GLOBES Fellows
Cohort 5

The GLOBES program is pleased to announce the fifth cohort of GLOBES fellows who begin their PhD program of studies in Fall of 2010.

Cohort 5 (Fall 2010)

Jennifer Carroll

Biological Sciences

Jennifer CarrollJen Carroll received dual Bachelors of Science in Zoology and Environmental Sciences and Management as an Alumni Distinguished Scholar at Michigan State University. While attending MSU, Jen studied the play behavior of hyena cubs and conducted research with Alaska's Department of Fish and Game on the marbled murrelet. She also pursued her passion for international travel by studying tropical biodiversity in Panama, film and culture in Ireland, earth system science in Antarctica, and European Security in Belgium. Following graduation, she taught third grade for Americorps at a mission school in northern New Mexico. Jen then attended Duke University for her Master of Environmental Management with a concentration in Environmental Economics and Policy. While at Duke, she was a research assistant for the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and focused on climate change policy options.

Jen's research interests center on the nexus of science and policy. She plans to develop decision support systems that help policymakers incorporate science into their planning process with a focus on climate change adaptation policy. She is currently working on how the regulatory landscape will affect species movement.

During her spare time, Jen can be found obsessing over Duke basketball and Notre Dame football. She also enjoys camping, hiking, and rowing.

Kerri Citterbart

Biological Sciences

Kerri CitterbartKerri graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2008 with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Anthropology. During her time as an undergraduate, she had the opportunity to work on research projects on the effects of cyclone damage on rainforest regrowth in northeastern Australia and on wood duck population and reproduction in North Carolina.

After graduation, Kerri took a series of seasonal positions working with different animal groups in different ecosystems teaching the public and school groups about ecology and the need for conservation. Her favorite aspect was getting children interested in the world of science, which eventually led her to pursue research of her own. She is excited about re-entering academia and beginning work on her own project involving the trophic cascades of waterfowl.

When she is not working, Kerri enjoys playing music, dancing, hiking, serving at her church and various other activities.

Rachel Hesselink

Biological Sciences

Rachel HesselinkRachel received her bachelors in Biology from Calvin College (Grand Rapids, MI) in 2010.  While at Calvin she did research in restoration ecology at the Pierce Cedar Creek Institute (Hastings, MI) on the physiological competitiveness of the invasive plant Autumn Olive.  She also researched carbon cycling in restored forests at the Chicago Botanic Garden (Glencoe, IL).  In addition to summer research, Rachel studied sustainable communities and ecosystems in New Zealand and winter streams in Northern Michigan.

At Notre Dame Rachel hopes to expand her interest in ecophysiology to the evolutionary history of salt marsh ecosystems in order to model past and future changes in marsh plant populations as global change occurs.   She is also interested in the connections between faith and science, and as a GLOBES fellow hopes to explore those tensions within the context of the salt marsh study. 

When not in the lab, Rachel can be found working in her garden, cooking vegetarian food, helping out with her church’s youth group, and dreaming of future travels to faraway places.

Amy Klegarth

Biological Sciences

Amy KlegarthAmy received her B.A. in Biology from Lafayette College in 2009. During her undergraduate studies she worked on research projects on amphibian and reptile gut morphology utilizing SEM, ELISA, and tissue histology. Additionally, her senior year she interned at the Lehigh Valley Zoo and worked on a research project on raptor physiology and behavior. Following graduation, Amy worked for Connective Tissue Gene Tests (CTGT), a genetic testing company specializing in connective tissue mutation detection. The experience she gained in genetics through CTGT lead to her interest in applying genetics to the study of non-human primate behavior.

While pursuing her Ph.D. at Notre Dame, Amy hopes to explore how non-human primate behavior relates to disease transmission, not only within species, but between non-human primates and the human beings that they come in contact with. Through genetic analysis, we can better understand how patterns of dispersal are linked to patterns in disease spread. GLOBES will allow her to explore in greater depth the implications of human societal behaviors on the likelihood that disease may be transmitted from non-human primates to human beings in regions where there is a high rate of contact between the two.

Additionally, she is excited to incorporate the study of policy and conservation through GLOBES to supplement her studies of population genetics and disease ecology.

Outside of the lab and classroom Amy spends time with her horse, Hercules, and enjoys reading, kayaking, and gardening.

See Amy's blog on urban primatology research http://twogirlsandsomemonkeys.tumblr.com/

Alex (AJ) Reisinger

Biological Sciences

Alex ReisingerAJ received his BS in Environmental Sciences from the University of Notre Dame in 2008. While at Notre Dame he studied the effects of timber harvest on the utilization of salmon-derived nutrients in Southeast Alaska. AJ then went on to receive his MS from Kansas State University in 2010 studying prairie stream biogeochemistry. While in Kansas, AJ studied how expansion of woody plants in naturally grassy prairies affects denitrification in riparian and benthic zones of headwater prairie streams, finding that the removal of woody vegetation stimulated both riparian and benthic denitrification. He also performed a study that measured the effect of a grazing minnow on ecosystem recovery from a flood, in which he found that structural and functional recovery of prairie streams is stimulated by macroconsumers and elevated nitrogen loadings. AJ is most interested in the relationships between watershed land-use and stream biogeochemistry, specifically nitrogen cycling.

At Notre Dame, AJ plans to continue his study of stream nutrient transformations by participating in a multi-institutional study of nitrogen and phosphorous spiraling in large rivers located in different regions of the United States. AJ finds GLOBES to be a tremendous opportunity, as one of his main research goals is to be able to interact with citizens, land-managers, and other stake-holders in order to improve water quality.

If you see AJ out of the field/lab, it is likely you’ll find him at a baseball game (Go Indians and Silverhawks!), playing a pick-up game of football, baseball, or volleyball, hiking, fishing, or checking out a local band. He also enjoys travelling the world, but currently is lacking in both time and money…

Sheri Sanders

Biological Sciences

Sheri SandersBefore joining the GLOBES program at Notre Dame, Sheri received two Bachelor of Science degrees from Michigan State University, one in Zoology and one from the Lyman Briggs College in Environmental Science and Management. While at MSU, she had the chance to study abroad in Kenya to study the behavior of African mammals and in Panama to study reptile ecology. She also played a significant role in the MSU Herp Club, organizing and participating in community outreach and elementary education programs centered around reptiles and amphibians in the ecosystem and pet trade.

Sheri finished her Master of Science in Biology at the University of Texas at Tyler where she studied the ecology, morphology, and molecular phylogenetics of a southwestern subgroup of map turtles (Graptemys). This group has poorly resolved evolutionary relationships, but in using combined analyses, Sheri was able to identify a candidate for elevation to species status as well as clarify some of the relationships within the group. Sheri is currently interested in ecological genomics and phylogenomics and hopes to continue working on turtles for a while longer in conjunction with the Painted Turtle Genome Project. Sheri sees the GLOBES program as an important opportunity to integrate the normally inaccessible field of genomics into the community.

In her (limited) free time, Sheri enjoys hiking, exploring the small towns in the South Bend area, running with her Australian Cattle Dog, and occasionally enjoying B-rated creature features.

Mary Swanson

History

Mary SwansonMary received Bachelor and Master degrees in History from Colorado State University in 2007 and 2009, respectively.  At CSU, she investigated how ideas about gender impacted early environmental reform in the United States.  In particular, Mary examined the controversy  surrounding the establishment of Mesa Verde National Park in 1906.  In the paper titled “‘Let It Be a Woman’s Park’: Gender, National Identity, and the Establishment of Mesa Verde” at UCLA’s 2009 Thinking Gender Conference, Mary argued that turn of the century understandings of gender and nature prevented the Colorado Cliff Dwellings Association, a women’s club and the original protectors of Mesa Verde, from determining park policy. After graduating, she spent a year teaching U.S. History courses at Front Range Community College in Fort Collins, Colorado.

At Notre Dame, Mary plans to continue studying how peoples’ cultural conceptions shape their individual and collective understanding of nature. She is especially interested in the relationships women have forged with the environment and how women have transformed their surrounding landscapes. Another research focus is how environmental knowledge is disseminated between and among men and women. She is very excited about joining the GLOBES community and looks forward to learning from her colleagues in other disciplines.

When not in class or some basement archive searching through microfilm, Mary can usually be found running, reading, or cooking delicious food.

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