Trinity Atkins (she/her)
Bio:
I grew up in Hartford, South Dakota and received my B.A. at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I fell in love with ecology and plants during my time in undergrad. There, I studied the extrinsic factors that restrict the habitat range of certain milkweeds, looking specifically at water stress and herbivory. I also worked with sorghum, looking into the possible genetic manipulation of leaf angle. I'm now working towards a ECS M.S. here at NDSU. I'm interested in studying plant adaptations, particularly how prairie plants respond to changing climate conditions.
Research:
I'm looking into the coevolutionary interactions between the western prairie fringed orchid and hawkmoths. To further our understanding of this relationship, we're hoping to establish pollination networks by characterizing the plants pollinated by hawkmoths near fringed orchid populations.