Welcome

Kendra Spence Cheruvelil

	Assistant Professor
		Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Lyman Briggs School of Science Michigan State University 13 Natural Resources Bldg. East Lansing, MI 48824-1222 (517) 353-9528 FAX: (517) 432-1699 ksc@msu.edu

Research Overview

I am an aquatic ecologist who enjoys working collaboratively to examine the roles that disturbance (human and natural), spatial scale, and spatial heterogeneity have on freshwater flora and fauna. I particularly enjoy addressing questions that both advance scientific understanding and are directly applicable to aquatic ecosystem management and conservation, and those that explicitly include the economic and social factors that drive the management and conservation of freshwaters.

My main areas of interest include examining the role of:

à Aquatic plants in lake foodwebs

à Exotic species in lake foodwebs

à The landscape for structuring lake biology and chemistry.

I use a variety of approaches to conduct my research, such as lake field surveys, mesocosm experiments, and statistical modeling.

Currently I am working on four research projects: 1) developing a national lake classification framework that will help the US EPA assess and monitor lake health across the nation, 2) developing lake nutrient criteria for MI lakes that will help maintain and improve the ability of MI’s lakes to support biological communities and multiple human uses, 3) conducting an economic valuation of MI lakes that will demonstrate the monetary importance of good lake water quality to state legislators and stake-holders, and 4) conducting a holistic watershed assessment of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore that will assess the state of the Park and identify areas of study that are necessary to ensure future Park health.

Courses Taught

Michigan State University

Biology I: Organismal Biology (LBS 144) Fall 2006

Limnology (FW 472) Spring 2003

Purdue University North Central (2004-2005)

Biology for Elementary School Teachers I

Biology for Elementary School Teachers II

Environmental and Conservation Biology

Limnology

Selected Publications

Nelson, S.A.C., K.S. Cheruvelil and P.A. Soranno. 2006. Satellite remote sensing of freshwater macrophytes and the influence of water clarity. Aquatic Botany 85(3): x-x.

Wagner, T., M.T. Bremigan, K.S. Cheruvelil, P.A. Soranno, N.A. Nate and J.E. Breck. In press. A multilevel modeling approach to assessing regional and local landscape features for lake classification and assessment of fish growth rates. Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Accepted July 2006.

Cheruvelil, K.S. 2006. The value of Michigan’s lakes and streams. Technical report to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, March 2006.

Cheruvelil, K.S., N.A. Nate, P.A. Soranno and M.T. Bremigan. 2005. Lack of a unimodal relationship between fish growth and macrophyte cover in 45 north temperate lakes. Archiv fur Hydrobiologie, 164: 193-215.

Bremigan, M.T., S.M. Hanson P.A. Soranno, K.S. Cheruvelil, and R.D. Valley. 2005. Aquatic vegetation, largemouth bass and water quality responses to low-dose fluridone two years post treatment. Journal of Aquatic Plant Management. 43: 65-75.

Nelson, S.A.C., P.A. Soranno, K.S. Cheruvelil, S. Batzli and D. Skole. 2003. Regional assessment of lake water clarity using satellite remote sensing. Journal of Limnology 62(Suppl. 1): 27-32.

Cheruvelil, K.S., P.A. Soranno, J.D. Madsen and M.J. Roberson. 2002. Plant architecture and epiphytic macroinvertebrate communities: the role of an exotic dissected macrophyte. Journal of the North American Benthological Association 21(2): 261-277.

Cheruvelil, K.S., P.A. Soranno and J.D. Madsen. 2001. Epiphytic macroinvertebrates along a gradient of Eurasian watermilfoil cover. Journal of Aquatic Plant Management 39: 67-72.

Cheruvelil, K.S., P.A. Soranno and R.D. Serbin. 2000. Macroinvertebrates associated with submersed macrophytes: Sample size and power to detect effects. Hydrobiologia 441: 133-139.

Opportunities for Graduate Students

Are you interested in applying to my lab? I am currently recruiting a graduate student for my lab: Posting for a graduate research assistantship in aquatic ecology.

Our department has very few teaching assistantships so nearly all of our graduate students are funded entirely through research grants. However, if you have a truly excellent academic record, there are opportunities at Michigan State University for fellowship support, particularly for PhD students. Applications for these fellowships are normally submitted in December for students beginning the following August.

To express interest in graduate research in my lab, please send me the following via email:

1. Letter briefly describing your background, explaining why you are particularly interested in working in my lab, and outlining your learning and research objectives as a graduate student
2. An up-to-date resume
3. A scanned unofficial copy of your most recent transcript or a summary of your undergraduate (and graduate if you have a Masters degree already) courses completed and cumulative GPA
4. Your GRE scores (and TOEFL scores if English is not your native language)

I will send you an email note acknowledging receipt of your package, and will include it with other applications I may have received for six months, or until I contact you about an opportunity. If you haven't received an acknowledgement, send me an email - it may mean the package never arrived. If, upon reviewing your package, I believe you are a strong candidate for a fellowship, I will contact you immediately. Other fellowship opportunities for strong applicants include the NSF GRP and EPA STAR Program.

Links

ESA - Ecological Society of America

ASLO - American Society of Limnology and Oceanography

NALMS - North American Lake Management Society

NABS - North American Benthological Society

AFS - American Fisheries Society

APMS – Aquatic Plant Management Society

SDE - Graduate Women in Science

FW – MSU Fisheries and Wildlife Department

LBS – MSU Lyman Briggs School of Science

CWS - MSU Center for Water Science

ESPP - MSU Environmental Science and Policy Program

EEBB – MSU Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program

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This page was updated 7/25/06.