By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
OTSEGO—An Otsego High School graduate recently earned recognition for her undergraduate research while representing Kalamazoo College at a regional scientific conference.
Mia Crites, a member of Kalamazoo College’s Class of 2026 and a 2022 Otsego High School graduate, received the award for Best Undergraduate Poster at the 2026 Great Lakes Chapter meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Cleveland, Ohio.
The conference brought together undergraduate and professional ecologists from across the Great Lakes region and Canada.
Crites earned the honor for research she conducted as part of her Senior Integrated Project (SIP) in the laboratory of Associate Professor of Biology Santiago Salinas. Her project examined whether adaptation to pollution affects the ability of Atlantic killifish populations to respond to thermal stress.
“My main goal with this SIP was just to gain some experience in the lab as an undergrad, specifically in designing and running an experiment, and then writing the paper afterward,” Crites said. “I accomplished most of my goals, got a taste of what research is really like, and feel more prepared leaving K to venture on in the scientific world.”
The conference marked the first time Crites had attended and presented research at a professional academic gathering.
“Talking to other conference goers that share a similar love for biology helped me to solidify that this is something that I want to continue to be involved in and have a large passion for,” she said.
Crites was one of three Kalamazoo College students to attend the conference. Annaliese Bol received the award for Best Undergraduate Talk, while Hailey Yoder also presented research completed as part of her SIP.
Bol’s award-winning presentation focused on how heat waves affect blue orchard bees, a native solitary bee species that plays an important role in agricultural pollination.
“We found some interesting evidence that the bees aren’t being affected by heat waves in the way that we studied them,” Bol said. “It’s rare to find good news when you’re working with climate-change science.”
At the conference banquet, Crites and Bol each received award certificates, $150 prizes from the Ecological Society of America and gift baskets presented by Great Lakes Chapter officials.
In addition to her academic work, Crites has been active on the athletic field during her time at Kalamazoo College. The biology major was a four-year member of the Hornets women’s soccer team.
Crites said the experience reinforced her interest in continuing her education and pursuing a career in the field.
“As of right now, I don’t have any plans locked in for after graduation, but I’d like to travel a bit, ideally find a seasonal job or two working in a biology lab, and then eventually go back to grad school to study ecology and evolutionary biology,” she said.
