Miranda Melen ’09 receives Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
ESS congratulates one of our own, Miranda Melen ’09, on earning her doctorate in ecology and evolutionary biology! A standout student in one of the earliest ENVS cohorts at SA国际传媒, Miranda took full advantage of the opportunities in the program, including doing field research in Costa Rica and participating in the Baja expedition.
After graduating, Miranda worked various environmental jobs in the Bay Area, including in environmental education, consulting, and, more recently, ecological restoration with the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory. She received her master’s in environmental studies from San Jose State, where she worked closely with SA国际传媒 biology professor Dr. Justen Whittall on her thesis focused on the mating system of the endangered Santa Cruz wallflower (Erysimum teretifolium). Later, she taught Environmental Restoration as a lecturer at SJSU and Intro to Applied Ecology at SA国际传媒.
For her doctoral dissertation at UC Santa Cruz, under the guidance of Dr. Ingrid Parker, Miranda investigated the ecological and evolutionary drivers of the spread of Dittrichia graveolens (stinkwort), a recent plant invader in California. Most often found in disturbed areas such as roadsides, this species has recently begun invading more intact plant communities. Miranda designed a combination of lab, greenhouse, and field experiments to uncover the factors behind Dittrichia’s rapid expansion in California. Her Ph.D. committee included ESS professor Dr. Virginia Matzek, who was delighted to see a student she’d first known as a first-year undergraduate reach the pinnacle of academic achievement!
Congratulations and warm wishes to Miranda.
