Graduate Students

MICHELLE HOMANN, Ph.d. student

I am interested in plant community and climate change ecology in fire-maintained grasslands with a specific emphasis on restoration outcomes. As anthropogenic influences continue to impact the persistence and composition of restored grasslands, I hope to understand how prairie restoration can be made more effective in the long term. A changing climate has the potential to alter interspecific interactions through impacts on phenological timing, resource allocation, and establishment patterns in grassland plant species. Throughout my dissertation work, I am investigating the roles of fire timing, community assembly, and the overarching implications of a changing climate as drivers of plant community composition.

Email: mhomann [at] wisc.edu

SHIQI ZHENG, ph.d. student

I am a new Ph.D. student in the lab. More information will be coming soon.

Email: szheng275 [at] wisc.edu

Postdocs

Stephanie McFarlane

A portrait of Stephanie McFarlane. The portrait is drawn by Liz Kozik and features a monarch butterfly in the background.

I am a plant community ecologist, interested in community assembly, plant-pollinator interactions, and restoration ecology. My dissertation research investigated the impact of restoration practices and management on restoration outcomes at over 30 restored prairies in south-central Wisconsin. For this research, I examined how different management regimes (i.e., whether sites were seeded, the seed mix composition, and the fire history) impact the vegetation, insect communities, and the monarch butterfly. I am also interested in the floral resources found in restored prairies and the related impacts on pollinators and pollination services.

Email: mcfarlane [at] wisc.edu

THOMAS SMITH

I am a postdoc working on the Corridor Project. I completed my Ph.D. at the University of Florida working on the spatial dynamics of cactus bugs.

Email: tasmith28 [at] wisc.edu

Christopher Warneke

I am a plant ecologist interested in rare species and invasive species, and am driven by what makes populations at these ends of the abundance spectrum tick. I have worked primarily within restored habitat systems, as we can use experimental techniques to directly test ideas about species rarity and growing populations within these systems. In my position in the Damschen Lab, I am working primarily on data science and data management of the lab’s long-term data as well as how plant functional traits impact plant community patterns. You can find more details about me and find my CV at my website.

Email: warneke [at] wisc.edu

Research Associates and Technicians

Celeste Mezera

I am an ecologist curious about the interactions between insects, plants, and microbes. I earned a dual Master’s degree in Entomology and Agroecology from UW- Madison, where I studied the fungal associates of pollinators and flowers in cranberry agroecosystems. Now, I am very interested in determining realistic, actionable ways to provide resources for pollinators in Wisconsin’s landscapes. In my current role in the Damschen Lab, I am collaborating with the Natural Resources Conservation Service on a project investigating the impact of seed source locations on tallgrass prairie restoration outcomes.

Email: ccmezera [at] wisc.edu

BENJAMIN OVERLIE

I am the lead technician and project manager for the Corridor Project at the Savannah River Site, SC.

Email: boverlie [at] wisc.edu

Undergraduate Research Technicians

Lily meisel – LEAD RESEARCH TECHNICIAN

I am the lead research technician and expect to start the process of a senior thesis in the upcoming year. I am widely interested in the conditions that may affect varying plant traits and how tolerant Wisconsin prairie plants are towards changes in the surrounding environment.

Portraits courtesy of Liz Kozik.