Our team

Dr. Jenny Hazlehurst (Principal Investigator)

Dr. Hazlehurst is fascinated by the complex interactions between species that sustain and promote biodiversity. She is an ecologist who has worked extensively with hummingbirds and their plant mutualists in California and the tropical Andes of Ecuador and Peru. The study of pollination is inherently interdisciplinary, and her lab works with a wide array of plants and critters, from hummingbirds to bees to tiny flower beetles. Her goals as PI are to add critical knowledge of plant-pollinator interactions in biodiversity hotspots to inform ecosystem conservation efforts while engaging students and the public in the practice and application of science.

Email: jenny.hazlehurst@csueastbay.edu

YVETTE MORALES (JOINED 2022)

Yvette is a recent graduate with a Bachelor’s in Biology with a concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She is interested in Conservation Biology focusing on protecting and restoring biodiversity and reversing the effects of climate change as well as using her knowledge and experience within the field to educate and advocate for the environment and it’s organisms. In the Cal State East Bay’s Pollination and Ecology lab, she has studied plant-pollinator interactions and the effects of ecological restoration techniques at UC Berkeley’s Blue Oak Ranch Reserve. In the future, she would love to pursue a Master’s degree in Conservation Biology.

NYA EALY (JOINED 2021)

Nya is currently an undergraduate at CSUEB majoring in Biology with a concentration in Ecology and Conservation. Her interests are in the dynamics of ecology and environmental restorations projects. In the Spring semester, she will be conducting a literature review to identify native threatened and endangered plants pollinated by hummingbirds. She will also be doing field work to study the effects of increasingly hot days on the diet of the hummingbirds in urban environments, causing a change in native plants they pollinate. The experience will bring science literature and on the ground field work together to make scientific conclusions.

SABINA LUCKE (JOINED 2020)

Sabina is a Master's student whose research focuses on the ecology and behavior of California resident and migratory hummingbirds. She is especially interested in hummingbird foraging behavior and how it changes in response to biotic and abiotic factors, including invasive species, urbanization, and climate change. She is also interested in questions related to hummingbird pollination of California native plants and the resulting coevolution with ornithophilous flowers. Broader research interests include conservation biology, population ecology, biodiversity documentation, and ecological restoration. Her previous research experience includes conducting beach surveys for the Orange County Snowy Plover and Least Tern Survey in partnership with the Sea and Sage Audubon Society. Before joining the Hazlehurst lab, Sabina worked at the Orange County Zoo, where she cared for domestic and exotic animals and implemented animal training and enrichment programs. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, hiking, birdwatching, and gardening. 

Destiny mendoza (joined 2019)

Destiny is an undergraduate majoring in Biology with a concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She is interested in conservation efforts that preserve biodiversity in various communities as well as the effects of climate change on different species. In the lab, she has studied male Anna’s hummingbirds’ microsite usage, California native plant pollination interactions, and has assisted with researching pollination interactions at UC Berkeley’s Blue Oak Ranch Reserve. In the future, she plans to pursue a Master’s degree studying conservation biology.