GLOBES Fellows
Cohort 4
The GLOBES program is pleased to announce the fourth cohort of GLOBES fellows who begin their PhD program of studies in Fall of 2009.
- Dan Castillo
- Matt Cooper
- George Kennedy
- Jennifer Lozano
- Nolan Noble
- Lindsey Sargent
- Cameron Turner
- Courtney Wiersema
Cohort 4 (Fall 2009)
Dan Castillo
Theology
Dan graduated from the University of Florida in 2002 with a BA in History. During the following years, he taught social studies at an alternative high school in East St. Louis, IL and lived as part of a Catholic Worker community in St. Louis, MO. In the spring of 2009, Dan earned his MA in Systematic Theology from Washington Theological Union. His master’s thesis articulates a Catholic understanding of the human vocation and considers that vocation in light of Christ and the whole of creation. At Notre Dame, Dan hopes to continue his work in “environmental theology” and connect this work with the insights of liberation theology. He believes that the focus of the GLOBES program mirrors his own theological interests and is excited to work with GLOBES to further consider the relationship between the marginalization of the poor and the destruction of the environment.
Matt Cooper
Biological Sciences
Matt received his bachelor’s degree in 2002 from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. From 2002 to 2009 Matt was employed at the Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) of Grand Valley where he held research assistant and laboratory manager positions. At AWRI, Matt also completed his master’s degree which investigated the relationship between Great Lakes nearshore hydrology and carbon cycling and the influence of primary productivity in structuring coastal wetland fish communities. While at AWRI, Matt also conducted research on the response of stream and wetland fauna to various human-derived stressors, the distribution of an invasive fish in Great Lakes nearshore habitats, and he worked on developing coastal wetland bioassessment tools. At Notre Dame, Matt hopes to expand his research not only to new systems, but also to new audiences in an effort to address humanity’s increasing demand on freshwater resources. Matt feels that the GLOBES program is an exciting opportunity to integrate science into some of the pressing societal decisions of our day.
While not working, Matt enjoys traveling and spending time with his family as well as doing just about any activity that gets him outside, preferably on the water.
George Kennedy
Biological Sciences
George received his bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Davis (UCD) in early 2009. While pursuing his undergraduate degree at UCD, George began working as a research assistant in a Soil Microbial Ecology laboratory under the direction of Dr. Kate Scow and Dr. Krassimira Hristova. Here George had the opportunity to begin an investigation on how the presence of triclosan and triclocarban, two common antibacterial compounds, effect levels of tetracycline resistance genes in microbial communities. Also under the direction of Dr. Scow, George participated in another study which involved using molecular techniques to characterize microbial communities important to the anaerobic degradation of the gasoline additive methyl tert butyl ether (MTBE).
As a PhD student at Notre Dame George plans to continue working in the molecular biology field but now with an emphasis on infectious disease. He is most interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms behind microbial pathogenesis. George also sees GLOBES as a valuable supplement to his own doctorate work as it will give him solid experience in tackling public health issues from a multitude of disciplinary directions.
If he's not working or studying, George is probably spending time watching a baseball game or playing drums in a pipe band.
Jennifer Lozano
Biological Sciences
Jennifer received her bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Pittsburgh in 2006. During her undergraduate career she studied riparian ecology. Her work describes a forested riparian zone by investigating variation in habitat features, such as slope and available sunlight, and their relationship to the variation in understory plant community composition. Since riparian areas are ecotones where bodies of water and terrestrial communities have decreasing effects on each other further from the water’s edge, their boundaries can be difficult to delineate. This can make protection of these vital ecosystems difficult. Her work describes how habitat features can be used along with herbaceous indicator plants to determine riparian boundaries.
At Notre Dame, Jennifer plans to study ancient plant communities using paleoecological methods. She will study how global changes, such as increasing carbon dioxide and climate change, are driving changes in forest communities over long periods of time. She will also investigate how the changing genetic structure of plant populations over time affects entire ecosystem processes, including carbon sequestration and soil accretion.
While not working, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family, exploring sunny South Bend, hiking, biking, photography, and plant identification.
Nolan Noble
Economics & Econometrics
Nolan joins GLOBES after working as a research assistant for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), headquartered in London, England. Prior to this Nolan received his MS in Economics from the University of Warwick located in Coventry, England in 2008. Prior to obtaining his Master’s Nolan received his BA in Social Cognitive Sciences with an emphasis in Economics with Honors from the University of California at Merced in 2007.
At the University of Warwick, Nolan authored his Master’s thesis on the effects of health policies on educational attainment. That study found that enacting a drinking age of twenty-one significantly reduced enrollments in higher education in a state by five-percent. This effect remained when state-border effects, panel fixed effects, and robust standard errors were added. Nolan hopes to continue his foray into health research from an economic perspective as a GLOBES fellow. He also hopes to extend his research into environmental topics, including expanding the existing literature on pollution’s effect on health.
On the off chance that he is not studying or researching, you may find Nolan trying out new recipes in the kitchen, reading a Terry Brooks novel, or catching the latest film at the cinema.
Lindsey Sargent
Biological Sciences
Lindsey received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Wellesley College in 2004. During the course of her undergraduate education, she had the opportunity to study ecology in a wide variety of ecosystems. She enjoyed the time she spent outside the US, studying sustainable development in Kenya and grey whale behavior in the coastal bays of western Mexico. Lindsey also participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates opportunity at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. There she conducted an experiment that involved mimicking natural odor plumes to test social and food odor tracking behavior in the American lobster.
In 2009, Lindsey received a master’s degree in Ecology from the University of Georgia. Her master’s research focused on a crayfish invasion in southwest Georgia streams. She found that an invasive crayfish in the Flint River displaces native crayfish in areas with warmer water. Water temperature is likely to have increased in recent years due to the installation of upstream dams and human withdrawals of groundwater for agriculture. Lindsey plans to continue studying species invasions for her PhD research, through examination of rusty crayfish in lakes. As a GLOBES fellow, she hopes to connect the ecological traits and conditions that allow invaders to be successful as well as human dimensions of species invasions.
While not working, Lindsey enjoys kayaking, mountain biking, and working in her vegetable garden.
Cameron Turner
Biological Sciences
Before joining the GLOBES program at Notre Dame, Cameron worked as a fisheries biologist for a research and consulting firm in California. This applied experience in conservation and management of Pacific salmonids was preceded by several years of basic research in ecology and evolution. While completing a BS in Integrative Biology at Brigham Young University (2004) Cameron used molecular markers to study speciation processes of lizards in Patagonia. For his MA in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Indiana University (2007) he used comparative phylogenetic methods to investigate the evolution of communication behavior in Amazonian electric fish.
As a GLOBES fellow Cameron will work on developing and applying genetic monitoring tools to study invasive species and threatened populations in aquatic habitats. Population monitoring often provides the foundation for management decisions, and only accurate, timely data can lead to efficient and effective policies. Genetic methods increasingly provide the best approach for obtaining such data while also facilitating basic research into the mechanisms underlying population dynamics. Cameron is excited to interact with diverse perspectives through the GLOBES program and thereby integrate his research into broader social objectives.
In addition to his professional activities, Cameron enjoys working and playing with his family, participating in his church community, and surviving epic outdoor adventures that combine whitewater, fishing, snorkeling, and canyoneering – feel free to contact him with any ideas!
Courtney Wiersema
History
Courtney received her BS in History from Bradley University (Peoria, IL) in 2009. Her undergraduate thesis, a study of the tallgrass prairie in Illinois, demonstrated how gender identities can alter the way humans perceive landscapes and resources.
Though Courtney’s research interests are still evolving, she hopes to examine the history of the bioregions found in the Middle West. In particular, she is interested in the environmental changes associated with Euroamerican settlement and agricultural practices in the nineteenth century. This critical era in midwestern history sets the stage for many modern ecological problems, including the disappearance of wetlands and the loss of species diversity. A dissertation that appropriately addresses these issues will require interdisciplinary research in the GLOBES spirit, blending cultural, legal, economic, and ecological studies.
When not studying, Courtney enjoys watching movies, playing sports and board games, and cheering on the Bears and White Sox.
GLOBES Fellows in the Field
List of Cohort I Fellows
List of Cohort II Fellows
List of Cohort III Fellows
List of GLOBES Faculty