Giselle Ponce ’25 Receives Award from Association of Southeastern Biologists

In the spring of 2021, Giselle Ponce ’25, a first-generation student, was one of two recipients of the Bethlehem Area School District Superintendent’s Scholarship, awarded annually by Moravian University. This spring, she received a First-Generation College Student Travel Award to attend the Association of Southeastern Biologists Annual Meeting, where she presented her research “Microhabitat Factors Influencing Shrub Encroachment into Coastal Grasslands.”

At Moravian, Ponce works among other student researchers in the Woods lab, contributing to the research of Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Natasha Woods. Their concern is the fragmentation of barrier islands, and they are investigating the changes in vegetation that appear to be contributing to that fragmentation.

The fieldwork takes place on Hog Island, Virginia, where the shrub Morella cerifera is encroaching on grassland. “My research examined why this shift from grassland to shrubland was occurring,” says Ponce. “I studied variables such as woody plant cover, soil chloride, and moisture in grassland-dominated and shrub-dominated areas to figure out what conditions are factoring into shrub growth. I found that while there were differences in plant cover, soil chloride, and moisture levels, those factors did not explain shrub encroachment.”

Ponce says sharing her research at the Association of Southeastern Biologists conference was exciting and rewarding. “Presenting my research gave me the chance to connect with professors and students who were familiar with or interested in similar work. I also learned a lot by hearing about other students’ projects and seeing the diverse types of science being conducted outside of my own field. It was a valuable experience that helped me grow professionally.”

Ponce will take a gap year after graduating this May and intends to apply for medical school with the goal of becoming a pediatrician.