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School of Natural Resources and Environment

School of Natural Resources and Environment

2024 SNRE Research Symposium

October 15, 2024 | 8:00am - 5:00pm

J. Wayne Reitz Union Grand Ballroom

 

The University of Florida’s (UF) School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE), through its interdisciplinary educational programs, is designed to prepare tomorrow’s scientists to understand the complex issues related to environment and socio-economic stability in Florida, the nation, and the world. To do this, SNRE operates horizontally across UF's elaborate structure of academic disciplines. The SNRE is built on existing strengths in the University by encouraging departments or other organizational units of the University to participate in the activities of the SNRE. Recognizing the high level of expertise in environmental and natural resource matters already present in many basic and applied discipline-centered departments and other organizational units of UF, SNRE engages faculty from a variety of the University's disciplines, as the affiliate faculty of SNRE. Currently, SNRE hosts 300+ affiliate faculty representing 50+ departments and 20+ research centers and institutes of 12 colleges of UF. SNRE is now home for 120+ graduate students in Interdisciplinary Ecology and 200+ undergraduate students in Environmental Sciences.

The objectives of the 2024 SNRE Research Symposium: 1) provide graduate and undergraduate students a framework to showcase their interdisciplinary research in ecology, environment, and sustainability, and 2) enhance the interaction among students and faculty with participants from state and federal agencies, and private consulting firms and industry.

Event Program

Coming soon

 

Agenda-at-a-Glance

Tuesday, October 15th, 2024

8:00 am – 9:00 am | Registration

9:00 am – 9:10 am | Introduction
Dr. K. Ramesh Reddy, Director, School of Natural Resources and Environment

9:10 am – 9:20 am | Opening Remarks
Dr. John Davis, Research Interim Dean, UF/IFAS

9:20 am – 9:30 am | Opening Remarks
Dr. Elaine Turner, Dean, College of Agriculture and Life Science, UF/IFAS

9:30 am – 9:35 am | Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Dr. Bette Loiselle, SNRE Faculty Advisory Council Chair and Director, Tropical Conservation and Development Program

9:35 am – 10:30 am | Keynote Address: Animal migrations in a changing world: what will the new normal look like?
Dr. Sonia Altizer, Martha Odum Distinguished Professor, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia

10:30 am - 10:45 am | Break

SESSION I – Affiliate Faculty Presentations

Session Chair
Dr. Corey Callaghan, Assistant Professor, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center

10:45 am – 11:00 am
Dr. Kotryna Klizentyte, Assistant Professor, Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatic Sciences

11:00 am – 11:15 am
Dr. Amanda Subalusky, Assistant Professor, Biology

11:15 am – 11: 30 am
Dr. Marc Hensel, Research Assistant Professor, Nature Coast Biological Station

11:30 am – 11: 45 am
Dr. Chang Zhao, Assistant Professor, Agronomy

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm | Lunch Break

SESSION II - Student Oral Presentations

1:00 pm – 1:10 pm | Introductory Remarks
Dr. Tom Kelleher, Associate Dean, UF Graduate School

Session Chair | Hannah Gottesman
1:10 pm – 1:25 pm
Katie Schoenberger (Major Advisor: Dr. David Kaplan)

1:25 pm – 1:40 pm
Josue St. Fort (Major Advisor: Dr. Carlene Chase)

1:40 pm – 1:55 pm
Adam Searles (Major Advisors: Dr. Laura Reynolds and Dr. Charlie Martin)

1:55 pm – 2:10 pm
Sarah Steele Cabrera (Major Advisor: Dr. Jaret Daniels)

2:10 pm – 2:25 pm
Savannah Troy (Major Advisor: Dr. Robert Fletcher)

2:25 pm – 3:00 pm | Recognitions and Break

SESSION III - Student Poster Presentation and Reception

3:00 – 5:00 pm | Student Poster Presentations

 

Registration

Register here to attend or present a poster. (Only SNRE students are eligible to present.)

Click here for a preview of the registration form.

Deadline to submit poster abstract: September 4th, 2024

Guidelines for preparing a poster presentation here.

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Sonia Altizer, Martha Odum Distinguished Professor of Ecology, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia

Dr. Sonia Altizer

Martha Odum Distinguished Professor of Ecology, Odum School of Ecology,
University of Georgia

Dr. Sonia Altizer is the Martha Odum Distinguished Professor of Ecology in the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia, where she served as Interim dean from 2021-23, and the Director of Public Service and Outreach for the School. She received her B.S. in biology from Duke University and Ph.D in ecology from the University of Minnesota, followed by postdoctoral work at Princeton and Cornell University. Her research interests center on animal behavior, environmental change, and pathogen transmission. For the past 30 years, she has studied monarch butterflies and a debilitating disease that infects them, to better understand how animal migration affects the spread of pathogens, and to investigate how migrations are changing in response to environmental change. In 2020, Dr. Altizer was elected as Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Her email address is saltizer@uga.edu. 

Keynote: Animal migrations in a changing world: what will the new normal look like?

Migratory animals undergo seasonal and often spectacular movements and perform crucial ecosystem services. In response to human activities, many migratory animals now travel shorter distances, arrive earlier in the spring, or have formed resident populations. Changes in the abundance and movement behavior of migratory animals affect species interactions and ecosystem processes, including seed dispersal, food webs, nutrient transport, and the spread of infectious diseases. This talk examines the patterns and consequences of shifting animal migrations, with a particular focus on an iconic migratory insect, the monarch butterfly, and a debilitating protozoan parasite as a case study. Field, modeling and experimental work showed that climate warming and human planting of non-native milkweed now support year-round breeding of monarchs in the southern U.S., and that resident populations suffer high infection prevalence and pose risks to remaining migrants. Given that monarchs and many other migratory species face ongoing declines, it is vital to understand whether resident populations can act as sources or sinks for migratory populations, and to evaluate management strategies that sustain migratory behaviors in the face of ongoing environmental change.

Previous Symposia