Small insects. Big challenges.

In the forest insect ecology lab, we study how forest insects manifest global change in areas such as invasion biology and climate change. We work on insect challenges to trees and forests that span state, region, national, and international scales.

Come explore who we are and what we're working on. 

We currently have two position openings for graduate students and postdocs, with other openings for graduate students next summer pending.

News and Events

15 Sep 2023

There were some great student presentations at the North Central Forest Pest Workshop this week. Congrats to Jess, Emily, and Rose for the UMN sweep of the student awards!

12 Sep 2023

Our newest lab member Sayesha is also giving a presentation today: the Valedictory Address at the MS graduation ceremony for the Erasmus Mundus program in Valencia, Spain!

11 Sep 2023

With posters printed and slides assembled, the lab is off to Wausau, Wisconsin for the North Central Forest Pest Workshop.

24 Aug 2023

The lab made cookies together today. Yes, a few trees were sectioned during chainsaw training. We are proud to use Stihl products.

11 Aug 2023

The lab website is back! Kinda like a cicada. Have we missed anything in the last few years? Bark beetles are still in family Scolytidae, right?

9 Aug 2023

Emily and Rose gave a presentation on insects to a 4H group with our good friend Sabrina from the Heimpel lab. The hissing cockroaches were a big hit.

4 Aug 2023

Leave it to Ian and Garrett to top the pizza with ground elk and Jess' sour gummi worms at our lab gathering. Bam! If you didn't try it, then you didn't try it.

2 Aug 2023

Scots pine seems to have some level of intrinsic defense against mountain pine beetle: a new paper out in Forest Ecology & Management with former postdoc Kevin Chase and friends.