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Priti S. Dhabekar

Masters student (2009)

Master thesis “Investigations of root interactions of smooth brome (Bromus inermis) in response to different nutrient regimes”


Hetal Patel

Masters student (2009)

M.Sc. thesis “Root cooperation in strawberries: the role of  chemical signals”


Bendy

I came with a plant sample from River Bend, Meadowlands and my lab life was good. Now I spend my days at The South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center. Come please visit me!


Dr. Nicholas Henshue

Ph.D. (2013-2017); currently Clinical Associate Professor, University at Buffalo

Dr. Nick Henshue has a B.S. in Environmental Education, Master’s in Biology, and Ph.D. in Ecology. Nick’s research entails earthworms in post-industrial soils — the way they are part of brownfield succession, and how earthworms could be beneficial to restoration ecology. He earned his Ph.D. in 2017 after a first ‘lifetime’ of teaching environmental science


Dr. Anthony Brusa

Ph.D. candidate (2010-2016); currently Postdoctoral Associate, University of Minnesota

Anthony received his PhD in 2016 for work on population genetics of high impact invasive plant species. His work takes a multidisciplinary approach, combining traditional ecology with modern molecular and computational techniques. He is currently a postdoc at the University of Minnesota, where he leads a team developing and verifying genetic markers for detection of


Dr. Megan Litwhiler

Ph.D. candidate (2009-2015); currently Program Manager for Advanced Learning Initiatives, Irving Institute for Energy and Society, Dartmouth College

Megan is fascinated by the unforeseen biodiversity our cities can harbor. Birds are one of the most ubiquitous of the non-human city-dwellers, and one of her very favorite contributors to biodiversity. Coupling her curiosity with urban nature and her penchant for Aves, she focused her dissertation research on an unexpected bird habitat – a polluted


Dr. Kimberly Plank

Ph.D. candidate (2010-2015); currently Biologist, Environmental Protection Agency

Dr. Kimberly Plank’s dissertation research investigated the ecological role of the root enzyme polyphenol oxidase in the invasive plant genus Bromus. She currently is a Biologist in the Technical Support Group at the United States Environmental Protection Agency, where she serves an advisory role for site and project managers to develop and implement remedies and mitigation strategies to


Carolyn Klaube

Research Technician 2010-2012; currently Stewardship Program Coordinator, Sourland Conservancy

Carolyn first started working with the Claus Holzapfel in the spring of 2010 at Liberty State Park.  She joined the Holzapfel lab in September 2010 and worked on the “desert flame” project in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts through August 2012.  During her time with the Holzapfel lab, Carolyn traveled back and forth across the


Dr. John Francois

Ph.D. (2006-2014), currently Life Science Portfolio Manager at Ward's Science/VWR

Ph.D. thesis “The effect of low level toxicants on growth and fitness of plants – a test of the hormesis effect”.


Dr. Marjolein Schat

Postdoctoral Associate (2011-2014), currently Biology and Environmental Science Adjunct Instructor, Tompkins Cortland Community College

Dr. Marjolein Schat worked on understanding and combating the impact of fire-enhancing non-native annuals in desert scrub while a postdoctoral associate in the Holzapfel lab. Currently she is an adjunct instructor in biology and environmental science at Tompkins Cortland Community College, an instructor with the Cornell Prison Education, and an instructor with Ithaca Teen Day.