Welcome to our newest lab member, Christina!
The new year has brought a new face to the Gratton Lab: Dr. Christina Locke! She recently defended her dissertation in the Forest & Wildlife Ecology Department in the lab of Dr. Adena Rissman and is now a postdoctoral researcher in the Gratton Lab, starting a project to help craft a pollinator plan for Wisconsin.
Kaitlin recently sat down with Christina to learn more about her:
Where you are from?
I was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but from the age of three grew up in Racine, in between Milwaukee and Chicago on Wisconsin’s East Coast.
What was your dissertation about?
In grad school I combined my background in conservation biology and landscape ecology with an emerging interest in public policy. My dissertation work focused on zoning policy and how it effects housing development patterns across a rural-urban gradient. I also studied the case of frac sand mining in Wisconsin, and how local zoning policies affect where sand mines are located.
Where can we find you when not at work?
In the summer, I’m definitely doing something outside: camping, biking, running, rock climbing, playing music on the porch with friends, or playing ultimate Frisbee with my goofy team The Holiness. In winter, I’m more likely cooking or reading or watching sports, or possibly ice skating at Tenney Park.
What’s your favorite insect?
I’ve always been partial to megachilids (mason bees) because of the funny way they collect pollen. I guess I’m drawn to critters with slightly awkward mannerisms.
What are you most excited about for working in the Gratton lab?
First, I’m excited to return to a subject I’ve had a long-time interest in following several research positions in pollination ecology during and after college. Second, I’m excited to be working with agencies and stakeholders interested in bees, and to have an opportunity to write for non-academic audiences, which will be a nice break after finishing the PhD.
Welcome, Christina!