Mary Gardiner
Jeff Evans
Anna Fiedler
Megan Woltz
Chris Hamm

gardin18@msu.edu
evansj18@msu
fiedlera@msu.edu
woltz@msu.edu
chamm@msu.edu

Melissa Morgan
Amanda Nickerson
Aleksandra Kalenak
Liz Loconto
Andy Wang

Doug Landis: I am an insect ecologist conducting research at the interface of basic and applied ecology. Recently, most of my current projects center on improving the theory and practice of conservation biological control or on the ecology and management of invasive species. I am interested in the role of landscape structure in influencing the effectiveness of natural enemies and in the interactions of generalist and specialist natural enemies.

My responsibilities at MSU include research (70%), teaching and student advisement (20%), and Extension/outreach (10%). I teach a graduate level course in Biological Control (ENT 848) in spring of odd numbered years. I also help direct the Invasive Species Initiative at MSU.

I coach youth soccer and enjoy most outdoor activities and. I am very interested in native plant communities and have initiated a long-term project to reconstruct representative pre-settlement plant communities on my small Ingham County farm. My family and I are restoring a 5-acre wetland and have initiated work on an adjacent prairie reconstruction.

D. Chris Sebolt: I have been the research technician in this lab since April 2000. My responsibilities are focused on the implementation, support and continuation of our research projects. In a calendar year this finds me typically working mainly in the field from April-November. During this period I establish, manage and harvest our field crops plots, assist in design, construction and establishment of other research plots and help organize data collection and field days. From December through March I assist the lab supervisor with data entry and analysis, report preparation and submission of research proposals. In addition, prior to start of field season I organize and oversee hiring of student help.

During my off time I enjoy spending time with my family, fishing, hunting, watching sports and studying history. As a veteran Marine rifleman, I spend a lot of time studying military history and current conflicts and provide support to some of our deployed Ground Combat Elements when I can. I believe it is critical for veterans to not only support the current generation of warriors, but also to serve as custodians of our military heritage and to try and teach those without that knowledge how important our military is and how much is sacrificed for our freedom.

Rob Ahern: I am a Visiting Research Associate hired by the Michigan State University Invasive Species Initiative. My primary responsibility is to conduct research on the ecology, management and policy implications of invasive species in the Great Lakes region. I am conducting an analysis of a unique database of non-indigenous biota found in Michigan, the aim of which is a greater understanding of factors that affect establishment success and spread of introduced organisms in all taxonomic groups. I am also responsible for coordinating research, grant-writing and outreach activities that are a part of the Invasive Species Initiative.

I am currently in the process of identifying new systems and collaborations for the next generation of invasive species research, and you can read more about my interests and background on my webpage.

Mary Gardiner: I am a Ph.D. student working with Dr. Doug Landis. I began my program at MSU in the fall of 2004 (click here for a copy of my CV). I am interested in many areas of entomological research including invasive species ecology, arthropod plant interactions, predator-prey interactions, and community ecology. I am also an avid spider enthusiast.

I grew up in Northport, Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan in May of 1999, where I majored in Resource Ecology and Management. The following fall I began a M.S. program at the University of Idaho studying two-spotted spider mite on hop. I compared the diversity and abundance of arthropods on managed and unmanaged hop and found that species richness and evenness were diminished in managed sites where pesticide use and other agricultural practices negatively affected biological diversity. More surprising, the two-spotted spider mite, a key hop pest, was just as abundant on managed hop (despite aggressive pesticide use) as on unmanaged hop. I also studied how a predatory mite locates spider mites on hop, and was first to report that N. fallacis can detect volatile synomones from spider mite-damaged plants. After completing my M.S. degree I worked as a Research Support Scientist at the University of Idaho for two years studying the lethal and sub-lethal effects of pest management practices of pest management on leafcutting bee biology and pollination effectiveness. I also studied spider communities in alfalfa seed and hay.

Here at Michigan State University, I am studying the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, which has become a principal arthropod pest of soybean since its first detection in Wisconsin in 2000. This species threatens soybean production through feeding damage and virus transmission. A diverse community of arthropod predators feed on soybean aphid throughout its invasive range. As part of my Ph.D. project, I am identifying the effects of landscape complexity on the diversity and abundance of these arthropod predators and measuring the impact of natural enemy guilds on soybean aphid populations throughout the north-central states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. I am also measuring the impact of intraguild predation on predator behavior and soybean aphid population dynamics.

In my spare time I enjoy gardening, snowboarding, downhill and cross country skiing, and spending time with my husband. We just bought a mid 60's era ranch and enjoy collecting vintage furniture to restore its retro charm.

Jeff Evans: I am interested in the ecology and management of biological invasions of natural areas. My long-term goal is to develop an applied ecological research program that effectively integrates student and community science education and involvement. I want to take a solutions-oriented approach to investigating and managing environmental and ecological problems. My background in biology includes work on plant physiology and morphology, studies of moth distribution across habitat types, marine chemistry and physical oceanography, estuarine and watershed ecosystem science, and entomology.

My research interests link basic and applied ecology in an attempt to address real world environmental problems by understanding the underlying mechanisms of environmental change. Biological invasions offer unique opportunities to ecologists and resource managers. Invasions represent large, uncontrolled experiments in situ. Because invasion is a dynamic process, we have the ability to observe and interpret community responses to invasive species at the plot, landscape, regional and continental levels. At the same time, societal interest in controlling invasions and protecting native communities allows for equally large-scale experimental manipulations through removal of key invasive species and introductions of biological control agents. Studies of biological invasions will help us better understand the dynamics of population and community structure and function and will ultimately lead to more efficient and effective management of native communities.
Currently, I am involved in a study of biological invasion by garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) in Michigan. I am preparing a study of garlic mustard demography in Michigan and will evaluate the potential effectiveness of biological control of garlic mustard in Michigan. More information can be found on the project web site.

My personal interests include (but are not limited to) traditional boat building, woodworking, dog training, sailing, rowing, camping, telemark skiing, bluegrass guitar, aviation, gardening, natural history and cooking elaborate meals. I enjoy any aquatic activity that doesn't require a motor and any music I can hum along to or whistle. I have worked as a teaching assistant, camp counselor, wilderness trip leader, boat builder, laboratory technician, and environmental educator.

Anna Fiedler: I am a PhD student in Doug Landis's lab, looking at the native plant and insect response to invasive species removal in Michigan prairie fen. I am interested in addressing the role that insects play in habitat restoration, both in terms of ecosystem function and conservation. My long-term goal is to continue to be part of innovative methods to educate others on the intimate connection between themselves, insects, and the environment. I would like to continue to address environmental sustainability and ecosystem restoration through the development of projects that increase people’s understanding of the meaningful connection that they have to insects and to their environment. Please click here to view my CV.

I grew up near Milwaukee, Wisconsin and graduated from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI in 2001. I performed undergraduate research projects on nitrogen cycling in forests in New York state, tropical dry forest regeneration in Costa Rica, and nutrient partitioning in prairie restoration in Kansas. Through a position as a Horticulture Assistant with the Waukesha County University of Wisconsin Extension as a Horticulture Assistant, I combined my interest in botany and ecology with a passion for sharing what I know with others, as well as learning from them. I was fortunate to continue to do so during Masters work at MSU with Doug Landis, where I examined native Michigan plants and non-native plants for their attractiveness to natural enemy insects, with the goal of increasing natural enemy populations and enhancing the effectiveness of pest insect biological control in crop, orchard, vineyard, and gardening systems. Those findings are currently being built on in a project in Central Asia, as well as in a current NRI grant that members of the Landis and Isaacs labs are collaborating on at MSU (click here for a copy of my CV).

My husband Jake and I create monthly podcasts on insects, which can be listened to or downloaded at www.insectapodcast.com. I also enjoy working in the Bug House on the MSU campus, where I have the opportunity to share the world of insects with visitors of all ages. Personal interests include teaching and practicing a fusion fitness exercise called Nia and spending time in the outdoors. I enjoy knitting and spinning yarn, and occasionally visit the Reach Studio Art Center in Reo Town, Lansing, where I play with clay.

Megan Woltz: I am broadly interested in how landscape complexity influences insect dispersal. From a practical perspective, I am examining how landscape complexity and composition impact the abundance and diversity of natural enemies of soybean pests, and how this in turn affects biocontrol services in soybean fields. Furthermore, I am investigating the potential to augment background levels of biocontrol services by providing natural enemies with additional food and habitat resources in the form of native perennial strips. If effective, such native plant strips can be used to lessen pesticide-dependency in field crops (click here for a copy of my CV).

As a proud North Carolinian, I take ACC basketball seriously. I also love to read, exercise, hike, and watch my cat chase things

I worked on my BS and MS at California State University, Fresno. My BS is in Organismic Biology and my MS in Biology. I have a very broad background but because of my love for SCUBA diving I have taken a number of Marine Science courses, I am even a certified Scientific Research Diver accredited by the American Association of Underwater Scientists. I thought that Marine Science would be my future until the first time I saw an insect under a microscope. I can still remember it vividly, a beautiful asilid fly with huge compound eyes, a massive needle for a mouth and golden hairs over most of the body; I simply had to know what it was. That was about six years ago and the rest is history. I few internships working on ants charted the course for my MS and my Master’s research focused on intraspecific variation in the ant Tapinoma sessile (Say, 1836), the most widely distributed ant in the United States.

I was born and raised in California, the greatest state in the country. California has it all: mountains, deserts, rivers, the ocean, and forests galore. Being an avid outdoorsman there is always something to do outside. I grew up on the beach in Southern California in Orange County (nobody that lives there calls it the OC) but didn’t really spend time in the ocean until I started to dive. SCUBA diving has taken me to a number of the most beautiful dive sites in the world but Honduras and Fiji stand out as two of my favorites. After high school I joined the Army and am glad I did not join the Marines. It was after my service that I went to college. In addition to diving I enjoy reading, going to the gym, and going to concerts. My great passion is riding my road bike and I have recently begun riding track at a nearby velodrome. I lived in France for a while last year and was fortunate enough to see the prologue for Paris-Nice and I was at the velodrome in Roubaix when O’Grady won Paris-Roubaix.