Mount Allison researchers have swept all three student presentation awards at the 2026 Canadian Herpetological Society Conference, earning national recognition for their research on turtles, salamanders, and reptile social behaviour.

Members of Dr. Julia Riley’s research group won in every student presentation category: Jordyn Williams (’25) received the five-minute presentation award, Joshua Christiansen (MSc ’26) earned the 15-minute presentation award, and Andrea Gigeroff won the poster award. 

The achievement highlights both the quality of research at Mount Allison and the mentorship helping emerging scientists communicate their discoveries.

Williams, a Mount Allison MSc student from Beaver Harbour, NB, earned recognition for a presentation about two observations of snapping turtle cannibalism during her undergraduate fieldwork. Subsequently published in Herpetology Notes, the observations contribute to limited documentation of the behaviour in the wild.

Her undergraduate research on turtles in New Brunswick’s Grand Lake region led to a BSc at Mount Allison in 2025 and continued graduate studies with Riley. She now studies turtle movement, habitat use, and behaviour during her master’s.

“To receive an award for a presentation at a national conference, awarded by my peers and experts in the field, is an immense accomplishment and an honour,” Williams says.

Christiansen, a recent Mount Allison MSc graduate from Regina, SK, was recognized for research examining how urbanization influences eastern red-backed salamanders and their forest habitats in the Maritimes.

His findings suggest urban salamanders may show greater behavioural flexibility, potentially helping them respond to changing conditions. The work also points to the value of forest habitat in urban areas.

For Christiansen, now a Mount Allison research associate, developing a field guide to Atlantic Canada’s amphibians and reptiles, the award marks a personal milestone.

“I have always been very nervous about presenting in front of crowds and the supervisors of the RBG Labs (Dr. Riley and Dr. James Baxter-Gilbert) have been incredible mentors in helping me develop and hone my presenting skills,” he says.

Gigeroff, a Laurentian University PhD student and visiting scholar based at Mount Allison, received the poster award for research exploring social behaviour in Canadian reptiles, including whether social interactions help them live in challenging environments.

From Halifax, NS, Gigeroff is co-supervised by Riley and Laurentian’s Dr. Jackie Litzgus and credits Mount Allison’s close-knit biology community, mentorship, and fieldwork resources with supporting the research. 

“It’s incredible that all three presentation awards went to members of our research group,” Gigeroff says. “I am constantly wowed by the high quality of work that my lab mates produce, and I feel very grateful to be a part of it alongside such passionate and talented people.”

Learn more about the Department of Biology at Mount Allison.