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Melissa thinks plants are awesome. |
My research interests are focused on the Eocene-Oligocene climate transition, a time of great ecological change as global climate cooled. Altered temperatures and weather patterns strongly affected both plant and animal communities. My current project focuses on late Eocene to middle Oligocene fossil plants from localities in the Northern Rocky Mountains.
By comparing both microsites within a formation and samples from different formations, I hope to learn more about the local timing and terrestrial effects of the Eocene-Oligocene cooling in the Rocky Mountain region, as well as address the role of taphonomy in biasing ecological signals.
I am also interested in collections management philosophy and in museum communication. I believe it is important to make museum collections more visible to the public as an educational resource via special exhibits and behind-the-scenes tours, website highlights like the University of Colorado Museum's Object of the Month, and print media like books and newsletters.
