Principal Investigator Brian Aukema conducts research in bark beetle ecology and spatial and temporal dynamics from a landscape perspective. After work and on weekends, he enjoys hockey, splashing around in planted aquaria, manning the controls of his Weber Smokey Genesis Silver B barbeque, raising fuzzy caterpillars with his boys James and Garrett, and, on summer evenings, spelling words on the back lawn with the lab (photo above; Brian is the I, James is the exclamation mark dot). Brian is happily married to Kelly, a Novo Nordisk Fellow at UNBC when not being the top part of an 'E'. |
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Research Technician Honey-Marie de la Giroday keeps the lab groovin'. She keeps track of field equipment, troubleshoots computers, tracks vehicle maintenance, greases GIS processes, sorts the mail, files driver authorization forms, coordinates field help, reminds us of where we were supposed to be five minutes ago, and remembers birthdays. Simultaneously, while rotating between different Canadian Forest Service scientists and projects. Amazing. |
Fraser McKee joined us from Rebecca Hallet's lab at the University of Guelph, where he graduated in 2005 with an honours degree in wildlife biology. Prior to joining our lab, Fraser was involved in habitat studies with waterfowl in Alberta and worked on pests of vegetable crops. Fraser is interested in agricultural pest management, forest entomology, insect physiology/ behaviour and community/population ecology, as well as the biology of large mammals and carnivores such as grizzly bears. Other interests include hiking, snowboarding, sasquatch tracking, snowshoeing, camping, hockey, boxing, growing ratty facial hair, squash, and cross country running.
Jordan Koopmans recently graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and began his MSc program in January 2009. Jordan's thesis involves integrating spatial and temporal components into models of mountain pine beetle population dynamics at stand and landscape scales. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing sports and exploring the outdoors. Jordan pitches in the Prince George Men's Baseball League and sneaks in some golf on sunny afternoons. He enjoys learning and plans to expand his Russian vocabulary via classic Soviet cinema.
Ewing Teen joined us in January 2009 from Ann Palmenberg's lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he graduated with a biochemistry degree and stellar undergraduate research work on encephalomyocarditis (EMCV) virus, cloning recombinant DNA, and protein purification. Forest entomology is a new venture, but, in his words, he "likes to participate in the adventure rather than watch others have all the fun." In his spare time, Ewing enjoys playing sports like basketball & tennis, and dancing.
Laura Machial joined us in May 2009 from Greg Henry's tundra ecology lab at UBC. Laura is continuing research started by Matthew Klingenberg, working on an MSc project on landscape-level effects of Warren root collar weevil following the epidemic of mountain pine beetle.
Kishan Sambaraju joined us in summer of 2008. Kishan has B.Sc. and MS degrees in Agriculture (A.N.G.R. Agricultural University, 2000, and West Texas A&M, 2003), and a Ph.D. in Entomology (Oklahoma State University, 2007). Kishan has expertise in insect ecology, biology, population dynamics, and pest management, especially of stored product insects. His wife, Madhavi, is a plant pathologist (MS) specializing in fungal genetics and microbiology. Their baby girl, Revah, was born in March of 2008 and frequently reminds them not to take things for granted! Kishan is the only lab member who has an appreciation for both types of cricket, and enjoys traveling, basketball, and listening to music in his spare time.
When not industriously locating shade, Muddy coordinates all aspects of the field program that involve keeping track of red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), even if red squirrels are not part of the program. Muddy is able to smell a red squirrel at 250 paces and is an effective communicator of transect boundaries that would be off-limits to squirrels. Muddy cannot fathom why the rest of the crew tolerates or even enjoys the critters.
Gareth Hopkins first joined us as a co-op student in the summer of 2007, and then stayed for an independent study on the feeding preferences of adult Warren root collar weevil in the fall semester of 2007. Around acting, squash, and fencing, he is currently completing his Biology / Natural Resource Management: Wildlife & Fisheries undergraduate degree from UNBC.
Kathryn Berry is a third year undergraduate student at UNBC. She loves working both in the lab and out in the field. Some of her passions include horseback riding, exercising at the gym, and laughing it up with friends. Another passion of hers is research! Working alongside professors and graduates at UNBC is one of her most rewarding experiences.
Genny Michiel is an undergraduate student who is currently in the process of completing a degree in Environmental Science. She enjoys working in the field where there is more opportunity to actually see the world, as opposed to sitting in the office and googling it. Between bear encounters, the occasional helicopter ride, and adventures in four-wheel-drive, she thinks there's no better way to spend a field season than traipsing around the wilds of northern British Columbia.
Matthew Klingenberg became our first M.Sc. graduate in September 2008. His thesis work demonstrated that Warren root collar weevil may become an emerging concern on the landscape following the epidemic of mountain pine beetle. Matt's mark-recapture work with hundreds of individually etched weevils will quickly become lab legend. Matthew is now working for the British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range.
Honey-Marie de la Giroday graduated in September 2009 after completing her M.Sc. thesis on the landscape ecology of range expansion of mountain pine beetle, focusing on the breach of the historic geoclimatic barrier in Northeastern British Columbia. Truly multi-talented (GIS, spatial statistics, landscape ecology, mountain biking...), she landed a job before even graduating, as a research technician with the Canadian Forest Service.
Hollie Moore worked with us studying landscape dynamics of Warren root collar weevil for the summers of 2006 and 2007. Hollie remains one of the best naturalists with whom we've ever worked: she could ID a herbacious plant at 50m in the rain, around a corner.
Talya Truant worked with us from summer 2008 to the finish of her NRM Wildlife and Fisheries degree at UNBC in May 2009. No matter whether she was digging around a root collar or entering bibliographic data on the computer for hours on end, she was always smiling. Talya has taken a museum technician position at the Peace River Peace Region Palaeontology Research Centre in Tumbler Ridge.
Rurik Muenter has been studying forestry at UNBC since 2006, working towards an undergraduate degree in forestry. He worked with us in the summer of 2009, spending the summer months wandering around the forest of northern BC in search of the next research plot. He came highly recommended from Kathy Lewis' dendro-ecoloy lab, and didn't disappoint. When not completing degree requirements, you might find him on the rugby pitch, although he admits the finer points of the rules elude him.
Jeff Selesnic conducted an undergraduate thesis on spatial aspects of mountain pine beetle colonization dynamics in post-outbreak situations, co-supervised with Dr. Dezene Huber, in the winter semester of 2008. Jeff is now working for CanFor Forest Products when not biking or watching the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Originally from la belle province, Sandy Allen migrated west to find the mountains. After several seasons of skiing and treeplanting, she decided to get serious and study dendroglaciology (i.e. study of glacial landforms and movement through tree-ring analysis). While completing her Masters through the University of Victoria, Sandy spent two years coordinating the field components of the Northern Research Unit. She then took a permanent position administering components of the federal Mountain Pine Beetle Program and First Nations Forestry Program with the Canadian Forest Service.
Interests of 
Lisa Poirier is an entomologist with a background in forest insect ecology and pest management. A gifted educator, Lisa spends substantial time in front of undergraduate classes. In the field, her research interests include insect behaviour and ecology, chemical ecology and management of forest insects, and aquatic entomology.
Phil Burton is the Manager of the Northern Research Unit and is interested in all aspects, mechanisms and implications of vegetation dynamics: seed dispersal, germination ecology, forest regeneration, plant competition, stand development, succession, disturbance ecology, and ecosystem management. In his endeavours to bridge silviculture and conservation biology, he sometimes wonders, "Why are so many of us just conversation biologists?"
Bryan Bogdanski is the research economist in the group. Given the bark beetle's large bite into BC's interior forest economy, Bryan, along with his colleagues in Victoria, conduct research across a broad range of topics from such things as the competitiveness and sustainability of the BC pulp industry to reforestation investment analysis.