Department of Geography, Environment, and Society University of

Department of Geography, Environment, and Society University of

Curriculum vitae
May 2015
MEGAN L. BUCHANAN
Department of Geography, Environment, and Society
University of Minnesota
th
267 19 Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455
email: bucha157@umn.edu • phone: 256.426.0590
RESEARCH INTERESTS
forest development and succession, stand dynamics, disturbance ecology, natural resource
management, biogeography, dendroecology
EDUCATION
Ph.D.
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, expected May 2016
Department of Geography, Environment, and Society
Dissertation: Forest development and stand dynamics in the Driftless Area of
Wisconsin: Implications for oak regeneration and management
Advisor: Kurt Kipfmueller
Dissertation Committee: Scott St. George, Anthony D’Amato, Abigail Neely
Minor: Natural Resources Science and Management
M.S.
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, May 2011 (summa cum laude)
Department of Geography
Thesis: A range-wide disturbance history for Quercus alba in the eastern US
Advisor: Justin Hart
Thesis Committee: David Shankman, Gregory Starr
B.S.
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, May 2009 (magna cum laude)
Department of Geography, concentration in Environment and Natural Resources
Minor: Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2015–2016
2014 Spring
2013–2014
2013 Spring
2012 Fall
2011–2012
2010–2011
2010–2011
2009–2010
2008–2009
Doctoral Dissertation Fellow, University of Minnesota
Instructor, Department of Geography, Environment, and Society, University of
Minnesota
Louise T. Dosdall Fellow, University of Minnesota
Head Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Geography, University of
Minnesota
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Geography, University of Minnesota
Graduate School Fellow, University of Minnesota
Graduate Research Assistant, Forest Dynamics Lab, Department of Geography,
University of Alabama
Student Representative, Southeastern Division of the Association of American
Geographers
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Geography, University of Alabama
Graduate Research Assistant, Cartographic Research Laboratory, Department of
Geography, University of Alabama
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Buchanan, M.L.
GRANTS & FELLOWSHIPS
2015–2016
2014–2015
2014
2014
2013–2014
2013–2014
2012
2012
2012
2012
2011–2012
2011
2009
Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, University of Minnesota Graduate School
Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (with Kurt Kipfmueller,
University of Minnesota), National Science Foundation; $15,922 in research
support
Summer Research Grant, Department of Geography, Environment, and Society,
University of Minnesota; $4000 in research support
Thesis Research Travel Grant, University of Minnesota Graduate School; $935 in
research support
Louise T. Dosdall Fellowship, University of Minnesota Graduate School
Carolyn Crosby Fellowship, University of Minnesota Graduate School; $3,000 in
research support
Student Travel Grant, Strategic Environmental Research and Development; $500
in travel support to the 2012 meeting of the Ecological Society of America in
Portland, Oregon (declined)
Graduate Research Partnership Program Grant, College of Liberal Arts,
University of Minnesota; $4000 in research support
Association of American Geographers Biogeography Specialty Group Student
Grant; $1000 in research support
College of Liberal Arts Research Funding, Department of Geography, University
of Minnesota; $520 in research support
Graduate School Fellow, University of Minnesota Graduate School
Travel Grant, Graduate School, University of Alabama; $300 in conference travel
support
Environmental Scholarship, Legacy Incorporated: Partners in Environmental
Education of Alabama; $2000 in research support
PUBLICATIONS
Refereed Publications
9. Hart, J.L., Buchanan, M.L., and Cox, L.E. In Press. Has forest restoration been freed from the
bonds of history? Journal of Forestry (invited response to Hanberry et al. 2015).
8. Hart, J.L., Buchanan, M.L., and Cox, L.E. 2015. Is forest restoration an end unto itself or a
means to an end? Journal of Forestry 113: 266–267.
7. Cowden, M.M., Hart, J.L., and Buchanan M.L. 2014. Canopy accession strategies and
climate responses for three Carya species common in the Eastern Deciduous Forest.
Trees–Structure and Function 28: 223–235.
6. McNab W.H., Spetich, M.A., Perry, R.W., Haywood, J.D., Gull-Laird, S., Clark, S.L., Hart,
J.L., Torreano, S.J., Buchanan, M.L. 2013. Climate induced migration of native tree
populations and consequences for forest composition. In: Vose, J.M. and Klepzig, K.
(Eds.), Climate change adaptation and mitigation management options: A guide for
natural resource managers in southern forest ecosystems. CRC Press, Boca Raton,
Florida.
2 Buchanan, M.L.
5. Hart, J.L. and Buchanan, M.L. 2012. History of fire in eastern oak forests and implications
for restoration, pp. 34–51. In Dey, D.C. (Ed.), Proceedings of the 4th Fire in Eastern Oak
Forests Conference, GTR-NRS-P-102, USDA Forest Service.
4. Hart, J.L., Buchanan, M.L., Clark, S.L., and Torreano, S.J. 2012. Canopy accession strategies
and climate-growth relationships in Acer rubrum. Forest Ecology and Management 282:
124–132.
3. Buchanan, M.L. and Hart, J.L. 2012. Canopy disturbance history of old-growth Quercus alba
sites in the eastern United States: examination of long-term trends and broad-scale
patterns. Forest Ecology and Management 267: 28–39.
2. Hart, J.L., Clark, S.L. Torreano, S.J., and Buchanan, M.L. 2012. Vegetation patterns and
dendroecology of an old-growth Quercus forest on the tablelands of the Cumberland
Plateau, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 266: 11–24.
1. Buchanan, M.L. and Hart, J.L. 2011. A methodological analysis of canopy disturbance
reconstructions using Quercus alba. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 41: 1359–
1367.
Other Publications
1. Hart, J.L. and Buchanan, M.L. 2012. Forest restoration: the importance of place-based
ecological histories. Forest Wisdom 19 (Forest Guild national publication).
PRESENTATIONS
9. Buchanan, M.L. Scheduled. Classification of stand structure and developmental stage in
Quercus forests of the Wisconsin Driftless Area. North American Forest Ecology
Workshop, 14–18 June 2015, Veracruz, Mexico.
8. Buchanan, M.L. 2014. Forest development and stand dynamics in the Wisconsin Driftless
Area: Implications for oak regeneration and management. Annual Meeting, Association
of American Geographers, 8–12 April 2014, Tampa, Florida.
7. Buchanan, M.L., Hart, J.L., Clark, S.L., and Torreano, S.J. 2013. Climate-growth and
climate-establishment relationships in oak and maple species: Implications for forest
composition and structure in a changing climate (poster presentation). Annual Meeting,
Ecological Society of America, 3–9 August 2013, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
6. Buchanan, M.L., Hart, J.L., Clark, S.L., and Torreano, S.J. 2013. Climate-growth and
climate-establishment relationships in oak and maple species: Implications for forest
composition and structure in a changing climate (poster presentation). Annual Meeting,
Association of American Geographers, 9–13 April 2013, Los Angeles, California.
5. Buchanan, M.L. and Hart, J.L. 2012. Canopy disturbance history in old-growth white oak
sites of the eastern United States: Examination of long-term trends and broad-scale
patterns. Annual Meeting, Association of American Geographers, 24–28 February 2012,
New York City, New York.
4. Hart, J.L., Buchanan, M.L., Clark, S.L., and Torreano, S.J. 2012. Patterns of canopy
accession and climate-growth relationships in red maple (poster presentation). Annual
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Meeting, Association of American Geographers, 24–28 February 2012, New York City,
New York.
3. Hart, J.L., Buchanan, M.L., Clark, S.L., and Torreano, S.J. 2011. Old-growth on the
tablelands of the Cumberland Plateau: Forest history and management implications.
Annual Meeting, Southeastern Division of the Association of American Geographers,
20–22 November 2011, Savannah, Georgia.
2. Buchanan, M.L. 2011.A dendroecological analysis of the range-wide disturbance history for
Quercus alba in the eastern United States (poster presentation). Annual Meeting,
Association of American Geographers, 12–16 April 2011, Seattle, Washington.
1. Buchanan, M.L. and Hart, J.L. 2010. A range-wide analysis and compensatory model of
intra-tree radial growth release discrepancies for Quercus alba. Annual Meeting,
Southeastern Division of the Association of American Geographers, 21–23 November
2010, Birmingham, Alabama.
HONORS & AWARDS
2013
2011
2011
2010
2009
Outstanding Teaching Assistant, Department of Geography, Environment, and
Society, University of Minnesota
Outstanding Research Assistant, Department of Geography, University of
Alabama
Featured Graduate Student on Graduate School Webpage, Graduate School,
University of Alabama
Outstanding Graduate Student, Department of Geography, University of Alabama
Roy Y. Gildea Outstanding Undergraduate in Geography, Department of
Geography, University of Alabama
TEACHING
University of Minnesota
2014 Spring Instructor, Department of Geography, Environment, and Society
Geography of Environmental Systems and Global Change (85 students/semester)
2012 Spring
Head teaching assistant, Department of Geography
Biogeography of the Global Garden: laboratory section (30 students/semester)
Served as a liaison between course instructor and students, managed course and
laboratory section logistics, course email account, and ten course teaching
assistants
2012 Fall
Teaching assistant, Department of Geography
Biogeography of the Global Garden: laboratory sections (60 students/semester)
University of Alabama
2009–2010 Teaching assistant, Department of Geography
Atmospheric Processes and Patterns: laboratory sections (90 students/semester)
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SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITIES
Professional Manuscript Reviews
Applied Vegetation Science (1)
Ecological Research (1)
Southeastern Naturalist (1)
Departmental Service
Graduate Representative, joint search committee for biophysical and urban geographer tenuretrack positions, Fall 2012, Department of Geography, University of Minnesota.
Graduate Representative, Graduate Education and Policy Committee, Fall 2011–Spring 2012,
Department of Geography, University of Minnesota.
Disciplinary Service
Proposal Reviewer, Association of American Geographers Biogeography Specialty Group
Student Grant Competition, Spring 2014, Spring 2015
Community Service
Naturalist consultant, Stephanie Rogers, 2013 (assisted writing captions and leading nature
walks for local school children as part of a public community photography project in
Minneapolis, Minnesota that focused on areas of ecological significance in a low-income
urban neighborhood).
Environmental education field trip docent, University of Alabama Arboretum, 2007.
Sessions Organized
Panel organizer and moderator, “Preparing for graduate school and the tenure track,” Annual
Meeting, Southeastern Division of the Association of American Geographers, 21–23
November 2010, Birmingham, Alabama.
Workshops and Field Schools Attended
Natural Models for Ecological Forestry Workshop, University of Minnesota Sustainable Forests
Education Cooperative, 13–14 October 2011, Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
Systems Dynamics Workshop and Building Better Presentations Workshop, Institute on the
Environment, University of Minnesota, Fall 2011, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Park Ranger Training Workshop, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation,
Chapel Hill, Tennessee, 12 January 2010.
Workshop for Graduate Teaching Assistants, College of Arts and Sciences, University of
Alabama, 13–14 August 2009, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Professional Memberships
Association of American Geographers, 2009–present
Biogeography Specialty Group, 2009–present
Southeastern Division, 2009–2011
The Ecological Society of America, 2010–present
Society of American Foresters, 2015–present
Forest Guild, 2011–present
University of Minnesota Sustainable Forests Educational Cooperative, 2011–present
The Phi Beta Kappa Society, 2009–present
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, 2009–present
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