Researcher Spotlight – Elsita Kiekebusch and Ryann Rossi

Global Change Fellows make strides in climate change ecology

Two of our Global Change Fellows Ph.D. students were recently featured in NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Magazine, featuring their research on climate science and ecology. Learn more about their stories here.

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Elsita Kiekebusch

Global Change Fellow Elsita Kiekebusch, a zoology Ph.D. student in the Nick Haddad lab research was highlighted in the NC State CALS Spring 2017 Magazine. Kiekebusch’s research blends her passion for conservation of insects and studying how changing climates could impact species.

“I feel an ethical obligation towards species conservation.”

As temperatures continue to rise, life cycles and development of butterflies are at risk of changing. Learn more about how Kiekebusch is studying this issue with Appalachian brown butterflies at Fort Bragg, NC in her researcher spotlight video below.

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Ryann Rossi

Global Change Fellow Ryann Rossi, a zoology Ph.D. student in the Craig Layman lab research was also highlighted in the NC State CALS Spring 2017 Magazine, featuring her research on the benefits of mangroves and the risks associated with losing them due to climate change.

“This is increasingly important as climate change progresses.“

Mangroves provide immense ecosystem services that protect islands from devasting impacts of weather. Yet, we are seeing them disappear. Rossi investigates this loss by studying impacts of insect grazing, disease, and high-salinity on mangroves. Learn more about Rossi’s research on tropical mangrove die-off in her researcher spotlight video below.