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Research and Accomplishments

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

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2023

Reed Benkendorf (MS, 2023)

MS STUDENT

Major Advisor: Jeremie Fant, PhD

Research: Plant Metagenomic Barcoding using Angiosperms353 of Corbiculae
from wild Bumble Bees.

Current Position: Senior Botanist and Geospatial Data Specialist--Chicago Botanic Garden

Email: reedbenkendorf2021@u.northwestern.edu

Victoria Delira (MS, 2023)

MS STUDENT

Major Advisor: Paul CaraDonna, PhD

Research: FLORAL LONGEVITY AND SEED PRODUCTION IN THREE SUBALPINE WILDFLOWERS FOLLOWING VARIATION IN POLLINATION SERVICES. 

Current Position: 

Email: victoriadelira2020@u.northwestern.edu

Olivia Murrell (MS, 2023)

MS STUDENT

Major Advisor: Jeremie Fant, PhD

Research: ADOPTING A ZOOLOGICAL PEDIGREE APPROACH TO BOTANIC GARDEN
COLLECTIONS: THE STATUS OF THE WORLDWIDE EX SITU COLLECTION OF
AMORPHOPHALLUS TITANUM (ARACEAE)

Current position:

Ph.D. Student at Manchester Metropolitan University

Conservation Scholar at Chester Zoo

Contact information:

olivia.murrell@stu.mmu.ac.uk

o.murrell@chesterzoo.org

Email: OliviaMurrell2023@u.northwestern.edu

April Parker (MS, 2023)

MS STUDENT

Major Advisor: Nyree Zerega, PhD

Project: Diversity in Plant Diversity (DPD): Ward 9 Urban Farm

Current Position: 

Email: AprilParker2023@u.northwestern.edu

Jack Schooley (MS, 2023)

MS STUDENT

Major Advisor: Sophie Taddeo, PhD

Research: Daisy Chains: Urban Environments, Asteraceae Diversity, and Socioeconomics in Chicago

Current Position: Head Naturalist/Landscape Design--Craig Bergmann Landscape Design

Email: jackschooley2021@u.northwestern.edu

Alexandra Touloupas (MS, 2023)

MS STUDENT

Major Advisor: Sophie Taddeo, PhD

Research: USING HABITAT SUITABILITY MODELING FOR TWO ILLINOIS RARE SPECIES TO
ASSESS THEIR CURRENT CONSERVATION STATUS AND VULNERABILITY TO
CLIMATE CHANGE

Current Position: Research Assistant--Chicago Botanic Garden 

Email: atouloupas@u.northwestern.edu

Imena Valdes (MS, 2023)

MS STUDENT

Major Advisor: Kayri Havens, PhD

Research: WHEN IS A NATIVE NOT A NATIVE? AN ASSESSMENT OF POLLINATOR PREFERENCE OF NATIVE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTIVATED VARIETIES.

Current Job Position: Budburst Community Liaison
Job Description: Lead bilingual educational training (English and Spanish) to program partners on monitoring milkweed plants for butterfly eggs. Translate documents and datasheets from English to Spanish. Assemble hundreds of informational kits to distribute during events. Create content for the #MilkweedMonday series on the Budburst social media platforms.

Contact Information: imenavaldes2020@u.northwestern.edu

Jonathan Zhang (MS, 2023)

MS STUDENT 

Major Advisor: Norman Wickett, PhD

Internship: Differences Among Methods of Paralog Detection and Their Impact on Phylogenetic Reconstruction.

Current Position: MS Student of Bioinformatics at Boston University

Email: johnathanzhang2022@u.northwestern.edu

Alexandra Zink (MS, 2023)

MS STUDENT

Major Advisor: Amy Iler, PhD

Research: POLLINATION DEFICITS INCREASE WITH URBANIZATION
ON URBAN FARMS IN CHICAGO.

Current Position:

Email: alexandrazink2022@u.northwestern.edu

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