Geoffrey Williams

2020 Fulbright Scholar

Hometown

Ann Arbor, MI

Major

Forestry and Natural Resources

College

The Graduate School / College of Agriculture

 

Geoffrey Williams, a Ph. D. candidate in forestry and natural resources, will collaborate with Centro Investigación y Extensión Forestal Andino Patagónico (CIEFAP) in Chubut, Esquel, Argentina. His Fulbright offer is to investigate the potential role of bark- and wood-feeding beetles in forest mortality events.

 

He plans to collaborate between Purdue and CIEFAP to preserve the vital forests of Argentina. The lenga birch that predominates these forests is responsible for offsetting half a percent of the world’s carbon emissions annually, along with storing the equivalent of a fifth of the world’s annual carbon emissions. The decline of these trees can have devastating impacts on the biosphere.

 

Bark beetles, a common pest in forest environments, not only destroy plant materials directly but can also introduce additional fungi and parasites into an ecosystem. However, to date, there has not been a concentrated effort to identify beetles that harm Patagonian forests due to a lack of funding. Williams hopes that by identifying beetles in both healthy and dying tree stands, more targeted beetle control methods can save forests from massive mortality events.

 

“The ability to adapt to new environments is the hallmark of biological success, from invasive plants to soil bacteria. There are two broadly recognized, contrasting strategies of adaptation,” Williams says, contrasting highly specialized single-niche species like monarch butterflies with generalized adaptable species like Japanese beetles. Of himself, he says, “I am a generalist. I thrive on lessons and relationships that constantly challenge me to reconsider and reshape my worldview.” Williams has a long and varied set of experiences in Central and South America as a ranch hand and adventure guide in Mexico and as a traveling musician in South America. He plans to use his experiences and academic background to assist in the expansion of a Patagonian mushroom tour hosted by CIEFAP.

 

After his Fulbright, Williams plans to return to the United States to defend his dissertation and pursue a career in forestry.