Forestry Women Who Rock: Dr. Jess Hartshorn – Episode 22

I finished my BS in Zoology with a minor in Chemistry from Southern Illinois University in 2010. I did both my MS and PhD in Forest Entomology at the University of Arkansas, finishing my MS in 2012 and my PhD in 2016. During undergrad, I worked in the aquatic ecology lab at SIU helping students with projects that looked at aquatic macroinvertebrate community changes in relation to riparian vegetation management. I also worked in the forestry department on a project looking at cover crops to conserve native bamboo in the Southeastern U.S. Both my MS and PhD research focused on the ecology and management of a pine-inhabiting woodwasp in the genus Sirex. My research covered trapping and rearing methods, biological control using nematodes, effects of climate on fitness, and modeling predictions of invasive Sirex emergence to predict future interactions with native hosts and insect species. After finishing my PhD I moved to northern Minnesota to work as a forest health specialist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. I worked a lot with foresters and wildlife biologists to identify and treat insect and disease issues on state lands in Minnesota. I also worked with private landowners, university faculty, and non profit organizations to do natural resource education and workshops. During my time in northern Minnesota I also taught forest health at Itasca Community College. In August of 2018 I started as an assistant professor of forest health at Clemson University in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation. Twitter @ClemsonForest https://twitter.com/ClemsonForest

As far as hobbies, I both practice and teach yoga and have had my own yoga business in the past. I love all things outdoors: I run, bike, kayak, hike, and anything else that takes my outside. I’m also very active in my community and have organized events like the March for Science in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and served on the Human Rights Commission there as well. A couple years ago I started a blog with a colleague, Dr. Molly Darr, called the Feminist Forester, which focuses on social issues in science. We write original content and also share articles and guest pieces through our website, facebook, and twitter accounts.

My goal in the world of social media is to get people to think critically. I want people to think beyond the headline and see past the standard media hype that surrounds stories you see on facebook, Instagram, or twitter.