Lana Bolin – Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of New Mexico; Biology (lanagbolin.weebly.com)
Lana is the founder and organizer of Science CORPS, and she co-teaches the Southwest program. She started out at Minneapolis Community and Technical College before transferring to the University of Minnesota where she earned her B.S. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior. She then earned her PhD from Indiana University, where she also created a course aimed at helping non-traditional students (including community college transfer students!) transition to careers and research in biology. She is now an NSF postdoctoral research fellow in Dr. Jennifer Rudgers’ lab at UNM where she studies the evolution and ecology of plant-microbe interactions. When not in the lab or the classroom, she might be found juggling, playing the bass, or (believe it or not) learning math for fun.
Alex Riley – High School Teacher at Urbana High School; Curriculum & Instruction
Alex co-teaches the Midwest Science CORPS program and has been involved in the design and direction of the program from the beginning. He got his B.S. in Integrative Biology at the university of Illinois, and did research on a variety of topics related to urban forestry, insects, and plant-microbe interactions. He then pursued an M.S. in Plant Biology in Katy Heath’s lab studying spatial population-genomics and co-evolution in plant-microbe systems, during which he fell in love with teaching, and went on to get an M.Ed. in Science Education. He now teaches biology and environmental science at Urbana High School, and is always working on ways to make science an empowering tool for students to tackle challenges in the real world. When he’s not teaching, Alex can usually be found chasing his daughter around, running through the woods, or kayaking on the waters of central Illinois and the great lakes.
Emma Boehm – PhD Candidate at Indiana University; Ecology, Evolution & Behavior
Emma co-teaches the Midwest Science CORPS program. She got her B.S. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota and is currently a graduate student at Indiana University studying how plant populations respond to climate change. She also is passionate about both teaching and mentoring. When not working, Emma enjoys gardening, sometimes crocheting, and pottery.
Jacob Moutouama – Postdoctoral Researcher Associate at Rice University; BioSciences
Jacob co-teaches the Southwest Science CORPS program. He studies the mechanisms underlying species range limitation using mathematical models, field data, and experiments. His research’s ultimate goal is to communicate conservation actions needed for the viability of these species to stakeholders.
Collaborators:
Carla Cáceres — University of Illinois Professor
Barbara Hug — University of Illinois Professor
Jen Lau — Indiana University Professor
Huge thank you to the GEMS Institute, the Environmental Resilience Institute at Indiana University, and the Indiana Academy of Sciences for funding Science CORPS!