Dr. Feder is interested in understanding speciation, the process whereby one evolutionarily distinct gene pool is divided into two. His research has focused on true fruit flies belonging to the Rhagoletis pomonella sibling species complex. These flies are of interest to evolutionary biology because they appear to speciate sympatrically (i.e. in the absence of geographic isolation) by shifting and adapting to new host plants. Recently, the species R. pomonella shifted from its native host hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) to introduced, domestic apples (Malus pumila). This shift, which occurred approximately 150 years ago in the northeastern United States, provides a unique historical context in which to examine the relationship between host specialization and speciation in Rhagoletis.

Plenary Session
"Speciation Down the Food Chain"
7:00 pm - Friday, March 26, 2010
Sun Room at the Memorial Union

Dr. Knapp’s lab focuses on plants with a goal of understanding ecological patterns and processes from the leaf to the ecosystem level. Research is conducted primarily in the field utilizing the comparative approach and experimental manipulations of key ecological drivers. Areas of interest include: plant physiological ecology, ecosystems ecology, climate change, long-term ecological research, invasive plant species, restoration ecology, fire and herbivory effects on communities and ecosystems.

Keynote Speaker
"Climate Change and Grasslands"
8:00 pm - Saturday, March 27, 2010
Great Hall at Memorial Union

Dr. Damschen is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Washington University in St. Louis. As an ecologist and conservation biologist, she is interested in determining when environmental and spatial processes interact to determine community composition, how humans are changing these interactions, and what these changes mean for global biodiversity. Research in her lab lies at the intersection of providing empirical tests of ecological theory and providing scientific information to conservation managers.

Closing Speaker
"Plant Community Responses to Connectivity and Climate Change at Large Scales"
9:00 am - Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sun Room at the Memorial Union