Habitat Selection for Elk (Cervus Elaphus) in Central Washington, Lewis Meyers
Salmonids in an Urban Stream: Movement, Habitat, and Potential Barriers, Connor Thomas Parrish
Theses from 2016
Seasonal Microhabitat Use of Young-of-the-Year Bull Trout, Salvelinus Confluentus, in a Drought Year, Ashton Brook Bunce
Activity Patterns, Home Range, and Microhabitat Selection of a Terrestrial Turtle (Rhinoclemmys rubida perixantha) in a Tropical Dry Forest, Taggert G. Butterfield
The Hormonal Regulation of the Claudin Genes in the Ovary, Sean Gadson, April Binder, Kenneth Korach, and Katherine Hamilton
Resolving Gnetum Evolutionary History, Angela McFadden
High Diversity of Trypanosoma Cruzi Discrete Typing Units Circulating in Triatoma in Western Mexico, Uyen T. Nguyen
Testing the forage preference of the American pika (Ochotona princeps) for use in connectivity corridors in the Washington Cascades, Carly Wickhem and Kristina Ernest
Theses from 2015
Influence Of Landscape On Gene Differentiation In The American Pika (Ochotona princeps) Within The Interstate 90 Snoqualmie Pass Corridor, Craig P. Fergus
Passage Route Survival and Behavior of Juvenile Salmon at Priest Rapids Dam, Columbia River, WA, Kyle B. Hatch
Physiological variation of Garry oak (Quercus garryana) seedlings to drought stress, Matthew A. Merz
The Evolution of Sex Determination and the DMRT1 Gene in the Japanese Gecko (Gekko japonicus), Lisa-Marie Mullen
Chemical and Behavioral Ecology of the Coastal Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus), David Reavill
Behavioral Response to UVB Differs in Subalpine Populations of Daphnia Melanica, Amanda Tompkins
Efficacy of Ultraviolet Radiation to Control Lactic Acid Bacteria in Wine Must, Brian D. Williams
Theses from 2013
Evaluating the Utility of Beaver Reintroduction Programs for Enhancing Habitat for Rainbow Trout and Steelhead, Jonathan Rodger Hegna
Theses/Dissertations from 2012
Spacial ecology, behavior, and habitat use of terrestrial coastal giant salamanders (Dicamptodon tenebrosus) in the central Washington cascades, Brandon Fessler
Theses from 2011
Pollination of Basalt Daisy (Erigeron basalticus: asteraceae), Diedra Petrina
Theses from 2010
Overwintering of Cascades Frogs (Rana cascadae) in Washington, April B. Barreca
Theses from 2002
A Field Study of the Northern Leopard Frog (Rana Pipiens) in the Potholes Reservoir Area, Washington, Heather Maranda Simmons
Theses from 1997
Summer Home Range Size of the Eastern Cascade Mountain Beaver (Aplodontia rufa rainieri) in Relation to Availability of Preferred Food, Robert Julian Stagg
Theses from 1992
A Study of the Summer Steelhead, Oncorhynchus mykiss in Several Intermittent Tributaries of the Satus Creek Basin, Washington, Joel Denney Hubble
Theses from 1980
Occurrence and Characteristics of Nonfruiting Myxobacteria Isolated from Pine Forest Soils, Paul M. Kulvi
Theses from 1977
Effect of Deforestation by the Douglas-Fir Tussock Moth on the Quality of Streamflow and Stream Productivity Parameters, Martin Ed Hicks
Theses from 1974
Tree Ring-Widths in Pinus Ponderosa and Pseudotsuga Menziesii as Indicators of Past Annual Precipitation, Gerald L. Bliss
A Taxonomic and Distributional Survey of the Benthic Blue-Green Algal Flora of the Skokomish River Estuary, Louis J. Boitano
Ecology of Central Washington Semi-Arid Lands a Documentary Film, Phillip Robert Debusschere
Douglas-Fir Seed Volatile Oils in Seed Detection by Deer Mice, Millard S. Deusen
A Comparison of Two Artificial Substrates in the Determination of Net Primary Production, Leland C. Faulconer
Theses from 1973
Histology of the Small Intestine of the Mink, Mustela Vison, Don Hurdman Bark III
Relationship of Heart Weight to Altitude in the Oregon Junco, Donald Lee Gatlin
A Limnological Study of Shadow Lake, a Subalpine Lake at Mount Rainer National Park, Washington, Timothy J. Hall
Isolation and Characterization of Two Bacteriophages Infecting the Myxobacterium Cytophaga Succinicans, Kenneth Wayne Lee
A Taxonomic Study of the Balsamorhiza Hookeri Nutt. Balsamorhiza Hirsuta Nutt. Complex, Mary Clay Muller
Karyology and Sex in Clematis Ligusticifolia Nutt. (Ranunculaceae), Darrel A. White
Theses from 1972
Food Habits and Life History of Stoneflies of the Cle Elum River, Washington, Thomas Edward Swapp
Theses from 1971
Effects of the Cle Elum Reservoir on the Ephemeroptera (Mayflies) of the Cle Elum River, David Bruce Ainsworth
The Breeding Biology of the Western Tanager (Piranga Ludoviciana), Gary G. Benson
Some Biological Aspects of Lizard Eimerians, with a description of Eimeria poinsettis N. SP. from Sceloporus poinsetti, David A, Colwell
An Investigation of the Behavior of Citellus townsendii townsendii (Bachman) in Central Washington, Mark Roy Fuller
The Microclimate, Ion and Water Balance of Larval and Adult Ascaphus truei stejneger, Terry L. Mullen
The Riparian Vegetation of Swauk Creek, Edward L. Schneider
Evaporative Water Loss in Two Northwest Snakes: Pituophis catenifer and Crotalus viridis, Donald R. Woolery