Environmental Resilience Institute

Part of the Prepared for Environmental Change Grand Challenge

Education and Appointments 

• M.S. Biology, New Mexico State University, 2014
• B.S. Ecology and Environmental Biology, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, 2012

Bio

Before starting his position at Indiana University, Chris Wojan conducted field ecology research in a variety of locales. As a graduate student at New Mexico State University, Wojan investigated small mammal movement behavior in California. Additionally, Wojan assisted the Jornada Experimental Range and Bureau of Land Management to monitor vegetation change in southern New Mexico. Wojan also worked for the National Ecological Observatory Network, performing various field protocols in northern Wisconsin and the U.P. of Michigan.

Research

Working under Dr. Keith Clay, and with fellow researcher Thomas Thrasher, Wojan examines geographic and seasonal patterns in tick and mosquito communities as part of Project Vector Shield. Wojan’s focus is on the field component of the project, which is primarily composed of the repeated collection of ticks and mosquitoes at ten monitoring sites throughout the southern half of Indiana. The data allows the project team to observe where different tick and mosquito species are, how abundant they may be, and when they are most active. Further, by conducting the fieldwork in successive years, the project aims to capture potential longer-term changes in these patterns. The researchers hope that this data, in concert with identifying pathogens the specimens carry, will help to inform scientists, government agencies, and the public about change in vector populations and disease risk.