ENVIRONMENTAL DYNAMICS PROGRAM - Key Persons
Gerardo received his Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Ecology from the University of Florida. He has a broad interest in terrestrial ecosystem processes from Tropical to the Arctic and how anthropogenic impacts influence these processes. His most recent work included understanding the impacts of rising Arctic temperatures on the carbon balance of arctic ecosystems. He has also studied the role of exotic invasive species in the trajectory of ecosystem recovery after disturbances and identified management methods to enhance and/or speed up ecosystem recovery. He comes from the University of Florida where he has served as an Agroecology lecturer in the Agronomy Department and has written and co-authored over 30 publications. He serves in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Arkansas as a postdoctoral fellow in Environmental Dynamics on the Collaborative Research project "Interactions of natural and social systems with climate change, globalization, and infrastructure development in Yamal (Russian Arctic)," focusing on the biotic components of the project.
Job Titles:
- Post - Doctoral Researcher, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of Arkansas
"I am a post-doctoral researcher at the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of Arkansas. I started this position in 2018. My research is focused on sustainable agriculture and especially on rice systems. I evaluate water-saving practices implemented in rice production systems in the US Mid-South from both agronomic and environmental perspectives. This research includes the use of farm-level decision support tools. This research provides guidance to rice farms to compete in a market that increasingly demands sustainable products."
Dr. Fox's research focuses on the biological, physiochemical, and spatiotemporal processes that shape aquatic ecosystems across a range of biomes. His transdisciplinary research bridges the usability and scale gaps between field and remote sensing data using novel approaches and cross-boundary knowledge integration to anticipate and address emerging threats associated with rapid Earth System change.
Dr. Fox received his M.S. in Biology and GIS Technology from the University of Central Arkansas and his Ph.D. in Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, where his NSF-funded research on seasonal water quality and human health in Botswana helped to identify important social-ecological couplings and feedbacks between climate, wildlife, and land use that drive microbial dynamics in the Chobe River, a vital dryland water source. Dr. Fox has also worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on ecological contaminants issues in Wyoming and served in the US Peace Corps as a biologist for the Strandja Nature Park in Bulgaria.
Job Titles:
- School of Architecture, Teaching Assistant Professor
Job Titles:
- Chairman, Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, Research Methods, Evolutionary Ecology
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Associate / Energy Emmissions Modeling and Data Lab / University of Texas - Austin
Kirshan received his Ph.D. in Crop and Soil Sciences from the University of Georgia, Athens. His research focused on improving soil health and crop nutrient density by using local effective microorganisms (LEMs). After his PhD. he worked as a research professional in the Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, Univeristy of Georgia, Athens investigating the relationship between tall fescue, fungal endophyte, and the soil fungal communities and the subsequent role of that three-way interaction in soil nutrient acquisition and enviornmental stress tolerance by tall fescue.
I am working as a Soil Health Ecologist-Post Doc Fellow for the Arkansas Discovery Farm, Division of Agriculture. I am investigating the dynamic interactions between soil biological communities and agronomic crops, and how the soil biology, especially soil microbial communities impact soil health in Arkansas soil. My current research involves eight Arkansas Discovery Farms across the state, ranging from pastures in northwest Arkansas to row crops in the Mississippi delta. My research involves collecting soil samples from these farms and analyzing them for active soil carbon, soil extracellular enzymes and different bacterial and fungal populations. The outcome of this research has the potential to serve as suggested best management practices in terms of soil health (microbiology) for the row crop growers and cattle producers in Arkansas. I am also an Extension educator and closely working with different county agents, Arkansas Soil Health Alliance (ASHA), Arkansas Conservation Districts and Arkansas NRCS.
Job Titles:
- Chairman, Biological Sciences. Ecosystem Ecology
Job Titles:
- Soil Data Analyst / Soil Health Institute
Job Titles:
- Western Arkansas Education Service Cooperative
Caitlin received her BA (2014) and MA (2016) in Anthropology at Texas Tech University with a focus on forensics and classical studies. She obtained her PhD (2021) in Anthropology from the University of Arkansas where she focused on the trigeminal nerve and its relationship to the teeth and diet in primates. Caitlin used the anatomical knowledge gained from her dissertation work to teach human anatomy at High Point University as a fellow in the summer of 2019. After graduation, Caitlin accepted a post-doctoral research position in the Terhune Lab to study the differences in chewing muscles between capuchin monkey species using the novel staining technique known as diceCT.