Ava Cross-Weisbeck is a wildlife graduate student co-advised by Jason Riddle and Associate Professor Marie Perkins. She studies secretive marsh birds, or SMBs, on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, using autonomous recording units and call-back surveys. Her work aims to map historical and current SMB occupancy, identify critical habitats and develop a scalable monitoring approach for federal, state and private lands. Cross-Weisbeck’s experience includes GIS, acoustic monitoring and ruffed grouse research. As an undergraduate, she was a Doug Stephens Boone & Crockett Undergraduate Research Fellow.

Elizabeth is an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point with a strong passion for wildlife conservation and research. She serves as secretary for the UW–Stevens Point Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society and co-leads the Bat and Woodpecker projects. Through her involvement in the bird banding research project, Elizabeth gains hands-on experience in fieldwork, data collection and species identification while contributing directly to bird research and conservation efforts. Her work reflects a dedication to developing her skills and advancing the protection of wildlife.

Maggie Handfelt graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point in December 2024 with a degree in wildlife ecology and management and minors in biology and conservation biology. They gained hands-on sea turtle conservation experience at Campamento Tortuguero Mayto in Mexico and most recently worked in Reedsport, Oregon, as a northern spotted owl technician. Handfelt’s past experiences also include research at the University of Notre Dame, education at the Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, and shark and ray research in Florida. Passionate about travel and connecting with people, they are returning to UW–Stevens Point to pursue a master’s degree in human dimensions of wildlife.

Kyp Meyers is an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, majoring in wildlife ecology and management with a minor in biology. They serve as the 2025–26 president of the UW–Stevens Point Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society and are actively involved across campus. Meyers’s research focuses on the behavior of Old World monkeys in captivity while also working with southern flying squirrels and North American river otters. Since January 2025, they have served as communications assistant at the Wisconsin Center for Wildlife, contributing to the center’s growth and outreach initiatives.

Madelyn Slaven is an undergraduate student passionate about wildlife research and management. She has banded northern saw-whet owls at Linwood Springs Research Station, co-leads the UW–Stevens Point Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society’s deer and waterfowl projects, and has contributed to research on Alaskan waterfowl and Upper Mississippi River aquatic species. Slaven is a Doug Stephens Boone & Crockett Undergraduate Research Fellow studying fall migration of secretive marsh birds and serves as undergraduate representative to the North Central Section of The Wildlife Society. Outside of research, she enjoys hiking, thrifting, painting and ceramics.

Ruby Valadez is a senior at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, majoring in wildlife ecology and management with a minor in conservation biology. She serves as conference coordinator for the student chapter of The Wildlife Society and co-leads the Northern Saw-whet Owl (NSWO) Project. Valadez has participated in the NSWO project for three years and has two years of songbird banding experience, which she considers a highlight of her undergraduate career. After graduation, she plans to pursue bird-focused field positions before continuing on to a master’s degree in wildlife.