Molly Barrett, MS

Principal Investigator – Dr. Saunders

barret82@purdue.edu

Molly joins Purdue’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources from Northern Arizona where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in forestry with a minor in biology. Molly’s research is focused on regeneration response of oaks to prescribed fire and gap-based harvesting in the Central Hardwood Forest Region (CHFR).

Aziz Ebrahimi, PhD

Principal Investigator – Dr. Jacobs

aebrahi@purdue.edu

Azia is a PhD student at Purdue University, studying whole genome and genes related to cold tolerance in walnut and koa.  Aziz’s interest is in landscape genetics, phylogeny and evolution of tree species, and he has utilized genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics tools to address questions in that area of research.

Sayon Ghosh, PhD

Principal Investigator – Dr. Saunders

ghosh68@purdue.edu

Bradley Graham – PhD

Principal Investigator – Dr. Jenkins

graham40@purdue.edu

The primary objectives of Brad’s dissertation research are to quantify the carbon storage capacity of Central Hardwood Region forests by assessing remaining old-growth stands across the region and to investigate long-term changes in carbon storage reservoirs through repeated measurements.

Scott Gula, MS

Principal Investigators -Dr. Ginzel and Dr. Couture

sgula@purdue.edu

Host-plant interactions of long-horned beetles.

Alison Ochs, MS

Principle Investigator  – Dr. Saunders

ochs3@purdue.edu

She studies the short and long term effects of timber management on terrestrial salamanders. In particular, she focuses on the effects of prescribed fire, the different effects of clearcuts, shelterwood harvest, and uneven age management, and how far into surrounding forest such effects reach.

Brande (Bee) Overbey, PhD

Principal Investigator – Dr. Jacobs

overbey@purdue.edu

Bee’s research focuses on the role that birds play in forest restoration through seed dispersal, scatter hoarding, germination and pollination, and how to maximize the impact of these behaviors through our forest management strategies.

Minjee (Sylvia) Park, PhD

Principal Investigators – Dr. Couture and Dr. Jacobs

sylvia.park.1@purdue.edu

Minjee’s research is characterizing abiotic and biotic tree stress using hyperspectral information.

Sarah Rademacher, MS

Principal Investigator – Dr. Jenkins

srademac@purdue.edu

Sarah’s research will be studying the effects of overstory manipulation and the reintroduction of fire on oak regeneration within an oak-hickory woodland. Mesophication due to lack of fire on the landscape is encouraging shade tolerant species to thrive and oak regeneration to decline. This project assists in the understanding of how these land management techniques could benefit oak restoration in oak woodlands.

Summer Rathfon, MS

Principal Investigators – Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Woeste

srathfo@purdue.edu

Summer is a new graduate student this fall!

Benjamin (Ben) Rivera, MS

Principal Investigator – Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Meilan

river219@purdue.edu

Ben is originally from Oregon and graduated from Kalamazoo College with a degree in Biology and Environmental Studies.  Currently, Ben’s research focuses on the effect of honeysuckle removal on the surrounding ecosystem and the effectiveness of different strategies of removal in Indiana forests.

Kelsey Tobin, PhD

Principle Investigator – Dr. Ginzel

tobin6@purdue.edu

Geoffrey Williams, PhD – van Eck Scholar

Principle Investigator – Dr. Ginzel

will1809@purdue.edu

Geoff’s interests include forest biometrics, community ecology, and management, with a focus on forest health and fungal ecology. He is currently researching Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD), an emergent fungus-beetle complex which kills walnut (Juglans) trees when the fungal pathogen Geosmithia morbida is introduced to the inner bark by the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis). Specifically, he is looking at community interactions that may influence the severity of the disease and the physiological tolerance of G. morbida to stress such as desiccation of its substrate, e.g. dry walnut wood. You can learn more about Geoff’s past and current research on his website.

Recep (Rich) Yildiz, MS

Principle Investigator – Dr. Meilan and Dr. Woeste

ryildiz@purdue.edu

I am from Turkey and graduated from Karadeniz Technical University-Forest Engineering Department as a forest engineer, in Turkey, in 2012 . I will be studying on forest tree breeding and quantitative genetics.