UTMBiology

📅 Mark your calendars! PhD candidate Siyu Wang is defending her thesis, "Monitoring Forest Phenology and Drought Responses in Coniferous and Deciduous Forests Using Ecophysiological and Remote Sensing Approaches", on July 31.

🕐 1:00–2:00 PM
📍 DV2082
🖥️ DM for Zoom details

"How do temperate forests respond to drought, and how can these responses be detected from the leaf to the canopy scale? Siyu Wang’s PhD research addresses these questions by integrating leaf-level ecophysiological measurements, phenological observations, hyperspectral reflectance, vegetation indices, and ecosystem carbon flux measurements. Her findings show that drought can advance autumn senescence and affect forest carbon uptake, while demonstrating the potential of remote sensing approaches to track physiological stress and improve the monitoring of ecosystem carbon dynamics under climate change."

PI: Dr. Ingo Ensminger

Best of luck, Siyu! ✨

We would like to extend a warm congratulations to all of the UTM Biology graduate students who graduated during the 2025/26 academic year! Although we are sad to see you go, we are excited for what your future has in store and wish you all nothing but the best. 🎓✨

Ph.D. Graduates:
- Anhadvir Singh, Senatore Lab
- Areej Al-Dailami, Lange & Orchard Labs
- Madeleine Oman, Ness Lab
- Nicholas Boehler, Cheng Lab
- Vicki M. Zhang, Kotanen Lab

M.Sc. Graduates:
- Noam Harris, Kotanen Lab
- Olivia Di Biase, Ensminger Lab
- Sheraz Nadeem, Rhee Lab
- Shuwen Liu, Short Lab
- Yiming Lu, Rhee Lab

Earth Day is a reminder that the questions we ask in biology don’t just stay in the lab -- they shape how we understand and protect the natural world.

Today, we encourage you to take a moment to do one small thing that supports the planet we call home.

Happy Earth Day from UTM Biology! 🌎🌱