Skip to main content

2017

NOVEMBER

Congratulations to 2017 PhD graduates

November 16, 2017

Rebecca Barak, Dissertation: Using trees to seed prairies: Incorporating phylogenetic information to guide tallgrass prairie restoration

Elliot Gardner, Dissertation: Evolutionary Transitions: Phylogenomics and Pollination of Artocarpus (Moraceae)

Kelly Ksiazek-Mikenas, Dissertation: The Potential of Green Roofs to Provide Habitat for Native Plant Conservation

OCTOBER

Congratulations to 2017 MS graduates

October 25, 2017
Kristina Fahey, Internship: Status and Habitat Analysis of the Federally Endangered
 
Jessica Ross, Thesis: Characterizing the diversity of lignin-degrading fungi in a dry seasonal tropical forest
 
Alexandra Seglias, Thesis: Germination Ecology of forb species native to the Southwest United States: Implication for restoration
 
Abigail White, Thesis: Restoring species diversity: identifying gaps in the United States native seed industry and using conservation genetics to understand why a vulnerable native thistle is missing from commercial production

AUGUST

Lauren Audi (MS Student) was awarded $2,500

August 15, 2017

Lauren Audi (MS Student) was awarded $2,500 for the 2017 GCA Summer Scholarship in Field Botany her project is “Genetic characterization of Caribbean Breadfruit:  Advancing food security and local sustainable agriculture via germplasm conservation and collaboration with local growers.” Link to info about award: https://www.gcamerica.org/scholarships/winners?sid=9

Anita Cisternas-Fuentes (PhD Candidate) received a grant

August 11, 2017

Anita Cisternas-Fuentes (PhD Candidate) received a grant from the Alumni of NU grants for $4,344 for her research, “Role of permanent translocation Heterozygosity (PTH) in genetic diversity and reproduction of sexual and asexual related species nts”

Rebecca Barak (PhD 2017) selected as a Smith Post-Doctoral Fellow

August 11, 2017

Rebecca Barak (PhD 2017) selected as a Smith Post-Doctoral Fellow for her research “Effective seed mix design for ecological restoration” under the academic mentorship of Dr. Lars Brudvig at Michigan State University and in partnership with Dr. Kayri Havens at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Selected Student Publications – 2017

August 11, 2017

Barak, Rebecca S.; Williams, Evelyn W.; Hipp, Andrew L.; et al. 2017. Restored tallgrass prairies have reduced phylogenetic diversity compared with remnants. Journal of Applied Ecology 54(4): 1080-1090.

Briscoe, L.R.E., N.J. C. Zerega, H.T. Lumbsch, M. Stech, E. Kraichak, M.J. von Konrat, J.J. Engel, and N. Wickett. 2017. Molecular, morphological, and biogeographic perspectives on the classification of Acrobolboideae (Acrobolbaceae, Marchantiophyta). Phytotaxa 319 (1): 056–070. http://mapress.com/j/pt/article/view/phytotaxa.319.1.2/12195

Brudvig, Lars A.; Barak, Rebecca S.; Bauer, Jonathan T.; et al. 2017. Interpreting variation to advance predictive restoration science. Journal of Applied Ecology 54(4): 1018-1027.

Craven et al. (including L. Umek). 2017. The unseen invaders: introduced earthworms as drivers of change in plant communities in North American forests (a meta-analysis). Global Change Biology. 23(3): 1065-1074DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13446  

Gardner, E.M., P. Sarraf, and N.J.C. Zerega. Phylogeny and biogeography of Maclura (Moraceae) and the origin of an anachronistic fruit. 2017. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2017.06.021 

Grusz, A.L., E. M. Sigel, and C. Witherup. Homeologous chromosome pairing across the eukaryote phylogeny. 2017. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2017.05.025 

Morgan, B.S.T. et al. 2017. Barcoded NS31/AML2 Primers for Sequencing of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Communities in Environmental Samples. Applications in Plant Sciences.  DOI: 10.3732/apps.1700017  

Radosavljevic, Aleksandar; Mackinder, Barbara A.; Herendeen, Patrick S. 2017.Phylogeny of the Detarioid Legume Genera Cynometra and Maniltoa (Leguminosae)Systematic Botany 42(4).     

Rhodes, Matthew K. , Jeremie B. Fant, Krissa A. Skogen (2017) Pollinator identity and spatial isolation influence multiple paternity in an annual plant. Molecular Ecology 26 (16) 4296–4308

Tandang, D.N., Tadiosa, E.R., Gardner, E.M. 2017. Sloetia (Moraceae): a new generic record for the Philippines. Telopea 20: 69-73.

Vander Stelt, Erin , Jeremie B. Fant, Susanne Masi and Daniel J. Larkin (2017) Assessing habitat requirements and genetic status of a rare ephemeral wetland plant species, Isoëtes butleri Engelm. Aquatic Botany 138; Pages 74-81

Widener, L. , & Fant, J.B. (2017) Genetic differentiation and diversity of two sympatric subspecies of Castilleja affinis; a comparison between the endangered serpentine endemic (spp. neglecta) and its widespread congener (ssp. affinis) Conservation Genetics.

Williams, E.W., E.M. Gardner, R. Harris III, A. Chaveerach, J.T. Pereira, and N.J.C. Zerega. 2017. Out of Borneo: Biogeography, phylogeny, and divergence date estimates of Artocarpus (Moraceae). Annals of Botany 119(4):611-627. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcw249

JULY

Colby Witherup (PhD Student) American Society of Plant Taxonomists Graduate Student Research Grant

July 13, 2017

Colby Witherup (PhD Candidate) selected as a Nicholson Fellow, awarded PhD Stipend and Tuition for one academic year from The Graduate School at Northwestern University.

July 8, 2017

Elliot Gardner (PhD candidate) selected as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow.

July 6, 2017

Elliot Gardner (PhD candidate) selected as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow. Elliot will be studying “Convergent evolution of biotic pollination in wind pollinated angiosperm lineages: a functional and genomic exploration of a rare transition.” This is an exciting project he has developed, building off of the excellent research he has been doing for his PhD dissertation. He will be starting the research in 2018, and lucky for us he will be staying in the Chicago region and will be based at the Morton Arboretum.

Lauren Audi (MS Student) received a grant

July 6, 2017

Lauren Audi (MS Student) received a grant from the Alumni of NU grants for $2,165 for her research, "Characterizing Breadfruit Agroforestry for Restoration in Jamaica."

JUNE

Colby Witherup (PhD Student) Accepted to the 2017 International High Performance Computing Summer School held this year in Boulder, CO

June 6, 2017

APRIL

Lauren Audi (MS Student) was awarded a $5,000 grant

April 12, 2017
Lauren Audi (MS Student) was awarded a $5,000 grant from the Resnick Family Social Impact Program. Lauren’s work will focus on “Advancing food security and local sustainable agriculture via collaboration with local growers in the Caribbean."

Colby Witherup (PhD Student) Botanical Society of America Graduate Student Research Award

April 1, 2017

Jessa Finch (PhD Student) Botanical Society of America, International Botanical Congress Travel Award

April 1, 2017

MARCH

Jessa Finch (PhD Candidate) received a grant from the Alumni of NU grants for $1,769 for her research

March 31, 2017

Anita Cisternas-Fuentes (PhD Student) The Alumnae Society of Northwestern University ($4,344) “Role of permanent translocation Heterozygosity (PTH) in genetic diversity and reproduction of sexual and asexual related species nts”.

March 31, 2017

Katherine Wenzell (PhD student) received an NSF-GRFP

March 2, 2017

Katherine Wenzell (PhD student) received an NSF-GRFP for her research, "Evolutionary landscapes: Gene flow and phenotypic divergence in ecological speciation"

Mary Patterson (MS Student) received a $2,500 award

March 2, 2017

Mary Patterson (MS Student) received a $2,500 award from Garden Club of America: Joan K. and Rachael M. Hunt Summer Scholarship in Field Botany for her project “Monitoring protocol development for Packeria layneae: A federally threatened species”

https://www.gcamerica.org/index.cfm/scholarships/winners?sid=29

Anita Cisternas-Fuentes (PhD Student) Native Plant Society of New Mexico, Jack & Martha Carter conservation fund ($545.20)

March 2, 2017

JANUARY