I am a PhD candidate in Doug Landis' 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.

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. View CV.
Hear Anna's radio interview through the Big Blend magazine about working with native plants and beneficial insects.

My husband Jake and I create monthly podcasts on insects, which can be listened to or downloaded at www.insectapodcast.com. (View American Entomologist article about Insectapod.) 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.