Advance at UNM 2020 Women in STEM Awards: Dr. Becky Bixby

Bixby’s project, “Icy Seeps: A Potential Stronghold for Algal Stenotherm Biodiversity.”

The research will focus on understanding the role of water sources in shaping algae assemblages in alpine streams. Bixby said she is interested in the role of insulated, buried ice as a potential water source in alpine streams that may provide longer term refuge for algae that are cold-adapted.

“I am excited and grateful to be awarded this Women in STEM grant to begin research that examines the impacts of global warming on alpine stream biology. Little baseline data exist for these alpine systems which are threatened by global warming,” she said. “This funding will support the initial research that will be a critical component in a collaborative plan to seek NSF support for long-term monitoring of these threatened alpine systems.”