Graduate students studying invasive insects and declining songbird species have been awarded Wormsloe Fellowships, hosted by the University of Georgia Libraries’ Center for Research and Education at Wormsloe (CREW).
Daniel Gilley, a doctoral student in the Odum School of Ecology, and Diane Klement, who is pursuing a doctorate from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, will perform their research at the interdisciplinary site on Isle of Hope along the coast of Georgia. The fellowships’ funding is provided by the UGA Graduate School and the Wormsloe Foundation.
The two join Taylor Pearson, a PhD student working under the guidance of faculty members Christopher Cleveland and Michael Yabsley at the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study in UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She will continue her research on the prevalence and diversity of tick species and tick-borne pathogens along the Georgia coastline.
“As one of the most ecologically significant locations in Georgia, the historic Wormsloe site provides a rich venue to investigate timely questions about our ecosystem,” said Mary Socci, executive director of CREW. “At the Center for Research and Education at Wormsloe, we are proud to support the education of talented graduate students and their work, which will aid in future conservation. We thank our partners at the UGA Graduate School and the Wormsloe Foundation for funding these opportunities.”
Gilley’s research involves the foraging patterns of honeybees. At the same time, he’s working with assistant professor Lewis Bartlett, his advisor, to better understand the invasion of the Yellow Legged Hornet into the United States and the impact it’s having on local pollinator species.
Gilley graduated from Shorter University with a bachelor’s degree before earning his master’s degree at the University of West Georgia. In addition to his research on plant-pollinator interactions, Gilley is interested in science education and active learning pedagogies and hopes to become an ecology professor.
Klement, a native of Augusta, is working toward becoming a triple Dawg, after earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UGA. She has held positions on Georgia’s coast as a bird technician on Little Saint Simons Island and as a marine education fellow with UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, inspiring her to continue her graduate training in the region.
At Wormsloe and on nearby Little Saint Simons Island, Klement plans to study poorly understood factors in the life cycle of the Painted Bunting, a declining migratory songbird. She is working with Clark Rushing, associate professor of wildlife, to examine the buntings’ diet and use of space during the post-breeding season.
After graduation, she plans to continue working in migratory bird conservation in the southeastern U.S., helping to protect vulnerable landscapes for future generations.
For more information about the Center for Research and Education at Wormsloe and the Wormsloe Fellowship, visit libs.uga.edu/wormsloe.