Capstone Projects Spring 2025
NRES Capstone Projects Spring 2025
Learn more about each of the most recently completed NRES Capstone Projects.
ACRE Prairie
Team Members: Elizabeth Ammann, Pavithra Anandakumar, Aidan DePaul, Chloe Hall, Isabel Jensen, Maxwell Korniak, and Madeline Rockey
Goal: The primary goal of these deliverables is to supply the proposal with a foundation once it reaches the point of implementation where park management will be able to follow the deliverables to sustain the prairie’s growth and easily introduce public visitation to the area once the prairie has matured. Furthermore, online resources such as the website and transcripts are to provide visitors with more information because there will not be a staff member to discuss with routinely on site, allowing for the experience to be wholly managed by the visitors themselves.
Community Project Partner: Rachel Stevens, ACRE Farm Manager
Bicycle Friendly University
Team Members: Ryland Barton, Elizabeth LeHanka, Larry Lichtig, Roman Zharovsky, and Derek Liu
Goal: The Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) initiative supports climate action, campus health, and equity by promoting biking over car use. Our goal is to provide the Office of Sustainability with a data-rich foundation to pursue at least a Gold BFU rating from the League of American Bicyclists. To achieve this, we completed a full geospatial inventory of all bike racks, pumps, and repair stations on campus, launched a voluntary survey to gather rider insights, and met weekly with Sustainability staff to refine tools and ensure the data can be easily updated. This prepares future student teams to build on our work without starting from scratch.
Community Project Partner: Patrick Brown, Sustainability Manager, and Kuang Xin, a graduate student in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.
NRES Spring Fest
Team Members: Viv Wells, Cassidy Clarke, Isabelle Wasserman, Sophia Petrone, Olivia Zaragoza
Goal: Our goal was to raise public awareness about environmental issues in a way that’s accessible to all ages while increasing visibility for the NRES program. As this was our first booth at Purdue’s Spring Fest, we prioritized promoting NRES to attract interest and build a lasting presence at the event. We also aimed to fill a gap in environmental education by offering engaging, informative activities. Our background research revealed a lack of effective environmental outreach, which reinforced the importance of this goal and guided our booth’s design and content.
Community Project Partner: Dr. Christie Shee and Dr. Bijoychandra S. Takhellambam
Prophetstown State Park Visitor Center Native Plant Garden
Team Members: Connor Adamek, Katlyn Fine, Frannie Hideg, Matrie Irving, Andrea Stout, and Charlee Williams
Goal: As our goal is to enhance the native populations included in this design, avoiding genetically modified plants to ensure that growing conditions don’t become modified is critical. In all of the studies analyzed by Garbowski et al. (2021), traits which were found to improve plant performance were not those that are traditionally selected for during cultivar development. Given all of this literature, cultivars can be helpful in certain cases to help improve the survival of the species, but that does not align with the goals of this project as our priority is the flourishing of native species.
Community Project Partners: Jenna Parks, the Interpretive Naturalist for the Indiana DNR at Prophetstown State Park
Purdue University Campus Waste Audit
Team Members: Maleah McClellan, Jacob McDonald, Evelynne Spencer, Nathan Unger, and Midnight Uryga
Goals: The objectives for this project were fairly straightforward as we worked to understand the efforts that went into performing a waste audit. After completing our literature review and understanding what and why we needed to carry out this project.
Community Project Partners: Patrick Brown and Tony Gillund
SWCD River Corridor Project
Team Members: Alexus Arvin, Tucker Ensmenger, Cormac Hall, Naomi Michael, and Sabrina Parks
Goal: Our goal was to help the Tippecanoe County SWCD boost engagement with their land easement program by simplifying outreach materials and identifying priority areas. The original USDA sheet was too information-heavy, so we created a pamphlet and postcard focused on three key topics to better connect with landowners. We also provided an ArcGIS file showing existing easements within a 1-mile buffer of local waterways to help SWCD target high-priority areas for future participation.
Community Project Partners: Robert Suseland from the Tippecanoe County Soil & Water Conservation District
Wolf Park Prairie Restoration Project
Team Members: Nicole Pochron, Emilia Myers, Anna Douglas, Sarah DeMann, and Esha Friedline
Goal: When we met with Wolf Park, their vision was clear: restore former agricultural pastures to native prairie to improve bison health and wellbeing. Lacking records of past land use and current soil data, they asked our team to assess soil conditions and recommend native plant species for restoration. Their broader goal includes educating the public about Indiana’s natural history and the role of keystone species like bison and wolves in maintaining ecosystem balance. This project promotes biodiversity, supports conservation-based tourism, and inspires environmental stewardship by reconnecting people with the region’s ecological and cultural heritage.
Community Project Partners: Nikki Yoder, Wolf Park is Public Engagement Director
Water Quality Report for Wolf Park
Team Members: Ismael De Lara, Alyssa Perry, Sarah Miller, Linsey Simpson, and Megan Diller
Goal: Through collaboration and research, we identified key goals to help Wolf Park address environmental and operational challenges, primarily improving water quality to create a healthier, more sustainable habitat for the wolves. Understanding water contaminants will guide long-term management strategies. To support this, we developed a user-friendly monitoring framework for staff and volunteers, along with practical mitigation strategies to reduce contamination across the site. Our aim is to promote lasting, service-centered environmental practices that extend beyond the scope of our project.
Community Project Partners: Wolf Park
WREC Trail Mapping
Team Members: Mari Gurgel, Emma King, Matteo Mereu, Evie Quehl, and Zach Reed-Skala
Goal: Our project addressed the lack of accessible information on the Wabash Heritage Trail. Working with a community partner, we mapped the trail using ArcGIS and created an interactive story map to highlight trail conditions, access points, and points of interest like restrooms and scenic views. We also included educational content on local history and ecology, such as Fort Ouiatenon and native species. The story map allows users to easily explore sections of the trail, filter information, and learn more about the area's natural and cultural heritage.
Community Project Partners: Amy Krzton-Presson, Watershed Coordinator for WREC