GradTalk

About Ollie Shannon

Ollie Shannon is a graduate student in the Anthropology M.A. program at Boise State University. Shannon is originally from Boise, ID. 

Some of Ollie's research in a nutshell:

The Queer community in the Intermountain West is diverse with regard to ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The experiences and stories of the LGBTQ communities are not singular but multi-faceted. How people form and communicate their identity is shaped by the societal norms and expectations connected to sexuality, gender, and ethnicity. The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting every aspect of life across the world, this research seeks to understand how the pandemic may be uniquely impacting members of LGBTQIA+ communities both physically and mentally. Queer people are constantly gauging cultural communications in their environments and shifting how they communicate their identities. 

Ollie's research aims to see how Erickson’s theory of under and over communication explains how people interpret cultural messages they receive and decide how to respond. How people respond may be impacted by the type of place they live rural versus urban. Ollie hypothesizes that while a large majority of LGBTQIA+ people experience violence as a result of their sexual orientation or gender identity, those who live in rural areas are the most at risk both socially and physically.

About Megan Kelly-Slatten

Megan Kelly-Slatten is a graduate student in the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior PhD program at Boise State University. Kelly-Slatten is originally from Long Beach, California.

Some of Megan's research in a nutshell:

Soil, the largest terrestrial carbon (C) pool on Earth, is an important mediator of climate change because of its ability to transform atmospheric CO2 into stable soil carbon (Lal, 2004). However, degradation of the soil can lead to loss of soil C and an increase in atmospheric CO2. Understanding how to regulate soil C loss and increase soil C formation is critical.

Megan's research is aimed at understanding how root morphology and root chemistry impact microbial community carbon use efficiency and priming and overall soil C sequestration.

About Bryan Rosenblatt

Bryan Rosenblatt is a graduate student at Boise State University pursuing a Master's of Science in Geophysics. Rosenblatt is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Some of Ryan's research in a nutshell:

In general, when a musical instrument gets longer or larger, the pitch, or frequency, produced by the instrument gets lower. This directly applies to volcanos, where the shape and depth of a crater influences the frequency of the sounds that will be “heard” (or recorded).  Because of their size, volcanoes produce (infra)sounds, which are of exceptionally low (sub-audible) frequencies and researchers use special sensors to record them.

Graduate College Contact Information

• graduatecollege@boisestate.edu
• (208) 426-GRAD (4723)