Students

Research Impact on Students

One way I measure my impact is by how I help students.  So, I champion my students by opening opportunities for them from local to global levels.  Some of my previous students highlight this potential as well as the breadth of students with whom I have worked:

Plant responses in nitrogen addition experiments are essential to understand polluted forests.  To this end, Jason Palagi (IUN Bio ‘10) and I learned that tree growth increased in the Indiana Nitrogen experiment but surprisingly, herbaceous plant community composition did not change in the five years we studied the understory plants. Jason moved onto graduate school and completed his PhD 2018.  

Jessica Gomez (IUN Bio Class of ‘15) worked with NIRMI for two years.  Upon graduation, she secured a position with the Indiana DNR because of her NIRMI and IUN Biology training. She has now moved to the Nature Conservancy and is a full-time Kankakee Sands Land Steward.  

Amanda Mikuta (IUN Bio ‘15) and I showed that invasive earthworms are more abundant in the Indiana Nitrogen Experiment in comparison to comparable forests but they appear to be sensitive to and avoid the experimental pollution we add at least in the short term.  Amanda went on to a career in the biotechnology industry.

Lena Barajas (IUN Bio ‘18) worked with me on identifying new species of fungi.  In addition to helping Lena win Minority Opportunity in Research Experience and LSAMP grants to conduct this work, I secured the funds to send Lena to Slovakia for a workshop and then to Puerto Rico to present at an international conference.  Lena has since completed medical school and is an MD. 

Ashlynn Morin (IUN Bio '20 https://www.ashlynn.org/ ) studied Armillaria and relatives on Mount Baldy at the Indiana Dunes National Park where devil's stovepipes are common. She proceeded to graduate studies at Michigan State University. 

Jessica Hayden (UMaine '22) initiated key chytrid-environmental DNA studies across freshwater to marine gradients with us and then headed to a career in molecular based biomonitoring. 

Evan Warburton (UMaine '23) worked with me on understanding the ectomycorrhizal fungal diversty on some of Maine's coastal islands.  He is now a scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. 

Lucia Liet Goldman (UMaine '24) investigated the potential of forest fungi to recover from prolonged experimental air pollution at the Bear Brook Watershed Experiment.  She is now pursuing graduate studies at The University of Toledo. 

Brady Kaelin (UMaine '24) studied the impact of trail use on forest fungi by sampling a wide set of trail systems in Maine.  He combined his expertise in mycology, botany and environmental DNA based methods to greatly expand what we know about Maine fungi. He has started a career in the biomonitoring industry. 

Etain Cullen (UMaine '24) examined the thraustochytrids of Maine using culturing and DNA sequencing.