Erica B. Young

EricaBorn: Perth, Australia…. a while ago now!

Citizenship: Australian  (permanent resident in USA)

Contact Details
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Lapham Hall 593
3209 N Maryland Ave
Milwaukee,WI 53211 USA

Phone: 414 229-3257
FAX: 414 229-3926
Email: ebyoung@uwm.edu
 

Formal Education

    BS Botany Major (Distinction), University of Western Australia, 1985-1987.

    BS Honours (First Class), Plant Biochemistry, University of Western Australia 1988. Thesis: An Immunological Approach to the Study of Gene Expression in the Nodules of Cowpea, Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.

    PhD Biological Sciences, Monash University. 1999. Thesis: Interactions between Photosynthetic Carbon and Nitrogen Acquisition in the Marine Microalga Dunaliella tertiolecta Butcher.

    Postdoctoral Research, Queen’s University of Belfast. 1999-2002. Nitrogen physiology of marine intertidal macroalgae.

Positions Held

    Assistant Professor, Dept. Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, October 2002 – present.

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, October 1999- September 2002. Environmental regulation of nitrate reductase in brown macroalgae.

    Postdoctoral Researcher, Dept Biological Sciences, Monash University, January – August 1999. Role of trace metals in inorganic carbon acquisition by microalgae.

    Teaching Assistant, Monash University August 1994 – December 1998. Teaching all levels of biology and plant sciences.

    Field Research Assistant, Dept. Botany, University of Western Australia, November 1993 – February 1994. Ecology of seagrass and epiphyte communities under eutrophication.

    Research Assistant, Dept Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, School Agriculture, University of Western Australia, 1993. CHN analytical techniques for crop plants.

    Research Assistant volunteer, Thalassa AB, algal biotechnology company. Uppsala, Sweden, September – November 1992. B.O.D. analysis and algal photosynthesis for ecotoxicological testing.

    Research Assistant, Institute for Physiological Botany, Uppsala University, Sweden, June 1990 – July 1992. Establishing techniques for in situ RNA hybridization in cyanobacteria and mouse tissue.

    Research Assistant, Dept. Botany, University of Western Australia, January 1989 – May 1990. Biochemistry and molecular regulation of legume-rhizobium symbioses.

Honors and Awards

    1986 Maurice Buchan Prize in Botany, University of Western Australia.

    1987 W.E. Blackall prize for Botany, University of Western Australia.

    1994-7 Monash University post-graduate scholarship

    1996 Monash University Travel Scholarship

    2004 Elected to Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society

Research Funding

    Wisconsin DNR – State Wildlife Grant. J. Reinartz, A. Reis, E. Young, J. Mills and J. Peltier. Conservation, management, and restoration of tamarack in the Southern Tamarack Swamps of Wisconsin. $74,820 funded. April 2007.

    UWM Research Growth Initiative. E. Young (Lead PI) and J. Berges.  Phosphorus Acquisition : Exploring New Paradigms in Freshwater Phytoplankton. Submitted October 2006. $61,673. July 2007 – Dec 2008.

    UWM Research Growth Initiative. E. Young (Lead PI), G. Meyer, J. Reinartz, M. Schwartz, S. Schnitzer. Long Term Ecological Change in a Vulnerable Wisconsin Wetland. Submitted Jan 2006. $80,156 July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2007.

    Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District: H.A. Bootsma and E.B. Young.  Water Quality Management Options to Control Cladophora Growth in the Milwaukee Region of Lake Michigan, Phase II. $120,020.95 funded (July 05 –  Dec 06)

    Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District. H. Bootsma and E. B. Young. Water quality management options to control Cladophora growth in the Milwaukee Region of Lake Michigan. $83,493 funded (July 03 – Oct 04).

    UWM Center for Water Security. E. Young (Lead PI) and J. Berges. Pilot Study Proposal. Fluorometric monitoring of aquatic toxins using microalgae. $24,574 (Dec 04 – Dec 05).

    UWM Graduate School Research Committee: E.B. Young. Nutrient induced chlorophyll a fluorescence transients as a diagnostic of nutrient limitation in freshwater microalgae. $14,995 (June 03 – June 04).

    Australian Research Council. J. Beardall and E. Young. Purchase of Pulse Amplitude Modulated Fluorometer. ~US$19,000. Dec 1994 (at Monash University).

Mentoring and Outreach – Synergistic Activities

    Graduate Students and Researchers Mentored

      Grace Jennings (Queen’s Univ, Belfast), Terry Bott, Chelsea Lowes, Alicia Hanson, Jason Berg, Philip Lee (Graduate Students, UWM), Jason Mills (postdoctoral associate)

    Undergraduate Students Mentored

      Iain Stewart, Aaron Duncan, Sarah McCullaugh (Queen’s Univ of Belfast 1999 – 2002).

      Vanessa Ash, Brett Floyd, Teresa Roth, Marie Barabas, Rebecca Tucker, Jamie Smith, Danielle Sippel, Jason Schroeder, Leah Klatt, Lizz Waring, Mary McQuiggin, Amy Rymaszewski (UWM 2004 – 2008).

    High School and Middle School Students Mentored 

      Wagner (Nicolette High School, Milwaukee 2005), K. Bazan (Poland NY, via email 2006), Ben and John Teich (Whitefish Bay WI 2008).

Community Outreach

    Milwaukee’s “Lake Sturgeon Bowl” (part of the National Ocean Science Bowl) Science Judge, 2003, Contributed team challenge questions to the National Ocean Sciences Bowl competition, Fall 2005.

    Panel member, Public forum on Cladophora Issues on Lake Michigan shoreline. Lake Park Pavilion, Milwaukee July 2004.

    Invited lectures to Public Forum ‘Nuisance Algae in Lake Michigan’, Lakeshore Technical College, Cleveland, Wisconsin February 18, 2005 : Erica Young, Harvey Bootsma and John Berges. CladophoraBiomass and Nutrient Status in Lake Michigan, and Contributed to panel discussion co-ordinated by WI DNR.

    Young, E.B., and J. A. Berges. 2005. Cladophora in the Great Lakes: Current perspectives from the research community.  Nuisance Algae in Lake Michigan Public Forum, Lakeshore Technical College,Cleveland, Wisconsin. February 18.  http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/greatlakes/cladophora/Forum.html    A training video was developed from this talk for use by WI DNR.

    Presentation :  Bootsma, H, Young, E.B. and Berges, J.A.  Presentation to MMSD management staff (Kevin Shafer). Temporal and spatial patterns of Cladophora biomass and nutrient stoichiometry in Lake Michigan. MMSD Milwaukee Office. Feb 10, 2005.

    Invited lectures to Public Forum ‘Nuisance Algae in Lake Michigan’, Lakeshore Technical College, Cleveland, Wisconsin February 18, 2005 : Erica Young, Harvey Bootsma and John Berges. CladophoraBiomass and Nutrient Status in Lake Michigan, and Contributed to panel discussion co-ordinated by WI DNR.

    Contributed photographs and gave 2 hour interview to Peter Spotts, Science writer for Christian Science Monitor. Extensive article on Cladophora in the Great Lakes appeared in The Christian Science Monitor, 30 March, 2006.

    Television interview for Fox 6 News – RGI research project “Long term ecological change in a protected wetland”.  Story aired on Fox 6 News Saturday 29 July, 2006.

    Contributed to and interviewed for WI DNR informational video on Cladophora in the Great Lakes. Oct 2007.

Editorial Board Member for Journal of Phycology  (2008 – 2010)

    Manuscript reviewing for Journals:

      Aquaculture, Aquatic Botany, Botanica Marina, Conservation Biology, Environmental Science and Technology, European Journal of Phycology, Journal of Experimental Botany, Journal of Phycology, Limnology and Oceanography, Marine and Freshwater Research, Marine Biology, Marine Ecology Progress Series, New Phytologist, Photosynthesis Research, Phycologia, Chapter review for edited volume on Dunaliellaphotosynthesis

    Research Proposals reviewer for: National Science Foundation (BIO-OCE program); Israel Science Foundation, US Civilian Research & Development Foundation.

Recent Conference and other Presentations  (2006 – 2008)

    E.B. Young 2009. A world in your teacup: Ecophysiology across diverse ecosystems. Colloquium ‐ Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin‐Milwaukee. October, 2009.

    E. Young G. Meyer and T. Bott. Nutrient limitation and morphological plasticity of the carnivorous pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea in contrasting wetland environments. Ecological Society of America annual meeting, Aug 2008

    J. Mills, J. Reinartz, G. Meyer, E. Young. Big invasion, little effect: Plant community in undisturbed wetland shows little response to exotic shrub invasion. Ecological Society of America annual meeting, Aug 2008.

    C. Lowes and E. Young. Use of alternative phosphorus compounds by freshwater cyanobacteria and Lake Michigan phytoplankton. Ecological Society of America annual meeting, Aug 2008.

    A. Hanson, J. Berges and E. Young. Examining the virus community across a trophic spectrum of freshwater ecosystems. Ecological Society of America annual meeting, Aug 2008.

    J. Mills, J. Reinartz, G. Meyer, E. Young. Glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) invasion at Cedarburg Bog: 1991 to 2006. Wisconsin Wetlands Association annual conference, WI, Jan 2008.

    J. Reinartz, D. Sippel, J. Mills, E.Young, G. Meyer. Growth patterns of glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) and tamarack (Larix laricina) in Cedarburg Bog. Wisconsin Wetlands Association annual conference, WI, Jan 2008.

    E. Young, T. Bott, G. Meyer. Morphological diversity of the Northern Pitcher Plant. Wisconsin Wetlands Association annual conference, WI, Jan 2008.

    J. Schroeder, E.Young, J. Mills, J. Reinartz. Land cover change over 60 years on landscape surrounding Cedarburg Bog. Wisconsin Wetlands Association annual conference, WI, Jan 2008.

    J. Mills, J. Reinartz, G. Meyer, E. Young. Long term Change in Vegetation of a Wisconsin wetland: An Effect of Climate Change? Global Climate Change Sustainable Development Initiative conference, April 24-25, 2008, Milwaukee WI.

    C. Lowes, E. Young. Alternative sources of phosphorus for freshwater cyanobacteria and Lake Michigan phytoplankton. International Association of Great Lakes Research, annual meeting, Peterborough, Canada, May 19-23, 2008.

    J. Berges, E. Guinn, B. Von Korff, E. Young. Are nuisance blooms of benthic algae reshaping nearshore silica cycling in Lake Michigan? International Association of Great Lakes Research, annual meeting,Peterborough, Canada, May 19-23, 2008.

    A. Hanson, J. Berges, E. Young. Viruses in Lake Michigan: Examining the virus community and the role of viruses in the phosphorus cycle. International Association of Great Lakes Research, annual meeting,Peterborough, Canada, May 19-23, 2008.

    A. Hanson, J. Berges, E. Young. Viruses in Lake Michigan: Examining the virus community and the role of viruses in the phosphorus cycle. ASLO summer meeting, Newfoundland, Canada, June 2008.

    Young, E, Pansch L. and Tucker R. Nearshore nutrient fluxes and organic P use by benthic algae.  American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Meeting, Santa Fe, February 2007.

    Young, EB, Pansch L. and Tucker R.  Organic P Use Supports Blooms of The Nuisance Alga Cladophora In Nearshore Lake Michigan. International Association of Great Lakes Research 50th anniversary meeting,Penn State, May 2007. [Invited]

    Schroeder J, Mills J and Young E. Historical land classification at the Cedarburg Bog. Presentation to Cedarburg Bog Research Group, June 29, 2007.

    Sippel D, Reinartz J, Mills J and Young E.  Tamarack (Larix laricina) and Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) growth and habitat in the Cedarburg Bog. Presentation to Cedarburg Bog Research Group, June 29, 2007.

    Mills JE, Young EB, Meyer G, Reinartz J.  Vegetation Change in a Sensitive Forested Wetland in the Upper Midwest Ecological Society of America Annual Conference San José, CA, August 2007.

    Choi CJ, Berges JA and Young EB.  Rapid detection of aquatic toxins using chlorophyll fluorescence in microalgae. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Conference, Milwaukee, November 2007.

    Young, E, Bootsma, H, Roth, T, von Korff, B and Berges J. Role of macroalga/ epiphyte assemblages in nutrient cycling in nearshore Lake Michigan. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. Victoria,Canada. June 2006.