Last updated January 2019

Kathleen M. Quigley
Michigan State University e-mail: quigle44@msu.edu

Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences phone: (336) 486 - 1913

East Lansing, MI 48824 website: https://kathleenquigley.weebly.com

RESEARCH INTERESTS: I study interactions among soils, ecological disturbance, plant communities,
and ecosystem function. I approach research questions in the laboratory and field, spanning spatial and
temporal scales. I am particularly interested in how fire, grazing, and land use change affect the health
and stability of grassland, savanna, and forest ecosystems.

EDUCATION
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
Ph.D., Biology, December 2016
Dissertation title: “The ecological drivers and consequences of grass silicon accumulation”
Advisor: T. Michael Anderson
Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois, USA
B.A., Major in biology, Minor in chemistry
Magna Cum Laude

SCIENTIFIC TRAINING
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Michigan State University 2017 – present
Co-advised by Jessica Miesel (MSU), Brian Sturtevant (USDA FS NRS, Rhinelander),
and Randy Kolka (USDA FS NRS, Grand Rapids)
“Manipulating soil heating patterns to optimize barrens restoration”
Soil science, forest ecology, wildland fire, and habitat restoration

Doctoral Researcher, Wake Forest University 2011 – 2016

Primary adviser: T. Michael Anderson
“The ecological drivers and consequences of grass silicon accumulation”
Soil biogeochemistry, grassland ecology, and plant ecophysiology

Laboratory manager, North Carolina State University 2010

Laboratory technician, University of Oklahoma 2009 - 2010
Supervisor: R. Brian Langerhans (both positions)
Habitat fragmentation, evolutionary biology, and geometric morphometrics

Undergraduate Researcher
University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 2007
“Spatial utilization of elephant damage to baobab trees in Tarangire National Park”
Plant-herbivore relationships and ecology of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem
Chicago Botanic Garden, NSF REU, Francesca McInerney 2008
Paleobotany, climate change, and plant physiology

1
TEACHING & MENTORING
Graduate teaching assistant, Wake Forest University:
Bio 101: Biology and the Human Condition (8 semesters) 2011 - 2016
● Lab-based general education requirement for non-science majors
● Diverse subject matter including cell biology, human anatomy, and evolution
Bio 113: Introduction to Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (2 semesters) 2013 – 2014
● Lab-based course for freshman and sophomore biology majors
● Focused on developing scientific literacy and inquiry through hypothesis testing

Guest lecturer:
Forest Ecology – Biogeochemical Cycles (Michigan State University) 2018
Community Ecology (Wake Forest University) 2016, 2017

Student mentees: † co-author on peer-reviewed manuscript

†
Rebecca Wildt, MSU (Fisheries and Wildlife undergraduate, Michigan State) 2017 - 2018
Eleanor Domer, MSU (Forestry undergraduate, Michigan State) 2017
†
Amanda Althoff, WFU (Chemistry undergraduate, Wake Forest) 2015 – 2016

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
In Review:

6. Quigley KM, Griffith DM, Donati GL, Anderson TM. Nutrients and precipitation explain global patterns
of grass leaf silicification. Ecology: In review.

Published:

5. Quigley KM, †Wildt R, Sturtevant B, Kolka R, Dickinson M, Kern C, Donner D, Miesel JR. 2018. Fuels,
Vegetation, and prescribed fire dynamics influence ash production and characteristics in a diverse
landscape under active pine barrens restoration. Fire Ecology: In press.

4. Quigley KM, Donati GL, Anderson TM. 2017. Variation in the soil ‘silicon landscape’ explains plant
silica accumulation across environmental gradients in Serengeti. Plant and Soil 410(1-2): 217-229.

3. Quigley KM, †Althoff AG, Donati GL. 2016. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry
as a reference method for silicon estimation by near infrared spectroscopy and potential application to
global studies of plant chemistry. Microchemical Journal 129: 231-235.

2. Griffith DM, Quigley KM, Anderson TM. 2016. Leaf thickness controls variation in leaf mass area
(LMA) among grazing-adapted grasses in Serengeti. Oecologia 181: 1035-1040.

1. Quigley KM, Anderson TM. 2014. Leaf silica concentration in Serengeti grasses increases with
watering but not clipping: insights from a common garden study and literature review. Frontiers in Plant
Science 5:568.

2
Manuscripts in-prep:

7. Ren H, Warnock DD, Quigley KM, Tiemann LK, Miesel JR. Soil and foliar nitrogen concentrations in
Abies balsamea and Picea pungens seedling plantations amended with two types of pyrolysis biochars.
In prep for Plant and Soil. Expected submission February 2019.

8. Quigley KM et al. Prescribed fire and environmental variation alter soil hydraulic conductivity in
northern pine barrens. In prep for Geoderma. Expected submission March 2019.

9. Quigley KM and Anderson TM. Why do grasses accumulate silicon? A meta-analysis with evolutionary
considerations. In prep for New Phytologist. Expected submission May 2019.

10. Quigley KM et al. Prescribed fire conditions determine changes in plant-available soil nutrients. In
prep for Forest Ecology and Management. *Expected submission August 2019.

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS
Quigley KM, Emery NC. Apr 2019 (scheduled). “Human-wildfire interactions past, present, and future: A
hot topic”. Michigan State University Science Festival, East Lansing, MI. Oral presentation.

Quigley KM. Dec 2018. “Prescribed fire for pine barrens restoration: how are soils affected, and why
does it matter?” USDA Forest Service NRS Brown Bag Seminar. Rhinelander, WI. Oral presentation.

Quigley KM, Kolka RK, Miesel JR. Sep 2018. “Fire-affected soils and their role in restoring critically
imperiled jack pine barrens”. Southeast Michigan Postdoc Symposium. Ann Arbor, MI. Poster
presentation.

Quigley KM. Jun 2018. “Using prescribed fire to restore Wisconsin’s critically imperiled pine barrens”.
Science On Tap series. Ashland, WI. Oral presentation.

Quigley KM. Mar 2018. “How stress turns grass into glass”. Biology on Tap series. Lansing, MI. Oral
presentation.

Sturtevant BR, Quigley KM, Miesel JR, Kolka RK, Dickinson MB, Kern CC. Mar 2018. “The effects of
prescribed fire on soils that support a critically endangered habitat” Chequamegon-Nicolet National
Forest Brown Bag Series. Oral presentation (virtual seminar).

Quigley KM, Wildt RE, Miesel JR. Dec 2017. “Burn severity estimates in relation to post-fire soil and ash
properties”. Association for Fire Ecology 7th International Fire Ecology and Management Congress.
Orlando, FL. Oral presentation.

Quigley KM. Oct 2017. “Ecological drivers and consequences of plant silicon accumulation”. Wake Forest
University biology department seminar. Winston-Salem, NC. Oral presentation.

Quigley KM and Anderson TM. Mar 2013. “Stress-induced silicon uptake in Serengeti grasses and
associated physiological costs”. Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conference. Orlando, FL. Poster
presentation.

3
Quigley KM. Feb 2009. “Spatial analysis of Adansonia digitata utilization by L. africana in Tarangire,
Tanzania”. TriBeta Regional Conference. Romeoville, IL. Oral presentation.

Quigley KM, Lynch DJ, McInerney F. Aug 2008. “Bundle sheath extension density along a light gradient”.
Chicago Botanic Garden NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) symposium. Glencoe, IL.
Poster & oral presentation.

GRANTS & AWARDS

Lake States Fire Science Consortium intern program† ($4000) 2019
“Plant functional traits as indicators of restoration success in pine barrens under prescribed
fire management” †funding awarded to support undergraduate research assistant

Michigan State University Postdoctoral Association Travel Award ($500) 2017

Wake Forest University Vecellio Award ($1224) 2016

Colorado State University Summer Soil Institute tuition scholarship ($500) 2015

Decagon G.A. Harris instrumentation fellowship ($5000) 2014

Wake Forest University Vecellio Award ($1275) 2014

Wake Forest University Richter fellowship for international research ($5000) 2013

Elton Cocke travel award ($200) 2012

Wake Forest University Tuttle-Newhall award ($500) 2012

Monmouth College biology department award 2009

Tri-Beta outstanding scholarship award 2009

Frank G. Brooks award for excellence in oral presentation at regional Tri-Beta meeting 2009

COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Visiting Scientist, Skype a Scientist program (virtual) *
*Registered January 2019, awaiting classroom matches.

Field tour leader, National Advanced Silviculture Program (Ashland, WI) 2018
“Burn research monitoring in pine barrens”, Ashland, WI

Outreach activity leader, Michigan State University Science Festival (East Lansing, MI) 2018
“Unseen organisms: A glimpse into how scientists measure the breath of microscopic life”

Outreach activity facilitator, MSU Elementary Science Nights (Okemos, MI) 2018

Outreach activity leader, GWIS Girls’ Math and Science Day (East Lansing, MI) 2018
“World on fire: how scientists use fire to restore habitats”

4
Outreach activity leader, Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center (Ashland, WI) 2017
“Science in Action – monitoring soil greenhouse gas emissions”

Outreach activity facilitator, North Carolina Public schools (Winston-Salem, NC) 2013 - 2017

Garden club volunteer, Ken Carlson Boys and Girls Club, (Winston-Salem, NC) 2013 - 2016

Volunteer science fair judge, Hanes Magnet School (Winston-Salem, NC) 2013

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Journal Reviewer: Acta Physiologica Plantarum, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Functional Ecology,
Journal of Arid Environments, Plant and Soil, Plant Ecology, The Science of Nature

Conference Special Session Organizer:

“Processes underlying restoration of temperature savanna and woodland ecosystems” June 2019
North American Forest Ecology Workshop, Flagstaff, AZ
Co-organized with Brian Sturtevant and Matt Dickinson (USDA FS Northern Research Station)

Training & Certifications:

STEM Teaching Essentials Workshop, Michigan State University 2019
Soil Heating: Instrumentation & Analysis workshop, Michigan State University 2018
Wildland fire qualifications (S-130, S-190), National Wildfire Coordinating Group 2017
Wildland fire qualifications (ICS-100, ICS-700), Federal Emergency Management Agency 2017
Writing Winning Grant Proposals workshop, Michigan State University 2017
Summer Soil Institute, Colorado State University 2015
Greenhouse manager, Wake Forest University 2014 - 2015
Introduction to R for Statistical Analysis I & II, The Georgia R School 2014