Melanie
Schori
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, March 2005
Current Research:
Monographic revision of Gomphandra
(Icacinaceae or Stemonuraceae), including morphological and molecular
analyses of Gomphandra,
Stemonurus,
Medusanthera,
and Lasianthera.
Why Gomphandra?
It's a relatively small genus (~33 spp.) of Southeast Asian
understory trees that was last studied around 1969, when Dr. Sleumer
wrote, "Specific distinction is in the present state far from
satisfactory, mainly due to the still rather scarce specimens collected
and their incompleteness" (Flora Malesiana, Volume 7, p. 22, 1971).
More specimens have been collected in the intervening years,
but
many questions remain - how many species are there, how many are
extinct, how well do they persist in disturbed forests? To see what Gomphandra looks like, click here.
Research Interests:
I am interested in writing monographs
for poorly
known groups of plants using a combination of morphological and
molecular approaches. I also am interested in writing field
guides, especially for the southern California deserts and mosses of
the northeastern US, and writing non-dichotomous keys for use on the
internet or a PDA.
Education:
BS in Plant Science, Cornell University, 2001
Prior Work Experience:
- 2004 - Vegetation Crew, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, ME
- 2001-2003 - Editorial Assistant, Field Guide to
the Trees of Borneo, Arnold Arboretum/Harvard University
Herbaria, Cambridge, MA
- 2001-2004 - Botanical Writing, US Forest Service
- 2002-2003 - Botanical Writing and Peer Reviewing, New
England Wild Flower Society, Framingham, MA
- 1997-1999 - Greenhouse Assistant, Murdough
Greenhouse, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
- 1991-present - Rare Plant Monitor, NH Natural Heritage
Bureau (NHNHB),
Maine Natural Areas Program (MNAP),
and New England Plant Conservation Program (NEPCoP)
Teaching Experience:
PBIO 220 Woody Plants TA (Summer 2006,
non-majors course)
PBIO 211 Diversity of Life laboratory
(Winter 2006)
PBIO 211 Diversity of Life –
Guest
lecture: Introduction to Fungi
PBIO 309/509 Plant Systematics and
Ohio Flora laboratory (Spring 2005)
BIO 101 Introductory Biology
laboratory for non-majors (Fall 2004, Fall 2005, Spring 2006)
Aquatic Plants field
trip/lecture,
Somes-Meynell Wildlife Sanctuary
Lichens slide show and walk, Waterville,
NH
Recreation Department
Lichens field trip/lecture, Acadia
National Park
interpretive ranger training session
Publications:
Schori, M. 2003. Hieracium robinsonii (Zahn)
Fernald (Robinson's Hawkweed) Conservation and
Research Plan for New England.
New England Wild Flower
Society,
Framingham, Massachusetts, USA.
(PDF
available on-line)
Grants:
Ohio University Graduate
Student Senate Original Work Grant 2005-2006. A
taxonomic study of
Gomphandra. Awarded November 2005. Award amount: $500.
Ohio University Student
Enhancement Award 2006-2008.
A
systematic revision of the genus
Gomphandra.
Awarded April 2006. Award
amount: $6000.
J. William Fulbright
Full Grant 2006-2007. Dissertation research in the Philippines:
Field
Research on
Philippine Trees (Gomphandra). Awarded April 2006. Award amount: $11,000 plus
travel to the
Philippines.
(Research Updates)
National Science Foundation
Graduate Research Fellowship, 2003-2004.
Honorable Mention for
proposed research and revision of Gomphandra.
Memberships:
New
England Botanical Club (2001)
Josselyn Botanical Society (2005)
American
Society of Plant Taxonomists (2006)
Botanical
Society of America (2006)
Sigma
Xi (2006)
Link to my CV (doc file)
Last updated: November 22, 2006