Department of Environmental & Forest Biology Annual Report
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Department of Environmental & Forest Biology Annual Report Summer 2018 Academic Year 2018–2019 Melissa K. Fierke Donald J. Leopold Chairs, Department of Neil Ringler, Interim Chair Environmental and Forest Biology SUNY-ESF 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse, NY 13210 August 16, 2019 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Overview to Annual Report . 2 Buildings: Illick & Gateway. 6 1. Teaching a) Summary of main courses taught by faculty members . 4 b) Summary of main courses taught by staff/adjuncts/visiting . 4 c) Course teaching load summary . 6 2. Undergraduate students a) Advising loads . 9 b) Curriculum changes . 9 c) Undergraduate students recruitment efforts . 9 d) Undergraduate students enrolled in each EFB major . .10 e) Student learning outcomes . 10 3. Graduate Students a) Graduate enrollment in EFB by degree 2009–2018 . 11 b) Graduate enrollment in EFB by major 2018 . 11 c) Number of graduate students by faculty and by degree . .11 d) Graduate student funding by department . .12 e) Graduate student funding by faculty . 13 f) Courses having TA support and enrollment in each . 14 g) Students Graduating and Thesis/Dissertation Titles . 15 h) Postdoctoral Researchers . .17 4. Research/Scholarship a) Summary of publications . 18 b) Science citation Indices for Dept and faculty . .19 c) Summary of proposal activity by Dept and faculty . 21 d) Summary of grant activity by Dept and faculty . 22 5. Outreach and Service a) Service to the department, college, and university . 24 b) Enumeration of outreach activities . 24 c) Summary of grant panel service . 24 d) Number of journal manuscripts reviewed by faculty. 25 e) Summary of journal editorial board service. 25 f) Service Learning . 25 6. Department Structure & Budget a) Organizational chart . 28 b) Recent activities . 29 c) Budget . 29 State account allocations . 32 Research account allocations . 31 Research Foundation allocation . 32 7. Departmental Honors and Awards . 33 8. Progress on previous year’s objectives . 33 9. Plans and Objectives for 2019–2020 . 34 10. Certification that all professional employees have had an annual evaluation and a new performance program in place by June 1, 2018 . 36 Appendix A. EFB Faculty: Rank, Education, and Interests . 37 Appendix B. Summary of Individual Faculty’s Most Significant Accomplishments . 41 Appendix C. Faculty Publications (published or in press) . 83 Appendix D. Papers Submitted, In Review, Pending Decision . 94 Appendix E. Papers/Posters Presented at Science Meetings . 98 Appendix F. Faculty Grants . 108 Appendix G. Service to Department, College, and University . 134 Appendix H. Unfunded Service to Governmental Agencies, Public Interest Groups, etc. .147 Appendix I. Unfunded Service to Professional Societies and Organizations . .1xx Appendix J. Funded Service to Governmental Agencies, Public Interest Groups, etc. 1xx Appendix K. Presentations to the Public. 1xx Appendix L. Miscellaneous Publications and Outreach Activities and Materials. .1xx Appendix M. Foreign Travel. 1xx Appendix N. New York Natural Heritage Program 2018–19 Publications, Presentations and Service . .. .1xx Appendix O. Annual Report for the Thousand Islands Biological Station . 1xx Appendix P. Annual Report for Cranberry Lake Biological Station . 1xx 1 Appendix Q. Annual Report for Onondaga Lake Science Center. 1xx Appendix R: Annual Report for Roosevelt Wild Life Station . 1xx Appendix S: Campfire Club Annual Report . 1xx Appendix T: Waterfowl & Wetlands Program . 1xx 2 Overview This report is a brief summary of the Department of Environmental & Forest Biology’s (EFB’s) activities during the 2018–2019 academic year. This report is structured to include items requested by the Provost to include: 1. Teaching 7. Honors and Awards 2. Undergraduate students 8. Progress on objectives for 2018–2019 3. Graduate Students 9. Plans and objectives for 2019–2020 4. Research 10. Certification that professional employees 5. Outreach have had an annual evaluation and a new 6. Governance Structure and Budget performance program Introduction – Overview to Annual Report The topics and format of this annual report generally follow instructions from the Provost’s Office. Only a few of the many exciting activities and accomplishments within EFB the past academic year are included in this brief summary. Each faculty member’s summary of their most significant accomplishments this past year is in Appendix A. Dr. Don Leopold, our fearless leader of > 14 years stepped down as Department Chair this past Spring. He already has many projects going including summer travel to Russia and playing an integral on one of the funded Discovery grants (on Restoration Science). Ms. Sandra Polimino retired after being with ESF for more than 49 years and in EFB since 1985. Sandy has graciously remained with us part time until we can replace her (though she is most definitely irreplaceable). Effective September 1 of this year, Drs. Jacqueline Frair and Chris Whipps have been promoted to Professor. Of the College awards announced at the May Academic Governance meeting, Dr. Jacqueline Frair was named the ESF Exemplary Research Award (https://www.esf.edu/communications/view2.asp?newsID=7494) and Dr. Melissa Fierke received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service (https://www.esf.edu/communications/view2.asp?newsID=7495). Jacqui also received the Outstanding Academic Advisor award from ESF’s undergraduate students at the Annual Spring Banquet and Terry Ettinger, our Greenhouse Manager, received a Special Recognition for Staff Excellence for his outstanding efforts and the time and energy he devotes to his spring Plant Propagation course. We welcomed Dr. Jerry Belant to our Department this past fall. Jerry is ESF’s first ever Endowed Professor (https://www.esf.edu/communications/view2.asp?newsID=7237). ESF received a financial gift from the Camp Fire Club of America through tireless fundraising efforts led by Dr. Jacqui Frair. This position is an endowed professorship in Wildlife Ecology, with a focus on big game management. Jerry has settled in nicely in the Dept and has a lovely website already up and running (https://campfirewildlife.com/). Dr. James Gibbs, Dr. Jacqui Frair, Dr. Rebecca Rundell, Ron Giegerich, Communications, Development, CNS, ITS, and Physical Plant also are to thank for a wonderful Roosevelt Wild Life Station Centennial, which occurred on April 3, 2019. Again, many exciting activities and accomplishments within EFB the past academic year were excluded from this brief summary so I hope that you will review the details that follow. EFB’s enrollments, external funding, and worldwide attention in the media continue to be strong - the department is doing well, because of its excellent students, successful alumni, fine faculty, and dedicated staff. 1 Buildings Illick Hall Sub-basement renovations/Terrestrial Ecology/4th Floor Work will get underway early in the fall 2019 semester to transform the Illick subbasement into a much more user friendly space and the far west end of the third floor into a shared Terrestrial Ecology Research Lab, a new state of the art seminar room, and a dedicated space for our Center for Native Peoples. The subbasement and the TER lab spaces will be shared by EFB and FNRM faculty, fostering continued collaborations between our Departments. These renovations are being spearheaded and guided by Rex Giardine in Physical Plant and funded through the Marshall Hall rehabilitation project that will officially start summer 2020. Illick Hall Program Study Several faculty in the department are engaged with a design firm and SUNY construction fund representatives in a Program Study for Illick. This study will guide renovations over the next 5–10 years. Please let Lee, Kim, Tom, Jacqui, or me know if you have ideas and thoughts. Roosevelt Wildlife Station Collections and Classroom – Gateway basement The new Roosevelt Wild Life Collections and Classroom (RWLCC) in the lower level of the Gateway Building became a reality this past spring. Many had a role in this endeavor, but Rebecca Rundell, as RWLS Head Curator, carried a huge amount of the final burden and put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. Delivery of this world-class facility involved Rebecca working closely with folks outside of the Department, particularly with Physical Plant staff Brian Boothroyd and Chris Cangello. Our prospective students, parents, and other important visitors have already seen this modern facility first-hand, which is facilitated through the "windows on collections" built into the design. Walls surrounding the RWLCC feature a permanent exhibit with attractive landscapes of the Adirondacks by renowned photographer Carl Heilman, and inspirational photographs of vertebrate animals facing conservation threat. What follows is a summary from Dr. Rundell: “This year the Roosevelt Wild Life Station's Roosevelt Wild Life Collections and Classroom (RWLCC) was completed in the Gateway Building's Lower Level-- a fitting capstone to the RWLS Centennial. EFB Associate Professor and RWLC Head Curator Rebecca Rundell, Professors and RWLS Directors James Gibbs and Jacqui Frair, and Collections Manager Ronald Giegerich were heavily involved in the years-long labor to make this dream a reality. RWLCC projects included not only the visioning, design, and construction of the facility, but the creation of a functional and safe home for EFB's most important and well-used vertebrate collections. The funding sources for RWLCC included a $2M state allocation secured through the efforts of the Office of