An emerging cooperation has begun between USGS and WSU for supporting student and faculty research, capstone projects, internships, and employment at the Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center (UMESC) in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

This website serves as a mechanism for connecting the interests, expertise, and funding opportunities of WSU faculty and USGS scientists in promoting the goals of our cooperation

Interested WSU students - contact a WSU faculty member listed below directly to learn how to get involved.

2008 UMESC - WSU JOINTLY FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS (currently in the planning stages)

1. Creating a digital catalogue of spiders in the prairie patches of the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Monica Rauschwater (WSU student), Dr. Robin Richardson (WSU), Dr. Jim Rogala (UMESC)
2. Factors influencing the temporal and spatial variation in nitrogen fixation across a gradient of hydraulic connectivity, Samantha Klein (WSU student), Dr. Jeanne Franz (WSU),  and Dr. Lynn Bartsch (UMESC)
3. Description of erythromycin thiocyanate physic-chemical properties and its stability and transformation in natural waters, Davyion Crossland (WSU student), Dr. Jeanne Franz (WSU), Dr. Mark Gaikowski (UMESC Project Coordinator), UMESC Technical Advisors: Jeff Meinertz, Jeff Bernardy
4. Cooperative Research Program on Riverine Invertebrate Communities, Fish Feeding, and Stoichiometry, Jonelle Salzman (WSU student), Dr. Michael Delong (WSU), Dr. William Richardson (UMESC)

5. 2-3 additional projects yet to be determined

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND DEADLINES!!!
Information on WSU-USGS seminar exchanges, schedules, and speakers will be posted here as it becomes available

WSU-USGS Research Group and Interests
(WSU faculty may submit edits, corrections, or be added to this list by emailing the information to COSEsupport@winona.edu)

Brant Deppa, WSU Mathematics & Statistics Department
Applied statistics, statistical computing and graphics, and experimental design
http://course1.winona.edu/bdeppa/

Mike Delong, WSU Biology Department
Functional dynamics of large river ecosystems; food web structure of large rivers; invertebrate population and community structure
http://bio.winona.edu/delong/index.htm

Mark Engen, WSU Chemistry Department
Analytical chemistry; environmental applications
http://course1.winona.edu/mengen

Jeanne Franz, WSU Chemistry Department
Analytical chemistry; environmental applications
http://course1.winona.edu/jfranz/

Sara Hein, WSU Chemistry Department
Organic chemistry; isolation and characterization of natural products
http://course1.winona.edu/shein/homepage.htm

Candace Kairies-Beatty, WSU Geoscience Department
Environmental geochemistry
CKairiesBeatty@winona.edu

Neal Mundahl, WSU Biology Department
Aquatic biomonitoring, fish, invertebrate and bird ecology
http://bio.winona.edu/mundahl/index.htm

Tom Nalli, WSU Chemistry Department
Physical organic chemistry; free-radical chemistry of onium salts
http://course1.winona.edu/tnalli

Robin Richardson, WSU Biology Department
Spider behavioral ecology; lizard egg physiology, growth and hatching cues
http://bio.winona.edu/RICHARDSON/index.htm

Scott Segal, WSU Biology Department
http://course1.winona.edu/ssegal/

Ted Wilson, WSU Biology Department
Anything that has potential to reduce our risk of heart disease; also interested in comparative physiology
http://course1.winona.edu/ewilson/

 

USGS-Winona State University Cooperative Agreement -
Potential Avenues for Interactions

I. Research Project Ideas

 A. USGS-WSU Joint Topics of Interest: “Matched”

o Pat Heglund (USGS) & Ted Wilson (WSU):  Bird Migration & Blood Chemistry

o Bill Richardson (USGS) & Neal Mundahl (WSU):  Stream Foodwebs, Productivity and Nutrients

o Richardson & Bartsch (USGS) and Franz & Nali (WSU) – Identification of fatty acids in biotic samples from river food webs

 B. USGS Topics & Areas of Interest:  “Unmatched”

o Fatty acid analysis of mussels (through the life cycle) by GC-MS.  This project would initially involve MS identification of the fatty acids because there are no standards available for some.  Michelle Bartsch, (mbartsch@usgs.gov)

o Is there a difference in the protein, lipid, and carbohydrate composition of native versus non-native fish species?  Mark Gaikowski, (mgaikowski@usgs.gov)

o Is it possible to synthesize a long filed piscicide?  Also do toxicological, efficacy tests, etc. on this piscicide for possible use against asian carp.  Terry Hubert, (thubert@usgs.gov)

o Degradation rates of antimycin at various pHs (various water qualities) Jeff Bernardy, (jbernardy@usgs.gov)

o Brevetoxin (Red Tide) methods development. Terry Hubert, (thubert@usgs.gov)

o What is causing eagle mortality along the WI river?  Eagles in this area have a fatty liver, what is in their diet that could be causing this?  (This stretch of river is just below the WI dells and the old armory.) Terry Hubert, (thubert@usgs.gov)

o Developing simple colorimetric field tests for fishery chemicals.  The chemicals that are needed are chloramine T, antimycin, oxytetracycline, florfenicol, erythromycin, and isoeugenol.  Jeff Bernardy, (jbernardy@usgs.gov)

o Development of greener invasive species products. Jeff Bernardy, (jbernardy@usgs.gov)

o Understanding the mechanism (possibly genomic mechanism) behind potential toxicity of pharmaceutical and personal care products in the environment. Jeff Bernardy, (jbernardy@usgs.gov)

o How does the fatty acid profile change when a pharmaceutical is added to the environment of an aquatic organism?  Jeff Bernardy, (jbernardy@usgs.gov) and Bill Richardson (wrichardon@usgs.gov)

o Steve Gutreuter (sgutreuter@usgs.gov) & WSU Computer Science Faculty: need to develop an Operational Relational Database Server.

 C. WSU Topics & Areas of Interest:  “Unmatched”

o Sara Hein, WSU:  Sara is looking at Bioactive metabolites in freshwater mussels and how these metabolites might indicate something about their survival ability, whether it be antimicrobial or antiinsectan.

II. Student Work Experiences:

o USGS project funds used for seasonal and school-year work experiences at USGS
o USGS & WSU grant monies used for student work exeriences

III. Faculty Research Sabbatical:

Gingerich & Franz:  Pharmaceuticals & Personal Care Products
         o Method development GC-MS
         o FY07-08 St. Croix Project

IV. Statistical Consulting Program:

WSU Statistics Dept. & UMESC Scientists: Statistical Consulting 
        o senior level or advanced students
        o project provided by USGS & mentored by Math/WSU
        o short term multivariate analyses
        o stipends (CAPSTONE, Co-Pay or Work Experience)

V. Additional Internships/Experiences:

                 o Mass Communications = press releases; articles
                 o Journalism = Fact Sheets
                 o Environmental Education = Outreach materials
                 o Information Technology = website project development & updates

 

Past and Current Projects
(under development – WSU faculty may submit information to COSEsupport@winona.edu)