Zoe is a rising junior in the College of Arts and Sciences studying environmental biology. She began conducting research at the end of her freshman year upon realizing her passion for environmental biology, seeing the opportunity to engage with in-class concepts and expand her understanding of conservation efforts and ecology. Zoe is now a research assistant in Dr. Leslie Ries’s lab. She joined the lab after reaching out to Dr. Ries through the biology department website. Since then, she has been working collaboratively with a dedicated team to study the impacts of climate change on the Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly, a species currently facing a sharp decline in Maryland despite being the state’s official butterfly. The project focuses on how temperature shifts and drought affect the butterflies’ development. “Making sure all of our caterpillars are healthy is definitely a full-time job,” she remarked. Day-to-day tasks in the lab range from feeding clutches to setting up experimental treatments and monitoring caterpillar variation across different environmental conditions.
In addition to hands-on lab work, she also spent much of the past fall compiling observational data from a community science platform to support a host plant tracking project, where the lab monitors the plant species that are used by the Baltimore Checkerspot larvae for feeling and development. By mapping where caterpillars were found, what stage they were in, and what species of host plant they were using, she helped the lab better understand the geographic patterns in host plant selection across the species’ natural range. Reflecting on her time in the Ries Lab, Zoe shared that it’s been an incredible learning experience in conservation biology as a whole. “I’ve learned so much from the challenges that come with research—each day is different, and it’s incredibly rewarding to know the work we’re doing has real-world impact.”
She also emphasizes how much the lab’s sense of community has enhanced her experience here at Georgetown. “It’s always really fun to collaborate and talk through everyone’s projects. Being part of a team that’s passionate about protecting our natural world has confirmed that conservation is something I want to pursue professionally.”