Recent News

October 24, 2023 PEARL Attends First Conference
I just returned from Bend, Oregon where I attended my first GBAC conference. I had a table in the exhibitor hall for PEARL and had great conversations with CRM practitioners and academics as well.

August 1, 2023 Official Launch of Mellifloral
After a few months of operating my new business, PEARL, it's become clear that beekeepers and the honey community deserve their own lab. I've launched a honey and bee pollen specific lab called Mellifloral. You can purchase a honey pollen analysis online and receive results within 4 weeks. We provide a one-page profile and a customized QR code that can be shared with clients.

June 1, 2023 Beginning Position as Scientist II in Geography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
I'm so excited to announce that I've started a new position as Scientist II at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition to continuing my academic research, my duties include leading operations for a new contract palynology service. If you have samples you'd like analyzed, please contact me at aperrotti@wisc.edu.

February 2, 2023 Modeling the Uncertainty of Coprophilous Fungal Spore Abundance
Alongside colleagues Tanjona Ramiadantsoa, Jen O'Keefe, and Noelia Nuñez Otaño, I modelled the uncertainty surrounding estimates of coprophilous fungal spore abundance in a new publication in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. This paper appeared in a special issue on Methods in Paleoecology, for which I was also a Guest Editor.

November 29, 2022 Recent Research Featured in the Conservation Paleobiology Network
My recent research on vegtation and fire effects of megaherbivory release was featured in the monthly newsletter of the Conservation Paleobiology Network, an organization that seeks to "transform conservation paleobiology into an applied science that informs conservation and restoration efforts". I'm pleased to contribute to an understanding of Ice Age herbivory release as it applies to current conservation and restoration efforts.

November 14, 2022 Shared research on ecosystem impacts of colonial cattle introduction and participated in Arkansas Public Archaeology day at SEAC 2022
I attended the Southeastern Archaeology Conference Annual Meeting in Little Rock Arkansas November 9-12. In addition to learning about the newest research in southeastern archaeology, I also presented a poster on the impacts of cattle introduction on the fire regime and vegetation communities of the South Carolina Lowcountry. This research is part of a larger project investigating Charleston, South Carolina's colonial economy. In addition, I gave a public presentation on the importance of ancient plant remains in understanding past environments, foodways, and art at Arkansas Public Archaeology day!

October 21, 2022 Awarded Teaching Certificate Through Delta Program for Research, Teaching, and Learning
To earn my Delta Program Certificate, I completed the following courses: Beyond Rhetoric: Developing an Ethical and Equitable Teaching Practice, Using Writing to Teach in Any Discipline to Promote Active Learning in an Inclusive Class Environment, Research Mentor Training, and Intro to Evidence Based STEM Teaching. I also completed a Teaching-as-Research project, where I examined the effects of introducing interdisciplinary database activities into the archaeology classroom. The certificate culminated in a 'defense' of my teaching philosophy with committee members Jack Williams, Jim Russell, Rosette Cirillo, and Delta co-director Jess Maher. Thanks to all involved!

October 3, 2022 Recently Published Paper Explores Vegetation and Fire Impacts of Ice Age Megaherbivore Extinction
This paper in Quaternary Science Reviews tests the hypothesis that end-Pleistocene megaherbivore extinction caused a cascade of changes including an incursion of woody vegetation, no-analog vegetation assemblages, and fire activity increase in eastern North America. Using the largest-to-date network of dung fungal spores, pollen, and macrocharcoal proxy records, this research found that ecosystems in the northern US are more sensitive to megaherbivory than those in the southeastern US. 

Check back frequently for more updates!

Contact Me

perrotti.ag@gmail.com