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Student Opportunities
 Students at all stages of their undergraduate and graduate academic pursuits are important contributors to our collaborative, inter-disciplinary research team that investigates effects of global change on plant and ecosystem processes. I encourage students to participate in all elements of research, including study design, data collection and analysis, and research presentation.
Student projects cover an array of topics and generally incorporate both field and laboratory research. Because of the diverse nature of our research, there is a great deal of flexibility in the questions students address (see below). Research may be conducted at several spatial scales, including cellular to ecosystem scales, and in a variety of habitats, from urban to wild.
Global change biology is an exciting field that is increasingly relevant as the human footprint grows in nearly every ecosystem. Consider contacting me to discuss how you might get involved in this important area of research, even if your interests extend beyond opportunities posted below. If you would like to learn more about our research, read our BioScience article.
NEW: View graduate student opportunty for the 2012-2013 academic year!
EXAMPLE STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES:
1) Carbon storage in forests of the future. The mixed deciduous forests of the upper
Midwest are approaching an ecological threshold in which early s uccessional dominant trees are reaching maturity and beginning to senesce, giving way to a canopy that is more species diverse and structurally heterogeneous. At the University of Michigan Biological Station, we are combining long-term carbon cycling measurements with a large-scale experimental manipulation to forecast how forest carbon storage will change in response to ongoing succession and disturbance, and to climate variation. Research is supported by a grant from the Department of Energy.
2) Urban carbon cycling and tree physiology. Human-dominated ecosystems often provide important services, including carbon storage. The cycling of  carbon in these ecosystems depends on complex interactions between humans and their natural environment together with inherent climate and physical gradients across urban landscapes. Projects are ongoing in the Richmond area that examine urban carbon cycling, plant community composition, and tree physiology. A new collaboration with Dr. Rodney Dyer is quantifying urban plant gene flow to surrounding populations outside of the City.
3) Land-use and disturbance effects on forest carbon storage at VCU's Rice Center. Research opportunities are available for students to investigate how forests at the Rice Center respond to present chronic nitrogen inputs, and historical anthropogenic disturbances. The research site (VCU's Rice Center) is in close proximity to VCU.
PAST STUDENT PROJECTS, many of which were award winning or resulted in co-authorship of publications and/or presentations:
Hunter Elliott; VCU; Undergraduate researcher; "Lawn soil carbon storage in abandoned residential properties" co-author of peer-reviewed paper
Abby Halperin; Oberlin University; Research Experience for Undergraduates; REU project: “Forest canopy heterogeneity and nitrogen availability maintain uptake of atmospheric carbon in a mature forest of the northern Great Lakes" co-author of presentation
Hunter Elliott; VCU; Undergraduate student; "Lawn soil carbon storage in abandoned residential properties: An examination of ecosystem structure and function following partial human-natural decoupling" co-author of peer-reviewed manuscript
Chris Wood; Ohio State University; Undergraduate student; Research topic: Prairie species and soil fertility effects on ecosystem function. Outstanding Poster Award, Lead author of presentation
Jennifer Herman; Ohio State University; Undergraduate student; Poster title: “Roots in the Prairie: Unraveling the belowground performance of native and non-native plant species in an experimental prairie restoration”. Outstanding Poster Award, Lead author of presentation
Charles Flower; Ohio State University; M.S. recipient; Thesis title: Seasonal carbohydrate allocation in big tooth aspen (Populus grandidentata Michx.) and northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) from northern lower michigan. co-author of peer-reviewed manuscript
Katie Harrold; Middlebury College; Research Experience for Undergraduates; REU project: “Forest management has long-term effects on soil carbon storage”. co-author of peer-reviewed manuscript, co-author of presentation
Kristen George; McCloud University; Research Experience for Undergraduates; REU project: “Microbial carbon dioxide flux from organic and mineral soils: Impacts of tree species composition and forest age”. co-author of peer-reviewed manuscript, co-author of presentation
Clare Kazanski; Middlebury College; Research Experience for Undergraduates; REU project: “The contribution of coarse woody debris to ecosystem respiration: laboratory measurements”. co-author of peer-reviewed manuscript, co-author of presentation
Laura Nagel; Allegheny College; Research Experience for Undergraduates; REU project: “The contribution of coarse woody debris to ecosystem respiration: field measurements”. co-author of peer-reviewed manuscript, co-author of presentation
Suparna Biswas; Ohio State University; M.S. recipient; Thesis title: “Coarse woody debris pools and fluxes in a northern deciduous forest, Michigan, USA”.
Claire Baldeck; Ohio State University; Research Experience for Undergraduates; REU project: “Effects of temperature and moisture on the efflux of carbon dioxide from litter”.
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