Nicole Wonderlin

I am an entomologist and community ecologist interested in understanding how ecological communities are responding to anthropogenically-induced changes to the environment, and how these changes affect ecosystem function. To address this question, I combine data collected from in situ sensing technology, large biodiversity and environmental datasets, and on-the-ground field biology. Currently, I am a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas at Austin, working in collaboration with the Resilience In Species and Ecosystems flagship of the Planet Texas 2050 Bridging Barriers Initiative.

Before joining this research team, I completed a dual-degree Ph.D in Entomology and Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (EEB) at Michigan State University. Broadly, I am interested in landscape and community ecology, ecosystem services, and how urbanization affects these processes. My dissertation work centered on urban community gardens and their capacity to foster diverse insect communities in disturbed urban spaces. I specifically focused on pollinator use of urban green space, with an emphasis on nocturnal pollinators like moths, which are particularly affected by urbanization.