People

FIRE HISTORY | SUCCESSION | CLIMATE VARIABILITY | FOREST HISTORY | HUMAN IMPACTS

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Kurt Kipfmueller

Kurt Kipfmueller is an Associate Professor of Geography, Environment, & Society at the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on developing a better understanding forest dynamics and changes over time using tree-ring dating techniques (dendrochronology). His recent research focuses on the fire regime of red pine forests in the Upper Great Lakes. This work stems from a concern that the near elimination of fire from Upper Great Lakes forests is leading to reduced regeneration of red pine across much of the Great Lakes. He is currently focused on collaborative efforts to identify areas where returning good fire to the landscape would have both cultural and ecological significance. He has also been involved in projects investigating long term climate variability and change as well as the impacts of past insect outbreaks in high elevation forests. He has been awarded an Arthur 'Red' Motley Exemplary Teaching Award from the UofM College of Liberal Arts and a Horace T. Morse-University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education in recognition of his classroom efforts. He is also the 2017 and 2020 League Champion of the Pigskin Anonymous Fantasy Football League. Kurt grew up in Michigan, the youngest of eight children, and still has a strong affinity for the state where he spends considerable time with his family each summer. For more information, see Kurt's University of Minnesota Faculty Profile.

Graduate Students

Evan Montpellier (he/him)

Evan Montpellier is a PhD candidate in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Society. His research interests are focused on the application of tree-rings to study paleoclimates, specifically temperature, snowpack, and upper-level synoptic variability. His research is geographically focused in the Northern Rocky Mountains studying the health and climate response of subalpine larch (Larix lyallii Parl.) in a changing environment.

Since joining the MnDL, Evan has also become deeply involved with climate and fire history projects in the Upper Great Lakes region. This broadening of research interests has meaningly informed Evan's perspective on coupled human-climate systems.

Kjersten Peterson (she/her)

Kjersten is an MA student in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Society. She is studying the regional patterns of red pine (Pinus resinosa) growth in the Gaa-miskwaawaakokaag (Cass Lake) region of northern Minnesota, as well as other regions. Kjersten is also considering the effects of fire and weather on tree-ring formation to help better interpret tree-ring relationships to fire and climate. She is interested in the applications of dendrochronology, forest ecology, climatology, critical physical geography, and GIS to better understand tree anatomy, regeneration of fire-dependent species, disturbance history, the cultural and ecological significance of fire, tree growth-climate dynamics, and the many roles of humans in the environment in the upper Great Lakes and beyond.

Jared Walter Stachiw

Wally (Jared) Stachiw is a MA student in the Department of Geography, Environment, & Society. His research interests are grounded in the application of tree-rings to study historic fire regimes in protected areas. With a focus on historical and contemporary human interaction with fire as a means of natural resource management he hopes to aid in our understanding of how societal influences in landscape forest disturbances have altered forest dynamics. Ultimately, Wally hopes his research can contribute to informing future approaches to terrestrial ecosystem management in protected areas by contributing to our understanding of the drivers of historic fire regimes and how this can be translated into appreciable action in modern forest management planning. Walter is currently working as the biologist for Quetico Provincial Park.

Undergraduate Students

Lucy Lipscomb

Henrik Schleisman

Henrik Schleisman is a junior from Minneapolis, working towards a B.S. in Environmental Geography. Henrik likes trees and working with cool people. He spends too much time watching Minnesota sports and likes to do pretty much anything outdoors, especially climbing. Henrik also works at Bread & Pickle in the summers, the best restaurant in Minneapolis.

Laboratory Graduate Student Alumni

Daniel Brumm (M.A. 2022), Field Biologist, Lake Superior Institute, University of Wisconsin-Superior

Elizabeth Schneider (Ph.D. 2020), Senior Instructional Designer, Fairview Health Services

Liam Martin (M.A. 2019), Denver, CO

Lane Johnson (MA 2013), Cloquet Forestry Center, University of Minnesota, Cloquet, MN

Chris Crawford (Ph.D. 2012), Research Physical Scientist, USGS EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, SD

Danny Margoles (MA 2011), Program Coordinator, Dolores Watershed Resilient Forest Collaborative, Cortez, CO

Evan Larson (Ph.D. 2009), Professor, University of Wisconsin–Platteville, Platteville, WI

Grant Elliott (Ph.D. 2009), Associate Professor, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

CONNECT WITH US:

Minnesota Dendroecology LaboratoryUniversity of Minnesota Center for DendrochronologyDepartment of Geography, Environment & Society 509 Social Science Building, 267-19th Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55455

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