Faculty News
Alan Covich elected president of INTECOL
lan Covich, Professor of Ecology, has been elected to a four-year term as president of the International Association for Ecology (INTECOL).
New model may help scientists better predict and prevent influenza outbreaks
A new study by an international team of researchers, led by assistant professor Andrew W. Park, who holds a joint appointment in the University of Georgia Odum School of Ecology and College of Veterinary Medicine, may help public health officials to combat the ever-evolving influenza virus.
Link between unexploded munitions in oceans and cancer determined
During a research trip to Puerto Rico, ecologist James Porter took samples from underwater nuclear bomb target USS Killen, expecting to find evidence of radioactive matter - instead he found a link to cancer. Data revealed that the closer corals and marine life were to unexploded bombs from the World War II vessel and the surrounding target range, the higher the rates of carcinogenic materials.
"When you remove the bomb, you remove the problem - but you've got to pick it up," said Porter.
Odum School of Ecology researchers discover new Percina fish species
While surveying fishes in Georgia’s Flint River, Byron and Mary Freeman noticed that a certain darter fish had a striking orange color in its fins—much different than the Blackbanded darter that is prominent in the southwest Georgia River. The University of Georgia researchers had indeed come across a new species: the Halloween darter or Percina crypta.
“The Halloween darter is a great example of ‘cryptic biodiversity’—species that have gone unrecognized because they look a lot like other species that are known,” explained Mary, an ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and the UGA Odum School of Ecology. “Ichthyologists have documented many new fish species in the southeastern U.S., showing that despite nearly 100 years of scientific study of fishes in this region, there are still surprises.”
Two UGA researchers honored in White House ceremony
Sonia Altizer, associate professor in the Odum School of Ecology, and Chad Fertig, assistant professor of physics in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, were among 68 researchers honored with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) - the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on scientists and engineers beginning their careers.
UGA Odum School of Ecology faculty member honored for innovations after age 60
Carl Jordan, senior research scientist at the University Of Georgia Odum School of Ecology, was recently designated as a 2008 Purpose Prize Fellow by Civic Ventures think tank. The Purpose Prize is awarded for people over 60 who are taking on society’s biggest challenges.
Study helps clarify role of soil microbes in global warming
Current models of global climate change predict warmer temperatures will increase the rate that bacteria and other microbes decompose soil organic matter, a scenario that pumps even more heat-trapping carbon into the atmosphere. But a new study led by a University of Georgia researcher shows that while the rate of decomposition increases for a brief period in response to warmer temperatures, elevated levels of decomposition don’t persist.
UGA Odum School of Ecology hosts aquatic conservation science symposium
The University of Georgia Odum School of Ecology will host “Aquatic Conservation Science: Merging Theory and Application” on Oct. 3-4. The symposium is being held in honor of the careers of emeritus faculty members Judith L. Meyer and Gene Helfman.
Ongoing Grant: Odum School receives grant to increase soil nutrition suitable for organic farming
A $190,000 grant from Southern Sustainable Agriculture, Research and Education will help the University of Georgia's Odum School of Ecology study the use of shrubby perennial legumes such as false indigo in making soil more suitable for organic farming.
Modeling dengue fever
Traditionally, the study of infectious diseases has taken two distinct routes, with epidemiologists focusing on quantifying disease outbreaks while researchers in fields such as microbiology and genetics have concentrated on the infectious agents themselves and the mutations they undergo.
UGA ecologist Pejman Rohani said understanding both aspects of infectious diseases is critical to revealing the complex dynamics that drive epidemics such as dengue fever and is working to combine the traditionally separate fields of study.
Love the one you’re with
New research that crosses several species boundaries shows that when animals must choose less-than-preferred mates, females and males apparently have ways to compensate that increase the chance their offspring will survive. The study, recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, adds weight to the Compensation Hypothesis, a proposal that has given insight into how individuals can pass on their genes even under less than ideal circumstances.
Monarch butterflies help explain why parasites harm hosts
A new University of Georgia and Emory University study of monarch butterflies and the microscopic parasites that hitch a ride on them finds that the parasites strike a middle ground between the benefits gained by reproducing rapidly and the costs to their hosts.
Emerging infectious diseases are on the rise: Next target “hotspot” predicted
It’s not just your imagination. Providing the first-ever definitive proof, a team of scientists has shown that emerging infectious diseases such as HIV, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus and Ebola are indeed on the rise.
Ecology faculty help guide local conservation policy in Ecuador
As Bud and Mary Freeman describe a recent trip to Ecuador to collect fish samples to help guide local conservation policy, their story is abundant with color—giant electric blue butterflies, orchids rampant in the lush landscape and tropical fish species with a variety of interesting patterns.
UGA Odum School of Ecology assistant professor receives grant to study West Nile Virus dynamics in New York City
When West Nile virus first struck New York City in 1999, news of the potentially fatal illness alarmed citizens and public health officials alike, showing that even affluent, urban societies are vulnerable to vector-borne diseases. Although West Nile virus has been widely studied, there is still little known about how the ecology of mosquito-borne diseases differs between urban and rural areas. Assistant professor at the University of Georgia Odum School of Ecology John Drake hopes to shed light on these differences with a recently awarded $578,619 grant from the National Science Foundation.
