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Clark Fellowship

2022-2023


Rebecca Hall
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Title:
The Connection Between Mesoscale Convective Systems and Thermodynamic and Dynamic Conditions
Synopsis:
This research proposes to analyze two questions, which summed together are: how do buoyancy, moisture, and potential vorticity affect the cloud types and structures in mesoscale convective systems?

2021-2022


Lucia White
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Title:
The effects of Trichoderma harzianum volatile organic compounds on the gravity and oxidative stress responses of Arabidopsis thaliana for space agriculture
Synopsis:
Treating plants with volatile organic compounds from beneficial root fungus may alter stress and gravitation response needed to improve space agriculture for future human space exploration missions.

2019-2020


Jaime Cordova
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Title:
Investigating the Viability of Microorganisms in a Venus Cloud Analog
Synopsis:
This project aims to test the viability of microorganisms in an analog Venus cloud environment that may be hospitable to life. Additionally, this project will work to identify genes responsible for their adaptation/survival.

Sarah Johns
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Title: Role of Potassium Channels in Responding to Stress-Induced by Microgravity Conditions
Synopsis: During spaceflight conditions, plants are subjected to low oxygen and flooding stress, due to a lack of gravity-induced air convection and the surface tension of water causing it to cling to roots.  Through measurement of stress gene expression, rosette size, root length, pigment content, and accumulation of the stress signal of reactive oxygen species, I can increase the understanding of how potassium channels influence the response to hypoxic and flooding stress. 

2018-2019


Jordan Ludyan
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Research Title: Investigation of sulfur speciation and isotopic systematics in hydrothermal alteration products and fluids: applications to Mars sulfur-bearing environments
Synopsis: Investigation of hot, water-rich volcanic systems in Iceland as a comparison to volcanic environments that may have existed on ancient Mars, a place where life could potentially have evolved.

2017-2018


Alana Herro
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Title: Linking space observations with ground surveys to better understand Wisconsin’s conservation agricultural landscape
Synopsis: This project combines data from NASA satellites with in-person surveys of Wisconsin farmers to create a database showing the environmental and economic benefits
of conservation farming techniques.

2016-2017


Elizabeth Borucki
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Research Title: Investigation of the Cooper Harbor Conglomerate Paleo-Enviroemnt through Magnetic Minerals and their Magnetic Properties
Synopsis: Magnetic mineralogy may be used to assess climate or environmental elements. The potential to interpret magnetic variability could lead to the production of tests developed to be applied in the search for habitable environments or paleo- environments beyond Earth.

2015-2016


 Alexandra Karambelas
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Title: Urban Emissions and Regional Air Quality in Southeast Asia
Synopsis: The main objective of this research project is to understand and evaluate changes in urban and regional emissions from 2005-2014 in order to determine how any such changes have influenced air quality across Southeast Asia.

2014-2015


Brian Harvey
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Title: Testing for wildfire feedbacks in forests of the Northern Rocky Mountains
Synopsis: Climate change is altering wildfire regimes in forested regions. I am using NASA satellites to test feedbacks among successive wildfire events and evaluate their consequences on forest ecosystems.

2013-2014


Aaron Olson
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Title: The Mark IV: A Scalable Lunar Miner Prototype
Synopsis: The Mark IV (M-4) project will address how current and emerging In-Situ Resource Utilization systems can be integrated into a scalable lunar miner prototype.

2012-2013


Alexis Santos
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Title: Variability of Nutrient Induction on Surface Tracers in the North Atlantic
Synopsis: In situ observations and model output will be used with hind cast modeling to determine the mechanism behind variability in physics of nutrient induction on bio-geochemistry in the North Atlantic Ocean.

2011-2012


Darren Pilcher
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Title: The Carbon Cycle of Lake Michigan
Synopsis: A coupled physical and biological 3-D model will be applied to Lake Michigan to quantify the carbon budget and assess the impacts of invasive Dreissena mussel species and lake acidification.

2010-2011


Shawn Serbin
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Title: Quantifying the variation in light-use efficiency of forest ecosystems
Synopsis: The project utilizes multi-sensor image data to upscale and quantify light-use efficiency, a key component in remote sensing of terrestrial productivity, based on characteristics of the vegetation.

 

2009-2010


Paul West
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Title: The Effects of Agricultural Production on Carbon Storage and Water Balance:  Quantifying the Global Patterns and Trade-offs
Synopsis: This research uses crop data and ecosystem models to quantify the global patterns of the trade-offs between the ecosystem services of crop production, water availability, and carbon storage.

2008-2009


David Zaks
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Title: No Free Lunch:  Trading Away Ecosystem Services from Agriculture in the Brazilian Amazon
Synopsis: This research combines commodity production data, global trade data, and ecosystem models to quantify the embodied resources within agricultural commodities in the Brazilian Amazon and their distribution around the world.

2007-2008


Jonathan Van Dyke
Medical College of Wisconsin
Research Title: The Mark IV: Optimizing Stretch for Maximal JNK Activation:  A Countermeasure Against Central Corelike Lesion and Muscle Atrophy in Mice
Synopsis: It is my goal to provide the ground work for future studies leading to muscle atrophy prevention in humans by characterizing and optimizing JNK activation in response to varying durations of daily passive stretch in a mouse model.

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