Jessica Plein, M.S.

Bio

My background in research began as a lab member of the Global Change Research Group, comparing several years of data from the eddy covariance research towers in Alaska during my undergraduate degree in Zoology. This sparked an increased interest in climate change and the Arctic tundra ecosystem, inspiring me to further explore those areas of research in combination with my passion for studying wildlife and animal behavior.

For my Ecology graduate research, I continued studying carbon fluxes with a major added animal component– lemmings! My main research focuses on the effects of lemming grazing on Arctic tundra productivity, lemming response to predator cues, and vegetation recovery.

Currently, I oversee the lab operations from project coordinating to logistical support for field work. As lab manager, I now support several student projects and help with both the financial and research requirements of the grants.