Last summer, Katie Stewart ’26 stood over a makeshift crayfish habitat she fashioned out of a planter, PVC piping and tape. Where others might have seen a mess, she saw possibility.
Stewart created the structure to investigate how rising temperatures and invasive species impact native crayfish abundance and behavior in Lawson’s Fork Creek in Spartanburg County. Alongside Dr. Jonathan Davis, assistant professor of biology, Stewart and other students spent humid summer mornings wading into the stream to catch live test subjects that they would bring back to the lab. They discovered that invasive species push native crayfish, a keystone species that acts as an indicator for stream health, out of the cold environments they prefer.
“I was ambitious with my experiment design, but Dr. Davis never doubted me,” says Stewart, an environmental studies and psychology major from Hartsville, South Carolina. “He pushed me, gave me daily motivation and even taught me how to use a drill. I learn best when I have those individual connections with professors.”
In February, Stewart took her findings to the South Carolina American Fisheries Society Annual Conference in Beaufort and won the award for best poster presentation.
“Katie exhibited great imagination to design a scientifically valid experiment in which native and invasive crayfishes competed and dueled for shelters,” Davis says. “She showed tremendous determination and troubleshooting skills and grew significantly as a researcher in this process.”
The opportunity for this kind of hands-on faculty mentorship drew Stewart to Wofford — and it quickly became central to her experience.
In her first environmental science class, she met Dr. Jennifer Bradham, associate professor of environmental studies, who saw Stewart’s excitement for the subject matter. She encouraged Stewart to apply to be one of her research assistants, and they traveled to the Brazilian Pantanal to study the impact of large mammal herbivores on tropical forest structure in the summer of 2024. Stewart hiked through thick jungles and crouched for hours on the forest floor to measure plant growth. The sights were unforgettable.
“It was like a free-range zoo,” she says. “I got to see caimans, anteaters and giant river otters. I would have done twice the amount of work just to see all the animals.”
This experience — and Bradham’s support — solidified Stewart’s passion for research.
“I told her I wanted opportunities to get into the field, and she made it possible,” says Stewart. “If you are a student at Wofford who wants to get into research, all you have to do is ask a faculty member.”
Davis says undergraduate research plays an important role in preparing STEM students like Stewart for graduate studies and employment.
“It provides an opportunity for students to apply and practice the concepts they learn in their coursework,” he says. “Students also get the chance to build soft skills like problem-solving, critical thinking and self-efficacy.”
After graduation, Stewart will take a gap year to work while applying to graduate schools. She plans to continue investigating how important even the smallest creatures — like crayfish — are to the function of our world.
“There is a misconception that because animals aren’t able to communicate the way we do, they are less important,” she says. “Until I studied crayfish at Wofford, I had no idea how important they are to stream health. Without animals, we can’t function the way we do.”
Stewart says she is especially grateful to Wofford’s Office of Undergraduate Research for providing funding for housing, travel and other expenses for her research.
“Wofford made it possible for me to have these experiences,” she says. “Not only do I feel like I am doing something that matters, I feel supported.”