Anna DeGroot and Laura Bettenhausen won first place for their poster at The Wildlife Society's 2025 annual meeting in Kearney, Neb.
Wayne State College biology students Anna DeGroot of Clarinda, Iowa, and Laura Bettenhausen of Monroe, Neb., won first place in the Student Poster Competition during The Wildlife Society’s annual meeting held Feb. 25-27 in Kearney. The event was hosted by the society’s Nebraska chapter.
DeGroot and Bettenhausen’s poster was titled “Small Mammal and Bird Diversity in a Recently Seeded vs Established Urban Prairie.” The poster was also co-authored by Dr. Mark Hammer, professor of biology at Wayne State. Hammer also serves as advisor for Wayne State’s student chapter of The Wildlife Society.
DeGroot, a senior studying conservation biology at Wayne State, serves as president of the college’s chapter of The Wildlife Society. She is also involved in Wayne State’s Green Team, Pi Gamma Mu (international honor society for the social sciences), and Gamma Theta Upsilon (international geography honor society). DeGroot, who will graduate in May, is also a member of Wayne State’s Wind Ensemble and Wildcat Marching Band and has minors in Public & Global Health and Geography.
Bettenhausen is also a senior studying conservation biology at Wayne State. She serves as president of Wayne State’s Green Team and is active with The Wildlife Society on campus. She will also graduate in May.
Other Wayne State students attending the meeting in Kearney were Ian McCarty of Tekamah, Neb., and Xavier Peardon of Wayne, Neb.
Wayne State’s student chapter of The Wildlife Society volunteers with conservation projects, environmental education, and helps students meet wildlife and environment professionals. It also promotes outdoor recreation activities such as fishing, camping, and hunting.