Jed Sparks (he/him/his)

Research Interests: The Sparks lab explores a breadth of research as diverse as its students. We are actively involved in projects around the globe, from coastal Kenyan forests to semi-tropical grassland agriculture. Our chief interests are in the conservation of dwindling wild spaces, and in the leveraging of new and innovative techniques in our research.

Benjamin Uveges (he/him)

Postdoctoral Researcher

Email / Twitter / Github / ORCID / Google Scholar / Website

Research Interests: I am an Organic and Stable Isotope Geochemist, Geobiologist, and Sedimentary Geologist. I specialize in the measurement and analysis of carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in organic archives, lipid biomarkers, the nutrient dynamics of stratified aquatic basins, and the evolution of the carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles throughout Earth’s History. Currently working on phosphorus and methane cycling in subtropical pasturelands.

Allasandra (Ally) Valdez (she/her)

Second year PhD Student

Email / Website

Research Interests: I am a plant physiological ecologist, broadly interested in understanding plants’ physiological responses to water limitations, particularly in the context of our changing climate. My approach encompasses a blend of theoretical and applied biological methods, utilizing methods in both controlled greenhouse experiments and fieldwork. Beyond my research endeavors, I am an advocate for science outreach by serving as the host of The Happy Botanist Podcast. I am dedicated to kindling curiosity and promoting awareness in topics pertaining to botany, ecology, sustainability, and conservation.

Hannah Monti (she/her)

Second year PhD Student

Research Interests: I am a biogeochemist and microbial ecologist interested in the role of microbial interaction in generating global patterns of soil carbon storage. As anthropogenic disturbances become more common and severe, I also aim to investigate how microbially-driven carbon and nitrogen dynamics respond to perturbation. My approach includes both field and greenhouse studies and seeks to bridge scales, from single cells to whole ecosystems.

Cam Blevins (they/them)

Fourth year PhD Student

Email / Researchgate / Twitter

Research interests: I am interested in how plants respond to and defend against abiotic stressors like direct/indirect greenhouse gases. For example, my current endeavor questions how plants defend against long-term exposure to sulfur dioxide (a powerful oxidant for plants) in Hawaii. I approach this question using both a plant physiological and ecophysiological lens. Techniques in stable isotopes and biochemistry are then used in my research to understand how plants defend against oxidative stress and whether there exists population differentiation in defensive responses.

Dan Petticord (he/him/his)

Fifth year PhD Candidate

Research Interests: My primary research interest is in the complex context-dependent interplay between plants and soils. In particular, I am interested in how the belowground plant-associated microbiome mediates environmental pressure on both the organism and community scale. Broadly, I am powerfully motivated to consider issues of both food safety and environmental sustainability in the context of our changing climate. I conduct experimental research designed to quantify organism-level mechanistic connections underlying plant-soil dynamics. I also pursue theoretical work intended to apply these mechanistic first principles to both A) predict broader community-level patterns at greater scales and B) suggest amendments or considerations for ecosystem conservation and agricultural management. In my PhD research, I have largely focused on mitigating nutrient pollution from historically fertilized ranchlands via the implementation of ‘vegetation harvest strips,’ a form of phytoremediation biotechnology designed to mitigate the loss of legacy phosphorus from soils. Previously, I was a fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, where I studied how the interplay of mutualist and pathogen fungi in soils impact large-scale patterns of diversity in the tropical rainforest. In the local upstate NY community, I am involved in a sustainable development project designing a homestead to replace a historically agricultural field in the Hudson Valley. At the site, we are interested in both the sustainable production of grass-fed dairy (a collaboration between the local land-owners and Chaseholm Farms) and in establishing the ‘best-case’ development plan for the increasing number of rural landowners looking to renovate land. In the fall, I teach a Freshman Writing Seminar entitled “What’s For Dinner,” where I teach students to read critically and to write deliberately. We explore how authors motivate and persuade readers, and our readings are focused on the complex landscape of the American food system. I also work with the Cornell Physical Education program, coaching one class a semester.

Sudan Kariuki (she/her/hers)

Sixth year PhD Candidate

Email / Website

Research Interests: I am interested in how human activities influence biogeochemical processes which link plant and soil ecosystems. For example, my MS research focused on how recreational camping influences mesquite-mediated soil microbial metabolism of C and N. To answer questions like these, I have used a combination of field based plant monitoring methods and lab based soil microbiological methods. I look forward to exploring how isotopic techniques can be used to approach similar questions in my PhD research.

Aimee Tsang (she/her/hers)

Undergraduate Researcher

Research Interests: I am interested in the application of computational methods to topics in ecology. More specifically, how data science can be used to analyze trends in climate conditions and model community dynamics.

Lucas Fink

Undergraduate Researcher

Research Interests: I am broadly interested in organismal behavior and ecology, with an emphasis on plant-insect interactions. I am also interested in the community dynamics of enclosed freshwater systems, particularly within plant phytotelmata.

Charlotte Tysall

Undergraduate Researcher

Email / Instagram / Website

Research Interests: I’m interested in the study of ecological systems and interactions of organisms with one another and their environments, specifically through the lense of stable isotope analysis. Additionally, I am drawn (pun intended) to the intersection of science and art, and have been working on both a fine arts minor and developing my scientific illustration skills.

Vince Tedesco

Undergraduate Researcher

Research Interests: I am largely engaged in the application of statistics in stable isotope analysis. Specifically, I am interested in changes over time in isotope values in certain communities and the implications of those changes. In the future, I would like to combine my interest in Cognitive Science with my experiences in the Sparks Lab.

Evelyn Chen

Undergraduate Researcher

Research Interests: I am interested in studying the physicochemical and geoscience processes that shape current climate conditions, as well as the application of data science and statistical analysis in understanding climatic trends (and our role in them).

Friends of the Lab

Dr. Dave Frey (he/him/his)

Research Interests: I am broadly interested in terrestrial carbon and nutrient cycling, particularly as they relate to plant-soil interactions. My current research is focused on how soil conditions and resources influence aboveground and belowground carbon allocation in temperate deciduous forests.

Beatriz A. Aguirre (she/her/hers)

PhD Candidate

Email / Website

Primary advisor: Dr. Alison G. Power

Research Interests: I am interested in studying the effects of drought on grassland plant communities. I am also interested in plant virus and drought interactions in non-crop grass hosts. I am currently studying how viral disease prevalence may be amplified or diluted by biodiversity in unmanaged plant communities.

Jasmine S. Peters (She/her/hers)

PhD Candidate

Email / Website / ORCID

Primary advisor: Dr. Alison Power

Research Interests: I am broadly interested in how humans engage with the environment. Currently I am studying plant virus interactions in restored and remnant native grasslands that are managed with prescribed burns. I am also working with the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ’ and Shinnecock Nations to forefront indigenous land stewardship and fire knowledge in the ecological sciences.

Lab Technicians

Kim Sparks

Kim is manager of the Cornell Stable Isotope Laboratory and is interested in a variety of topics including plant physiology, ecophysiology, biogeography and biogeochemistry. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.S. in Ecology and Evolution and Washington State University with a M.S. in Botany. She currently focuses on the use of stable isotopes to address ecological and biogeochemical questions.

John Pollak

John D. Pollak graduated from Cornell University in 2008 with a B.S. focusing in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. His primary areas of interest are Plant Taxonomy, Plant Ecophysiology and Stable Isotope technology. John is a Research Support Specialist in the Sparks Lab and Cornell’s Stable Isotope Lab.

Past Lab Members

Sparks lab members collecting pumpkins for the annual Halloween party at an “all you can carry” pumpkin patch.

Graduate Students

Amelia Weiss (Graduated 2023)

Kelsey Jensen (Postdoc at Skidmore College)

Ben Johnson (Graduated 2022)

Ellie Goud (Assistant Professor, University of St. Mary’s)

Fiona Soper (Assistant Professor, McGill University)

Sam Chamberlain (Machine Learning Engineer at CashApp)

Danica Lombardozzi (Assistant Professor, Colorado State University)

Kirsten Coe (Assistant Professor, Middlebury College)

Carrie McCalley (Associate Professor, Rochester Institute of Technology)

Elizabeth Craig (University of New Hampshire, Shoals Marine Lab)

David Baker (Associate Professor, University of Hong Kong)

Allyson Eller (Physician’s Assistant)

Dena Vallano (EPA)

Postdocs
Brian Strahm (Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech)
Rasa Zalakeviciute (Universidad Tecnologica Indoamerica)
Jasmine Crumsey

Undergraduates
Shauntle Barley, Sonia Gregor, Hiroshi Hikida, John Pollak, Subasish Bhowmick, Alicia Zhao, Jocelyn Lavallee, Julia Darcey, Geoff Gailey, Elizabeth Jordan, Katherine Crocker, Amy Freitag