

Dear FWCB Alumni, Friends, Students and Staff--

Of course, honoring one of our alumni each year and celebrating his or her extraordinary accomplishments culminates in the annual award ceremony. I am pleased to announce that Dr. John J. Magnuson is FWCB’s 2017 Distinguished Alumnus. For more than a half century, Dr. Magnuson has been a pioneer and field-shaping aquatic ecologist whose work has had significant policy implications. He is an international authority on the ecology of freshwater lakes and their role in landscape level ecosystems.

Dr. Magnuson’s visionary leadership and science have earned him many accolades, including a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 as part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). We are honored to present him with our alumni award this year and welcome him back to campus.
Please join us in September—we look forward to seeing many FWCB alumni, friends, students, staff and faculty at the lecture and reception. It’s a great time to renew friendships and reconnect with the FWCB community.



Dr. Fortin will also give a research seminar on September 19 at 11:00 am in 335 Borlaug Hall, “Connectivity for conservation in fragmented landscapes.“ Both lectures, the awards ceremony, and the reception are open to the public. More information about the Kolshorn events can be found on the FWCB website.



PhD student John Berini recently published a paper in BMC Ecology, “Diet segregation in American bison in Yellowstone National Park.” The paper was featured on the BMC Series blog which highlights “high-impact, thought-provoking research.” In the blog post John and his co-author Catherine Badgley discuss how differences in diet can cause male and female bison to become spatially segregated during certain times of the year.



FWCB also welcomes five new Adjunct Assistant Professors: Dr. Gretchen Hansen, Dr. Tara Harris, Dr. Amy Schrank, Dr. Seth Stapleton, and Dr. Dawn Tanner. Learn more about them on the FWCB website.
FWCB aquatic invasive species researchers, Dr. Nick Phelps (Assistant Professor and Director), Dr. Mike McCartney (Research Assistant Professor), and Dr. Sophie Mallez (Postdoc) were featured in a Minneapolis Star Tribune series exploring the search for solutions to Minnesota’s aquatic invasive species: Part 1: How the zebra mussel scourge spread across Minnesota and Part 2: Meet the scientists working to stop spread of zebra mussels. These features by Tony Kennedy highlight the “cutting edge” research of the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center.

Michelle Vohs (’17) is an intern working with pandas in Bifengxia, Sichuan, China for PDX Wildlife. She provides support for the captive breeding program. Follow Michelle's adventures!

Because of generous donations from FWCB alumni and friends, we were able, for the first time, to offer scholarships for the FWCB Summer Field Session to all students who requested financial assistance. The 3-week session is essential to the professional development of FWCB students but covering the costs of attending is challenging for many.
Thanks to all of those who have supported FWCB scholarships, fellowships, and the Kolshorn Lecture. Your support truly makes a difference and provides opportunities that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. We’re looking forward to the upcoming FWCB Kolshorn Lecture and Awards Ceremony and recognizing our Distinguished Alumni Award winner. We hope you’ll consider supporting important events like this, which are key to the vitality of the FWCB community --alumni and friends, students, staff and faculty. To contribute to FWCB, please contact Sue Galatowitsch (612-624-3242), galat001@umn.edu), FWCB Head. More information about making gifts to the department can be found on the FWCB website. A special thanks to our supporters who annually support FWCB with contributions that support our students and our research—you are making a difference! |