Andreanna J. Welch

Visit Andreanna's personal research page.

Advisors: Rob Fleischer and David Hawthorne

Previous Education:
B.S. Biology, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Research Interests:
My interests are in applying evolutionary and population genetics to conservation issues. I am examining demographic changes in the endangered Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) over the last 2,500 years as Polynesians and then Europeans colonized the Hawaiian Islands. I hope to also examine changes in population structure over time and space as the breeding distribution of this once common species has become increasingly restricted to high elevations on a few of the larger islands.

Location of Research:
Hawaiian Islands, USA; Genetics Laboratory, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution; National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

Publications:
Welch AJ, Stiponovic AJ, Maynard CA, and Powell WA.  2007.  The effects of oxalic acid on transgenic Castanea dentata callus tissue expressing oxalate oxidase. Plant Science. 172:488-496.

Wiley AE, Welch AJ, James HF, Fleischer RC, Ostrom PH. Stable isotopes reveal niche segregation between two genetically distinct populations of an endangered seabird. In prep.

Pyle P, Welch AJ, Fleischer RC. A new species of Shearwater (Puffinus) recorded from Midway Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Submitted.

Welch AJ, Yoshida AA, Fleischer RC.  Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences reveal recent speciation in morphologically indistinguishable petrels. Submitted.

Funding Sources:
2008 Smithsonian Predoctoral Fellowship
2007 Restricted Endowment Grant, Smithsonian Institution
2006 Master Graduate Teaching Fellowship, University of Maryland
2006 Visiting Student Fellow, Smithsonian Institution
2004 Darwin Fellowship, University of Maryland

Awards:
2008 Lilly-East Conference on College and University Teaching Travel Grant

2007 Best Student Poster, Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences section, Bioscience Research and Technology Day, University of Maryland

2003 Valedictorian, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry