Risa Sargent (PI)

email: rsargent [at] uottawa [dot] ca

Risa completed her PhD at the University of British Columbia under the supervision of Sally Otto, followed by a two year postdoc at the University of California, Berkeley in David Ackerly's lab. She is currently working on projects relating to plant community assembly, pollinator isolation and plant speciation, and mating system evolution.

Irene McKechnie (PhD candidate)

email: imcke019 [at] uottawa [dot] ca

Irene is studying the influences of landscape type and community diversity on pollinator presence and pollen limitation in wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium). Her field sites are in southern and northern New Brunswick. Irene's project is part of the NSERC-funded Canadian Pollination Initiative (CANPOLIN).

Jake Russell-Mercier (MSc candidate)

email: jruss064 [at] uottawa [dot] ca

Jake is studying the interactions between the invasive plant purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and native angiosperms. He is interested in how a beetle released to control Loosestrife might impact pollinator-mediated interactions in this system.

Lab Alumni

Elizabeth Da Silva (MSc 2010)

email: dasilva [dot] elizabethm [at] gmail [dot] com

Elizabeth found evidence for facilitation in pollinator-mediated interactions between the invasive species purple loosestrife and the native plant Decodon verticillatus. After her MSc, Elizabeth pursued a post-degree teaching program which she successfully completed in 2011.

Vashti King (BSc (Hon) 2011)

email: vking044 [at] uottawa [dot] ca

Vashti's Honours project examined how plant invasions influence pollinator foraging patterns and impact the fitness of native species. Vashti started medical school in September 2011.

Lisa Hensel (MSc 2011)

email: lhensel [at] uottawa [dot] ca

Lisa studied the role of local diversity on pollen limitation in Trillium grandiflorum communities. She won a poster prize for her thesis work at the Banff CSEE meetings, and is currently working on her doctorate.