Thomas Meinzen

Degrees Held:

B.A., Environmental Humanities, Whitman College, 2019

Degree Sought:

M.S. in Biological Sciences, Montana State University

Advisor:

Diane Debinski, Ph.D.

Current Research:

I am beginning my M.S. research in the Debinski and Burkle labs in 2021, studying roadside pollinator ecology and conservation of bees and butterflies in Idaho's Snake River Plain, with a special focus on the monarch butterfly. My interests include applied ecology, plant-pollinator interactions, and conservation, especially how scientists can effectively guide habitat management to preserve diverse species assemblages. My research project investigates how roadside management, road class, and floral resources affect monarch butterfly, milkweed, and pollinator community distribution in southern Idaho, and how roadsides can be better managed to support monarchs and other imperiled pollinators.