Research Interests

Plant ecology, niche modeling, bryology niche roles, species conservation, climate change indicators, GIS

Research and Related Activities

Dr. Matt von Konrat and Dr. John Dean – DePaul Biological Sciences MS

September 2021-Present

• Collected bryophyte samples from Nachusa Grasslands to supplement the Field Museum Collection
• Prepared proposal on using predictive mapping to create bryophyte niche models
• Compiling an open source predictive mapping tutorial for application to other distribution projects

Dr. Matt von Konrat Botanical Collections, Field Museum- Intern

June – August 2022, June – August 2021, June – August 2020

• Databasing plant specimen information from scientific labels on to a web accessible database. Uploaded specimen data onto Bryophyte and Pteridophyte databases for worldwide use
• Created predictive maps for comparing environmental data and species distribution
• Volunteered and participated in the worldwide transcription event WeDigBio

Dr. Jalene LaMontagne Ecology Lab, DePaul University College of Science and Health – Lab Assistant

December 2019

• Collected and organized large amounts of pinecone development data
• Made images marking the full pinecone counts of the trees

Presentations

• Bio 191 | General Biology I for Science Majors (GTA and Supplemental Instruction Leader)
• Bio 192 | General Biology II for Science Majors (Supplemental Instruction Leader)
• Bio 193 | General Biology III for Science Majors (GTA and Supplemental Instruction Leader)
• Bio 309/409 | Plant Physiology (GTA)
• Mat 130 | Precalculus (Supplemental Instruction Leader)

Peer Reviewed Publications

Biomonitoring of Environmental Pollution: An Exploratory Investigation Using Mosses and X-Ray Fluorescence

In preparation | BioRisk | Maari, S., Evans, N. M., Ryan, Z. A., Campbell, T., Kreider, D., Dussubieux, L., Maves, C., Rodriguez, Y., Zinke, A., Merrill, G., Moy, P., & von Konrat, M.

• Initial investigation on using mosses as biomonitors of air pollution in areas of varying urbanization
• Supports the use of using low-cost XRF spectroscopy on mosses for evaluating the metal pollution in an area

Open-Source Software Integration: A Tutorial on Species Distribution Mapping and Ecological Niche Modeling

In preparation | Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO) | Clark, E. K., Cundiff, B., Nichols, J. A., Ryan, Z. A., Mahoney, M., Evans, N. M., Campbell, T., & von Konrat, M.

• A guide on using open source software, QGIS and Maxent, to create niche models and distribution maps for bryophytes
• Process is easily applied to models for other organisms beyond bryophytes

Non-Peer Reviewed Publications

R Introduction and Tutorial

2022 | Ryan, Z. A

• Beginner level tutorial on how to download, import and analyze data in RStudio
• Includes additional guides, videos, and tips for organizing code

QGIS Intro and Instructions for Mapping Species Occurrences

2020 | Ryan, Z. A. | Summarized in Mosses and Mapping Tutorial: Software Integration for Visualization of Species Distribution Models by Clark (2021)

• Introductory steps and video reference for QGIS beginners
• Instructions on adding layers and occurrence data to maps

Scholarships and Awards

Graduate Research Fund – College of Science and Health 2022

Biology Student of the Year – College of Science and Health 2022

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Achievement – College of Science and Health 2022

10th Anniversary Student Feature – College of Science and Health 2021

Presidential Tuition Scholarship – DePaul University 2018

Skills

Computational and Programs

• Bryophyte and Pteridophyte Portal
• QGIS Mapping
• Maxent Modeling
• Basic R Programming
• Google Drive and Microsoft Office Applications

Research and Analytical

• Library Skills
• Introductory Statistical Analysis
• Handling Large Data Sets
• Laboratory Skills
• Microscopy Skills

Communication

• Public Speaking
• Brainstorming and Team Collaboration
• Leading Projects