April 14–15, 2025, 2–6 p.m. each day
Tripp Commons, Memorial Union
800 Langdon Street, Madison
Keynote Speaker
Our keynote speaker, Dr. Matthew Betts from Oregon State University (OSU), will be sharing his groundbreaking research on forest landscape ecology and biodiversity conservation.
Dr. Betts is a professor in forest ecosystems and Society at OSU, where he leads the Forest Landscape Ecology Lab and is the lead principal investigator of the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest LTER Program. His research focuses on the influences of landscape composition on animal behavior, species distributions, and ecosystem functioning.
Dr. Betts has published extensively on topics such as habitat fragmentation, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss.
Schedule
Monday, April 14
- 2–2:15 p.m.: Welcome remarks
- 2:15–2:35 p.m.: “Metagenomic Insights Into Microbial Connectivity Between Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents and the Oxygen Minimum Zone,” Katie Klier, Departments of Bacteriology and Freshwater and Marine Sciences
- 2:35–2:55 p.m.: “The Effects of Severe Drought on Herbivore Movement Patterns, Physiology, and Survival in Etosha National Park, Namibia,” Kimberlie Vera, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology
- 2:55–3:15 p.m.: Title TBD, Sarah Tolbert (2024 Aldo Leopold award recipient), Department of Geography
- 3:15–4 p.m.: Research poster session
- 4–5 p.m. (keynote): “Can We Have Our Cake and Eat it too? Conserving Forest Biodiversity in an Age of Humans,” Dr. Matthew Betts, Oregon State University
- 5-6 p.m.: Reception
Tuesday, April 15
- 2–2:15 p.m.: Welcome remarks
- 2:15–2:35 p.m.: “Using Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy to Predict Soil Microbial Functions at the Continental Scale,” Soni Ghimire, Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences
- 2:35–2:55 p.m.: “Automating Bumble Bee Tracking to Study Sublethal Impacts of Pesticides on Behavior,” Anupreksha Jain, Department of Entomology
- 2:55–3:15 p.m.: “Everything is Not Everywhere: Cryptic Phylogeography in a Peculiar Yeast,” Jassim Al-Oboudi, Department of Genetics
- 3:15–3:45 p.m.: Research poster session
- 3:45–4 p.m.: Announcement of 2025 Aldo Leopold award recipients
- 4–5 p.m. (keynote): “Surprises in Tropical Nature: Hummingbird Movement, Plant Cognition, and Other Scientific Adventures,” Dr. Matthew Betts, Oregon State University
- 5-6 p.m.: Reception