KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 10, 2018

Tifton, GA

The Wildlife Society is a national organization comprised of nearly 10,000 scientists, academics, managers, and consultants who engage in wildlife related studies. Among them, is the Georgia chapter of The Wildlife Society dedicated to wildlife conservation, education, and research in the state. This chapter meets annually to allow students an opportunity to present ongoing research and state managers to discuss and coordinate efforts. The 2018 Annual meeting of the Georgia Chapter of The Wildlife Society was held in Tifton, GA on September 6th and 7th, 2018. Graduate and undergraduate students representing six universities across Georgia presented their research in the form of an oral presentation or a poster. Three students represented Kennesaw State University at this meeting, two from the BioInnovation Laboratory. Graduate student Kelly Lutsch gave an oral presentation detailing her research conducting culvert surveys for bats in coastal Georgia and collecting swabs to determine the presence of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungal pathogen responsible for a deadly mycosis of bats known as white-nose syndrome. Undergraduate student Ashley McDonald presented a poster discussing her research investigating the in vitro inhibitory properties of various volatile organic compounds on P. destructans. Kelly was awarded second place in the oral presentation category and Ashley was awarded first place in the poster presentation category.

Kennesaw State University representatives. From left: Kelly Lutsch, Ashley McDonald, and Miranda Gulsby.

Poster and oral presentation winners. From left: Kassandra Arts, Ashley McDonald, Sarah Martin, Kelly Lutsch, and Angela Burrow.

Kennesaw State University undergraduate student, Ashley McDonald, next to her poster.