My doctoral work will evaluate opportunities to replace traditional lawns by more sustainable and ecologically friendly crops in the Greater Chicago Metropolitan area. Specifically, I will  pursue three broad objectives: (1) Use aerial images to identify lawns in Chicago and Evanston and quantify the potential for lawn replacements in the city. (2) Use ethnographic work to assess homeowners’ incentives to replace their lawns with other crops. (3) Conduct an experiment to test the water filtration/retention capacity of different lawn replacements. Support from the IISG Graduate Scholars program would enable me to pursue the second objective. Many research projects related to urban ecology use census and survey data to understand the social aspects of restoration within urban communities. The ethnographic interviewing method involves participant observation which allows for a more determined selection of interviewees as well as a more in-depth line of questioning than the survey data might provide. I will also conduct participant observation for this project which will involve interacting directly with interviewees while they maintain, cultivate, and enjoy their own green spaces.

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of P and NH4-N partitioning between fluvial sediments and the overlying water column during and following a manure spill
• Determine the effectiveness of the current manure spill remediation plan to mitigate P desorption from manure exposed ditch sediments
• Investigate the influence of sediment particle size distribution on the depth of P contamination as a result of a manure spill under base flow conditions
• Determine adequate application rates of alum and CaCO3 needed to remediate fluvial sediments following a manure spill
• Evaluate the efficacy of the sediment alum treatments following a manure spill

• Evaluate the polyculture of yellow perch in cages with freshwater prawns in ponds.
• Evaluate the effect of culture temperature on growth and survival of yellow perch.

This research addresses two main questions related to the attitudes and behaviors toward invasive crayfish in the Great Lakes Region to better understand the outreach needs of these communities.

• What are the attitudes and behaviors of teachers in the Great Lakes Region towards invasive species of crayfish? What are effective methods of outreach for this community?
• What are the attitudes and behaviors of individuals involved in the culinary market in the Great Lakes Region towards invasive species of crayfish? What are effective methods of outreach for this community?

Invasive crayfish in the Great Lakes Region pose a threat to local ecosystems as they often outcompete native species and have the potential to damage local freshwater ecosystems. Native crayfish are important consumers and predators within the food web, and the disruption that invasive crayfish cause can have wide-reaching ecological and economic effects. There has been research and outreach done about the spread of invasive crayfish by use as bait by anglers, in aquariums and the pet trade, and through aquaculture. My research explores two additional potential introduction pathways: teachers who use crayfish in the classroom and people in the culinary market who use them as live food products. Both groups have been cited as potential pathways for crayfish introduction and spread. However, there is little understanding of the ways that individuals within these groups feel about and interact with invasive species in general and crayfish specifically.

• Isolate and grow previously unculturable aquatic microorganisms
• Evaluate extracts for anticancer and anti-tuberculosis activities
• Evaluate extracts for anticancer and anti-tuberculosis activities

• Count zooplankton already collected from Green Bay
• Contribute to a lakewide understanding of mechanisms limiting recruitment of yellow perch
• Provide information useful to fisheries managers