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Erik Nilsen

Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences
nilsen
enilsen@vt.edu

Erik Nilsen honored with emeritus status by Virginia Tech Board of Visitors

Major Field of Interest

Physiological Ecology of Higher Plants

Current Research

  1. Interaction between native and foreign invasive species
  2. Vascular adaptation of Rhododendron species to drought and freeze-thaw cycles
  3. Ecology of invasive species
  4. Cold tolerance of photosynthesis in biomass fuel plants
  5. Adaptive significance of leaf anatomical characters in Malaysian Rhododendron species (Vireya)
  • 2009- 2010 Graduate Director for the Department of Biological Sciences, VPI and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061.
  • 2004- 2007 Adjunct Professor of Botany, Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • 2003 G. P. Wilder Professor of Botany, Botany Department, University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • 2001 Program Director, Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology, Division of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience, National Science Foundation
  • 1997 Program Director, Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology, Division of Integrative Biology and Neuroscience, National Science Foundation
  • 1992 Visiting Research Ecologist, Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California.
  • 1987 Associate Professor of Biology, Department of Biology, VPI and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061.
  • 1983 - 1985 Visiting Assistant Research Ecologist, Laboratory of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles.
  • 1982 Assistant Professor of Biology, Department of Biology, VPI and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061.
  • 1981 Instructor, Extension School, University of California, Irvine, CA.
  • 1980 - 1983 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA.
  • 1978 Instructor, Department of Learning Resources, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA.
  • 1976 - 1980 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Biological Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA.
  • 1975 - 1976 Teaching Assistant, Fundamentals of Ecology for Biology Majors, Biology Department, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL.
  • 1974 - 1975 Research Assistant: Evaluation of introduced species in southern Florida, Biology Department, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL.
  • 1977-1980 University of California, Santa Barbara, Ph.D. in Biology
  • 1975-1977 University of California, Santa Barbara, M.A. in Biology
  • 1971-1975 University of Miami, Florida, B.S., Major in Biology

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