Graduate Students
Present
Jason Aloisio, PhD student
Hometown: Shoreham, NY
Research Interests: Green roofs, sustainability, urban agriculture, and urban ecosystems.
Bio: Jason's love for ecology was nurtured in his youth as he progressed toward the rank of Eagle Scout. He majored in Biology at York College where he was Student Government President and earned the Biology Departments highest distinction for research. At Fordham, Jason has established the Fordham Urban Sustainability and Ecosystems (FUSE) initiative and constructed a multi-year agricultural rooftop experiment on a parking garage at the Rose Hill (Bronx) campus. Jason is also actively involved in developing Urban Ecology outreach materials for the World Conservation Society and Fordham University. Mentor: Lewis.
Beth Ansaldi, PhD student
Hometown: Groosse Pointe Farms, MI
Research Interests: Anthropogenic effects on ecosystems, pollination ecology, entomology, and climate change.
Bio: Beth received her undergraduate degree in Biology at Kalamazoo College of Michigan where she completed her senior's thesis on the effects of landscape context on local pollinator populations. A six-month Environmental Ecology program in Ecuador enabled her to undertake independent research in the Amazon rain forest as well as the Galapagos Islands. These undergraduate research experiences, based in entomology and ecology, inspired her interest in a continued education at Fordham. Beth's next project will involve research of rapid adaptive evolution in response to climate fluctuation under the advisement of Dr. Steve Franks. She is also interested in work with pollination ecology on local urban greenroofs in the New York City area. Mentor: Franks.
Rosalind Becker, MS student
Hometown: Wrentham, MA
Research Interests: Impact of soil nutrients on ectomycorrhizal fungal community structure along the urban-to-rural gradient.
Bio: Rosalind earned her Bachelor's degree in biology and environmental science at Colby College in Waterville, ME. After four years, she emerged from the backwoods of Maine to study ecology in a more urban setting. Before matriculating at Fordham, she worked at a Boston area environmental consulting firm and participated in a biodiversity study of the Boston Harbor Islands. She also spent two years working at San Francisco Baykeeper, implementing programs and fighting for policies to protect the water quality of San Francisco Bay. Now a Master's student at Fordham, Rosalind studies New York area forests and the impact of urbanization on soil microbial communities. Mentor: Lewis.
Rachel Bricklin, PhD Candidate
Hometown: Newton, MA
Research Interests: Migration, urban ecology, and anthropogenic effects on wildlife populations.
Bio: For her dissertation research, Rachel is studying stop-over biology of migratory birds in the New York City area. Since the spring of 2010, she has analyzed stress levels and monitored night flight calls of migrants. This spring (2011), she began to quantify habitat use as well. Prior to attending Fordham, she received a Masters degree in Ecology and Organismal Biology at Eastern Michigan University. For her Masters Thesis, she studied the physiology and behavior of a population of evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis) at the northern edge of their range. Mentor: Clark.
Alison Cucco, MS student
Hometown: Finesville, NJ
Research Interests: Effects of urbanization on nitrogen cycling and ecosystem functioning.
Bio: Alison grew up in a small town in rural New Jersey. After high school, she traveled throughout Europe and taught English in South and Central America. During that time, Alison became interested in understanding the consequences of anthropogenic impacts on native ecosystems. This interest has remained in the forefront of her research at Fordham where she investigates the effects of urbanization on ecosystem functioning and plant productivity in New York City. Mentor: Lewis.
Dawn Konkoly, PhD student
Hometown: East Stroudsburg, PA
Research Interests: Ornithology, conservation biology, and urban ecology.
Bio: Dawn, previously of East Stroudsburg, PA, did her undergraduate work at East Stroudsburg University, majoring in Biology and Environmental Studies. After extensive field research and travel throughout the United States she has come to Fordham University. She now works in the Clark lab and plans on doing research on light pollution's effects in avian ecosystems. Mentor: Clark.
Dustin Patridge, MS student
Hometown: Suffern, NY
Research Interests: Urban green roofs as bird and arthropod habitat.
Bio: Before Dustin came to Fordham, he took part in a behavioral study of wild bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), various migratory bird projects, and spent 2.5 years as a biologist at a suburban NYC environmental consulting firm. It was during this time that Dustin's interest in the conservation of urban wildlife grew and lead him to his current research project at Fordham. Dustin is currently working to identify novel ways to restore functional wildlife habitat to our rapidly expanding cities. Mentor: Clark.
David Waring, MS student
Hometown: Manorville, NY
Research Interests: Invasive plants; citizen science.
Bio: David's research interests lie at the intersection of urban change and development and natural ecological processes. He is currently studying the population dynamics of the invasive herb, garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), along an urban-to-rural gradient in the Hudson Valley. Mentor: Franks.
Rachel Welt, MS student
Hometown: Chappaqua, NY
Research Interests: Climate change, biodiversity, and tropical ecology.
Bio: Rachel's broad interests are in the use of molecular techniques to aid in conservation. In particular, she is interested in tropical systems and understanding phylogenies and genetic diversity across archipelagos to advise in the conservation of species in these biodiversity hotspots. Her current research looks at the effect of climate change on gene flow between two populations of field mustard (Brassica rapa) in southern California, highlighting the potential for an evolutionary response to environmental changes in this and other species. Mentor: Franks.
Past
Mr. Matt Cashman, MS
Thesis: "Biochemical quality of stream periphyton as affected by light and nutrient availability."
Mentor(s): John D. Wehr
Ms. Jennifer Epstein, MS
Thesis: "Supply and processing of dissolved organic matter in urban streams in Westchester County, NY."
Mentor(s): John D. Wehr
Mr. Kurt Gabel, MS
Thesis: "Analysis of agricultural Best Management Practice effectiveness through water chemistry and macroinvertebrate bioassessment."
Mentor(s): John D. Wehr
Ms. Shannon Morath, MS
Thesis: "The effect of alternative floral resources on the pollination of cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) in New York City community gardens."
Mentor(s): Gail Langellotto, James D. Lewis
Ms. Gretchen Gary, MS
Thesis: "Changes in plant growth, reproduction, and offspring vigor with increasing distance from and urban center."
Mentor(s): James D. Lewis
Dr. Kevin Matteson, Ph.D.
Thesis: "Diversity and conservation of insects in urban gardens: Theoretical and applied implications."
Mentor(s): Gail Langellotto, James D. Lewis
Ms. Megan Avolio, MS
Thesis: "The effects of organic and inorganic nitrogen and host tree species on ectomycorrhizal fungi."
Mentor(s): Amy R. Tuininga, James D. Lewis
REU - CSUR Students
2011
Name: Rolando Rojas (CUNY: John Jay)
Project: Is biodiversity affected by forest fragmentation? A novel approach.
Supervisors: Drs. Amy Litt (NYBG) and James D. Lewis
Name: Alyssa Beasley (College of New Rochelle)
Project: The future of the forest: Vegetation change over time and invasive plant species in an urban old-growth forest.
Supervisors: Drs. Amy Litt (NYBG) and James D. Lewis
2009
Name: Lily Hughes (Clark University)
Project: Comparison of methods to sample host-seeking, gravid, and blood-fed mosquitoes in the suburban landscape.
Supervisors: Drs. Thomas Daniels and Richard Falco
Name:Keena Hudson (Fort Valley State University)
Project: The effects of urbanization on soil and Quercus rubra (red oak) along an urbanization gradient.
Supervisor: Dr. James D. Lewis
2008
Name: Joshua A. Haywood (Davidson College)
Project: Summer composition and succession of larval mosquitoes in a suburban New York habitat.
Supervisors: Drs. Tom Daniels and Richard Falco.
Name: Katie J. Miller (Oklahoma State University)
Project: Water quality and phytoplankton of eutrophic lakes in Central Park, NYC.
Supervisor: Dr. John D. Wehr
Name: Saundra A. Wheeler (Fort Valley State University)
Project: Growth and reproduction of Allaria petiolata (Garlic Mustard) at an urban and suburban site.
Supervisors: Drs. Steve Franks and James D. Lewis
2007
Name: Sakinah Miller (Fort Valley State University)
Project: Do herbivory and secondary metabolite production vary with distance from an urban center?
Supervisor: Dr. James D. Lewis
Name: Roger Mitchell (Medgar Evers College)
Project: Does plant growth vary with ozone concentrations in the NYC region?
Supervisor: Dr. James D. Lewis
2006
Name: Rosaly Fernandez (Fordham University)
Project: Bee diversity in urban and suburban landscapes.
Supervisor: Dr. Gail Langellotto
Name: Dave Hammack (Clarkson University)
Project: Host-seeking and egg-laying behavior of Ochlerotatus japonicus and productivity of artificial containers in the suburban landscape.
Supervisors: Drs. Richard Falco and Tom Daniels
Name: Isaac Mickens (Fort Valley State University)
Project: Heavy metal accumulation in northern red oak trees along an urban-rural gradient.
Supervisor: Dr. James D. Lewis