CU-Mansfield fisheries students present research at regional meeting
MANSFIELD, Pa. (04/16/2025) — During this spring semester, two Commonwealth University-Mansfield fisheries students traveled to Wheeling, West Virginia, to present their student research projects at the Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia American Fisheries Society Joint Meeting.
Undergraduate Cole Pennington, of Mount Gretna, in conjunction with co-authors Dr. Greg Moyer, graduate student Graham Zechman, of Wellsboro, and undergraduate Hunter Ruhl, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, won best PA poster presentation for his research titled "Total Phosphorus Dynamics in Tributaries of the Tioga Watershed."
"The meeting was such a good place to talk and network with other fisheries professionals," Pennington said.
Second year graduate student Zechman, gave an oral presentation of his research titled "Total Phosphorus Dynamics in Tributaries of the Tioga Watershed." His work was a collaboration with Luanne Steffy of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, along with Commonwealth University professors Dr. Greg Carson, of the Physical and Environmental Sciences, and Engineering Department), Dr Steve Rier (Biological and Health Sciences Department and Moyer of the Biological and Health Sciences Department.
"It was well worth the trip to get an opportunity to present my graduate research at a meeting of fisheries professionals," Zechman said.
Funding for the trip was provided by a grant awarded to Moyer from the Susquehanna Basin River Commission.
"It's nice to see students that are passionate about fisheries research succeed at the venues - to start with a hypothesis and end up presenting their original research is one of the greatest rewards a professor could have and is something we biology faculty at Mansfield really take pride in," Moyer said.
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Cole Pennington with his winning research poster.
Graham Zechman giving his oral presentation of his research.