CCB Profiles: Directors |
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David L. Wagner |
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Dave Wagner is an Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary
Biology at the University of Connecticut. He has a BS from Colorado
State University and Ph.D. from the University of California at
Berkeley. His research interests and taxonomic expertise is with
primitive moths, and in particular, Hepialidae (ghost moths) and half
dozen microlepidopteran families of leafminers. |
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He travels yearly to the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica where
he is working on a faunal survey and digital field guide to the
station's moth and butterfly fauna. Together with Larry Gall and Jane
O'Donnell, Wagner recently completed work on a butterfly atlas for the
state of |
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Connecticut-the summary report, rich in both life history information and images of early stages, is due to be published later this year. Dave also publishes on and maintains a website for dragonflies and damselflies. |
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Wagner is well-known for his involvement in invertebrate conservation.
He chairs Connecticut's Advisory Committee on Endangered Invertebrates
and is commonly called upon by State and Federal agencies for his advice
on the Northeast's imperiled insect biota. Currently, he is involved in
two studies focused on matters of insect conservation in the state of
Connecticut. |
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Outside of the sphere of Lepidoptera, Wagner serves as vice-chair for
the "All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory" currently underway in Great Smoky
Mountains National Park, and is presently serving on boards for The
Connecticut Chapter of the Nature Conservancy and the Connecticut State
Museum of Natural History |
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| John A. Silander, Jr. |
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| John Silander is Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut. He has a Bachelors degree from Pomona College, a Masters degree from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. from Duke University. His research interests are in plant ecology (especially genetical, population, community and landscape aspects), biodiversity, biogeography and conservation biology. |
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| During the past decade Silander has conducted research on: the dynamics and structure of natural forests in northeastern North America, the conservation and loss of rainforests in Madagascar, the integrated and sustainable conservation of the Cape Horn region of South America, the ecology and biogeography of invasive plant species in New England, and |
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the biogeography and biodiversity of plants (especially proteas) in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Agriculture, the MacArthur Foundation, the National Geographic Society, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Park Service, the US Geological Survey, and other agencies. He has published over 100 scientific papers. |
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| Silander's current research takes him to South Africa every year where, in collaboration with ecologists, statisticians, and climate modelers at Duke University, the University of Cape Town and the South African National Biodiversity Institute, he is studying the response of protea species to climate change. He is also the Principal Investigator of the IPANE (Invasive Plant Atlas of New England) project, which focuses on mapping and forecasting the potential distribution of invasive plant species in New England. The project incorporates early detection of invasive species as well as education and outreach, and the training of a network of New England citizen-scientist volunteers. Collaborators include scientists from UConn and other New England states. |
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| Silander serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Connecticut Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, and is Vice-Chair of the Town of Mansfield Conservation Commission. He was a Fulbright Fellow in Australia, received the Mercer Award from the Ecological Society of America, and the Faculty Excellence Award in Research from the University of Connecticut Alumni Board of Directors. |
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