{"id":16,"date":"2017-12-12T21:04:19","date_gmt":"2017-12-13T02:04:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/stevens-lab\/?page_id=16"},"modified":"2026-03-15T13:39:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T17:39:35","slug":"members","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/stevens-lab\/members\/","title":{"rendered":"Members"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Dr. Hank Stevens\nPh.D. 1999, Biological Sciences, Univ. of Pittsburgh\nORCID ID: 0000-0003-3397-8796<\/a>\nAuthor, A Primer of Ecology with R<\/em><\/a><\/pre>\n
I use a variety of quantitative methods to address a wide variety of questions in population and community dynamics. Causal models, structured population models, compartment models, stochastic simulation, and Bayesian inference allow me and my collaborators to get more insight per datum.<\/p>\n
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Current Students<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Morgan Ritzi - Purdue University\nM.S. Forest and Natural Resources \n     (conc. Forest Ecology). \nB.S. Plant Sciences \n(minors Environmental Sciences, Plant Pathology) \n<\/pre>\n
My research investigates how North American eastern deciduous forests change and assemble across space and time. My previous work evaluated patterns of long-term succession at the Ross Biological Reserve, a 70-year successional experiment in western Indiana, and on American chestnut competition with other native hardwoods. My current study explores how forest communities assemble across spatial scales, comparing large-scale forest maps to actual species patterns to better understand forest structure and process.<\/p>\n
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Jacob Woodard - University of Central Florida\nB.S. Biological Science, Anthropology (minor, Chemistry)<\/pre>\n
I am interested in the biological variation of culturally significant plants and how long-term human-plant relationships can be understood using molecular tools and ecological context. My previous research focused on historical ecology and ethnobotany, exploring the intersections of plant biology and precolonial environments through archaeological analysis. My goal is to integrate genomic, ecological, and historical approaches to better understand the biocultural legacies of native species with a current focus on American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana<\/i>).<\/div>\n
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Selini Ranatunga\nUndergraduate researcher (working toward B.S. Botany)\n<\/pre>\n
I am currently assisting in the research and observation of fruit ripening phenology based on fruit color expression and sugar content of the American persimmon. This research has implications on climate change, vegetation dynamics, and the past ecological impact of Indigenous individuals’ crop domestication behaviors. We are currently studying an American persimmon tree on the Oxford campus, but our goal is to eventually test fruits of persimmon trees in different regions throughout Midwest America. My research interests include plant ecology, eco-evolutionary dynamics, and conservation.<\/p>\n
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Collaborators \/ Visiting Faculty<\/h2>\n
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Dr. Nanci J. Ross\nBiology Department\nDrake University\n<\/pre>\n
Ancient cultures had sophisticated knowledge and interactions with their environments, and this is often overlooked or misunderstood. The central goal of my research is to understand how ancient management practices may haved influenced the ecology and evolution of the complex reproductive biology of American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana<\/em>). This work integrates genome assembly to provide a foundation for studying epigenetic and biogeographic effects, identification of sex expression genes (such as MeGI and OGI), floral morphology, leaky dioecy, and functional studies of reproductive structures such as staminodes in female flowers that may play crucial roles in pollinator attraction. Samples across gradients of ancient Native American land use intensity are allowing us to investigate molecular and morphological variability through an interdisciplinary lens of evolutionary biology, archaeology, and cultural history. This work will also provide a foundation for developing the economic potential of this once widely used\u2014and enjoyed\u2014species. In short, we seek to reveal the American persimmon in all its glory: its past, its present, and its future.<\/p>\n
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Past Members<\/h2>\n
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Isabel Smith\nM.S. Biology<\/pre>\n
Understanding the past influence of human land use on ecosystems is critical to understand our current ecosystem and it will change in the future. Human landscape legacies provide an avenue for which to analyze how ancient civilizations impacted ecosystems. My Master’s thesis, (Investigating Mesoamerican Landscape Legacies: Strongly contrasting spatial clustering of tree functional types in Maya garden<\/em> forests<\/em>) investigated the legacy of ancient Maya garden forests on the spatial patterns of tree communities in present day Belize and Guatemala, testing the hypothesis that these legacies contain increased spatial clustering of garden species.<\/p>\n
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Laura Fehling, M.S.\nCurrent position: Purdue University<\/pre>\n
I came to Miami University to earn a Master’s in Botany after graduating from the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science. My research interests are in plant ecology, community dynamics, and conservation. As a graduate student, I am interested in working locally to study the effects of changing environmental conditions and human activity on ecological communities’ populations and interactions.<\/p>\n
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Anna Bowen, Ph.D.\nM.S. 2015, Botany, Miami University\nPh.D. 2020, Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology\nCurrent position:\nAssistant Professor, Biology and Environmental Science\nWhittier College<\/pre>\n
I received my Masters in Botany at Miami in 2015 while studying the future structure and composition of hardwood swamps affected by emerald ash borer. For my Ph.D., I evaluated the effects and distribution of wavyleaf basketgrass (Oplismenus undulatifolius<\/em>) that is currently invading shaded understories across Maryland and Virginia.<\/p>\n
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Dr. Meimei Lin,<\/a> M.S. Botany, Miami University; Ph.D. Geography, Miami University\nCurrent position:\nSchool of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability\nCollege of Science and Mathematics\nGeorgia Southern University<\/pre>\n
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Eli Aubhil, M.S. Botany\nFirst position: Green Roofing Specialist, Tecta America Zero Commercial Roofing, Cincinnati, OH<\/pre>\n
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Dr. Wei Li, Ph.D. Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology\nCurrent position: Professor, Yunnan Academy of Biodiversity\n<\/pre>\n
My current research focuses on testing the impact of anthropogenic disturbances, such as ecotourism-related trampling disturbance, on alpine meadows in southwestern Yunnan province. Also, we are studying the biology and ecology of some endangered alpine plants endemic to Yunnan, such as Paeonia delavayi<\/em>. We also conduct lab-based microcosm study, with the aim of testing the relationship between algal diversity, community stability and ecosystem multifunctionality.<\/p>\n
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Dana Thomas, M.S. Botany\nExecutive Director\nInstitute of Botanical Training, LLC\n1530 E. Farm Road 96 | Springfield, MO  65803\nwww.botanytraining.com<\/a>\n<\/pre>\n
Dana is the Executive Director of the Institute of Botanical Training, a consulting firm based out of Missouri that conducts a variety of botanical work, mostly for government agencies and NGOs. At IBT, she also teaches field plant identification classes to natural resource professionals. Dana also serves as the President and co-founder of NatureCITE, a non-profit organization that conducts ecological and taxonomic research throughout the Midwestern United States. In addition to research, NatureCITE also implements a variety of strategies to bring botanical and ecological knowledge into the hands of landowners and the public, in an effort to help create a more ecologically literate society.<\/p>\n
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Dr. Hank Stevens Ph.D. 1999, Biological Sciences, Univ. of Pittsburgh ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3397-8796 Author, A Primer of Ecology with R I use a variety of quantitative methods to address a wide variety of questions in population and community dynamics. Causal models, structured population models, compartment models, stochastic simulation, and Bayesian inference allow me and my … <\/p>\n
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