Forestry
Advisor: Matthew Kelly
Friday, 11/22/2019 3:00 pm
Forestry G002
Formative Interests and Natural Resource Career Pathways Among Historically Underrepresented People
PhD Defense: Grace Parikh
Forest Science
Co-advisors: Christopher Webster and John Vucetich
Tuesday, 08/06/2019 9:00 am
Forestry G002
Spatiotemporal Trends in Winter Resource Use by White-Tailed Deer in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Roba Bdeir
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
I was fortunate enough to work with Dr. Oliver Gailing in Forestry as he introduced me to Forest Genetics. I have been under his supervision since 2012 and it has been quite a journey. I did my Masters along side working on my PhD research focusing on discovery the genetic basis controlling the development of wood and bark tissues in forest trees, aspen, characteristics important for breeding and the fitness of aspen trees. I went on filed sites collecting samples from over 3000 trees and ran a genome wide search to find the underlying regions responsible for growing a healthier, better disease resistant and faster growing trees.
I am grateful to the Graduate School for granting me the Finishing Fellowship for Fall 2018. I would also like to thank my advisors Dr. Oliver Gailing and Dr. Victor Busov for their academic advice and their constant support and encouragement. I am proud to be a part of Michigan Tech and can say I have made amazing and fond memories these past six years.
Recipients—Spring 2017
- Yunana Ahmed (Rhetoric, Theory and Culture PhD)
- Samer A. Alokaily (Mathematical Sciences PhD)
- Shiva S. Bhandari (Physics PhD)
- Sachin M. Bhosle (Mechanical Engineering PhD)
- Nicholas W. Bolton (Forest Science PhD)
- Kyle A. Brill (Geophysics PhD)
- Natasha I. Chopp (Data Science MS)
- Mustafa Gezek (Mathematical Sciences PhD)
- Pei Hou (Atmospheric Sciences PhD)
- Caoyang Jiang (Electrical Engineering PhD)
- Yiping Mao (Biological Sciences PhD)
- Chelsea J. Nikula (Chemistry PhD)
- Zichen Qian (Biomedical Sciences PhD)
- Amir Rezaei (Electrical Engineering PhD)
- Abbey J. Senczyszyn (Master of Business Administration)
- Ali Solouk (Mechanical Engineering PhD)
- Shuo Wang (Mechanical Engineering PhD)
- Dong Xia (Accounting MS)
- Wentao Yao (Mechanical Engineering PhD)
The Graduate School is pleased to announce new theses are now available in the J.R. van Pelt and Opie Library from the following programs:
- Applied Ecology
- Applied Natural Resource Economics
- Biological Sciences
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Forest Ecology and Management
- Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology
- Forestry
- Geology
- Industrial Archaeology
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Mathematical Sciences
- Mechanical Engineering
Sara Alian
Master of Science in Forestry
Advisor: Ann L Maclean
Thesis title: Assessment of Aspen and Northern Hardwoods Extent in Thirty Three Counties of Upper/Lower Michigan
Jeff Benjamin
Master of Science in Industrial Archaeology
Advisor: Susan R Martin
Thesis title: Sound as Artifact
Emily Bouckaert
Master of Science in Biological Sciences
Advisor: Nancy Ann Auer
Thesis title: Verifying Success of Artificial Reefs in the Huron-Erie Corridor for Lake Sturgeon
Wilbel Brewer
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
Advisor: Ching-An Peng
Thesis title: Induction of Microalgal Lipids for Biodiesel Production in Tandem with Sequestration of High Carbon Dioxide Concentration
Miles Corcoran
Master of Science in Biological Sciences
Advisor: Nancy Ann Auer
Thesis title: Factors Affecting Diporeia Growth Rates in Lake Superior
Carley Feese
Master of Science in Civil Engineering
Advisor: Yue Li
Thesis title: Assessment of Seismic Damage of Buildings and Related Environmental Impacts
Rachel Griesmer
Master of Science in Forest Ecology and Management
Advisor: Andrew John Storer
Thesis title: Beech Bark Disease Distribution and Resistance in Michigan and Fungal Endophyte Ecology of Resistant and Susceptible Beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.)
Yi Jiang
Master of Science in Mathematical Sciences
Advisor: Zhengfu Xu
Thesis title: Maximum Principle Preserving High Order Schemes for Convection-Dominated Diffusion Equations
Kokkada Pruthul Ravindranath
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: Gregory M Odegard
Thesis title: Molecular Modeling of PMR-15 Polyimide
Laura Matkala
Master of Science in Applied Ecology
Co-Advisors: Rodney A Chimner and Harri Tapani Vasander
Thesis title: Influence of Vegetation Removal and Altering Water Levels on CO2 Flux Rates of a Northern Bog
Sarah Menassian
Master of Science in Geology
Advisor: Simon Anthony Carn
Thesis title: Validation of a ‘Displacement Tomography’ Inversion Method for Modeling Sheet Intrusions
Xue Mi
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
Advisor: Caryn L Heldt
Thesis title: Electrospun Quaternized Chitosan Fibers for Virus Removal from Drinking Water
Alexander Michels
Master of Science in Geology
Advisor: Aleksey Victorovich Smirnov
Thesis title: Paleomagnetic Study of the Portage Lake Volcanics Exposed in the Quincy Mine
Sharil Patrale
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: Gregory M Odegard
Thesis title: Multiscale Modeling of Liquid Crystalline/Nanotube Composites
Parawee Pumwongpitak
Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering
Advisor: Stephen A Hackney
Thesis title: Dysprosium Transport in Nd-Fe-B Pellets
Haley Rupp
Master of Science in Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology
Co-Advisors: Chandrashekhar Pralhad Joshi and Bjorn Sundberg
Thesis title: Effects of Ethylene on Secondary Xylem Formation in Arabidopsis thaliana
Alistair Smith
Master of Science in Forest Ecology and Management
Co-Advisors: Erik Lilleskov and Helja-Sisko Helmisaari
Thesis title: The Role of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi on Fertilized and Unfertilized Nursery Grown White Spruce
Alexis Sullivan
Master of Science in Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology
Co-Advisors: Oliver Gailing and Maria R Garcia-Gil
Thesis title: Speciation with Gene-Flow in Eastern North American Red Oaks (Quercus section Lobatae)
Kouame Isaac Yao
Master of Science in Applied Natural Resource Economics
Advisor: Mark C Roberts
Thesis title: Is the U.S. Shale Gas Boom Having an Effect on the European Gas Market?
The Luc Hoffmann Institute pursues synthesis ideas that will deliver cutting edge results with a clear pathway to application for decision makers and civil society practitioners in WWF’s key focus areas. WWF focus areas can be broken into goals focused onpriority places and priority species, and goals focused on reducing human impact, or the human footprint. Many of these goals receive additional focus through WWF’s Global Initiatives.
Our next call for full proposals is JANUARY 5th, 2014. For this call, we are accepting proposal ideas across the full suite of WWF focus areas, with a particular focus on synthesis proposals relevant to the goals of WWF Global Initiatives, as well as proposals that explore trade-offs and consequences of alternative social, economic, and ecological futures in the greater Yangtze River area.
To allow enough time to make the next proposal deadline, we recommend that you send us your proposal ideas no later than December 1st, 2013.
If you have any questions related to our process, or in submitting your idea, please contact Emilie Cavallo at ecavallo@wwfint.org.
Proposal submission is a two-step process.
Step 1: Submit an idea
We want to hear from research professionals from any organization and geographic location. If you have a synthesis idea that fits into our areas of focus and that you think the Luc Hoffmann Institute should explore further, please submit your idea to us, in a 1-2 paragraph format at: submissions@wwfint.org.
In presenting your idea, please indicate how the work benefits both people and nature, and explain the relationship of the work to WWF conservation efforts. Research ideas that do not clearly state potential or actual WWF collaborators will not be considered.
Step 2
All synthesis ideas will be reviewed by the Luc Hoffmann Institute as they come in. When an idea appears to have strong alignment with WWF conservation goals and strategic potential for the Luc Hoffmann Institute, as well as a champion within WWF, we will ask the researcher who submitted the research idea to submit a full proposal, collaboratively, with at least one WWF staff member.
In producing the full proposal, the Research and WWF Lead will be expected to engage the WWF global network at the strategic and senior level, to identify the key questions at the heart of your research idea, and to identify the experts who should be part of your Collaborative Research Team.
The Graduate School is pleased to announce new theses are now available in the J.R. van Pelt and Opie Library from the following programs:
- Applied Ecology
- Chemical Engineering
- Forest Ecology and Management
- Forestry
- Mechanical Engineering
- Rhetoric and Technical Communication
Cagri Abis
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: Gordon G Parker
Thesis title: Kalman Filter Approaches on Crane Swing
Zainab Alshoug
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
Advisor: David R Shonnard
Thesis title: Production of Recombinant Trichoderma Reesei Endoglucanase Protein Cel7B by Using Kluyveromyces Lactis
Regina Baiden
Master of Science in Rhetoric and Technical Communication
Advisor: Sue Collins
Thesis title: The Celebrity Burden: Celebrity Campaigns in the Pursuit of Humanitarianism
Kyle Bordeau
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: Gordon G Parker
Thesis title: Agent Based, Distributed Control Strategies and Optimization of Plug-In Electric Vehicles on Smart/Microgrid Architectures
Shubham Borole
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
Co-Advisors: Gerard T Caneba and Tony Neal Rogers
Thesis title: Surfactant-Oil Interactions: Foaming & Toxicity
Keri Deneau
Master of Science in Forest Ecology and Management
Co-Advisors: Linda Marie Nagel and Jorg Brunet
Thesis title: The Effects of Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) on Understory Vegetation and Soils in a Northern Hardwood Forest
Tim Gebuhr
Master of Science in Forest Ecology and Management
Co-Advisors: Robert Edgar Froese and Michael J Falkowski
Thesis title: Applications of LiDAR Remote Sensing of Forest Structure in the Upper Great Lakes Region, USA
Adam Kantor
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: John E Beard
Thesis title: Implementation of a Variable Compression Ratio Mechanism in a Four Cylinder Engine
Cassandra Ott
Master of Science in Forest Ecology and Management
Advisor: Rodney A Chimner
Thesis title: Carbon in the Peatlands of the Great Lakes Region of North America
Aaron Poznanovic
Master of Science in Forest Ecology and Management
Co-Advisors: Michael J Falkowski and Ann L Maclean
Thesis title: Geospatial Analysis of Western Juniper (Juniperusoccidentalis) Encroachment Utilizing Remotely Sensed Data
Karl Romanowicz
Master of Science in Applied Ecology
Advisor: Erik Lilleskov
Thesis title: Plant-Mediated Effects on Microbial Diversity in Mesocosms of an Oligotrophic Bog
Mary Snyder
Master of Science in Forestry
Advisor: Catherine Sophia Tarasoff
Thesis title: Local Use and Management of Tasba (Senna obtusifolia) in the Traditional Food System of Sanguere Paul, North Cameroon
The School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science has honored four SFRES alumni. Francisca (Panchita) Paulete ’06 and Aaron M. Everett ’01 were named 2013 Outstanding Young Alumni. David Myrold ’77 received the School’s 2013 Outstanding Alumnus Award, and Jacob Hayrynen ’81 was inducted into the SFRES Honor Academy.
Paulete is a graduate of the Peace Corps Master’s International program at Michigan Tech. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Gambia, West Africa, from 2003 to 2005. She now is district planning and environmental coordinator for the Eugene District of the Bureau of Land Management in Oregon.
Read more about the alumni awards in Tech Today.
The Graduate School is pleased to announce new theses are now available in the J.R. van Pelt and Opie Library from the following programs:
- Applied Ecology
- Biological Sciences
- Chemical Engineering
- Chemistry
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Science
- Environmental Engineering
- Forest Ecology and Management
- Forestry
- Geological Engineering
- Geology
- Mechanical Engineering
Ruth Bennett
Master of Science in Applied Ecology
Advisor: Joseph Kelty Bump
Thesis title: Habitat Associations of the Golden-winged Warbler in Honduras
Howard Haselhuhn
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
Advisor: Surendra K Kawatra
Thesis title: The Role of Water Chemistry in the Concentration of Hematite Ore
Abhishek Jain
Master of Science in Geological Engineering
Advisor: Thomas Oommen
Thesis title: Sampling Bias in Evaluating the Probability of Seismically Induced Soil Liquefaction with SPT & CPT Case Histories
Lilli Kaarakka
Master of Science in Forest Ecology and Management
Co-Advisors: Andrew J Burton and Helja-Sisko Helmisaari
Thesis title: The Long-Term Effects of Whole-Tree Harvest at Final Felling on Soil Properties in a Norway Spruce(Picea abies(L) Karst.) Stand
Laura Kangas
Master of Science in Applied Ecology
Co-Advisors: Rodney A Chimner and Eeva-Stiina Tuittila
Thesis title: Restoration of Forested Wetlands: Case Studies in Michigan and Finland
Harriet King
Master of Science in Computer Science
Advisor: Charles Robert Wallace
Thesis title: Understanding “Just Enough” Computer Users: Motivation Style and Proficiency
Aditya Kumar
Master of Science in Environmental Engineering
Advisor: Shiliang Wu
Thesis title: Free Troposphere Ozone & Carbon Monoxide over the North Atlantic for 2001-2011
Robert Larson
Master of Science in Biological Sciences
Advisor: Jason Robert Carter
Thesis title: Sleep Deprivation and Pain Intensity
Jaime LeDuc
Master of Science in Biological Sciences
Advisor: W. Charles Kerfoot
Thesis title: Predator-Prey: Interactions Between the Spiny Waterflea(Bythotrephes longimanus) and Pumpkinseed Sunfish(Lepomis gibbosus)
Dustin Loveland
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: Jeffrey Donald Naber
Thesis title: Development of a Predictive Combustion Model of a Spark Ignited Engine with Gasoline Direct Injection, Variable Valve Timing, Duration and Lift Technologies
Bethany Lyons
Master of Science in Forest Ecology and Management
Advisor: Andrew J Burton
Thesis title: Nitrogen Deposition Effects on Production and Decomposition of Coarse Woody Debris
John Maass
Master of Science in Chemistry
Advisor: Rudy L Luck
Thesis title: Coordination Chemistry of BIS(Benzyl)Phosphate
Jonathan Malette
Master of Science in Forestry
Advisor: Blair D Orr
Thesis title: Assessing Land Use and Land Cover Change in Tropical Dry Forest of Northern Chinandega, Nicaragua from 1985 to 2011
Maira Maskevics
Master of Science in Computer Engineering
Advisor: Roger M Kieckhafer
Thesis title: Multimodal Performance and Reliability Analysis of the Pierre Auger Observatory Northern Site Communications System,
Kathleen McKee
Master of Science in Geology
Advisor: Gregory Phillip Waite
Thesis title: Using Auto- and Cross-Correlations from Seismic Noise to Monitor Velocity Changes at Villarrica Volcano, Chile
Lauren Schaefer
Master of Science in Geology
Advisor: Thomas Oommen
Thesis title: Geotechnical Data and Numerical Analysis of Edifice Collapse and Related Hazards at Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala
Daniel Smith
Master of Science in Geological Engineering
Co-Advisors: John S Gierke and Thomas Oommen
Thesis title: Stability Analysis and Hazard Assessment of the Northern Slopes of San Vicente Volcano in Central El Salvador
Luis Miguel Verissimo
Master of Science in Applied Ecology
Co-Advisors: Joseph Kelty Bump and Michael J Falkowski
Thesis title: Landscape and Forest Structure at Moose Mortality Sites on Isle Royale National Park: A LiDAR-Based Assessment
Aino Virtanen
Master of Science in Forestry
Co-Advisors: Audrey Lorraine Mayer and Anne Maarit Kristiina Toppinen
Thesis title: Managerial Perceptions on Corporate Social Responsibility: A Transatlantic Comparison between Forest Products Companies in Europe and North America
Zhichao Wang
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
Advisor: Wenzhen Li
Thesis title: Synthesis, Characterization and Electrochemical Applications of Nanostructured Non-precious Metal Catalysts
Andrew Wiegand
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Co-Advisors: Scott Andrew Miers and Jason R Blough
Thesis title: Conversion of a Micro, Glow-Ignition, Two-Stroke Engine from Nitromethane-Methanol Blend Fuel to Military Jet Propellant (JP-8)
Three other graduate students were also nominated for consideration. Jean DeClerck was nominated by her advisors, Dr. M. Ann Brady and Dr. Wendy Anderson of Humanities, and committee member Dr. Victoria Bergvall of Humanities. Nathan Kelley-Hoskins was nominated by his advisor, Dr. Petra Hüntemeyer of Physics. Andrew Orthober was nominated by his advisor, Dr. Carol MacLennan of Social Sciences. All of the nominations were noteworthy for their scholarship, and the evaluation panel had a difficult task in selecting one nominee to represent Michigan Tech.
The Dean’s Advisory Panel, representing each college or school at Michigan Tech, evaluated the nominees. The faculty on this panel represent a broad range of graduate programs: J. Gierke (Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences), S. Martin (Social Sciences), D. Flaspohler (School of Forestry Resources & Environmental Science), X. Wang (School of Technology) and G. Campbell (School of Business and Economics). Next year’s competition will consider applicants who have completed their degrees between October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2013. An application consists of an abstract of the thesis, recommendation letter from the advisor, and an electronic copy of the thesis. Please consider nominating your master’s students next year.