Grants on effects of invasion on bats

EEB PhD student Jessica Welch, a grad student with Gary McCracken and Dan Simberloff, recently received grants to study how invasive species affect a bat. From her abstract:

Aguiguan, a small island in the Northern Mariana Islands, is home to the only known population of the Emballonura semicaudata rotensis, a subspecies of Pacific sheath-tailed bat. Immediate research is necessary to determine an appropriate approach to its conservation. Two ubiquitous invaders, feral goats and lantana shrub have dense populations on Aguiguan. It is unknown whether these invasive species affect the Pacific sheath-tailed bat.

The grants were funded by Sigma Xi and Bat Conservation International. Jess was also inducted into Sigma Xi as an associate member.

Dan Simberloff elected to National Academy of Sciences

Photo from http://www.tipsconf.ca/

Gore Hunger Professor of Environmental Science Dan Simberloff (see also Wikipedia entry), a member of the EEB department, was recently elected to the National Academy of Sciences. According to the NAS website:

"Members are elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Membership is a widely accepted mark of excellence in science and is considered one of the highest honors that a scientist can receive....

"The NAS membership totals approximately 2,200 members and 400 foreign associates, of whom approximately 200 have received Nobel prizes."

There are only eight other National Academy of Sciences members in Tennessee, only one of whom was elected in the past decade. Dr. Simberloff is the only current faculty member from any University of Tennessee campus in the Academy.