Josh Bruce
Stefani Cannon
With the start of the new academic year, the iEcoLab welcomed two new graduate students! Josh Bruce and Stefani Cannon joined the lab in August 2020 to work with Dr. Helmus. Both Josh and Stefani will focus on spotted lanternfly research as they each pursue a PhD in Biology at Temple.
Josh graduated with his BA in Biology from Vassar College in 2016. He comes to us from his most recent experience with the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust, where he worked as their Research & Restoration Coordinator. One of his specialties was monitoring and managing invasive plants—so now he’s making the move to an invasive insect! Josh aims to approach his spotted lanternfly research through an ecological management context. He is hoping to develop modeling tools that will help land managers better understand how neighboring land uses influence invasive species management outcome.
Stefani went to Bloomsburg University for undergrad and then received her MS in Biology from East Stroudsburg University in 2016. Like Josh, Stefani is joining the lab with lots of previous hands-on experience. Stefani worked on spotted lanternfly research for a few years with the USDA through the Otis Laboratory. She’s looking to put her prior knowledge to good use, combining her field experiences with quantitative approaches for her work. Stefani wants to investigate the impacts spotted lanternfly has on native species, biodiversity, and ecosystems.
The iEcoLab is excited to see what Josh and Stefani accomplish with us, and we are happy to see our group grow! Please see our Join Us page if you are interested in learning about opportunities with our lab.