Contact Jennifer
Mail Code NS
Jennifer VanWyk
Cole Science Center 207
413.559.5323
Jennifer VanWyk
Assistant Professor of Ecology and Global Change
Jennifer VanWyk is a community ecologist and entomologist. Her research addresses factors that govern community dynamics for native bee populations, including disease transmission, plant-pollinator networks, environmental stressors, and community response to human disturbances. VanWyk received her B.A. in biology with a focus in botany from Vassar College, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in ecology from the University of California, Davis.
VanWyk focuses on how plant and insect traits mediate species interactions, and how these interactions — both mutualistic and antagonistic — affect bee population dynamics and broader ecological outcomes. Her current work on tomatoes, heatwaves, and a protozoan bee parasite, addresses basic ecological questions in an applied agricultural context. VanWyk's work in pollination ecology and bee health has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, and the USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Before joining the faculty at Hampshire College as an agroecologist, she taught ecology, entomology, environmental science, and experimental design at California State University, Chico, Mount Holyoke College, and UMass Amherst.
Recent and Upcoming Courses
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Disease ecology is the ecological study of host-pathogen interactions within the context of their environment and evolution The effects of emerging wildlife diseases are global and profound. They can result in economic and agricultural impacts, declines in wildlife populations, ecological disturbance and even the loss of human lives. Disease dynamics are governed by species interactions and the abiotic environment. We will consider the synergistic effects of globalization, climate change, and agriculture on the spread of pathogens, and rely framework of One Health. This course will focus on both wildlife diseases and the ecological context of vector borne human pathogens including but not limited to the Sylvatic plague, West Nile Virus, Lyme disease, Avian Influenza and the newly emergent Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus Keywords:climate change, health, biology
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Experiments in Plant Ecology: The plant kingdom is vastly diverse, and this diversity structures ecosystem function and ecological interactions within communities. This laboratory component of the course will focus on hypothesis testing, designing and conducting of original ecological experiments. We will practice a range of ecology research methods including basic methods in data collection, soil analysis, quantifying biodiversity, animal behavior, forest ecology, and introductory data analysis. The ability to pose clear questions, state hypotheses, and design experiments to test these hypotheses is of fundamental importance for all learners, regardless of plans for a future career in science Keywords:botany, biology, research methods
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The plant kingdom is vastly diverse, and this diversity structures ecosystem function and ecological interactions within communities. How do scientists study plants, and how does society influence the interpretation and communication of these scientific findings? We will cover topics in plant structure and function, ecology, and consider the intersection of sexism and pollen, xenophobia and invasion ecology, and sentience and botany. Our goal is to find wonder in the natural world, develop tools for observing natural history, and create a foundation for understanding plant ecology This course will rely on reading primary literature and conducting original experiments in the associated lab to learn about experimental design with an emphasis on hypothesis testing, methods of data collection, and introductory data analysis. The ability to pose clear questions, state hypotheses, and design experiments to test these hypotheses is of fundamental importance for all learners, regardless of plans for a future career in science Keywords:botany, biology, research methods
