Name: J. Megan Woltz Hometown: Afton, NC Degree: Ph.D. Candidate in Entomology & Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University Dissertation advisor: Professor Doug Landis, Department of Entomology, MSU Graduate Research Focus: As a landscape agroecologist, I am primarily interested in understanding how landscape heterogeneity influences the provision of ecosystem services in agroecosystems. In other words, I want to know how the way we design the landscapes around us affects things that we humans care about, such as clean water, wildlife habitat, and air
Graduate Student Spotlight – Megan Woltz
KBS LTER Graduate Fellowships for 2013
The KBS LTER Graduate Fellowship provides stipend support ($30,000) plus tuition and fees for one year beginning each May. Additional funds (up to $5,000) are available for travel and meeting expenses. The fellowship is open to prospective graduate students or current MSU PhD students who are interested in or currently conducting research in association with the KBS Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) Program (lter.kbs.msu.edu ). For more details click here >>.
LTER Math Science Partnership in its final year
For the last five years, KBS K-12 Partnership teachers have been participating in a unique program that involves teachers, scientists, and educators at four LTER sites around the country. The goal is to promote environmental science literacy through the frame of learning progressions. In other words, the project has conducted research about how students make sense of important environmental issues and used that research to help teachers work more effectively with their students about these issues. This program – the LTER Math Science Partnership (MSP) – is a collaboration between four LTER
Nature paper highlights KBS LTER long-term data sets
KBS LTER scientists published a paper in the journal Nature today showing how lands that are unsuited for food crops - called marginal lands - can help to meet our nation's alternative energy production goals. By using over 20 years of KBS LTER data, coupled with innovative modeling techniques, the researchers documented that marginal lands can contribute greatly to transportation energy needs while providing climate and conservation benefits. Read more about this research from MSU News and from the National Science Foundation.
KBS LTER participates in Carbon, Energy and Climate Conference
Last fall, the KBS LTER had an exciting opportunity to collaborate with the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, or NCR-SARE, program to address issues related to agriculture and global change. An extensive, 2 ½ day Carbon, Energy and Climate Conference was held on September 26-28, 2012 at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS). NCR-SARE is organizing a two-year professional development and training initiative around carbon, climate and energy issues, and September’s conference launched the initiative. One-hundred and thirty-three speakers and participants
KBS GK-12 Fellowship Announcement for 2013-2014
The KBS GK-12 Bioenergy Sustainability Project is accepting applications for graduate student fellowships for 2013-14. This graduate training project is funded by grant from the NSF Division of Graduate Education. Fellowships are intended for students who have completed at least their first year of graduate coursework.
KBS LTER scientist interviewed following Gov. Synder’s visit to KBS
KBS LTER scientist Steve Hamilton was interviewed after Michigan's Governor Rick Synder visited the Kellogg Biological Station today to address the state on energy and the environment "Gov. Rick Snyder's speech on energy and the environment was on the "net positive side of the ledger" and "overall good" according to Steve Hamilton, a professor of aquatic ecology at Michigan State University's Kellogg Biological Station in Hickory Corners. Snyder delivered his address on energy and the environment Wednesday morning at the biological station, laying out how he wants the state to move with its
KBS LTER scientist wins photo contest
This September, hundreds of LTER scientists from around the world gathered in Estes Park, CO for the 2012 All Scientists Meeting (ASM). Over 750 LTER scientists, staff, and students were in attendance. ASM wasn’t all work and no play. In addition to the engaging plenary talks and working group sessions, participants took part in fun-filled activities, including trivia and photo contests. Dr. Sarah Placella, a research associate from the KBS LTER, was the overall winner of the ASM Photo Contest. With the help of KBS LTER graduate student Leah Harris, along with LTER colleagues from sites
KBS LTER and Malawi partnership addresses food security
The W.K Kellogg Biological Station Long-term Ecological Research (KBS LTER) program of Michigan State University (MSU) is partnering with the University of Malawi (UNIMA) in southeast Africa on a new project. The goal is to address Malawi’s agricultural development and food security, two pressing domestic policy issues in a country relying heavily on agriculture. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) cooperated to launch a new funding program; Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER). As a competitive grant
New website on agriculture and ecology provides user-friendly access, resources
Hickory Corners, Mich. – Making agricultural ecology research information more accessible to its stakeholders and the interested public is the aim of the newly launched Michigan State University (MSU) Kellogg Biological Station Long-term Ecological Research (KBS LTER) program website. “We redesigned the site in order to better share our research, education and outreach efforts with a growing mix of stakeholders in Michigan and across the country,” said Julie Doll, KBS LTER Outreach and Education Coordinator. “The new site is designed to serve agricultural professionals, K-16 educators, and