You may view these archived articles about members of the Department of Ecology and activities. By clicking on the publisher's name, you will link to that website, or by clicking on the title you will find a black and white *.pdf of the article.
Dr. Andrea Litt, Assistant Professor in the Ecology Department, and her doctoral advisor, Dr. Robert Steidl, were selected by The Wildlife Society as recipients of the Wildlife Publications Award - Outstanding Monograph, for "Interactive effects of fire and nonnative plants on small mammals in grasslands." Wildlife Monographs 176:1-31. The formal announcement and presentation of the award occurred during the society's Award Ceremony on October 15th during their 19 Anual Conference in Portland, Oregon. Congratulations!
KXLF news coverage has included a story about The Jack Creek Preserve Foundation land and conservation education center near MSU. This nonprofit group is opening up 4,600 acres of land to MSU students and faculty for use as a natural laboratory. Dr. Bob Garrott, Department of Ecology and Director of the Fish and Wildlife Management Program in the department, has been a leader in working with Scott Fossel, the treasurer of the foundation and multiple MSU departments.
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Dr. Wigganson Matandiko has completed his first year as a PhD student in the Department of Ecology. The former ZAWA Head of Veterinary Services was awarded the prestigious Fulbright scholarship in 2011. Wigganson is co-advised by MSU Professor Dr. Scott Creel and ZCP CEO Dr. Matt Becker, affiliate assistant professor, and his research focus is on large mammal predator-prey dynamics and disease ecology in Zambia. In addition to his Fulbright Dr. Matandiko is supported through the National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of an initiative evaluating the direct and indirect impacts of large carnivores on ecosystems and the effects of carnivore removal. Zambian Carnivore Programme Quarterly Newsletter, 1st July 2012, includes additional information about the research program and connections to MSU. |
"The Madison" newspaper featured the research of Jan Boyer, a graduate student ih the CooperativeFisheries Research unit of the Department of Ecology on May 17. Her study is part of the effort to understand the life cycle of native Mountain Whitefish and monitor their population with cooperation from fishermen.
The Department of Ecology was very well represented at the Montana Chapter of The Wildlife Society Meetings in Great Falls this past spring semester. This was one of the best years we have ever had for participation. There were approximately 30 undergraduate and graduate students attending as well as 3 faculty. Fourteen oral presentations on the schedule were from our department participants. These included one faculty member, undergraduates, current MS and PhD students, and recently graduated BS students. Four graduate students also presented posters. Eleven current Ecology Department faculty were coauthors on these presentations as well as one emeritus faculty.
Our department received a significant portion of students awards:
Best undergraduate student presentation: Elizabeth Flesch
Best MS graduate student presentation: Megan O'Reilly
Best poster presentation: Daniel Bachen
Best poster presentation: Shana Dunkley
Elizabeth Flesch was presented the Montana Chapter's Annual Wynn Freeman Award during the conference.
Dan Bachen also won a research scholarship sponsored Counter Assault, a company that manufactures bear spray products.
Dr. Robert Garrott, faculty sponsor, was enthusisastic about the participation. "Everyone had a great time, was informed and inspired by the speakers and presentations, and made lots of professional connections. Many thanks to all the faculty that helped make this a great event for our students and encouraged your students to participate. This meeting is the highlight of the academic year for most students who participate and it is great for our department to be so well represented at this conference which was attended by over 200 natural resource professionals and academics from Montana and the surrounding region. Many thanks to the Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society officers who did the lion's share of logistics organization to get everyone to the meetings and to all the department faculty."
Dan Bachen with Prof. Andrea Litt |
Elizabeth Flesch with Prof. Bob Garrott |
Megan O'Reilly |
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Thank you to the Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society for providing these photos! |
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The Bozeman Chronicle featured the research of Dr. Robert Garrott, director of the Fish and Wildife Ecology and Management Program, in the OutThere section in February. This research is helping to address the concern that introduced mountain goatsmay threaten native bighorn sheep in ecosystems surrounding Yellowstone National Park. You may want to follow this link for a brief uTube video about the project: http://www.gyamountainungulateproject.com/videos.html.
Forty top seniors and their faculty or staff mentors were chosen to be recognized with the 30th Annual Awards for Excellence. Elizabeth Flesch, Fish and Wildlife Management Option, from Bettendorf, Iowa, and Amanda Zellar, Organismal Biology Option, from Billings, MT, will be honored at the banquest sponsored by the MSU Alumni Foundation and the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, Feb. 21. Elizabeth selected Ecology professor, Dr. Robert Garrott, to attend as her mentor. The full list of students and their mentors is provided by MSU News Service with details about the presentation.
Gregg Treinish was recently recognized as one of "30 under 30" by the Christian Science Monitor as a "Modern Explorer" (p. 25). Gregg earned his second degree, the B.S. in Biological Sciences, Ecology and Evolution Option, from the Department of Ecology in 2010. In 2008 he was named "Adventurer of the Year" by National Geographic Society for his 7,800-mile trek of the Andes Mountains. He is making a difference with his Bozeman based organization, Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation. We are excited about his accomplishments. Larkin Guenther, who graduated with the same degree in December, 2011, has joined his staff as Executive Assistant. We encourage you to learn more about his organization.
TROUT U by Michael Becker for the College of Letters and Science Confluence Magazine(Volume 8) features the applied research of Tom McMahon. The Ecology Department's Fish and Wildlife Management Program, founded in 1936, has a strong partnership with state and federal agences for solving management problems such as whirling disease, interactions between native and non-native trout, and the effects of climate change on fish.
A four-year project to provide land managers in the country's federally managed lands with better information for addressing climate and land use changes has been "launched" by Andy Hansen. NASA remote-sensing data will be used to simulate how the ecosystems of two Landscape Conservation Cooperatives will change. (Confluence, Volume 8)
This fall Mariah Mayfield traveled to Washington, D.C. to present her work to officials from the EPA and other federal agencies. A master's degree student in the department, she received a 2010 EPA Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Graduate Fellowship to expand her study of trout numbers, habits and habitat. (Confluence, Volume 8)
MSU Fisheries scientists continue to montitor the ecological impact of the oil spill on the Yellowstone River in July. (Confluence, Volume 8)
Martha Potvin, who became MSU's new provost and vice president for academic affairs in 2011, is tenured in the Department of Ecology. (Confluence, Volume 8)
Several members of the department have volunteered to mentor students from Chief Joseph Middle School in Bozeman. These science students are preparing science fair projects for the state competition this spring. Their instructor, Brian McGeehan, explained that it has been an "amazing learning experience" for past participants, and students have placed 1st and 2nd in recent competition. The department would like to acknowledge and thank our volunteers: Adam Mitchell, M.S. in Biological Sciences candidate and Dan Bachen, M.S. in Fish and Wildlife Managment candidate, both with Dr. Andrea Litt, and Dr. Paul Cross, Affiliate Faculty from NOROCK of the USGS.
The 18th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society in Waikoloa, Hawaii, November 5-10, included presentations by two Department of Ecology graduate students. Brittany Mosher shared her Masters' thesis work in a talk titled, "Avian community response to a mountain pine beetle epidemic" in the Ecology and Habitat Relationships of Birds Session. The Wildlife Society has announced that Brittany has won the Student Presentation Award for this conference. She was also responsible for moderating the session. Britanny's thesis work is co-advised by Vicki Saab (USDA Forest Service) and Jay Rotella (Department of Ecology). Glenn Stauffer, PhD candidate with Jay Rotella, spoke on his research, "Temporary emigration of female Weddell seals prior to first reproduction," in the Population Dynamics of Mammals Session. Both students were recipients of $500 Student Research Travel Grants from the College of Letters and Science.
A team of graduate students, researchers, and faculty from the Department of Ecology have just returned from McMurdo, Antarctica. Professors Bob Garrott and Jay Rotella have been part of a team for many years who are studying the population ecology of Weddell seals. These seals raise pups in the area during the Antarctic spring. They are joined this year by PhD candidate, Thierry Chambert, two former undergraduates, Jesse DeVoe and Michael Yarnall, additional research technicians, Jessica Farrer and Darren Roberts, and video journalist, Mary Lynn Price. A pilot program is developing curricular activities with several Bozeman schools. You may follow their research experiences in two ways. This is the link to the blog: http://inmotion.typepad.com/weddell_seal_science/, and there is a link to the team's Weddell Seal Science webportal: http://weddellsealscience.com/.
Adam Mitchell, M.S. in Biological Sciences candidate with Dr. Andrea Litt, presented the abstract of his research at the 2011 Welder Wildlife Foundation Student Symposium in Texas on October 15. His research presentation was titled "Soil Modification as a Research Tool to Reduce Old World Bluestems."
Fall 2011 Department Awards The Ecology Department is pleased to announce the awarding of over $9,000 in awards on October 14
to recognize outstanding undergraduate and graduate students. All awards consist of a wall plaque and a
monetary award that can be used to offset tuition and fees. Congratulations to Joseph Naughton, Matthew F. Clow Memorial Award, Daniel Bachen, The Don C. Quimby Graduate Wildlife Research Scholarship, Cameron Clevidence, Madison-Gallatin Chapter of Trout Unlimited Undergraduate Fisheries Award, and Kris Homel, Jim Belsey Graduate Student Scholarship. Please use the link to read about the students and their achievements.
MSU fishery scientists to assess impact of oil spill, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle, July 6, 2011. Department of Ecology and the Montana Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit work with government agencies.
Study Trip to Thailand, Amanda Zellar, undergraduate student in the Organismal Biology option, was on of the students from MSU-Bozeman who took a study trip to Thailand this summer as the culmination of a spring honors class. The course explored basic principles of public health in Thailand and was taught by Dr. Wade Hill. Several photos from the trip are available on the MSU Family page.
Where's whitey? apparent decline in mountain whitefish has biologists concerned, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle, April 21, 2011. Chris Guy and Montana Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit helping to launch research efforts.
MSU team returns to "little slice of frozen Eden, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle, November 15, 2010. Features faculty and graduate student research in Antarctica.
Disease detectives: Bozeman lab on the front lines of wildlife disease research in Montana, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle, November 7, 2010. Photo features department undergraduate students Haley Knepper, Lauryn McDowell, and Ashlee Peery.
Water quality rafting trip attracts locals, tourists, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle, August 21, 2010. Features graduate student Leslie Piper.
Winter wheat duck nesting research gears up for second year, The Outdoor Wire, March 18, 2011. Features Brandi Skone and Jay Rotella research in the Dakotas.
