GRADUATE STUDENTS

MADELEINE TANDA: Maddie is interested in how environmental stressors such as ocean acidification and temperature change affect the structure of ecological communities and the traits of the component species, and how the consequences of trait changes in affects species interactions. She is exploring how traits vary in a core group of species (limpets) along environmental gradients,  She is also planning experiments that manipulate ocean acidification to explore how changing traits of marine species may shape the broader community through changes in habitat structure and ecosystem productivity, and has been exploring our long-term biological and environmental data series to test for signals of evolutionary responses in species interactions and their implications. Publications that involved work done while a student at U of Chicago include:

Tanda, M., and E. Deal. 2023. Digest: Ecological and life-history drivers of avian skull evolution. Evolution 77:2530-2531.

POSTDOCS

LEO CHAN GASKINS: Leo is a David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellow, who is co-advised by Cathy Pfister, Stephanie Beilke (Audubon Great Lakes) and Sarah Saunders (National Audubon). Leo is broadly interested in how animals impact ecosystems through consumption and ecosystem engineering, and how this knowledge can inform ecological management and restoration. His project is studying the role of muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) in creating habitat through their lodge-building activities, which add both physical structure to marshes, and add openings in the marsh vegetation. Working in collaboration with the Audubon Great Lakes, he is testing ways to implement artificial muskrat dens in marshes and exploring how these can be used to improve marsh bird diversity and conservation in freshwater marshes.