Gabrielle Russell

Title: IB PhD Student
Dept/Program: Biology
Email: gnr5@uakron.edu

Biography

Growing up in northern Kentucky, I spent a lot of time boating on the Ohio River. This really sparked my interest in water quality and the organisms that below the water’s surface. I received my B.S. in Environmental Studies and a minor in Biology from the University of Cincinnati. During that time I also was a watershed co-op at a local wastewater/ stormwater utility. There, I learned I have a love for field work. Afterwards, I received a M.S. in Environmental Studies from Ohio University where I focused on the impact of woody debris on headwater streams’ stability and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. After my M.S. I was fortunate to spend a summer sampling streams and rivers in New York for the EPA’s National River and Streams Assessment as a seasonal biologist with an environmental consulting company.

Currently I am interested in climate change’s impacts on headwater streams. As climate change increases storm frequency and magnitude there are many interesting questions regarding how this increase in stormwater will impact erosion, sediment transport, and biological communities. I am also interested in how stream restoration practices can protect streams during high flow events that will be exacerbated by climate change. I’m excited to continue my interdisciplinary education in the Integrated Biosciences PhD program and look forward to doing what I love.