Ph.D. Students
Heath Hagy
Ph.D. student in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries working with Dr. Rick Kaminski. He joined the Department in fall 2006 after completing his B.S. degree in Environmental Studies from Southern Nazarene University (2004) and M.S. degree in Zoology from North Dakota State University (2006). Heath’ s research interests include interactions between migratory birds and agriculture, avian feeding ecology, and waterfowl habitat management, especially in highly altered ecosystems. Currently, Heath’ s doctoral research, entitled "Winter Food Dynamics and Waterfowl Use in Moist-soil Wetlands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley," includes monitoring the response of waterbirds, especially dabbling ducks, to different autumnal manipulations of dense moist-soil vegetation and describing how ducks use the food resources in these habitats. In his spare time, Heath enjoys taxidermy and spending time outdoors, including hunting, fishing, and bird-watching.
Amy B. Spencer
Ph.D. student in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries since 2008 studying under the direction of Dr. Rick Kaminski. Her dissertation research concerns ancillary ecosystem services provided by moist-soil wetlands managed for waterfowl in the MAV. Specifically, she will model the detritus-based food web in moist-soil wetlands during late winter through early summer and relate wetland ecosystem functions to the potential for crawfish harvest as an additional landowner benefit. Amy earned a B.S. in Zoology in 2000 from The Ohio State University. She worked as a fisheries technician in Ohio, Wisconsin, and North Carolina before matriculating at Mississippi State University in 2003. She received her M.S. in Fisheries Science and Management from Mississippi State University in 2007. Amy’ s interests include wetlands ecology, aquatic ecosystem management, large river ecology, population modeling, and applied ecological statistics. Her career goal is to be an applied aquatic ecosystems ecologist and conservationist in southeastern United States. Amy enjoys wade-fishing, camping, wildlife watching, and crafting with natural materials, and she is learning to hunt.
Jacob N. Straub
Ph.D. student in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries under the direction of Dr. Rick Kaminski since 2008. His doctoral research will focus on abundance, gross energy dynamics, and modeling of red oak acorns in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Work on this project began in November 2008. He recently completed his M.S. in fall 2008 in the School of Environment and Natural Resources at The Ohio State University. His M.S. research focused on energetic carrying capacity of habitats used by spring-migrating waterfowl in the Upper Midwest. Jacob obtained his B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (2004) while double majoring in Natural Resource Management and Physical Geography. His research interests include designing landscape scale spatially balanced survey designs, waterfowl resource use in relation to food patches at multiple scales, and effectively implementing GIS technologies to aid research designs. Jacob spends his free time hunting, hiking, biking, and many other outdoor activities.
Masters Students
James Callicutt
M.S. student in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries studying under the direction of Dr. Rick Kaminski. James is originally from New Albany, Mississippi where his family instilled in him a love for the outdoors and a strong conservation ethic. He graduated with a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Mississippi State University in December 2007. James has worked on waterfowl related research projects throughout his undergraduate career, including working for the Delta Waterfowl Foundation in North Dakota. James’ current graduate research involves analysis of mallard duck vocalizations. James plans to pursue a career as a waterfowl biologist working with land owners with a public or private agency/organization. In his spare time, James enjoys making his own duck calls, hunting, and fishing.
Josh Cheshier
M.S. student in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences who collaborates and works closely with the waterfowl and wetlands students on research and management related to control of native and exotic noxious vegetation in natural wetlands. Josh grew up in Chehalis, Washington and has worked in aquatic and wetland restoration/management since he was 16. He received a B.S. in Biology from Central Washington University. Following completion of his M.S., Josh desires to pursue a Ph.D. program working on enhancements of waterfowl habitat and weed management using spatial and herbicidal technologies.
(Kathryn) Sarah Fleming
M.S. student in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries since 2007, studying under Drs. Rick Kaminski and Todd Tietjen. Her research project is entitled, "Assessing benefits of moist-soil management on Wetland Reserve Program lands in Mississippi." Sarah grew up in North Bay, Ontario, Canada, and considers herself a "Northerner" at heart, as she misses her Canadian falls and winters. She received her B.S. in Zoology in 2004 from the University of Western Ontario. After completion of her degree, she worked as a technician for three years for organizations/agencies, such as Long Point Wetlands and Waterfowl Research Fund, Birds Studies Canada, Delta Waterfowl Foundation, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Sarah intends to pursue a career where she can advance and apply her knowledge of science-based waterfowl management. She enjoys spending her free time outdoors gardening, hunting/fishing, hiking, etc. with her husband Dr. Mike Schummer and her black lab Ruddy.
Justyn Foth
M.S. student in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries studying under Dr. Rick Kaminski. He began his graduate work in the autumn 2008. Justyn graduated in 2007 from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a B.S. degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences. He has spent the previous year working a number of seasonal technician positions. During summer 2008, Justyn worked for Ducks Unlimited in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota and South Dakota. The previous winter he worked for Mississippi State University as a waterfowl technician for Heath Hagy, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Wildlife & Fisheries. During summer 2007, Justyn worked in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Rivers Delta in Alaska with emperor geese for the U.S. Geological Survey and for an environmental consulting firm in Missouri. Justyn’ s M.S. project will address estimation of aquatic invertebrate abundance in managed and naturally flooded hardwood bottomlands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. After completion of his M.S. degree, Justyn hopes to pursue a Ph.D. project related to waterfowl and wetlands ecology, and then eventually pursue a career in the same discipline.
Alan Leach
M.S. student in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries studying under Dr. Rick Kaminski. He began his graduate work in autumn 2008. Alan received his B.S. degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology in 2004 from Michigan State University. After completion of his B.S., he gained field experience through a variety of seasonal positions. These positions focused on waterfowl research and conservation, and were conducted in the Upper Midwest, the Prairie Parkland Region in Saskatchewan, and in Alaska. Alan’ s M.S. research will focus on estimation and modeling red oak acorn production and gross energy dynamics of acorns throughout the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. After completion of his graduate work, he will pursue a career in waterfowl and wetlands ecology and management.
Elizabeth St. James
M.S. student in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries studying under Drs. Rick Kaminski and Michael Schummer. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2008 with a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology. Elizabeth will be studying the effects of hunting frequency (2 or 4 days/week) on waterfowl use, harvest, and hunt quality on Mississippi Wildlife Management Areas. After completion of her degree, Elizabeth hopes to pursue a Ph.D. and later become a professor of waterfowl and wetlands ecology and management.
Alicia Wiseman
M.S. student at Mississippi State in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries studying under Dr. Rick Kaminski. She graduated with a B.S. in Wildlife Science from Mississippi State University in 2006. Her thesis research is Mississippi Alluvial Valley-wide and focuses on waterfowl foods in grain sorghum fields. Raised on a farm in north Mississippi, her research combines her life experiences on a farm, love of waterfowl, and interest in conservation on agricultural and other lands. After completing her thesis and graduation, she hopes to be employed in the Southeast working with private landowners and conservation on private lands.
Undergraduate Students
Mitch Weegman
Undergraduate student and Goldwater Scholar in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries majoring in wildlife science under the direction of Dr. Rick Kaminski. A native of Winona, Minnesota, Mitch and his twin brother, Matt, competed in science fairs at regional, state, national, and international levels while in high school. Their research focused on waterfowl, specifically factors affecting the continental scaup population decline. Mitch and Matt also published their research on chromium and selenium concentrations in invertebrates commonly consumed by scaup in the Journal of Wildlife Management. Mitch is recipient of the College of Forest Resources "Scenic Homes ’ Richard M. Kaminski’ Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship in Waterfowl and Wetlands." He also is a member and lettermen of the Mississippi State University Track and Field Team, specializing in long distance competitions. After completion of his degree, Mitch will pursue graduate school and waterfowl and wetlands research.
Latest News
MSU professor again honored for practical waterfowl research
A nationally recognized Mississippi State wildlife biologist and university administrator is receiving another major honor from The Wildlife Society.
Richard M. Kaminski, associate dean o...
MSU students and alumni, winners at 5th North American Duck Symposium
Mississippi State University was well represented at the 5th North American Duck Symposium in Canada, with 49 presentations made by current students, faculty, and alumni.
Winners in the annua...