PROMOTION REPORT - INDIVIDUAL

(January 1, 2006 - October 31, 2009)

 

 

Candidate for promotion to: Associate Professor

 

 

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

 

 

Education

 

Ph D, University of California, Berkeley, Integrative Biology. (2005).

 

BA, Carleton College, Biology. (1997).

 

II. NARRATIVES

 

A. Teaching Narrative

 

Download File (thomsen.mere/promotion/Teaching narrative-1.doc)

 

B. Scholarship Narrative

 

Download File (thomsen.mere/promotion/Research narrative-2.doc)

 

C. Service Narrative

 

Download File (thomsen.mere/promotion/Service narrative-2.doc)

 

 

III. TEACHING

 

A. Teaching Schedule

 

Spring 2009

Download File (thomsen.mere/schteach/syllabus-3.doc)

 

Fall 2008

Download File (thomsen.mere/schteach/SyllabusF08-1.doc)

Download File (thomsen.mere/schteach/307syllabusF08-2.doc)

 

Summer 2008

 

Spring 2008

Download File (thomsen.mere/schteach/Syllabus SP08-1.doc)

Download File (thomsen.mere/schteach/syllabus 2008 (3)-1.doc)

 

Fall 2007

Download File (thomsen.mere/schteach/Syllabus Fall 2007-2.doc)

Download File (thomsen.mere/schteach/307syllabusF07-1.doc)

Download File (thomsen.mere/schteach/Fall syllabus and guidelines-1.doc)

Download File (thomsen.mere/schteach/Topic outline-1.doc)

 

Spring 2007

Download File (thomsen.mere/schteach/Syllabus Fall 2007-1.doc)

Download File (thomsen.mere/schteach/307syllabus07-1.doc)

 

J-Term 2007

 

Fall 2006

Download File (thomsen.mere/schteach/syllabus-1.doc)

Download File (thomsen.mere/schteach/Syllabus Bio 204-1.doc)

 

Spring 2006

Download File (thomsen.mere/schteach/syllabus-2.doc)

 

Non-Credit Instruction Taught

 

Guest Lecture, 85 participants, Academic. (April 2009).

 

Guest Lecture, 25 participants, Academic. (February 2009).

 

Guest Lecture. (April 2008).

 

Grants

 

Thomsen, M. A. (Principal), UW System Grant, "Wisconsin Teaching Fellows and Scholars Program", Currently Under Review, $4,000.00. (sub: October 23, 2009).

Download File (thomsen.mere/congrant_teaching/Thomsen WTFS application-1.pdf)

 

Thomsen, M. A. (Principal), College Grant, "Supplies & equipment proposal: Improved living collection for plant biology courses", Funded, $957.00. (sub: March 2008, start: April 2008, end: June 2008).

Download File (thomsen.mere/congrant_teaching/Supplies and Equipment Proposal-1.doc)

 

Gerber, D. T., Thomsen, M. A. (Supporting), Abler, M. L. (Supporting), External Grant, "LEEF grant", LI-Corr Corp., Funded, $25,000.00. (sub: January 31, 2007).

 

B. Additional Teaching Evidence

Teaching Evidence 1 Peer lecture evaluations from each year I have taught at UW-L. These evaluations have provided excellent practical suggestions to improve my teaching, and have greatly encouraged me with regard to the effectiveness of my lecturing style.   Download File (thomsen.mere/promotion/Peer evals of lectures001-2.pdf)

Teaching Evidence 2 Summary of written comments on SEIs for Plant Biology lecture and lab courses, S08-S09. I have created categories here that incorporate all the student comments I received.   The S08 comments support my impression that in-class worksheets were a valuable tool for helping students engage with lecture material. They further emphasize that some of my strengths as an instructor include enthusiasm, the quality of my explanations of concepts, and overall approachability. Most of the suggestions for improvement focus on the desire for more review materials for exams. Some students thought that the organization of the Power Point presentations I used could be improved, or that the pace of lecture was too fast at times.   In response to student comments, I repeated my use of the in-class exercises in F08, and continued to actively check in with students during lab to answer questions. I increased the amount of open lab review time for the first lab exam, and developed sample lab exam questions. I continued to revise my Power Points, especially for the topics of secondary growth and photosynthesis, which were mentioned as confusing by several students. Download File (thomsen.mere/promotion/S08 - S09 plant bio comments-2.xls)

Teaching Evidence 3 Answer key I provide on D2L for a Plant Biology in-class exercise on secondary growth in trees. This is a tough concept for students because it requires them to think in three dimensions to visualize the process and its effects on the plant's structure. My questions are designed to help students think about how the stem changes as secondary growth proceeds. Download File (thomsen.mere/promotion/9 Secondary growth key001-1.pdf)

Teaching Evidence 4 My assessment of student learning in for the learning objective "Students refine their ability to interpret statistics and graphical data, and to infer relationships among variables based on that data" in Ecology. Download File (thomsen.mere/promotion/stats and graphs assessment-1.doc)

Teaching Evidence 5 Student posters detailing the group experiments they carried out in my S09 Plant Ecology class. These were presented at a poster session to which I invited the Biology faculty and area researchers. Download File (thomsen.mere/promotion/all posters-1.ppt)

Teaching Evidence 6 Documentation of my grading process with student written Critique assignments in Ecology. Contains a student's first draft (with my handwritten comments), the second draft that incorporates my suggestions, and the rubric I used to grade the assignment. I Download File (thomsen.mere/promotion/Critique_sample001-1[1]-1.pdf)

Teaching Evidence 7 Assessment of student learning gains in Ecology: evaluation of pre- and post-tests. Students completed the pre-test the first day of class, and I worked the same questions into my final exam. The mean score across all questions increased by 35%. I also used these results to identify concepts that students were not mastering (e.g. definition of net primary productivity) and changed my presentation of those topics.

 

IV. SCHOLARSHIP

 

A. Intellectual Contributions

 

Published and Accepted

 

1. Journal Article, Academic Journal

 

Suttle, K. B., Thomsen, M. A. (2007). Climate change and grassland restoration: lessons from a rainfall manipulation in California. Madrono, 54, 225-233.

Type of Review	Acceptance Rate	Author Workload	Author Ordering	Audience of Circulation
Peer-reviewed	%	Suttle, Kenwyn B.-70% Thomsen, Meredith A.-30%	First author major contributor	International

 

Suttle, K. B., Thomsen, M. A., Power, M. E. (2007). Species interactions reverse grassland responses to changing climate. Science, 315, 640-642.

Type of Review	Acceptance Rate	Author Workload	Author Ordering	Audience of Circulation
Peer-reviewed	10%	Suttle, Kenwyn B.-60% Thomsen, Meredith A.-35% Power, Mary E.-5%	First author major contributor	International

Download File (thomsen.mere/intellcont/Science-1.pdf)

 

Thomsen, M. A., D'Antonio, C. M. (2007). Mechanisms of resistance to invasion in a California grassland: the roles of competitor identity, resource availability, and environmental gradients. Oikos, 116(1), 17-30.

Type of Review	Acceptance Rate	Author Workload	Author Ordering	Audience of Circulation
Peer-reviewed	%	Thomsen, Meredith A.-80% D'Antonio, Carla M.-20%	First author major contributor	International

Download File (thomsen.mere/intellcont/Oikos-1.pdf)

 

Thomsen, M. A., Corbin, J. D., D'Antonio, C. M. (2006). The effect of soil nitrogen on competition between native and exotic perennial grasses from northern coastal California. Plant Ecology, 186, 23-35.

Type of Review	Acceptance Rate	Author Workload	Author Ordering	Audience of Circulation
Peer-reviewed	%	Thomsen, Meredith A.-70% Corbin, Jeffrey D.-15% D'Antonio, Carla M.-15%	Authors in alphabetical order	International

Download File (thomsen.mere/intellcont/Plant Ecology-1.pdf)

 

Thomsen, M. A., D'Antonio, C. M., Suttle, K. B., Sousa, W. P. (2006). Ecological resistance, seed density and their interactions determine patterns of invasion in a California coastal grassland. Ecology Letters, 9(2), 160-170.

Type of Review	Acceptance Rate	Author Workload	Author Ordering	Audience of Circulation
Peer-reviewed	%	Thomsen, Meredith A.-70% D'Antonio, Carla M.-15% Suttle, Kenwyn B.-5% Sousa, Wayne P.-5%	First author major contributor	International

Download File (thomsen.mere/intellcont/Eco Letters-1.pdf)

 

2. Laboratory Manual

 

Davis, J., Gerber, D. T., Hanmer, D., Thomsen, M. A., Volk, T. J. Plant Biology Lab Manual: Bio 204.

Type of Review	Acceptance Rate	Author Workload	Author Ordering	Audience of Circulation
None	%	Davis, Jerry Gerber, Daniel T. Hanmer, Debbie Thomsen, Meredith A. Volk, Thomas J.		Local

 

Works in Progress

 

1. Reviewed 9-12 Lesson Plan

 

Balistrieri, D., Gerber, D. T., Thomsen, M. A. Simulating Climate Change Research in Grasslands in Science NetLinks K-12 Science Education Resources (pp. http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/). Washington DC: Science NetLinks/American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Type of Review	Acceptance Rate	Author Ordering	Audience of Circulation
Peer-reviewed	%	Balistrieri, Danielle-45% Gerber, Daniel T.-45% Thomsen, Meredith A.-10%	International

 

Other Scholarly Activities

 

1. Paper presented at academic conference

 

Thomsen, M. A. (Presenter & Author), Panel Discussion on Teaching About Sustainability, Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning (CATL), UW-L, "Costs and benefits of two alternative fuels: corn grain ethanol vs. soybean biodiesel". (Date Presented: April 2009).

Meeting Type	Scope	Format of Presentation	Published in Proceedings?	Refereed Proceedings?	Invited or Accepted	Published Elsewhere?
Academic	Local	Oral Presentation

 

Thomsen, M. A., Faculty Research Day, UW-L, UW-L, "Goodbye competition and hello herbivory: effects of reed canary grass removal and deer browsing in a forest restoration". (Date Presented: January 2009, Date Accepted: December 2008, Date Submitted: November 2008).

Meeting Type	Scope	Format of Presentation	Published in Proceedings?	Refereed Proceedings?	Invited or Accepted	Published Elsewhere?
Academic	Local	Oral Presentation	No	No	Invited

 

Bolwahn, J. (Presenter & Author), Thomsen, M. A. (Co-Author), Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Ecological Society of America, Milwaukee, WI, "Effect of fire, herbicide, and mowing on smooth brome and re-establishment of a sand prairie", Abstract. (Date Presented: August 2008, Date Accepted: May 2008, Date Submitted: February 2008).

Meeting Type	Scope	Format of Presentation	Published in Proceedings?	Refereed Proceedings?	Invited or Accepted	Published Elsewhere?
Academic	International	Oral Presentation	Yes	No	Accepted

 

Thomsen, M. A. (Presenter & Author), Faculty Inaugural Scholars Event for Chancellor Gow, University of WI, La Crosse, "History of climate change research in community ecology". (Date Presented: October 2007).

Meeting Type	Scope	Format of Presentation	Published in Proceedings?	Refereed Proceedings?	Invited or Accepted	Published Elsewhere?
Non-Academic	State	Oral Presentation	No		Accepted

 

Thomsen, M. A. (Presenter & Author), Brownell, K. (Presenter & Author), Kirsch, E. (Author Only), Corps of Engineers Annual Forestry Coordination Meeting, US Army Corps of Engineers, La Crosse, WI, "Status update on restoration experiment at WKTY". (Date Presented: August 2007).

Meeting Type	Scope	Format of Presentation	Published in Proceedings?	Refereed Proceedings?	Invited or Accepted	Published Elsewhere?
Non-Academic	Regional	Oral Presentation	No	No	Invited	No

 

Brownell, K. (Presenter & Author), Thomsen, M. A. (Author Only), Sobeich, J. (Author Only), Urich, R. (Author Only), Wetland Science Forum, Wisconsin Wetlands Association, La Crosse, WI, "Re-establishing bottomland forest in a site dominated by reed canary grass", Abstract. (Date Presented: February 2007, Date Accepted: January 2007, Date Submitted: December 2006).

Meeting Type	Scope	Format of Presentation	Published in Proceedings?	Refereed Proceedings?	Invited or Accepted	Published Elsewhere?
Academic	Regional	Oral Presentation	No	No	Accepted	No

 

Thomsen, M. A., Carleton Biology Departmental Seminar, Carleton College, Northfield MN, "Testing ecological resistance to a plant invasion". (Date Presented: November 2006).

Meeting Type	Scope	Format of Presentation	Published in Proceedings?	Refereed Proceedings?	Invited or Accepted	Published Elsewhere?
Academic	Local	Oral Presentation			Invited

 

Suttle, K. B. (Presenter & Author), Thomsen, M. A. (Author Only), Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Ecological Society of America, Memphis, TN, "Community-level consequences of changing rainfall patterns in an annual grassland", Abstract. (Date Presented: August 2006).

Meeting Type	Scope	Format of Presentation	Published in Proceedings?	Refereed Proceedings?	Invited or Accepted	Published Elsewhere?
Academic	International	Oral Presentation	Yes	No	Accepted

 

Thomsen, M. A. (Presenter & Author), Suttle, K. B. (Author Only), Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Ecological Society of America, Memphis, TN, "Consequences of global climate change: the effects of increased rainfall on carbon storage and transformation in a northern California grassland", Abstract. (Date Presented: August 2006).

Meeting Type	Scope	Format of Presentation	Published in Proceedings?	Refereed Proceedings?	Invited or Accepted	Published Elsewhere?
Academic	International	Oral Presentation	Yes	No	Accepted	No

 

Suttle, K. B. (Presenter & Author), Thomsen, M. A. (Author Only), Conservation Biology 20th Annual Meeting: Conservation Without Borders, Society for Conservation Biology, San Jose, California, "Projecting the fate of native bunchgrasses in northern California's changing climate", http://www.conbio.org/2006/Index.cfm, Abstract. (Date Presented: June 2006).

Meeting Type	Scope	Format of Presentation	Published in Proceedings?	Refereed Proceedings?	Invited or Accepted	Published Elsewhere?
Academic	International	Oral Presentation	Yes	No	Invited	Yes

 

2. Editorial and Review Activities

 

National Science Foundation, Invited Manuscript Reviewer, National, Appointed, 1 items edited/reviewed, Academic. (February 15, 2009 - March 30, 2009).

External (non-panel) reviewer for one grant proposal to the Long-Term Research in Environmental Biology program.

 

Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, Invited Manuscript Reviewer, International, Appointed, 1 items edited/reviewed, Academic. (September 1, 2008 - September 26, 2008).

 

Diversity & Distributions, Invited Manuscript Reviewer, International, Appointed, 1 items edited/reviewed, Academic. (April 2008 - May 2008).

 

Oikos, Invited Manuscript Reviewer, International, Appointed, 1 items edited/reviewed, Academic. (December 2007 - January 2008).

 

Diversity and Distributions, Invited Manuscript Reviewer, International, Appointed, 1 items edited/reviewed, Academic. (May 2007 - June 2007).

 

Restoration Ecology, Invited Manuscript Reviewer, International, Appointed, 1 items edited/reviewed, Academic. (March 2007 - April 2007).

 

"California Grasslands", University of California Press, Invited Manuscript Reviewer, International, Appointed, 3 items edited/reviewed, Academic. (April 2006 - August 2006).

Read and provided extensive comments for three chapters for this book.

 

Conservation Biology, Invited Manuscript Reviewer, International, Appointed, 1 items edited/reviewed, Academic. (February 2006 - March 2006).

 

3. Research Currently in Progress

 

Thomsen, Meredith A, Eileen Kirsch, Kurt Brownell, "Promoting the regeneration of floodplain forest tree species in gaps invaded by reed canary grass", On-Going, Scholarly. (November 2006).

 

Thomsen, Meredith A, K. Blake Suttle, "Grassland community responses to simulated climate change", On-Going, Scholarly. (January 2001).

 

Thomsen, Meredith A, Jessica Bolwahn, "Effect of restoration methods on smooth brome in sand prairie", On-Going, Scholarly. (April 2006).

 

Contracts, Grants, and Sponsored Research

 

Thomsen, M. A. (Principal), Suttle, K. B. (Co-Principal), Gerber, D. T. (Co-Principal), "2008 LTREB: RUI: Grassland Community Responses to Sustained Rainfall Manipulation"(Funded), External Grant, Sponsored by National Science Foundation, $135,000.00. (Date Submitted: January 2008, July 2008 - June 2010).

Download File (thomsen.mere/congrant_research/LTREB_Jan 9-1.doc)

 

Thomsen, M. A. (Principal), "Faculty Research Grant: How can protection from deer herbivory improve forest restoration in the Upper Mississippi River floodplain?"(Currently Under Review), UW-L Grant, $11,193.00. (Date Submitted: October 2009).

 

Thomsen, M. A., "Faculty Research Grant: The regeneration of floodplain forest tree species in gaps invaded by reed canary grass"(Funded), UW-L Grant, $12,680.00. (Date Submitted: October 2006, July 2007 - June 2008).

Download File (thomsen.mere/congrant_research/narrative-1.doc)

 

Thomsen, M. A., "Carol Dobrunz Travel Fund: Travel to the Ecological Society of America Meeting"(Funded), UW-L Grant, $1,000.00. (August 4, 2007 - August 8, 2007).

 

Thomsen, M. A., Suttle, K. B. (Co-Principal), "2007 LTREB: RUI: Grassland Community Responses to Sustained Rainfall Manipulation"(Not Funded), External Grant, Sponsored by National Science Foundation, $417,465.00. (Date Submitted: January 2007).

 

Student Research

 

1. Graduate Student Theses/Projects

 

Thesis or Project Chair, Cogger, Benjamin, Biology, "Effects of deer browsing on floodplain forest regeneration," Proposal. (September 2009 - Present).

Significant Student Involvement: I have submitted a proposal to the US Army Corps of Engineers in La Crescent to cover the expenses of Ben's proposed experiment and summer salary for him.

 

Thesis Committee Member, Erickson, Jarvis, Biology, Proposal. (April 2007 - Present).

 

Thesis Advisor, Jarvis, Elisabeth, Biology, "Effect of prairie restoration on the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community," In-Process. (January 2007 - Present).

Significant Student Involvement: I am co-advising Beth with Tom Volk. I have helped Beth with her project design and with her work in the greenhouse. I expect to assist her with data analysis and manuscript preparation over the next two semesters.

 

Thesis Advisor, Bolwahn, Jessica, Biology, "Restoration methods for sand prairie invaded by Smooth Brome (Bromus inermis)," In-Process. (January 2007 - Present).

Germane Honors: Jessica has been awarded a Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) position with the National Park Service at Effigy Mounds National Monument, which will provide her with funding as she completes her thesis, and guarentees her a position at the Monument after she graduates.

Significant Student Involvement: Jessica established an experiment to test alternate methods of restoring sand prairie in spring 2007, and we began monitoring plant responses and environmental conditions. She presented her results in August 2008 at the Ecological Society of America's annual meeting in Milwaukee. She is completing her fieldwork this fall and will complete her thesis in May 2010.

 

Thesis Committee Member, Curland, Rebecca, Biology, "A diversity study of the arbusuclar mycorrhizal fungi in Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esculenta)," Completed. (January 2007 - May 2009).

Significant Student Involvement: I have helped Becky with the design of a project she was unable to carry out. I served on her orals committee and read and provided comments on her thesis manuscript.

 

Thesis Committee Member, Palmer, Jonathan, Biology, "Ectomycorrhizal characterization of a chestnut-dominated forest," Completed. (April 1, 2006 - December 1, 2006).

 

2. Undergraduate Research

 

Banuelos, Victor, Biology, "Effect of deer herbivory on growth of tree seedlings," Completed. (September 2008 - June 2009).

Role: Faculty mentor

Germane Honors: Victor was awared a WISCAMP fellowship to support his work in my lab for the 2008-09 school year.

Dates and Locations Presented:

UW-L's Annual Celebration of Research and Creativity Poster. La Crosse, WI. (April 2009).

National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) Poster. La Crosse, WI. (April 2009).

American Multicultural Student Leadership Conferences Oral Presentation. UW Steven's Point. (October 2009).

 

Groshek, Matthew, Biology, "Performance of silver maple seedlings across a reed canary grass density gradient," Completed. (June 2007 - June 2009).

Role: Matt worked with me in the lab and field during the summer of 2007, learning about the floodplain forest ecosystem. He worked on a greenhouse experiment during the spring 2008 semester and will continue research through the summer.

Germane Honors: Dean's Distinguished Fellowship, Summer 2008.

Best Oral Presentation Award at UW-L Celebration of Undergraduate Research, 2009 (one of four awards).

Selected as student to represent UW-L as the only student speaker at Posters in the Rotunda, 2009.

Dates and Locations Presented:

College of Science and Health Summer Research Symposium Poster. UWL. (August 2008).

UW-L's Annual Celebration of Research and Creativity Oral Presentation. (April 2009).

UW System Annual Symposium for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Poster. Posters in the Rotunda. (April 2009).

National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) Oral Presentation. La Crosse. (April 2009).

 

Hermes, Jessie, Biology, "Effect of restoration treatments on brome grass root biomass," In-Process. (September 2008 - April 2009).

Role: Faculty mentor

Dates and Locations Presented:

.

 

Balistrieri, Danielle, Biology, "Connecting Scientific Research and the Classroom," In-Process. (January 2009 - Present).

Role: PI on NSF grant that funded Danielle's work, co-advised her work with Tim Gerber.

Germane Honors: Danielle's project was highlighted in the Campus Connection the week of the College of Science and Health's Summer Research Symposium.

Dates and Locations Presented:

College of Science and Health Summer Research Symposium Poster. UW-L. (August 2009).

 

Hermes, Jessie, Biology, "Rapid evolution in response to simulated climate change," In-Process. (January 2009 - Present).

Role: I was the PI on the NSF grant that is funding Jessie's project, and serve as her faculty advisor.

Germane Honors: Jessie was featured on the front of the Campus Connection the week of the College of Science and Health's Summer Research Symposium.

Dates and Locations Presented:

College of Science and Health Summer Research Symposium Poster. UW-L. (August 2009).

 

Johnson, Adam, Biology, "Effect of restoration treatments on resource availability in a floodplain forest," In-Process. (September 2008 - Present).

Role: Faculty mentor

Dates and Locations Presented:

National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) Poster. UW-L. (April 2009).

UW-L's Annual Celebration of Research and Creativity Poster. (April 2009).

 

Lewison, Heisley, Biology, "Effect of soil particle size on restoration of Mississippi River floodplain forest," Completed. (June 2006 - May 2007).

Role: Faculty advisor

Significant Student Involvement: Student is working independently under my supervision.

Dates and Locations Presented:

.

UW-L's Annual Celebration of Research and Creativity Oral Presentation. UW-L. (April 2008).

 

Brink, Jenna, Biology, "Variation in reed canary grass rhizome density across a study site," Completed. (June 2006 - May 2007).

Role: Faculty advisor

Dates and Locations Presented:

.

 

Skuster, Kimberly, Biology, "Variation in the reed canary grass seedbank across a forest restoration site," Completed. (June 2006 - May 2007).

Role: Faculty advisor

Significant Student Involvement: Student is working independently under my supervision.

Dates and Locations Presented:

.

 

McTavish, Lisa, Biology, "Effect of rainfall manipulation on plant tissue quality in a California coastal prairie," Completed. (June 1, 2006 - May 31, 2007).

Role: Faculty advisor / mentor

Significant Student Involvement: Student is working independently under my supervision.

Dates and Locations Presented:

.

UW-L's Annual Celebration of Research and Creativity Poster. (April 2007).

 

B. Additional Scholarship Evidence

Research Evidence 1 Perspective piece about Suttle et al. 2007, published in the same issue of Science as our research publication. Only a few of the articles in a given issue are highlighted in this way. Download File (thomsen.mere/promotion/Perspective-1.pdf)

Research Evidence 2 Program from the Faculty Inaugural Scholars event held in honor of Chancellor Gow's Inauguration, at which I was chosen to speak. Download File (thomsen.mere/promotion/Inaugural scholars program001-1.pdf)

Research Evidence 3 Picture of two of my research students at the 2009 College of Science and Health Summer Research Poster Session, which appeared in the Campus Connection. Download File (thomsen.mere/promotion/JD POSTERS IN CC-1.doc)

 

V. SERVICE

 

A. Service

 

Department Service

 

Search Committee for Organismal Biologist, Member. (October 2009 - Present)

Search and Screen for organismal biologist faculty position.

 

Greenhouse committee, Chair. (September 2008 - Present)

Determines priorities, usage, etc., for the Cowley Greenhouse.

 

Merit Evaluation Committee, Member. (September 2009)

Evaluate colleagues performance during the past academic year in the areas of teaching, research and service.

 

Budget Committee, Member. (September 2008 - August 2009)

Helped committee determine departmental spending priorities, allocate funds and approve budget.

 

Biology Club Advisor, Faculty Advisor. (September 2006 - June 2009)

Provide assistance to the student leaders of the Biology Club.

 

Plant Biologist Search Committee, Member. (October 2008 - April 2009)

Search and screen for plant biology faculty position.

 

Evaluation of Graduate Assistant. (February 2009)

Observed one of the departmental GAs teaching the Bio 103/105 lab course and completed form providing feedback on their teaching.

 

Merit Evaluation Committee, Chair. (September 2008)

Evaluate colleagues performance during the past academic year in the areas of teaching, research and service. Scheduled a meeting time for the group, compiled scores and submitted them to the Department Chair.

 

Bio 105 Textbook Committee, Member. (April 2008 - June 2008)

Reviewed eight candidate texts for adoption in Biology 105.

 

Scholarship Review Committee, Member. (April 2008)

Evaluate Biology students for departmental scholarships

 

Evaluation of Graduate Assistant. (February 2008)

Observed one of the departmental GAs teaching the Bio 103/105 lab course and completed form providing feedback on their teaching.

 

Merit Evaluation Committee, Member. (September 2007)

Evaluate colleagues performance during the past academic year in the areas of teaching, research and service.

 

Curriculum Committee, Member. (September 2006 - August 2007)

Review proposed changes to departmental curriculum.

 

Room Use/Renovation, Member. (September 2006 - August 2007)

Participated in committee discussions about priorities for lab modification grants and changes in room usage.

 

Limnologist Search Committee, Member. (November 2006 - May 2007)

Search and screen for limnologist faculty position.

 

Comparative Animal Physiologist Search Committee, Member. (March 1, 2006 - May 30, 2006)

Search and screen for animal physiology faculty position.

 

Scholarship Review Committee, Member. (March 20, 2006 - March 25, 2006)

Review undergraduate applications for several university scholarships specific to the biology department.

 

College Service

 

College Committee, Secretary. (July 1, 2009 - Present)

Committee reviews changes to General Education classes and programs within the College as well as performing other functions as needed.

 

Graduate School Panel, Member. (March 2009)

An informational panel discussion was held for students in our College who are interested in pursuing Ph.D. program in the sciences.

 

Dean's Distinguished Fellowship Summer Seminar Series, Member. (May 2008 - August 2008)

Worked with Anne Galbraith to coordinate the seminar schedule and facilitate peer evaluations of seminars.

 

Graduate School Panel, Member. (April 2008)

An informational panel discussion was held for students in our College who are interested in pursuing Ph.D. program in the sciences.

 

Dean's Distinguished Scholarship Committee, Member. (February 2006 - March 2008)

Review and rank student applications to Dean's Distinguished Scholarship.

 

University Service

 

1. Committee Involvement

 

Joint Committee on Environmental Sustainability, Member. (August 2009 - Present)

Committee provides leadership for sustainibility endeavors campus-wide.

 

Ad Hoc Online SEI Committee, Member. (February 2009 - Present)

Helped investigate the idea of using online SEIs. My specific charge was to investigate which other UW System schools are using online evaluations for classroom instruction.

 

Faculty mentor for Posters in the Rotunda speaker, Faculty Advisor. (April 2009)

Helped student speaker prepare the speech he gave at the UW System celebration of undergraduate research at State Capitol; also attended the event.

 

Environmental Studies Pool Search, Member. (March 2009 - April 2009)

Perform search and screen for instructor for Environmental Studies 100.

 

Faculty and Staff Awareness Through Performance, Member. (December 2008 - January 2009)

Helped prepare a 20-minute performance for the January 2009 Chancellor's Address. Worked on the early stages of brainstorming about possible skits and participated in the performance itself.

 

Cultural Affairs for Mulicultural Student Services, Member. (September 2007 - August 2008)

Reviewed applications for funding from Student Senate for cultural activities.

 

Faculty Development, Member. (September 2007 - August 2008)

Evaluate faculty development grants and award funds.

 

Student Organization, Member. (September 2007 - August 2008)

Evaluate student organization grants and allocate funds.

 

Professional and Community Service

 

1. Other professional and community service

 

Public/Community, Campus Childcare Center Garden Club, Committee Member, Member, approximately 50 hours spent for the year, No, neither, Pro Bono, Local. (March 2008 - Present).

Attended meetings to plan a new garden at the Campus Childcare Center and provided some technical assistance with the design of the prairie planting.

 

Public/Community, Girl Scouts of America, Guest leader. (July 2006).

Designed and led activities to fulfill the requirements for a plant biology badge.

 

Service Presentations

 

Thomsen, Meredith A, "Biology Department reception for new greenhouse mural", Biology Department, Cowley Hall Greenhouse. (February 2009).

I organized and hosted an afternoon reception to honor Jennifer Terpstra and the student artists who painted the mural. The event was advertised in the Campus Connection. Chancellor Gow attended and saw both the mural and some of the teaching and research activities we are taking on in the Greenhouse.

 

Thomsen, Meredith A, "California dreaming, or nightmare??? Invasion of California grasslands, 1849-present", The Prairie Enthusiasts, UW-L. (January 2007).

 

Professional Memberships

 

Mississippi Valley Conservancy, Regional. (December 2008 - Present).

Land trust working to protect and preserve wildland habitats in the Driftless Region of MN, IA and WI.

 

The Prairie Enthusiasts, Regional. (December 2008 - Present).

Unites professional land managers, landowners, and others interested in prairie preservation and restoration. Provides members with information about prairies and organizes workdays at prairie preserves.

 

Ecological Society of America, International. (January 1, 2000 - Present).

Primary professional organization for ecologists worldwide.

 

Grants

 

Downey, N. (Principal), Thomsen, M. A. (Co-Principal), UW System Grant, "UW-L Summer Research Program for Increasing Student Retention and Graduation", WiscAMP, Currently Under Review, $24,940.00. (sub: September 2009).

 

Downey, N. (Principal), Thomsen, M. A. (Co-Principal), UW System Grant, "UW-L Summer Research Program for Increasing Student Retention and Graduation", WiscAMP, Funded, $19,700.00. (sub: March 20, 2009, start: June 1, 2009, end: August 25, 2009).

Download File (thomsen.mere/congrant_service/SGP-Prop-UWLsummer 09-1.pdf)

 

B. Additional Service Evidence

Service Evidence 1 Report I prepared for the Faculty Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Online SEIs, S09. I conducted a survey of the UW System 4-year campuses to collect information on their use of online SEIs for classroom courses. Download File (thomsen.mere/promotion/online SEIs across UW System-1.doc)

Service Evidence 2 Campus Connection announcement for the Cowley Greenhouse Reception in honor of the mural created by Jennifer Terpstra's Advanced Painting Class. Includes a picture of the mural installed in the greenhouse. Download File (thomsen.mere/promotion/mural in CC-1.doc)

 

VI. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

A. Awards and Honors

 

Most Accessible Nominee Award, Students Advocating Potential Ability, Teaching. (April 3, 2008).

 

Inaugural Scholar, University of WI, La Crosse, Scholarship/Research. (October 18, 2007).

 

B. Faculty Development

 

Teaching, Research/Writing Presentation, "Designing Writing Assignments", Writing Program, La Crosse, WI, United States, No. (April 8, 2009).

 

Teaching, Research/Writing Presentation, "Advancing Learning with Writing", Writing Program, La Crosse, WI, United States, No. (April 1, 2009).

 

Teaching, Instructional-Related Conference, "General Education Assessment Workshop", UWL CATL, La Crosse, WI, United States, No. (August 2008).

 

Teaching, Instructional-Related Conference, "The 10th Annual UW-La Crosse Conference on Teaching & Learning", UWL CATL, La Crosse, WI, United States, No. (August 2008).

 

Teaching, Self-Study Program, "Development of a Learning Community", Honors Program, La Crosse, WI, United States, No. (June 2008 - August 2008).

 

Scholarship/Research, Attended Conference, "Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America", Ecological Society of America, Milwaukee, WI, United States, No. (August 3, 2008 - August 6, 2008).

 

Scholarship/Research, Workshop, "Website Design Using UWL Templates", UWL ITS, La Crosse, WI, United States, No. (January 2008).

 

Teaching, Attended Conference, "Conference on Teaching & Learning", Center for Advancing Teaching & Learning, La Crosse, WI, United States, No. (August 28, 2007).

 

Scholarship/Research, Attended Conference, "Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America", Ecological Society of America, San Jose, CA, United States, No. (August 5, 2007 - August 9, 2007).

 

Teaching, Workshop, "Developing a Teaching Portfolio", UWL Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning, La Crosse, WI, United States, No. (January 2007 - February 2007).

 

Scholarship/Research, Attended Conference, "Faculty Research Day", UWL Provost's Office, La Crosse, WI, United States, No. (January 17, 2007).

 

Teaching, Workshop, "Managing Your Teaching Load", UWL Provost's Office, La Crosse, WI, United States, No. (January 17, 2007).

 

C. Pre UW-L CV Link

 

D. Librarianship