I am excited to announce that I have recently been given the rank of Shodan (1st degree black belt) in the art of Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido, by David Shaner Sensei, Erik Harrell Sensei, and Mark Stone Sensei.
I would like to thank Case Sensei, Tarry Sensei, Clifford Sensei, McGrath Sensei, and Parsons Sensei at Raleigh Ki Aikido for their hard work in preparing me for this test, as well as to the many people who attended and tested with me!
Response of bluebunch wheatgrass to invasion: differences in competitive ability among invader‐experienced and naïve populations.
Gibson, Nelson & Atwater
I am very excited to have been a part of this publication, in which Alexis Gibson, once a fellow graduate student with me at the University of Montana, investigated evidence of evolutionary responses of bluebuch wheatgrass plants to invasion. Her findings contribute to a growing body of research showcasing the enormous potential for native plants to evolve changes in competitive ability in response to invasion.
This past week I had the great pleasure of attending the 4th annual Andina workshop in Bariloche, Argentina, organized by Mariana Chiuffo (Inibioma Conicet), Roger Cousens (U. Melbourne), Kay Hodgins (Monash U.), Ingolf Kuhn (UFZ, Halle), Brendon Larsson (U. Waterloo), Martin Nunez (Inibioma Conicet), and Bruce Webber (CSIRO, Perth).
We enjoyed spectacular scenery in the Patagonian Andes while deliberating on the topics of local adaptation and range expansion, particularly in invasive species and those responding to anthropogenic change. In total, 36 researchers with diverse disciplinary backgrounds attended. I got to know a lot of people, made friends, built collaborations, and am very excited about future directions.