Research Summary
I am an ecosystem ecologist whose research examines how global changes (climate change, urbanization, altered flow regimes, and non-native species invasions) affect microbial community dynamics and ecosystem processes, such as nutrient cycling and decomposition. I also am interested in applied research related to river and riparian restoration and green infrastructure. I use a variety of approaches, including field and laboratory studies and syntheses of scientific literature.
Education
- BA, Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- PhD, Biology, University of New Mexico
Biography
Jennifer Follstad Shah is an Assistant Professor in the School of the Environment, Society and Sustainabilitiy in the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Utah. She also is the Associate Director of the Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ENVST) program and the Director of the Shah Analytical Group for the Environment (SAGE) Lab. Jennfier is an affiliate of the Global Change and Sustainability Center (GCSC) and on the steering committee for the Center for Ecological Planning at Design (CEPD), both at the University of Utah. She serves on several technical advisory committees related to the management of freshwater ecosystems.
Jennifer completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earned her PhD in Biology via a training program in freshwater science at the University of New Mexico, and served as a postdoctoral fellow at Duke University. Her research examines the effects of global change (rising temperature, altered river flow, eutrophication, and biotic invasion) on ecological processes, such as metabolism, decomposition, and nutrient cycling. She also is interested in the practice of restoration in river, riparian, and wetland habitats and the efficacy of designer ecosystems, such as green infrastructure.