Join us during the EEB Seminar Series to hear from La Kretz Postdoctoral Candidates Kaleigh Fisher, Timo Metz, and Ryan Buck! Each seminar is Co-hosted by the La Kretz Center and is open to all UCLA students and faculty. See details for each seminar listed below.
Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025
Assessing the stability of ecological communities by combining data and theory.
Speaker: Timo Metz (MSc; TU Darmstadt)
Location: Virtual Seminar
Time: 12pm-1pm
Click here to tune in virtually!
Description: La Kretz Center Postdoctoral Fellow Candidate Timo Metz is curious about how ecosystems respond to disturbances, and the strategies that can foster their recovery. Timo’s proposed research aims in investigating recovery times and trajectories of species composition in Californian forest ecosystems in the Sierra Nevada following disturbances, such as wildfires, insects or droughts. His work will support forest managers and conservation scientists in selecting forest management strategies that most effectively promote resistance and resilience of Californian forest ecosystems in the face of future disturbances.
Project Mentors: Dr. Chuliang Song (EEB) & Nicholas Hendershot (TNC)
Wednesday, January 29th, 2025
Integrating ecological models and genomic predictions to protect foundational oak species’ habitats in a changing climate.
Speaker: Ryan Buck (Postdoc; UCLA)
Location: 1100 Terasaki Life Science Building (610 Charles E Young Dr.)
Time: 12pm-1pm
Click here to tune in virtually!
Description: La Kretz Center Postdoctoral Fellow Candidate Ryan Buck is concerned about the resilience of oak ecosystems in a rapidly changing climate. Ryan’s research integrates land cover vulnerability assessments, niche modeling, and landscape genomics in foundational oak populations across The Nature Conservancy’s California conservation estates. His work will inform land managers with restoration guidance by identifying vulnerable areas and preadapted seed sources for populations at risk of climate warming.
Project Mentors: Drs. Victoria Sork (EEB) & Scott Butterfield (TNC)
Monday, February 3rd, 2025
Putting California bumble bees on the map: leveraging comparative and landscape genomics to understand species decline.
Speaker: Kaleigh Fisher (PhD; UCD)
Location: 1100 Terasaki Life Science Building (610 Charles E Young Dr.)
Time: 12pm-1pm
Click here to tune in virtually!
Description: La Kretz Postdoctoral Fellow Candidate Kaleigh Fisher is interested in understanding why some bumble bee species decline while others remain stable. Kaleigh’s research uses genomic techniques to explore the mechanisms that may underpin distribution patterns for wild species in the context of global change. Her work will provide baseline population genetic data for six California bumble bee species, as well as recommendations for conservation managers at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for bumble bee listing and conservation under the California Endangered Species Act.
Project Mentors: Dr. Kirk Lohmueller (EEB) & Kimiora Ward (CDFW)