Graduate Students in Ecology and Soils & Biogeochemistry have received scholarships from Phi Beta Kappa - Northern California Association. Nina Venuti and Tali Caspi of Ecology and Iris Holzer in Soils and Biogeochemistry have been recognized for their work on conifer forests, urban carnivores, and cropland soils. Having three graduate Phi Beta Kappans in the fields of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is a significant marker of the quality of our graduate students. 

Each of several $7,500 scholarships may be awarded each year to a graduate student who has discovered something significant in the field of study, has found an original concept, has made an original contribution, or has found an innovative way to apply existing knowledge. Recipients must be members of Phi Beta Kappa, and must be enrolled in graduate school at a Northern California university with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter.  

Nina Venuti, Ecology (Reed award)

Studying the direct effects of fire on the reproductive capacity of conifer forests in the Sierra

Nina Venuti's research focuses on understanding the direct effects of fire on the reproductive capacity of the mixed conifer forests of California's Sierra Nevada region. To get answers, she surveys Jeffrey pines and white firs in the 2019 Caples Fire footprint in the Eldorado National Forest, where she collects information on tree size, fire injury, and stand density. She uses high-powered spotting scopes "to meticulously count maturing cones in tree canopies." She will also collect a handful of cones in order to quantify the number of viable seeds per cone. This work will both "enrich our understanding of the effects of fire injury on conifer reproduction" and provide insight into how "more frequent, severe fire might affect trees' ability to recover and adjust to a changing climate."

Tali Caspi, Ecology

Urban Carnivores: Studying the diets of San Francisco's coyotes

Tali Caspi studies the diet of urban carnivores--specifically, individual coyotes in San Francisco--to see, among other things, how urbanization affects evolutionary changes in species. She is trying to determine whether urban carnivores "consume human-provided food because of environmental factors . . . or because of individual characteristics." Her research will provide insights into coexistence and mitigation strategies that may reduce human-wildlife conflict in urban areas.

Caspi previously studied pest damage in the Ethiopian highlands and worked on the Santa Cruz Puma Project out of UCSC.

Iris Holzer, Soils and Biogeochemistry

Quantifying carbon sequestration from enhanced rock weathering

Holzer's research focuses on practical, scalable carbon sequestration approaches in cropland soils. She is working on an approach to quantify carbon sequestration from enhanced rock weathering. Where previous studies have looked at proxies for weathering or simply calculated assumed rates of carbon sequestration, Iris has developed an experimental design to directly measure carbon storage from the rock breakdown. She complements her field studies with greenhouse experiments to examine results under more controlled environmental conditions.

About the Annual Scholarship and Phi Beta Kappa at UC Davis

Phi Beta Kappans in all graduate programs at UC Davis can apply for the fellowships. Information is posted on the Phi Beta Kappa website each fall, with applications typically due in January. 

All Phi Beta Kappans at UC Davis are invited to join our members list and board. Email phibetakappa@ucdavis.edu.

Content for this story is adapted from the Phi Beta Kappa of Northern California's website.