Welcome to “She’s a Scientist,” a video series launched to highlight the work of female researchers at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Today, we’re showcasing Jessica Corman, assistant professor of natural resources, who is using the state’s expansive river system as a living laboratory to teach students about the importance of waterways.
“I get to teach students that Nebraska isn’t just a land of corn,” Corman said. “Yes, there is a lot of corn around, but those fields would not survive without the streams, rivers, and lakes that also cover the landscape. And, those aquatic ecosystems are pretty incredible in their own right — they provide habitat for plants and animals and places for us to swim, paddle, or fish.”
Through a four-year, $6 million National Science Foundation grant, Corman is also leading a four-institution team in building a first-of-its-kind database that includes information from streams, lakes and other inland water systems across the nation. Once built, the database will unlock major potential in ecological stoichiometry, a framework that may hold the key to understanding large-scale environmental patterns triggered by a mismatch between the elements available in the environment and those needed by organisms.
“She’s a Scientist” videos are a regular feature in Nebraska Today. To nominate a researcher for the series, email nebraskatoday@unl.edu or call 402-472-8515.
