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Three graduate students from the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources (CFANR) at the University of Arkansas at Monticello earned top prizes during research presentations at professional conferences held in March.

Asmit Neupane, a graduate student from Nepal, is pursuing a Master of Science degree in forest resources with interest areas in silviculture and forest ecology. He attended the Central Hardwood Conference on March 3-6 in State College, Pennsylvania. His project, titled “Seasonal Hydroclimatic Drivers on Radial Growth of Bottomland Red Oaks in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley,” is part of his ongoing research that examines the growth and physiological responses of red oaks in the floodplains of the Mississippi River to help foresters better sustain forested wetlands. He received the Outstanding Student Poster award at the conference.

“Everyone was so interested in the Mississippi Valley and the work I am doing,” Neupane said. “I felt very good, but I did not expect that I would win an award.”

Maddison Allen-DeVries, a graduate student from Michigan, is studying to earn a Master of Science degree in forest resources and specializing in waterfowl ecology and management. She attended the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture Waterfowl Symposium in Little Rock, Arkansas, on March 3-4, where she presented her research, “Direct Harvest Rates of Mallards Wintering in Arkansas: A Post-Season Banding Approach.” Her project focuses on calculating precise harvest rates in Arkansas to determine the cause of mortality, which will help wildlife managers develop strategies to maintain a healthy mallard population. During the conference, she received the Outstanding Student Oral Presentation award.

“I was never the strongest speaker in high school,” Allen-DeVries said. “But I guess in college they kind of force you into it, and so finally getting to that level where I’m super comfortable presenting and getting an award for yapping, it was really rewarding because it’s just been a long time of practice and so many presentations leading up to this point.”

Obioma Ogwo, a graduate student from Nigeria, is pursuing a Master of Science degree in forest resources with a primary interest in geographic information systems, remote sensing and wetlands management. She also attended the waterfowl symposium in Little Rock, where she presented her poster, “High-Resolution Emergent Marsh Mapping to Support Marsh Bird Conservation in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley.” Her research uses advanced imaging techniques to improve wetland mapping and support wetland management. She received the Best Student Poster Presentation award at the conference.

“It was strange and surprising, actually, because this is my first poster presentation,” Ogwo said. “It was a very elating experience.”

Dr. Michael Blazier, dean of CFANR and director of the Arkansas Forest Resources Center of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, noted the significance of the students’ accomplishments, stating, “This confluence of awards for our graduate students highlights a lot of great things about our graduate program. They’re doing research on projects that have strong practical applications, sharing their work at a variety of conference venues, and their ability to communicate the strengths of their projects is connecting well at those conferences. That’s a testament to their hard work and skills and the mentorship they’ve received from their faculty advisors.”

For more information, contact the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources at CFANR@uamont.edu or 870-460-1052.