Disciplinary diversity shines bright among new cohort of IGC fellows in spring 2021
January 22, 2021
The Interfaces of Global Change IGEP welcomes 12 new Ph.D. fellows in Spring 2021. The incoming cohort holds the most diverse disciplinary representation to date for an IGC admissions cycle, representing 10 different departments and 5 colleges across the VT campus!
Meet our newest fellows:
Abigail Belvin
ENTOMOLOGY
Working with Dr. Sally Entrekin
Research interests: Interactions between riparian habitats and freshwater ecosystems; the impacts of land use change on aquatic environments with a focus on macroinvertebrates.
Namrata Shanmukh Panji
CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Working with Dr. Gabriel Isaacman-VanWertz
Research interests: Atmospheric chemistry, air quality, and atmospheric measurement techniques
Jordan Coscia
SCHOOL OF PLANT AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Working with Dr. Leighton Reid
Research interests: Grassland ecology, community ecology, ecological restoration, botany
Paul Risteca
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Working with Dr. Jeb Barrett
Research interests: Microbial and ecosystem ecology; effects of climate change on polar soil microbial communities and nutrient cycling
Stephanie Duston
FOREST RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
Working with Drs. Brian Strahm and Brian Badgley
Research interests: Soil biogeochemistry; soil organic matter and microbe dynamics; distribution and partitioning of soil organic matter through plant and microbial function
Brendan Shea
FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
Working with Dr. Francesco Ferretti
Research interests: Marine ecology; predator-prey dynamics; ecological role of sharks and the ecosystem consequences of their removal
Luke Goodman
BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
Working with Dr. Durelle Scott
Research interests: Watershed modeling focused on management and policy; climate change adaptation in the context of water resource management
Charles W. Sterling III
BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
Working with Dr. Leigh-Anne Krometis
Research interests: Private well water quality; Environmental Justice
Amanda Hensley
TRANSLATIONAL BIOLOGY, MEDICINE, AND HEALTH
Working with Dr. Kathy Hosig
Research interests: Public health implementation science, immunology and infectious disease, health equity for diverse, under-engaged, and rural populations
Irving Forde Upshur
BIOCHEMISTRY
Working with Dr. Chloé Lahondère
Research interests: Mosquito-plant interactions, entomology, behavioral ecology, ecophysiology
Bailey Howell
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Working with Dr. Josef Uyeda
Research interests: Urban evolution, phylogenetic comparative methods, macroevolution, trait adaptation
Tyler Weiglein
FOREST RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
Working with Drs. Brian Strahm and Kevin McGuire
Research interests: Terrestrial biogeochemistry, hillslope/catchment hydrology
