Student Highlights: Meredith Journey
— MEET MEREDITH —
Class: Graduate
Major: Ecology
Meredith Journey is a PhD student at the University of Wyoming in the Program in Ecology and Evolution. She received her B.S. in environmental biology from Utah State University and her M.S. in aquatic and fishery sciences from the University of Washington. Her Master’s work focused on understanding early marine growth and physiology of juvenile salmon in the Salish Sea. Subsequently, she worked to explain and model the biological and oceanographic factors influencing salmon productivity in the Northern California Current as a research biologist at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA.
In 2023, she joined the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit to pursue her PhD. Beyond research, Meredith spends her free time in the mountains rock climbing, biking, and skiing. Rest days include pastry consumption, crossword puzzles, and cat cuddles.
— MEREDITH’S RESEARCH —
Meredith’s current research is focused on understanding the impacts of climate change and environmental factors on aquatic communities that occupy high alpine lakes. Meredith aims to describe the relationships between snowpack and ice phenology as they relate to biological limnology, zooplankton community structure, and trout growth and reproduction under the lens of climate change. She utilizes a combination of field collection, laboratory techniques, and remote sensing methods to better understand the seasonal dynamics of this often-understudied ecosystem.
Meredith collecting a zooplankton sample via pack raft from Icefloe Lake in the Teton Range, WY
A technician collecting water samples from a mostly frozen Deep Lake in the Wind River Range, WY
Meredith recently participated in the Jackson Wild Media Lab as a research client, where she collaborated with three early-career filmmakers and science communicators. Together, they created a short film that premiered at the Jackson Wild Summit in Jackson, WY, in October 2025. You can watch the short film below, or at this link.
ABOUT STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS
Every year, we award fellowships to graduate and undergraduate students attending the University of Wyoming or Wyoming’s community colleges in order to provide them with funding to engage in real-world research opportunities. Occasionally, we feature one of these students and their research on this blog. For more information about our student fellowships, visit our College Programs page.