May 05, 2011

By Emily Matras '12

Evan Eskew '11

Senior biology major Evan Eskew has been awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship, and will use it to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of California - Davis. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes outstanding students in science, math, technology and engineering who plan to pursue research-based graduate studies.

Eskew plans to extend research he has conducted at Davidson by studying the ecology of reptiles and amphibians in relation to river damming. Through independent study under the guidance of Professor of Biology Michael Dorcas, Eskew has so far found a strong correlation between damming and a decrease in amphibian populations immediately downstream from dams.

"It's one of the first studies to look at the effects of dams on organisms that don't live directly in the river," Eskew explained. "Obviously, a lot of studies have shown that dams can negatively impact fish, but this also suggests that damming may not be so good for organisms living in terrestrial habitats close to the river."

His graduate work will take this research a step further. "Now I want to figure out exactly what aspect of damming affects frogs and toads," said Eskew. "It could be the decreased river flows downstream from dams, altered flooding patterns, or something else entirely."

Eskew credits his work in Davidson's Herpetology Lab as great preparation for his graduate experience. The profile of the lab has risen in recent years, and lab director Dorcas often gets e-mails from misinformed students around the nation inquiring about a graduate program in herpetology at Davidson. Eskew is Dorcas' sixth student to earn an NSF fellowship.

Eskew checking turtle traps in an area pond.

"Evan is a great example of someone who takes advantages of opportunities and uses them well," Dorcas said. "He came here as a freshman wanting to work in the lab."

Eskew recently shared his research on the ecology of frogs and toads at the annual meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists. Even though he was competing against graduate students, Eskew earned top honors for his presentation. He also received the Aquatic Biology Award for best written paper in aquatic biology, and received an honorable mention for best oral presentation in ecology.

In addition to getting an excellent science education at Davidson, Eskew credits his success to other aspects of the Davidson College curriculum. "By taking non-science courses, I got better at organizing my thoughts and communicating them to other people," he said. "Davidson's focus on developing writing skills has taught me how to write about science in an engaging, understandable way."

While Eskew's independent studies at Davidson have proven invaluable, his research has always been, to some degree, guided. What Eskew is most looking forward to as a graduate student is the freedom of research. "The fellowship will really make me start thinking on my own," he said. "It's completely up to me to follow through on my research. Doing the whole deal by myself is the goal."

Dorcas has no doubt Eskew will excel at UC - Davis. "Evan's a motivated, responsible person," he said. "He's going to have a big impact on the field."

Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,900 students located 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Davidson, N.C. Since its establishment in 1837 by Presbyterians, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently regarded as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Through The Davidson Trust, the college became the first liberal arts institution in the nation to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages, giving all students the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Davidson competes in NCAA athletics at the Division I level, and a longstanding Honor Code is central to student life at the college.
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