Students
The conservation leaders of tomorrow, but why not get involved and make a difference today!?
NDCTWS Student Liaisons
Emily Stonecipher, NDSU
Emily will graduate from NDSU in the Spring of 2026 with a major in Biology (emphasis in Ecology and Conservation Science) and minors in Zoology and Anthropology. She grew up in Bismarck, North Dakota, and graduated from Bismarck High School in 2022. Her interest in conservation and animals (specifically birds) originated with her great-grandfather, but she took particular interest in African Elephants in third grade. She plans to get a PhD in wildlife conservation and work as an African Elephant conservationist. She enjoys reading, watching TV shows, birding, and trying to get her pet rabbit Mocha to stop eating blankets, which is a constant struggle. She is currently a member of the NDSU Birding Club, Secretary of the NDSU Chapter of TWS, Treasurer of the Environmental Sustainability Club, and volunteers with the care of amphibians and reptiles in the Collection at NDSU. Her first experience working in the field of wildlife was a two-week internship with Delta Waterfowl banding ducks and using drones to assess duck broods in Manitoba. Since then, she has been involved with the Heidinger Bird Lab at NDSU researching House Sparrows at the NDSU field sites. She is excited to continue working in the field of wildlife research and conservation and is looking forward to being a part of NDCTWS as a Student Liaison.
Amber Kologi, VCSU
Hello! I am currently a junior at Valley City State University where I am dual majoring in Biology as well as Fisheries & Wildlife Science, with a focus on wildlife. I grew up on a ranch near Rochert MN, where we raised cattle and grain farmed. Being raised in an area with such a diverse mix of wildlife, it piqued my interest in nature. In the future, I would like to become a rangeland biologist, preferably in North Dakota. I would love to be able to help conserve wildlife and their habitats around our region. In my free time I enjoy hunting, fishing, reading and overall being outside! Besides my studies, I manage the greenhouse we have here at VCSU while also being our Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society President. For my last year as an undergraduate, I will be completing a study on biodiversity of ND native plant species. I am excited to be apart of the team and work with wildlife professionals and students around North Dakota!
Bex Cecil, UND
Bex grew up in Clinton, NJ and fostered a love for the outdoors from an early age. While she was born and raised in the woods, her appreciation and love for the grasslands has flourished since moving west. They received their BS in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology from the University of North Dakota, and is continuing their education with an MS in Biology. Their research focuses on completing inventories of birds, mammals, plants, and invertebrates though avrious survey protocol. They have worked as a seasonal park ranger and trail steward in NJ, as well as a field research technician studying wild turkeys in ND. After graduating, Bex hopes to work in education, sparking the same love for the natural world in others as she found in herself. She is excited to serve as one of the co-student liaisons and work for and with the students of the NDCTWS.