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Research and Accomplishments

Learn about research undertaken by alum and where they are now.

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2022

Willow Abshire Sims (MS, 2022)

Advisor: Nyree Zerega, Andrea Kramer

Internship: Mapping Diversity of Field Museum's Costa Rican Macrofungi Collections

Current Position: 

Contact:  willowabshiresims2021@u.northwestern.edu

Alexis Balog (MS, 2022)

Advisor:  Andrea Kramer 

Thesis: Solidago Altissima Management in Old Fields/Tallgrass Prairies of Chicagoland

Contact:  alexisbalog2021@u.northwestern.edu

Ry'yan Clark (MS, 2022)

Advisors: Louise Egerton-Warburton
Jeremie Fant 

Thesis: Mature White Oak Soil Moisture and Water Redistribution Patterns
in Fragmented Woodlands

Current Position: 

Contact:  ryyan.clark@u.northwestern.edu

Maria Camila Cortes-Bohorquez (MS, 2022)

Advisor: Nyree Zerega, Andrea Kramer

Internship:

Main: Started project related to educational material for the Putumayo Biocultural corridor. 
Miscellaneous: support and assistance to the Andes - Amazon Program team.

Current Position: 

Contact:  mariacortes-bohorquez2022@u.northwestern.edu

Susan Deans (MS, 2022)

Advisor: Nyree Zerega, Andrea Kramer

Internship: Conservation Status and Floral Biology of Kauaʻi Endemic Hibiscus Species

Current Position: Field Technician at Kaua'i Plant Extinction Prevention Program.

Contact:  susandeans2022@u.northwestern.edu

Jeremy Foster (MS, 2022)

Advisor: Jeremie Fant 

Thesis: Advancing The Conservation of an Exceptional Species Extinct in The Wild Using Strategic Crosses and Pollen Storage; a Case of Brighamia Insignis (CAMPANULACEAE)

Current Position: 

Contact:  JeremyFoster2021@u.northwestern.edu

Maria Belem Giro (MS, 2022)

Advisor: Nyree Zerega, Andrea Kramer

Internship:  Extending Zoo Pedigree Management Approaches to Two Magnolia species

Current Position: 

Contact:  mariagiromartin2022@u.northwestern.edu

Elena Loke (MS, 2022)

Advisor: Norman Wickett

Thesis: Incorporating Phased Alleles to Reconstruct a Recent and Rapid Radiation in Schiedea (Caryophyllaceae)

 

Amy Louison (MS, 2022)

Advisor: Nyree Zerega, Andrea Kramer

Internship:  Great Basin Seed Collection Contract- Seeds of Success 

Current Position: 

Contact:  amylouison2022@u.northwestern.edu

Logan Novak (MS, 2022)

Advisor: Greg Mueller

Thesis: SOIL FEEDBACKS AND ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI OF LINARIA VULGARIS INVASION

Current Position:

Contact:  LoganNovak2021@u.northwestern.edu

Lea Richardson (PhD, 2022)

Advisor: Stuart Wagenius 

Thesis: Investigating Impacts of Prescribed Fire on Flowering Phenology and Reproduction                    in Grassland Perennials

Current Position: PhD-Postdoctoral Researcher at California State University

Contact: LeaRichardson2020@u.northwestern.edulkr626@gmail.com 

Daniel Sandacz (MS, 2022)

Advisor: Kayri Havens

Thesis: The Impact of Invasive Plant Removal on CIRSIUM PITCHERI and Its
Plant-Pollinator Network

Current Position: Restoration Ecologist I, Lake County Forest Preserves

Contact: dsandacz@lcfpd.org

 

2021

Bing Li (MS, 2021)

Major Adviser: Kay Havens-Young, Ph.D.

Thesis: Genetic and floral trait changes in oenothera organensis (onagraceae) during long-term ex situ cultivation

Contact: bingli2021@u.northwestern.edu

Current Position: PhD Student, University of Wisconsin Madison

Maya Bickner (MS, 2021)

Major Adviser: Patrick Herendeen, PhD

Thesis: Enigmatic gymnospermous seeds from the early cretaceous of Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, China, expand the diversity of seed plants 

Contact: MayaBickner2021@u.northwestern.edu

Current Position: Research Assistant, Chicago Botanic Garden

Lindsey Gohd (MS, 2021)

Major Adviser: Louise Egerton-Warburton, PhD and Nyree Zerega, PhD

Thesis:The potential for soil carbon storage in breadfruit (Artocarpus spp.) agroecosystems: Considering the variation across cultivars and wild relatives

Contact: lindseygohd2020@u.northwestern.edu

Current Position: Intern at Trees That Feed Foundation

Adrienne Ernst (PhD, 2021)

Major Adviser: Andrea Kramer, Ph.D.

Dissertation: Effect of phylogenetic and functional diversity on invasion resistance in restored tallgrass prairies

Contact: AdrienneErnst2020@u.northwestern.edu

Current Position: Postdoctoral research associate in Karin Kettenring’s lab at Utah State University, focused on research in wetland ecology and restoration

Matt Wang (MS, 2021)

Internship: Using Soil and Demographic Data to Predict Susceptibility to Herbivorous Moths and Overall Health of Rare Cactus Populations. A Protocol. Capitol Reef National Park

Contact: matthewd.wang@gmail.com

Katie Wenzell (PhD, 2021)

Major Adviser: Jeremie Fant, Ph.D.

Dissertation: Do Pollinators Drive Divergence?: Connecting Floral Phenotypes, Pollinators, and Gene Flow to Understand Floral Trait Divergence in Castilleja

Contact: KWenzell@u.northwestern.edu

Current Position: Postdoctoral scientist, John Innes Center, Norwich, UK. Kelsey Byer's lab.

Jessica Prescott-Smith (MS, 2021)

Internship: Harbor Prairie South Vegetation Assessment for the Chicago Park District

Current Position: Natural Areas Chicago Park District

Contact: jessicaprescottsmith2014@u.northwestern.edu

Karolina Kahle (MS, 2021)

Internship: Shoreline Invasive Species Tracking Internship - Chicago Botanic Garden

Contact: karolinakahle2021@u.northwestern.edu

Current PositionWetland specialist at Gewalt Hamilton Associates

Robert Hevey (PhD, 2021)

Major Adviser: Pati Vitt, PhD

Dissertation: Seed Dormancy Break, Germination, and Seedling Establishment in the Genus Lespedeza Michx.

Contact: roberthevey2011@u.northwestern.edu

Samantha Danguilan (MS, 2021)

Thesis: Variation In Flowering Time Within and Amongst Individuals of Clytonia Virginica. An Early Spring Ephemeral Has Consequences Beyond Seedset

Advisor: Amy Iler

Kristen Manion (MS, 2021)

Thesis: Where Do Bees Build Their Nests? The Influence Of Land-Use History And Microhabitat On Nest Presence Of Ground-Nesting Bees

Advisor: Stuart Wagenius

2020

Alicia Foxx (MS, 2014; PhD, 2020)

Major Adviser: Andrea Kramer, Ph.D.

Thesis: Intraspecific variation in Elymus elymoides root traits and its influence on competitive outcomes

Dissertation: Implications of Within-Species Root and Shoot Trait Variation and Plasticity for Species Coexistence

Contact: aliciafoxx2014@u.northwestern.edu

Current PositionPostdoctoral Researcher at US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Gainesville, FL

Katherine Kucera (MS, 2020)

Major Adviser: Andrea Kramer, Ph.D.

Thesis: Producing mixed-source populations for restoration: Genetic changes from the wild to a seed production field and restoration site, with links to potentially adaptive genetic diversity

Current PositionResearch Assistant Plants of Concern, Chicago Botanic Garden

Sam Kilgore (MS, 2020)

Major Adviser: Andrea Kramer, Ph.D.

Thesis: Investigating Germination and Establishment of Viola to Inform Reintroduction

Current PositionLand Stewardship Manager / Native Plant Specialist at The Conservation Foundation, Aurora, IL

Alifya Saify (MS, 2020)

Internship: Exploring the Effects of Soil Amendments in Big Marsh

Contact: alifya.saify@northwestern.edu

Current PositionResearch analyst at Charles River Laboratories, Chicago, IL

Taran Lichtenberger (MS, 2020)

Major Adviser: Andrea Kramer, Ph.D.

Thesis: Mixing populations for restoration may improve productivity of plants that perform poorly in low-diversity settings

Contact: TLichtenberger@chicagobotanic.org

Current PositionCommunity Engagement Manager at Budburst, Chicago Botanic Garden

Emma Leavens (MS, 2020)

Major Adviser: Greg Mueller, Ph.D.

Thesis: Population Genetics and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Community of Comandra umbellata

Contact: emmaleavens2019@u.northwestern.edu

Current PositionResearch Coordinator, Experimental Prairie, Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL

Diana Jerome (MS, 2020)

Major Adviser: Amy Iler, Ph.D.

Thesis: Early Snowmelt and Warming Independently Drive the Reproductive Phenology of Subalpine Wildflowers

Contact: DianaJerome2020@u.northwestern.edu  

Current PositionPhD Student at The University of Edinburgh

Andrea Gruver (MS, 2020)

Major Adviser: Paul CaraDonna, Ph.D.

Thesis: Big City Bees: investigating the effects of urbanization on wild bee communities in Chicago, IL

Contact: AndreaGruver2019@u.northwestern.edu

Current PositionResearch Analyst at aQity Research & Insights

Anita Cisternas Fuentes (PhD, 2020)

Major Adviser: Jeremie Fant, Ph.D.

Dissertation: Plant Breeding System and Primary Pollinator as a Proxy to Estimate Inbreeding and

Inbreeding Depression

Contact: AnitaCisternasFuentes2019@u.northwestern.edu

Current PositionPostdoctoral Research Associate, Clemson University

Matthew Evans (MS, 2020)

Major Adviser: Andrea Kramer, Ph.D.

Thesis: An Assessment of Bernal Pool Soil Seed Banks for Invaded Oak-Hickory Woodland Habitat Restoration

Contact: MatthewEvans2020@u.northwestern.edu

Current PositionManaging Ecologist, Woodlands, Chicago Botanic Garden

Lucas Chamberlain (MS, 2020)

Major Adviser: Louise Egerton-Warburton, Ph.D.

Thesis: Quantifying Soil Carbon Sequestration Following the Conversion of an Abandoned Field to Sustainable Agriculture

Contact: LucasChamberlain2020@u.northwestern.edu

Current PositionEnvironmental Science instructor, SAE Institute, Chicago

2019

Kat Andrews (MS, 2019)

Major adviser: Krissa Skogen, Ph.D.
Thesis: Precipitation frequency negatively impacts plant survivorship, growth, phenology, and herbivory in Oenothera harringtonii
Contact: katherineandrews2018@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Director of Cultivation, Standards and Practices at Cresco Labs

Marie Faust (MS, 2019)

Major adviser: Amy Iler, Ph.D.
Thesis: Pollinator mediated reproductive consequences of altered co-flowering under climate change depend on abiotic context
Contact: mariefaust2019@u.northwestern.edu 
Current Position: Science Outreach Specialist for NEON (National Ecological Observatory Network), Boulder, CO.

Kris Bonefont (MS, 2019)

Major adviser: Jeremie Fant, Ph.D.
Thesis: Ecological strategies of species persisting in a naturally fragmented landscape
Contact: bonefont@nmsu.edu
Current Position: Programmer, Landscape data commons project, New Mexico State University and Jornada Experimental Range

Jessa Finch (PhD, 2019)

Major adviser: Kayri Havens-Young, Ph.D.
Dissertation: Gene flow and regeneration niche of Asclepias in the Midwest U.S.
Contact: jfinch@chicagobotanic.org
Current Position: Research Botanist at Native Plant Trust, Framingham MA

Lynnaun Johnson (PhD, 2019)

Major adviser: Greg Mueller, Ph.D.
Dissertation: Investigating Specificity and Diversity of Orchid Mycorrhizal Fungi of Vanilla planifolia and Dendrophylax lindenii
Contact: Lynnaun_Johnson@rush.edu
Current Position:  Postdoctoral Fellow, Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center

Christopher Mann (MS, 2019)

Internship: Timber Management Plan for Elkhorn Unit 46, Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest
Contact: Christopher.Mann@outlook.com
Current Position:  U.S. Forest Service, Rocky  Mountain Research Station

Drake Mullett (MS, 2019)

Major adviser: Jeremie Fant, Ph.D.
Thesis: Context dependency of plant-plant antagonisms in response to nutrient availability
Contact: drakemullett2018@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position:  PhD student, Plant Biology and Conservation Northwestern University

2018

Micah Melczer (MS, 2018)

Internship: Determining the Efficacy of FQI to Evaluate Management Decisions
Contact: MicahMelczer2018@u.northwestern.edu

Lauren Price (MS, 2018)

Internship: Predicting current and future ranges for Sclerocactus glaucus using MaxEnt modeling

Contact: LaurenPrice2019@u.northwestern.edu

Current Position: Terrestrial Implementation Coordinator, Bureau of Land Management, National Operations Center

Nathan Lamb (MS, 2018)

Major adviser: Andrea Kramer, Ph.D.
Thesis: Low Restoration Potential of Soil Seed Banks in Buckthorn-Invaded Oak Woodlands
Contact: nathanglamb@gmail.com
Current Position: Heronswood Garden Curator/Assistant Director, Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe

Lauren Audi (MS, 2018)

Major adviser: Nyree Zerega, Ph.D.
Thesis: Genetic Augmentation Reduces Mate Limitation in Two Rare Asteraceae Species
Contact: laudi@amnh.org 
Current Position: Lab Manager, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History

Chen Ning (MS, 2014; PhD, 2018)

Major adviser: Gregory Mueller, Ph.D.

Thesis: Functional Response of Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Community to Nitrogen Deposition on Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii) Plantation in South-central China

Dissertation: Structure, Diversity, and Function of Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Communities in Native and Introduced Pines of South China

Contact: chenning2012@u.northwestern.edu 

Current Position: Professor, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, China

Mary Patterson (MS, 2018)

Internship: Long-Term Monitoring Plan: Packera layneae USDA Forest Service, Tahoe National Forest, American River Ranger District
Contact: marypatterson2017@u.northwestern.edu 
Current Position:  Botanist, US Forest Service, Truckee, CA

Lauren Umek (MS, 2007; PhD, 2018)

Major adviser: Christopher Dunn, PhD (MS); Louise Egerton-Warburton, PhD (PhD)
Thesis: Seasonal variation of key soil characteristics in a tallgrass prairie along a restoration gradient
Dissertation: Impacts of Restoration and Management on Plant Communities and Belowground Processes in the Chicago Region
Contact: lumek@u.northwestern.edu
Current position: Urban Ecologist and Program Manager, Department of Cultural and Natural Resources, Chicago Park District

Jordan Wood (MS, 2018)

Major adviser: Jeremie Fant, PhD
Thesis: Conservation genetics and ex situ management for living collections of endangered plants
Contact: jordanwood@u.northwestern.edu 

Christopher Woolridge (MS, 2018)

Major adviserAndrea Kramer, PhD
Thesis: Northward bound: should southern-sourced seeds be preferentially used in restoration efforts?
ContactChristopherWoolridge2017@u.northwestern.edu
Current position: Conservation Land Management Program Manager, Chicago Botanic Garden

Jacob Zeldin (MS, 2018)

Major adviserAndrea Kramer, PhD
Thesis: Functional composition in prairie plant communities: implications for invasion resistance, restoration, and conservation
Contactjzeldin@chicagobotanic.org
Current position: Research Ecologist, Chicago Botanic Garden

Rui Zhang (PhD, 2018)

Major adviser: Greg Mueller, PhD
Dissertation: Molecular Systematics, Evolutionary Ecology and Biogeography of Ectomycorrhizal Genus Suillus (Boletales, Basidiomycota)
Contact: RuiZhang2015@u.northwestern.edu 

Kaiyue Zhou (MS, 2018)

Major adviser: Louise Egerton-Warburton, PhD
Thesis: Biogeochemical cycling in a green roof ecosystem
Contact: KaiyueZhou2017@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Technical Product Manager, BD Biosciences

2017

Kelly Ksiazek-Mikenas (MS, 2011; PhD, 2017)

Major adviser: Jeremie Fant, Ph.D. (MS) Krissa Skogen, Ph.D. (PhD)
Thesis: Patterns of Pollen Limitation and Seed Set on Chicago Green Roofs
Dissertation: The Potential of Green Roofs to Provide Habitat for Native Plant Conservation
Contact: kellyksiazek2011@u.northwestern.edu
Current PositionAssistant Professor in Biology and Environmental Studies Program Director, Elmhurst College

Elliot Gardner (PhD, 2017)

Major adviser: Nyree Zerega, Ph.D.
Dissertation: Evolutionary transitions: phylogenomics and pollination of Artocarpus (Moraceae)
Contact: egardner@mortonarb.org 
Current position: Postdoctoral Research Associate, National Tropcial Botanical Garden and Florida International University

Rebecca Barak (MS 2012; PhD 2017)

Major Adviser: Krissa Skogen, Ph.D. (MS) Daniel Larkin, Ph.D. (PhD)
Thesis: Assessing restoration potential of native forbs from cheatgrass-dominated habitats
Dissertation: Using trees to seed prairies: Incorporating phylogenetic information to guide tallgrass prairie restoration
Contact: RebeccaBarak2011@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Conservation Scientist, Chicago Botanic Garden

Kristina Fahey (MS 2017)

Internship: Status and Habitat Analysis of the Federally Endangered Fritillaria genteri, Bureau of Land Management, Medford, OR.
Contact: KristinaFahey2017@u.northwestern.edu 
Current Position: Biological Science Technician at Chihuahuan Desert I&M Network, National Parks System, Las Cruces, NM

Jessica Ross (MS 2017)

Major adviser: Louise Egerton-Warburton
Thesis: Characterizing the diversity of lignin-degrading fungi in a dry seasonal tropical forest
Contact: JessicaRoss2014@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Citizen Science Coordinator, University of Wisconsin Arboretum

Alexandra Seglias (MS 2017)

Major adviser: Andrea Kramer, PhD/Kayri Havens-Young, PhD
Thesis: Germination Ecology of forb species native to the Southwest United States: Implication for restoration
Contact:  alexandra.seglias@botanicgardens.org
Current Position: Seed Conservation Research Assistant, Denver Botanic Gardens
Website: alexseglias.wordpress.com 

Abigail White (MS 2017)

Major adviser: Andrea Kramer, PhD
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
Contact: abbeyboweswhite@gmail.com
Current PositionMiddle School teacher, Forest Bluff School, Lake Bluff, IL

2016

Daniel Bruzzese (MS 2016)

Major adviser: Krissa Skogen, PhD
Thesis: Host use and allopatry in the diversification of the Microlepidopteran genus Mompha
Contact:  dan.bruzzese@gmail.com
Current position: PhD program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Notre Dame
Website: https://danielbruzzese.wordpress.com/

Benjamin Cooper (MS 2016)

Major adviser: Krissa Skogen, PhD
Thesis: Revealing patterns of evolution in Oenothera sect. Calylophus (Onagraceae) using target enrichment

Peter DeJongh (MS 2016)

Internship: Raptor nesting and cheatgrass monitoring. Bureau of Land Management, Casper, WY.
Current Position: Wildlife Biologist, Bureau of Land Management, California Desert District

Ryan Disney (MS, 2016)

Internship: A report on the effects of harvest timing and frequency on a native prairie bioenergy crop, Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center
Contact: RyanDisney@u.northwestern.edu
Current PositionChief Botanist at Red Arrow Farm

Claire Ellwanger (MS 2016)

Major adviser: Jeremie Fant, PhD
Thesis: Conservation Genetics of the federally threatened orchid: Platanthera leucophaea
Current Position: Eastern Washington Area Geneticist at U.S. Forest Service, Wanatchee, WA

Claire Malley (MS, 2016)

Major adviser: Norman Wickett, Ph.D.
Thesis: Methods in Orthology Detection and Application to the Moss Phylogeny
Contact: cmalley@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: PhD Student, George Mason University

2015

Adrienne Basey (MS, 2015)

Major adviser: Andrea Kramer, Ph.D.
Thesis: restoration ecology, conservation genetics, plant conservation
Contact: Adrienne.Basey@u.northwestern.edu
Current PositionAssociate Scientist at Metro, Portland Oregon

Magdalena Eshleman (MS, 2015)

Major adviser: Andrea Kramer, Ph.D.
Thesis: A comparison of intraspecific variation in early life history characteristics of native Colorado Plateau forbs
Contact: maggieeshleman@gmail.com
Current Position: Biologist, CH2M in Tucson, Arizona

Paul Hartzog (PhD, 2015)

Major adviser: Daniel Larkin, Ph.D.
Dissertation: The effects of restoration and plant community change on denitrification and investigations into denitrification measurement techniques
Contact: paulhartzog2014@u.northwestern.edu
Current position: Consultant, Beghou Consulting

Elizzabeth Kaufman (MS, 2015)

Contact: ElizabethKaufman2015@u.northwestern.edu
Internship: Gunnison Sage-grouse Habitat Assessment Report: Crawford Population 2013-2015, Bureau of Land Management, Montrose, CO.
Current position: Plant Ecologist, Pollinator Partnership

Emily Lewis (MS, 2015)

Major adviser: Krissa Skogen, Ph.D.
Thesis: Pollination biology and Onagraceae
Contact: EmilyLewis1456@gmail.com
Current position: Natural Resources Field Crew, Palouse Conservation District; Pullman, Washington.

Theresa Melhem (MS, 2015)

Major adviser: Nyree Zerega, Ph.D.
Thesis: Diversity and origins of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus, Lam.) in the Western Ghats of South India
Contact: TheresaMelhem2012@u.northwestern.edu

Nora Talkington (MS, 2015)

Major adviser: Andrea Kramer, Ph.D.
Thesis: Sprorobolus airoides propagation from invaded and uninvaded Russian knapweed sites
Contact: NoraTalkington2012@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Botanist, Navajo Natural Heritage Program, Window Rock, AZ

Rebecca Tonietto (MS, 2009; PhD, 2015)

Major Adviser: Jeremie Fant, Ph.D. (MS) Daniel Larkin, Ph.D. (PhD)
Thesis: Chicago bees: green roofs, parks and prairies
Dissertation: The effects of habitat restoration on wild bee communities
Contact: RebeccaTonietto2008@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Assistant Professor, University of Michigan, Flint

Christopher Warneke (MS, 2015)

Major Adviser: Kayri Havens-Young, Ph.D.
Thesis: Host preferences of biocontrol weevils for a threatened thistle and an invasive week: implications for management and conservation
Contact: warneke@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: PhD student at Michigan State University in Department of Plant Biology

Christopher Warneke (MS, 2015)

Thesis: Host Preferences of Biocontrol Weevils Fora Threatened Thistle And An Invasive Weed: Implications For Management and Conservation

Advisor: Kayri Havens

2014

Anna Braum (MS, 2014)

Major Adviser: Jeremie Fant, Ph.D.
Thesis: Investigating the drivers of floral trait polymorphism in Castilleja coccinea (L.) Sprengel (Orobanchaceae)
Contact: AnnaBraum2013@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Research Assistant with Plants of Concern program at Chicago Botanic Garden

Alicia Foxx (MS, 2014)

Major Adviser: Andrea Kramer, Ph.D.
Thesis: Intraspecific variation in Elymus elymoides root traits and its influence on competitive outcomes
Contact: aliciafoxx2014@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: PhD student in Plant Biology and Conservation, Northwestern University

Stephanie Frischie (MS, 2014)

Major Adviser: Andrea Kramer, Ph.D.
Internship: Inventory and biogeography of peanut (Arachis spp., Fabaceae Lindl.) crop wild relatives in the Parapeti river basin and Inao National Park, Bolivia.
Contact: stephaniefrischie@gmail.com
Current Position: Agronomist / Native Plant Materials Specialist, Xerces

Robert Hevey (MS, 2014)

Major Adviser: Louise Egerton-Warburton, Ph.D.
Thesis: Ectomycorrhizal community recovery in Quercus savanna following restoration from a Rhamnus catharticainvasion
Contact: RobertHevey2011@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: PhD Student in Plant Biology and Conservation at Northwestern University

Kristen Laricchia (MS, 2014)

Major Adviser: Nyree Zerega, Ph.D. and Norman Wickett, Ph.D.
Thesis: Transcriptome analysis of domesticated breadfruit and its wild relatives
Contact: kristenlaricchia2014@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Associate Computational Biologist at the Broad Institute, MacArthur Lab

Anne Nies (MS, 2014)

Major Adviser: Pati Vitt, Ph.D.
Thesis: Excess and limitation of soil resources in Illinois communities of Cypripedium Candidum (Orchidaceae), the unexpected relationship between soil character, mycorrhizal colonization and photosynthesis
Contact: annenies2010@u.northwestern.edu 
Current Position:
 FAS Account Manager, Donlen Corporation

Chen Ning (MS, 2014)

Major Adviser: Gregory Mueller, Ph.D.
Thesis: Functional Response of Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Community to Nitrogen Deposition on Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii) Plantation in South-central China
Contact: chenning2012@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: PhD Student in Plant Biology and Conservation at Northwestern University

Corey Palmer (MS, 2014)

Major Adviser: Louise Egerton-Warburton, Ph.D.
Thesis: The prairie underground: soil recovery in Chicago wilderness restoration
Contact: CoreyPalmer2013@u.northwestern.edu

Maria Wang Mei Hua (MS, 2014)

Major Adviser: Nyree Zerega, Ph.D.
Thesis: Diversity and origins of an underutilized tropical fruit tree, cempedak (Artocarpus integer, Moraceae), and its wild relative bangkong (Artocarpus integer var. silvestris)
Contact: MariaWang2013@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: PhD student, University of Sheffield, UK

Laney Widener (MS, 2014)

Major Adviser: Jeremie Fant, Ph.D.
Thesis: Reproductive Isolation and Genetic Divergence In The Castilleja Affinis Subspecies Complex
Contact: laneywidener2014@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Botanical Coordinator, New England Wild Flower Society

2013

Lindsay Darling (MS, 2013)

Major Adviser: Nyree Zerega, Ph.D.
Thesis: Genetic diversity and population structure of three tree species across and urban to remnant landscape gradient
Contact: LindsayDarling2013@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Research Assistant for the Oak Recovery Program, Morton Arboretum

Nikhilesh Desai (MS, 2013)

Major Adviser: Louise Egerton-Warburton, Ph.D.
Thesis: Mycorrhizal community structure among Quercus oleoides in the seasonally dry tropical forest
Contact: NikhileshDesai2012@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Botanic Specialist, Portland Parks and Recreation Urban Forestry, Portland, Oregon

Joshua Drizin (MS, 2013)

Major Adviser: Stuart Wagenius, Ph.D.
Thesis: Hygroscopic awns of two prairie grasses Andropogon gerardii and Sorghastrum nutans
Contact: JoshuaDrizin2012@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Artist

Katherine Muller (MS, 2013)

Major Adviser: Stuart Wagenius, Ph.D.
Thesis: Observational and experimental approaches to understanding the relationship between a long-lived perennial and its specialist aphid in fragmented habitat
Contact: KatherineMuller2013@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: PhD student, Plant Biology at the University of Minnesota

Matthew Rhodes (MS, 2013)

Major Adviser: Krissa Skogen, Ph.D.
Thesis: Spatial genetic structure and nonrandom pollination success in Oenothara harringtonii (Onagraceae)
Contact: mailto:mkrhodes@email.arizona.edu
Current Position: PhD student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at University of Arizona

Ricardo J. Rivera (MS, 2013)

Major Adviser: Krissa Skogen, Ph.D.
Thesis: Quantitative genetics in a fragmented landscape, a study of heritable floral traits in Oenothera harringtonii (Onagraceae)
Contact: rikijota@gmail.com
Current Position: PhD student at University of Wisconsin/Madison in Department of Forestry and Wildlife Ecology
Website: rjriv.com

Karen Taira (MS, 2013)

Major Adviser: Stuart Wagenius, Ph.D.
Thesis: Does style persistence measure pollen limitation in perennial Helianthus species?
Contact: KarenTaira2012@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Program Manager at The Lurie Garden, Millennium Park, Chicago

Erin Vander Stelt (MS, 2013)

Major Adviser: Daniel Larkin, Ph.D.
Thesis: Isoetes butteri Engelm.: Genetic, environmental, and ecological characteristics of Illinois populations
Current Position: Environmental Analyst at Merjent. Holland, MI Contact: ErinVanderStelt2013@u.northwestern.edu

Colby Witherup (MS, 2013)

Major Adviser: Nyree Zerega, Ph.D.
Thesis: Genetic diversity of Bangladeshi jackfuit Artocarpus heterophyllus (Jackfruit, Moraceae)
Contact: c-witherup@northwestern.edu
Current Position: PhD Student in Plant Biology and Conservation at Northwestern University

2012

Rebecca Barak (MS, 2012)

Major Adviser: Krissa Skogen, Ph.D.
Thesis: Assessing restoration potential of native forbs from cheatgrass-dominated habitats
Contact: RebeccaBarak2011@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: PhD student in Plant Biology and Conservation at Northwestern University

Laura Briscoe (MS, 2012)

Major Adviser: Norman Wickett, Ph.D.
Thesis: Untangling Tylimanthus: Using Molecules and Morphology to Better Understand the Liverwort Family Acrobolbaceae E.A. Hodgson (Marchantiophyta)
Contact: LauraBriscoe2012@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Collections Manager of Cryptogams at the New York Botanical Garden

Wesley Glisson (MS, 2012)

Major Adviser: Daniel Larkin, Ph.D.
Thesis: Habitat requirements and restoration targets for secretive marshbirds in southeastern Wisconsin
Current Position: Research Scientist, USGS Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Idaho

Byron Tsang (MS, 2012)

Major Adviser: Daniel Larkin, Ph.D.
Thesis: Environmental factors affecting woodland legume restoration
Contact: byron.tsang@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Ecologist with the Chicago Park District's Department of Cultural and Natural Resources

2011

Emily Booth (MS, 2011)

Major Adviser: Krissa Skogen, Ph.D.
Thesis: Potential effects of climate change on Penstemon palmeri at Zion National Park, Utah, U.S.A.
Contact: embooth@utexas.edu
Current Position: PhD student in Plant Biology-Integrative Biological Sciences, University of Texas, Austin
Website: https://mlebth.github.io/

Christine Dumoulin (MS, 2011)

Major Adviser: Stuart Wagenius, Ph.D.
Thesis: Modeling breeding system effects on reproductive tradeoffs and persistence in habitat fragments
Contact: christinedumoulin2008@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: PhD student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville

Kate Gallagher (MS, 2011)

Major Adviser: Stuart Wagenius, Ph.D.
Thesis: Plant performance in prairie restoration: does seed source matter?
Contact: meegankgallagher@gmail.com
Current Position: PhD program, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Campbell Lab
Website: http://sites.uci.edu/mkgallagher/

Melissa (Gray) Petruzzello (MS, 2011)

Major Adviser: Krissa Skogen, Ph.D.
Thesis: The effects of floral density manipulation on the pollination and reproductive success of Penstemon pachyphyllus
Contact: MelissaGray2011@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Assistant Editor in Plant and Environmental Science at Encyclopedia Britannica - Greater Chicago Area

Kelly Ksiazek (MS, 2011)

Major Adviser: Jeremie Fant, Ph.D.
Thesis: Patterns of Pollen Limitation and Seed Set on Chicago Green Roofs
Contact:  kellyksiazek2011@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: PhD student in Plant Biology and Conservation, Northwestern University

Amy Price (MS, 2011)

Major Adviser: Daniel Larkin, Ph.D.
Thesis: Genetics and ecology of Phragmites Australis invasion in Chicago area wetlands
Contact: Please contact program assistant for permission
Current Position: Data Manager/Protocol Monitor EMMES Corporation

Melissa Tienes Siska (MS, 2011)

Major Adviser: Pati Vitt, Ph.D.
Thesis: Population Sex Ratios and Gender Switching in Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
Contact: MelissaTienes2010@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Assistant Director at High Touch, High Tech

2010

Duane Ambroz (MS, 2010)

Major Adviser: Jim Tang, PhD
Thesis: Soil organic carbon and plant diversity in urban soils
Contact: duane.ambroz@illinois.gov
Current Position: District Heritage Biologist, Northwest Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Courtney Gill (MS, 2010)

Major Adviser: Pati Vitt, Ph.D.
Thesis: The effects of temperature change and competition on the early growth rates of three north temperate grassland species
Contact: CourtneyGill2009@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Research Assistant for the Chicago Wilderness Sites for 100 Years project

Steven Hanson (MS, 2010)

Major Adviser: Nyree Zerega, Ph.D.
Thesis: Soil aggregate carbon storage in restored tallgrass prairies: A comparative analysis between a formerly cultivated site located on native prairie soil and an artificially created landscape
Contact: StevenHanson2009@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Environmental Protection Specialist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Glen Madeja (MS, 2010)

Major Adviser: Kayri Havens-Young, Ph.D.
Thesis: Transforming gardening motivations into conservation efforts
Contact: gmadeja@comcast.net
Current Position:  Executive Director of the Frances Willard Historical Association

Rachel Olson Sullivan (MS, 2010)

Major Adviser: Pati Vitt, Ph.D.
Thesis: Predicting the effects of climate change on the geographic distribution of plant-pollinator interactions
Contact: RachelOlson2010@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: GIS and Database Steward for the Grants Branch of the Division of Bird Habitat Conservation for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Elizabeth Riley Donovan (MS, 2010)

Major Adviser: Daniel Larkin, Ph.D.
Thesis: Comparison of three common wetland assessment methods
Contact: elizabeth.donovan4@gmail.com
Current Position: Biologist in the Office of Pesticide Programs Environmental Fate and Effects Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

2009

Melissa Custic (MS, 2009)

Major Adviser: James R. Ault, PhD
Thesis: Temperature germination cues of alien and native herbaceous California Sage Scrub (CSS) and Chaparral Species
Contact: mcustic@mortonarb.org
Current Position: Chicago Regional Trees Initiative Coordinator, Morton Arboretum

Jonathan De Long (MS, 2009)

Major Adviser: Louise Egerton-Warburton, Ph.D.
Thesis: The influence of endophytic partners on patterns of weediness in a native Australian orchid: Microtis media (R. Br.)
Contact: mailto:jonathan.delong@manchester.ac.uk
Current Position: Post doctoral researcher, Richard Bardgett lab, Manchester, England.
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/jonathanrdelong/home

Diane Huebner (MS, 2009)

Major Adviser: Nyree Zerega, Ph.D.
Thesis: A molecular, morphological and experimental assessment of the conservation status of the American sea-rocket (Cakile edentula, Brassicaceae)
Contact: dchuebner@alaska.edu
Current Position: PhD student, University of Alaska, Fairbanks

Douglas Lynch (MS, 2009)

Major Adviser: Francesca McInerney, PhD
Thesis: Bundle sheath extension changes along light and precipitation gradients: implications for water use efficiency
Contact: douglaslynch2009@northwestern.edu
Current Position: NSF-IGERT LEAP doctoral fellow at the University of Illinois, Chicago

Tracy Misiewicz (MS, 2009)

Major Adviser: Nyree Zerega, Ph.D.
Thesis: Investigating the evolutionary history, biogeography and pollination biology of the genus Dorstenia(Moraceae)
Contact: tracymisiewicz@yahoo.com
Current Position: Science Project Specialist, The Organic Center, Washington, DC

Benjamin Staehlin (MS, 2009)

Major Adviser: Jeremie Fant, Ph.D.
Thesis: Climate change impacts on a native endemic thistle, Cirsium pitcheri
Contact: b-staehlin@northwestern.edu
Current Position: Restoration Supervisor, Chicago Audubon Society

Rebecca Tonietto (MS, 2009; PhD, 2015)

Major Adviser: Jeremie Fant, Ph.D. (MS) Daniel Larkin, Ph.D. (PhD)
Thesis: Chicago bees: green roofs, parks and prairies
Dissertation: The effects of habitat restoration on wild bee communities
Contact: RebeccaTonietto2008@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Smith Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Biology, Saint Louis University

2008

Alona Banai (MS, 2008)

Major Advisers: Pati Vitt, Ph.D. and Jeremie Fant, Ph.D.
Thesis: Molecular and morphological evidence of hybridization between the federally threatened Lespedeza leptostachya with common congener L. capitata
Contact: alonabanai@gmail.com
Current Position : Partnership Marketing Coordinator of Chicago Area Runners Association

Rosemary Bush (MS, 2008)

Major Adviser: Francesca McInerney, PhD
Thesis: Variations in leaf wax n-Alkane Chain Length and Carbon Isotope Fractionation: Applications for Chemotaxonomy and Paleoecology
Contact: RosemaryBush2016@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Post-doctoral associate at University of Notre Dame's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences in the laboratory of Professor Melissa Berke

Eva Dubey Danon (MS, 2008)

Major Adviser: Jennifer Schwarz
Thesis: Ecological Education for Urban Youth: Promoting Environmental Literacy Through Place-Based Education
Contact: eddanon@gmail.com
Current Position: Science Teacher in Portland, Oregon

Joseph Gawronski-Salerno (MS, 2008)

Major Adviser: Louise Egerton-Warburton, Ph.D.
Thesis: Alterations to arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal colonization resulting from site variation in woodlands and prairies in a restoration context
Current Position: Science Information Architect for United States Drug Testing Laboratories

Rachel Gross Lawent (MS, 2008)

Major Adviser: Louise Egerton-Warburton, PhD
Thesis: The effect of prescribed fire history on below ground processes in tallgrass prairie
Contact: Please contact program assistant for permission
Current Position: Senior Tax Accountant, Marcum, LLP

Andrea Southgate (MS, 2008)

Major Adviser: Stuart Wagenius, Ph.D.
Thesis: The influences of population size on the effect of inbreeding and outbreeding of early plant traits in the prairie native Echinacea angustifolia (Asteracae)
Contact: AndreaSouthgate2008@u.northwestern.edu

2007

Lauren Umek (MS, 2007)

Major Adviser: Christopher Dunn, PhD
Thesis: Seasonal variation of key soil characteristics in a tallgrass prairie along a restoration gradient
Contact: lumek@u.northwestern.edu
Current Position: Program Manager, Department
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