Emily Ball

Currently I am a teaching assistant at Kansas State University in the Biology department working on my PhD. I successfully completed my Masters of Science degree at Clarkson University in the Institute for a Sustainable Environment Department. While at Clarkson University I majored in Environmental Science and Engineering. I have a Bachelors of Science degree from SUNY Potsdam where I majored in biology with a concentration in marine biology, and a minor in chemistry. A have done research in both biology and chemistry.
For my Ph.D. I am interested in investigating temporal changes in trophic dynamics dealing with young of year largemouth bass in Kansas reservoirs. 

My Master’s research was a limnology based project that focused on the water quality and zooplankton dynamics along the Upper St. Lawrence River. I have knowledge and experience in monitoring water quality and looking at the trophic dynamics of an aquatic ecosystem at the level of zooplankton. 

As an undergraduate I primarily worked on a trophic ecology study dealing with crustacean zooplankton, their food (chlorophyll-a) and the predatory freshwater cnidarian. Additionally, during my undergraduate years, I had the unique opportunity to get involved in marine based research in the Gulf of Mexico. I took part in a study looking at fish populations in relation to salinity gradient, I worked on a marine mammal study that looked at identifying and observing dolphin behavior, and finally, I worked on a tagging and aging study of the Atlantic Sharpnose shark. All of these experiences, in addition to advanced certifications and training in sterile techniques for fish necropsy as well as dissections, have helped shaped my knowledge and field skills and have allowed me to work extensively with dichotomous keys, which differentiates the anatomy of organisms. In the way of skill acquisition.