Amanda Schwark

I am a PhD student in the labs of Lorie Staver and Sairah Malkin. The focus of my research is on microbial community assemblage changes in a restored tidal salt marsh following a prescribed burn. I was drawn to the UMCES program for its strong focus on bridging science and management. After graduating with a BS in Neuroscience, I joined the Texas Conservation Corps, a branch of Americorps. There, I rekindled my passion for the environment and worked for a number of years in the field. This work included another term with the Montana Conservation Corps, a season as a wildland firefighter in Tennessee, time as a sea turtle technician with the National Parks Service, a wildlife rehabilitator and educator for reptiles and birds with the Texas Sealife Center, and time as a regenerative gardening instructor for local schools. I returned to school to pursue an MS in Environmental Science and Policy, where I researched nanoparticle accumulation in the organs and blood of South Texas wildlife. I am hoping that my work will provide a better understanding of how foundational microbial interactions are influenced by active land management and what that means for ecosystem health and functioning.