KATHERINE (KATIE) LYNN BURKE

PhD in Biology (Ecology & Evolution) May 2011

University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

o Dissertation: “Disturbance History and Decline of American Chestnut”

(Adviser: Henry Wilbur; First Reader: Janis Antonovics; Committee: Hank Shugart, Deborah Lawrence, and Carolyn Copenheaver (VPI))

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences May 2005

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

o Capstone Thesis: Riparian structure and function in a southern Appalachian forested headwater catchment, Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, USDA LTER Station (Advisers: Barton D. Clinton & Robert Wyatt)

o Biology minor, concentration in Ecology, Biodiversity, and Conservation Biology

RESEARCH & FIELD EXPERIENCE

Dissertation Research August 2005-present

University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

o Planned, managed, and collected and analyzed data for 4-year field study on American chestnut survival

o 4-year deer exclosure experiment to assess deer browsing effects on chestnuts

o Supervised undergraduates, including one study to be published

Sustainable Farm Intern April-August 2005

Elysian Fields Farm, Cedar Grove, NC

Field Research Assistant May-August 2004

For Ph.D. student from Princeton University at Highlands Biological Station, Highlands, NC

Assistant Naturalist May-August 2002

Highlands Biological Station, Highlands, NC

Summer Intern June-August 2001

Division of Waste Management

NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources, Washington, NC

PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

Burke, K.L. in prep. Niche contraction and long-term decline of American chestnut due to an invasive pathogen.

Burke, K.L. 2011. “Niche contraction and decline of American chestnut.” (Presentation) North American Forest Ecology Workshop. June 2011. Roanoke, VA.

Rearick, D.*; Kintz, L*; Burke, K.L.; Ransom, T.S. in review. Direct and indirect effects of deer on the native earthworm, Eisenoides carolinensis. Pedabiologia.

Reynolds, D.*; Burke, K.L. in press. Investigating radial growth rates of the American chestnut and their relationship to environment, longevity, and blight prevalence. Castanea.

Burke, K.L. 2011. The effects of logging and disease on American chestnut. Forest Ecology & Management. 261: 1027-1033.

Burke, Katie L. 2010. “The Effects of Logging History and Chestnut Blight on American Chestnut Distribution.” (Presentation) Association of Southeastern Biologists Annual Conference. April 2010. Asheville, NC.

Burke, Katie L. 2009. “American Chestnut Persistence and Niche Change in Southwestern Virginia Eighty Years after Chestnut Blight Introduction.” (Presentation) TACF Virginia Chapter Meeting. October 2009. Weir’s Cave, VA.

Burke, Katie L. 2009. “The American Chestnut.” (Presentation) Shenandoah Audobon Society Seminar Series. October 2009. Blandy Experimental Farm, VA.

Burke, Katie L. 2009. “American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) Persistence in Southwestern Virginia Eighty Years after Chestnut Blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) Introduction.” (Presentation) Spruce Conference. May 2009. Slatyfork, WV.

Burke, K.L. 2007. History of the American Chestnut, Prehistory to Present. Journal of the American Chestnut Foundation. 11 (2): 46-54.

Burke, KL; Rozendaal, D; Gee, H; Sanford, G; Copenheaver, C. 2006. “Dynamics of two forest stands at Cape Perpetua, Oregon.” (Presentation) North American Dendroecological Fieldweek. May 2006. Newport, OR.

*Undergraduate collaborator

EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

Visiting Professor of Biology August 2011-May 2012

Hampden-Sydney College, Farmville, VA

Will design and teach lectures & laboratories for two courses: Ecology & General Biology

Teaching Assistant, Department of Biology August 2006-May 2011

Biology of Infectious Disease, an upper-level course (2010)
Functional Vertebrate Morphology, an upper-level course (2009, 2010)
Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Biology Labs (2006-2009, 2011)

Guest lecturer 2009-2010

“Ecological History of American Chestnut: A Restoration Dilemma” for Randolph College Environmental Science course (2011)
“The Vertebrate Nervous System” for UVA’s Vertebrate Anatomy course (2010)
“The Natural History of Mt. Lake” for VPI’s Wildlife Biology Field Course at Mountain Lake Biological Station, instructed by Marcella Kelly (2009)

Graduate of UVA Tomorrow’s Professor Today Program 2007-2010

Undergraduate Mentor, Dept. of Biology

and Dept. of Environmental Sciences 2006 – 2009

Mountain Lake Biological Station’s NSF-sponsored REU program (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) (2007, 2009)
Lab assistant in Dept. of Envi. Sci., research project in soil chemistry (2009)
Field assistants in UVA Dept. of Biology and in VPI Dept. of Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation (2006, 2008, 2009)

Community Service and Leadership 2004-2010

Volunteer nature guide for Junior Naturalist Program and elementary school tours at local nature reserve Ivy Creek (2008-2010)
Speaker on American Chestnut ecology at Master Gardener and Master Naturalist programs in Virginia (2009, 2010)
Volunteer trainer for TACF’s MEGA-transect project (2009, 2010)
President of Carolina Environmental Student Alliance (CESA) at UNC, an organization focused on volunteer environmental education (2004-2005)

Interdepartmental Collaborations 2011

DeLuca, Erik; Burke, K.L; Riscassi, A. 2011. “North Fork of Dry Run, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia” (Music Piece for percussion, vocals, and organ). Indiscipline: A Night of Music and Science Collaborations. Premiered April 21, 2011, Charlottesville, VA.

GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS, & AWARDS

· Alternate for Fulbright Scholar Award in Ireland (2011)

· Best Poster in Ecol. & Evol. Biol. at Sigma Xi Student Research Conference (2008)

· Mountain Lake Biological Station Summer Fellowship (2006, 2009)

· Am. Assoc. for the Advancement of Science Program for Excellence in Science (2007)

· Samuel Miller Fund (2006)

· University of Virginia Presidential Fellowship (2005)

SKILLS

· ArcGIS 9.3 (experience with map-making, selecting sampling plots, georectification, and calculating topographical indices)

· SAS 9.1

· PC-ORD 5.0 for ordination analysis

· Velmex Tree-Ring Measurement System with Measure J2X

· COFECHA for cross-dating tree rings

· Preparing soils for measurement of total C and N using dry combustion with an elemental analyzer

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

· American Chestnut Foundation

· Association of Southeastern Biologists

· Ecological Society of America

· Sigma Xi (The Scientific Research Society)

· Southern Appalachian Botanical Society