Sarah (Sally) Elizabeth Koerner
423-315-3656 (cell)
[email protected]
221 Matthews St. Apt #25
Fort Collins, CO 80521
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Biology, University of New Mexico (UNM) – Albuquerque, NM - 2012
Thesis: Effects of global change on savanna grassland ecosystems
Advisor: Scott L. Collins
Dissertation committee: Alan Knapp, Cliff Dahm, Marcy Litvak
B.S., Biological Sciences, Clemson University – Clemson, SC - 2005
Departmental and General Honors, GPA – 3.77 – magna cum laude
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Community ecology, global change, grasslands, grass-forb interactions, disturbance,
herbivory, fire ecology, landscape ecology and spatial patterns
RESEARCH & WORK EXPERIENCE
Postdoctoral Associate: Colorado State University
Research Assistantship: University of New Mexico
October 2012 – present
Summers 2007-2011, Fall 2009,
Spring 2010, Spring 2011
Fall 2007 – Spring 2009
Graduate Assistantship: University of New Mexico
Lab prep for all UNM core introductory biology labs
Herbarium Assistant: Clemson University
Fall 2005
Research Project: Clemson, SC
Fall 2005
Status and distribution of Georgia Aster in the Clemson Experimental Forest
Research Intern, Northern Plains Project Internship: Kruger N. P., South Africa
Summer 2004
Research Project with Organization for Tropical Field Studies: South Africa
Spring 2004
The effects of overlapping piospheres on landscape heterogeneity in
Kruger National Park
Research Project with the School for Field Studies: Kenya
Spring 2003
The effects of a prescribed and accidental fire on grassland condition, tree
structure, and density, and browse availability for large herbivores in
Nairobi National Park’s Anthi-basin, Kenya.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Biology Lab for Health-Related Sciences (BIOL 124): University of New Mexico
Biology for Non-majors (BIOL 112): University of New Mexico
Curriculum Vitae for Sally E. Koerner
Fall 2006/2010,
Spring 2007,
Summer 2012
Spring 2012
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PUBLICATIONS
Collins, S.L., S.E. Koerner, J.A. Plaut, J.G. Okie, D. Breese, L.B. Calabrese, A. Carvajal, R.J. Evansen,
and E. Nonaka. 2012. Long-term effects of irrigation on plant community dynamics in native
tallgrass prairie. Functional Ecology. 26(6):1450-1459.
Koerner, S.E., S.L. Collins, A.K. Knapp, J.M. Blair, and M.D. Smith. Predicted extreme rainfall
patterns increase grassland sensitivity to and slow recovery from intense grazing events in
tallgrass prairie. In Press Journal of Vegetation Science.
In Revision/Review
Koerner, S.E., and S.L. Collins. Patch structure of dominant grasses in North America and South
Africa respond differently to grazing and fire. In Revision Landscape Ecology.
Smith, N.G., V.L. Rodgers, E.R. Brzostek, A. Kulmatiski, M.L. Avolio, S.E. Koerner, D.L. Hoover, K.
Grant, and A. Jentsch. Droughts and Downpours: Resolving the disconnect between rainfall
manipulation experiments and terrestrial ecosystem models. In Review Biogeochemistry.
In Preparation
Koerner, S.E., and S.L. Collins. Interactive effects of drought, grazing, and fire on plant
community structure in savanna grasslands: a cross-continental comparison.
Koerner, S.E., D.E. Burkepile, C.E. Burns, S.L. Collins, R.W.S. Fynn, N. Govender, N. Hagenah, K.
Kirkman, A.K. Knapp, K. Matchett, D. Thompson, K.R. Wilcox, and M.D. Smith. Divergence in
grassland responses to fire and grazing in North America and South Africa.
FELLOWSHIPS, GRANTS, & AWARDS
Melinda Bealmer Scholarship – UNM Biology Department ($500)
2011
Sigma Xi – Award for Excellent Graduate Student Research for the UNM chapter
2010
Hertel Scholarship – UNM Biology Department ($2,000)
2010
JP Weaver Scholarship – The Nature Conservancy ($1,000)
2010
Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant – National Science Foundation ($15,000)
2009
Grove Research Scholarship – UNM Biology Department ($750)
2008
SRAC – UNM Graduate Association ($2,000)
2007/2009
GRAC – UNM Biology Graduate Student Association ($1,500)
2007-2009
RPT – UNM Graduate Association ($1,500)
2007/2010/2011
Springfield Scholarship – UNM Biology Department ($2,000)
2007/2009
INVITED TALKS
Koerner, S.E. 2010. Effects of global climate change, loss of mega-herbivore biodiversity, and
altered fire regimes on savanna grassland ecosystems. UNM Biology Department Brown
Bag Seminar hosted by Sigma Xi.
Koerner, S.E. 2009. Experimentally assessing the interactive effects of grazing and altered
precipitation on grassland community structure. Kansas State Biology Department Brown
Bag Seminar.
Curriculum Vitae for Sally E. Koerner
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PRESENTATIONS
Koerner, S.E, M.L. Avolio, K.K. La Pierre, K.R. Wilcox, M.D. Smith, & S.L. Collins. 2012. Long-term
nutrient additions cause divergence in tallgrass prairie plant communities. Organized Oral
Session. Ecological Society of America 97th Meeting.
Koerner, S.E., and S.L. Collins. 2011. Interactive effects of drought, grazing, and fire on grassland
community dynamics: a cross-continental comparison. Grasslands in a Global Context
Symposium.
Koerner, S.E., and S.L. Collins. 2011. Interactive effects of drought grazing and fire on grassland
community dynamics: a cross-continental comparison. Ecological Society of America 96th
Meeting.
Koerner, S.E., S.L. Collins, A.K. Knapp, J.M. Blair, and M.D. Smith. 2011. Grazing alters grassland
sensitivity to more extreme precipitation regimes in tallgrass prairie. Konza Prairie LTER Site
Review.
Koerner, S.E., and S.L. Collins. 2011. Fire, grazing, & patch structure: Do South African & American
grasslands respond in the same way? Ecological Society of America 95th Meeting & Savanna
Networking 9th Meeting.
Koerner, S.E., S.L. Collins, A.K. Knapp, J.M. Blair, and M.D. Smith. 2009. Grazing alters grassland
sensitivity to more extreme precipitation regimes in tallgrass prairie. Ecological Society of
America 94th Meeting & LTER All Scientists Meeting.
Koerner, S.E., J.A. Plaut, J.G. Okie, D. Breese, L.B. Calabrese, A. Carvajal, R.J. Evansen, E. Nonaka,
and S.L. Collins. 2008. Plant functional traits and community responses in a changing
environment. Ecological Society of America 93rd Meeting.
Koerner, S.E., and S.L. Collins. 2007. Community responses to fire and grazing in savanna
grasslands. Ecological Society of America 92nd Meeting.
PROFESSIONAL VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
LTER Graduate Student Committee:
Co-Chair
2010-2012
Organized Oral Session Co-organizer at Ecological Society of America Meeting
2012
Nutrient Additions Alter Community and Ecosystem Processes:
Lessons Learned from the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network
Biology Graduate Student Association (BGSA) Government at UNM:
President
2008-2010
Publication Reimbursement Committee Chair
2008-2009
Social Chair
2007-2008
Ecological Society of America Student Section Government:
Student Host
2008-2009
Undergraduate Presentation Competition Co-Chair
2009-2011
Volunteer Judge:
Research Day (UNM Biology Department) Poster Judge
2009/2010/2012
Braun Poster Judge (Ecological Society of America)
2009-2011
Undergraduate Oral & Poster Presentation Judge (ESA)
2009-2012
Poster Presentation Judge (All Scientist’s Meeting)
2009/2012
Graduate Student & Professional Association Council at UNM:
Biology Representative
2008-2009
Curriculum Vitae for Sally E. Koerner
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PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND ACTIVITIES
Memberships:
Ecological Society of America, Society for Conservation Biology, British
Ecological Society, and Sigma Xi
Journal Reviews: African Journal of Range & Forage Science; Functional Ecology; Landscape
Ecology; Oecologia; Plant and Soil; and Proceedings of the Royal Society B
Book Reviews:
Ecology and Landscape Ecology
Working Groups: Co-led: Engineering Global Change Experiments. LTER All Scientists Meeting
Graduate Student Symposium. 2009.
Co-led: Graduate Student Symposium. LTER All Scientists Meeting. 2012.
Co-led: Examining the effects of patchiness on ecosystem stability across a
range of grassland types using long-term vegetation data. LTER All Scientists
Meeting Graduate Student Symposium. 2012.
REFERENCES
Dr. Scott L. Collins
Professor, Director of the Sevilleta LTER
Department of Biology
University of New Mexico
MSC03 2020
Albuquerque, NM 87131
phone: 505-277-6303
email: [email protected]
Dr. Alan K. Knapp
Professor
Department of Biology
Colorado State University
Ft. Collins, CO 80523-1878
phone: 970-491-7010
email: [email protected]
Dr. Melinda Smith
Professor
Department of Biology
Colorado State University
Ft. Collins, CO 80523-1878
phone: 970-491-7155
email: [email protected]
Curriculum Vitae for Sally E. Koerner
Dr. Deron Burkepile
Assistant Professor
Marine Science Program
Department of Biological Sciences
Florida International University
3000 NE 151st St.
North Miami, FL 33181
phone: 305-919-4017
email: [email protected]
Dr. Julie Coetzee
Senior Research Officer
Department of Zoology & Entomology
Rhodes University
P.O. Box 94
Grahamstown 6104, South Africa
phone: +27 [0]46 603 8702
email: [email protected]
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