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Dr. Colleen Rose Miller
During the IonE Postdoctoral Fellowship:
Dr. Colleen Miller (she/her) is an ecologist interested in sensory ecology, global change biology and physiology in avian and insect systems.
Dr. Miller was an IonE Postdoctoral Fellow in Global Change Ecology and Data Science. She worked on a project looking at insect pest and natural enemy ecology, bringing "deep time" to the project, using AI and evolutionary biology to use phylogenies and traits to explain what has never been successfully explained about how natural pest control works or how to predict when it will. She provided leadership on the Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment and her introduction of the chapter to the University of Minnesota librarians was a game-changer, forging a best-in-class systematic review of reviews. In this report, as well as in the highly related Wildlife's Contributions to People review, Colleen made sure nothing fell through the cracks, proving herself to be not just a meticulous project manager, but also an invaluable big-picture thinker, ensuring that every detail served the larger goal. Colleen is someone who brings people together, builds strong and lasting collaborations, and fosters a supportive and productive working environment.
Prior to joining IonE:
Dr. Colleen Miller is interested in the effects of global change such as climate change and sensory pollution on natural systems. She trained in ecology and physiology, integrating across biological levels of organization to better understand human impacts on the environment. Colleen received her Ph.D. in Ecology in 2023 from the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University, where she investigated the impacts of light at night on animal behavior and ecology in diverse taxa. She gained experience working on critical ecological questions in a variety of systems including agricultural insect consortia, migratory and resident bird species, and marine systems. Throughout her scientific career, Colleen has been committed to conducting research that uncovers the complex organismal and ecological responses to changes during the Anthropocene. Moving forward, she hopes to continue work that breaks down silos between scientists and community members. Colleen is originally from the U.S. Midwest. She enjoys spending her time cooking, enjoying live music, reading fiction, and going on hikes with her husband and their dog, Atlas.
Dr. Amelia (Emily) Kreiter
During the IonE Postdoctoral Fellowship:
Dr. Kreiter was an IonE Postdoctoral Fellow in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. Emily worked on two projects – engagement on future droughts and floods with community organizations supporting environmental justice community resilience and a suite of projects, as part of the Center for Changing Landscapes, focused on community and tribal engagement on critical water resources in Minnesota. In addition to being a stellar qualitative social scientist, Emily always centers relationships and brings people together to learn together and explore sustainable solution pathways. The work she led will continue as we work with communities in the Midwest to build climate resilience.
Prior to joining IonE:
Dr. Emily Kreiter is a social scientist, with experience in interdisciplinary research integrating quantitative and qualitative methods using surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Emily has a PhD in Natural Resources Science and Management from the University of Minnesota, where her dissertation research focused on the gap between climate risk perceptions and pro-environmental behavior adoption. Using structural equation modeling, she examined the relationships between different sources of environmental information, perceived efficacy, and social norms, and their effect on risk perceptions and pro-environmental behaviors.
Emily worked on a diverse range of research projects exploring attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors surrounding natural resources in urban areas, tribal lands, and agricultural lands, with a special focus on water resource protection. Results from her research have highlighted potential risks and opportunities for natural resource protection, and have informed policy decisions to protect water resources for multiple uses and values. In her free time, Emily enjoys cooking, traveling, playing volleyball, and snoozing with her dog.
Dr. Elizabeth Abraham
During the IonE Postdoctoral Fellowship:
Dr. Abraham was an IonE Postdoctoral Fellow in Agricultural Research and Extension. During her time as a Fellow she was passionate about connecting across disciplines, cultures, and academic skills. In research and extension, Dr. Abraham helped shape the development of the Dashboard for Agricultural Water and Nutrient management (DAWN), a state-of-the-art forecasting platform that provides downscaled seasonal climate outlooks that are translated into agricultural decision support tools, like growing degree days. She also led interviews with animal agriculture stakeholders for our “Complexity and tradeoffs in animal agriculture sustainability” project. In the area of teaching and mentorship, Dr. Abraham was a co-Instructor for the class “Introduction to Ecosystem Health: Challenges at the Intersection of Human, Animal, and Environmental Health” and guiding summer research students, many who are from groups that have been historically excluded from the sciences, as part of a program called the Sustainable Land and Water Resources Research Experience for Undergraduates (SLAWR REU). During her postdoc Dr. Abraham produced a conservation documentary about the Amur falcon in Nagaland, India.
Prior to joining IonE:
Dr. Abraham earned her Ph.D. in Work Human Resource Education, minoring in Agricultural Education from the University of Minnesota. For her dissertation, she studied the “Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy of Tribal Farmers in Nagaland, India”. She conducted her mixed methods research by living with indigenous farmers in Nagaland for over a month conducting interviews and surveys and studying the psycho-social factors impacting entrepreneurial farmers. As a graduate student, she has worked in various research capacities with the Teachers Induction Program (TIP) at the University of Minnesota which is a professional learning community that aims to positively influence new agricultural education teachers' development and efficacy in the state of Minnesota. Before immigrating to the United States. Dr. Abraham has had a wealth of experience as a Veterinarian and Extension Educator in India. She has earned a degree in Veterinary Medicine and also has a Masters in Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education from India.
Meet IonE Postdoctoral Fellowship alum Elizabeth Abraham
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