Nancy Tuchman

Last updated
Nancy Tuchman
Born (1958-01-17) January 17, 1958 (age 65)
Alma materPh.D. University of Louisville M.S. Central Michigan University
AwardsExpanded Reason Award, Pope Benedict XVI Foundation (2017); Honorary PhD Recipient and Commencement Speaker, Central MI University (2014); Chicago Magazine's Green Award (2013)
Scientific career
Fieldsaquatic ecology, global change, invasive species
Website https://www.luc.edu/biology/tuchman.shtml

Nancy Tuchman (born January 17, 1958) is an American environmental scientist, educator, and activist. She specializes on human impacts on aquatic ecosystem function, with a focus on coastal Great Lake ecosystems. [1] Tuchman is dedicated to raising public awareness about issues of global climate change and education. Her dedication is shown through her thirty years of educating students in environmental sciences at Loyola University Chicago. [1] In 2013 she founded the Institute of Environmental Sustainability on Loyola University's campus - which later became the School of Environmental Sustainability in late 2020 - and is a driver of environmental change and progress in the Chicago area. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Tuchman grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she was raised for a love of the outdoors by two amateur ecologist parents. [3] Time spent in nature, exploring streams and lakes, led to her passion for aquatic ecosystems that carried out through her education and career. [3]

Tuchman went on to study biology and ecology at Central Michigan University to then earn a Masters of Science in aquatic ecology. From there she attended the University of Louisville to earn a Ph.D. in aquatic ecology in 1988 with advisor, R. Jan Stevenson. Her dissertation was titled: “Effects of different intensities and frequencies of disturbance by snail herbivory on periphyton succession.” [1]

Career and research

Tuchman's research focuses on human impacts to aquatic ecosystems with three main lines of research: effects of invasive species on coastal ecosystems, effects of Greenhouse gases on stream ecosystem food webs, and the effects of contaminants and pharmaceuticals on streams and lakes. [4] She is currently examining the impacts of invasive species, Typha x glauca (hybrid cattail) and Phragmites australis (common reed) in the Great lakes coastal wetlands. Her team is now experimenting with economic and sustainable harvesting methods to remove the invasive plant species and use them as a biomass, as the cattail is high in cellulose-carbon- great for burning. [5] [6] [7]

In 1988 she became an instructor in the biology department at Loyola University Chicago. Over 30 years of research, Tuchman has been awarded over $4.5 million in federal grants, she has authored or co-authored over 50 manuscripts and book chapters, and mentored or co-mentored over 100 undergraduate and graduate students in her lab. [8] In 2002 she served as a program officer for the Ecosystem Studies Program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to overseeing a $13 million budget and two programs, Ecosystem Studies and Coupled Natural and Human Systems.

After serving at the NSF, she returned to Loyola as Associate Provost for Research and Centers. This position gave her headway for the discussion and proposing of the idea to make a more energy efficient and sustainable campus and ultimately establish the Institute of Environmental Sustainability. Tuchman has been a leader in the efforts to re-imagine Loyola's campus as green certified, as well as incorporating environmental education in the core curriculum for all undergraduate students. [9] In 2016, Loyola University Chicago was named one of the seven greenest universities in the nation according to Sierra Magazine. [10] The Institute of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola has hosted an annual Climate Change Conference since 2015. Tuchman believes that Jesuit universities can play an important role in the development of incorporating environmental education into higher education across the board because climate change is tied to issues of social justice. [9]

From 2008 to 2010, Tuchman served as president-elect and then president of the Society for Freshwater Science. [11]

Selected publications

Notable books, op-eds and journals written and co-edited

Awards and honors

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phytoplankton</span> Autotrophic members of the plankton ecosystem

Phytoplankton are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. The name comes from the Greek words φυτόν, meaning 'plant', and πλαγκτός, meaning 'wanderer' or 'drifter'.

<i>Typha</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Typhaceae

Typha is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrush or reedmace, in American English as reed, cattail, or punks, in Australia as cumbungi or bulrush, in Canada as bulrush or cattail, and in New Zealand as reed, cattail, bulrush or raupo. Other taxa of plants may be known as bulrush, including some sedges in Scirpus and related genera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wetland</span> Land area that is permanently, or seasonally saturated with water

Wetlands, or simply a wetland, is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently or seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from terrestrial land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to the unique anoxic hydric soils. Wetlands are considered among the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of plant and animal species. Methods for assessing wetland functions, wetland ecological health, and general wetland condition have been developed for many regions of the world. These methods have contributed to wetland conservation partly by raising public awareness of the functions some wetlands provide. Constructed wetlands are designed and built to treat municipal and industrial wastewater as well as to divert stormwater runoff. Constructed wetlands may also play a role in water-sensitive urban design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquatic plant</span> Plant that has adapted to living in an aquatic environment

Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or macrophytes to distinguish them from algae and other microphytes. A macrophyte is a plant that grows in or near water and is either emergent, submergent, or floating. In lakes and rivers macrophytes provide cover for fish, substrate for aquatic invertebrates, produce oxygen, and act as food for some fish and wildlife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marsh</span> Low-lying and seasonally waterlogged land

A marsh is - according to ecological definitions - a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species. More in general, the word can be used for any low-lying and seasonally waterlogged terrain. In Europe and in agricultural literature low-lying meadows that require draining and embanked polderlands are also referred to as marshes or marshland.

Freshwater ecosystems are a subset of Earth's aquatic ecosystems. They include lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, springs, bogs, and wetlands. They can be contrasted with marine ecosystems, which have a larger salt content. Freshwater habitats can be classified by different factors, including temperature, light penetration, nutrients, and vegetation. There are three basic types of freshwater ecosystems: Lentic, lotic and wetlands. Freshwater ecosystems contain 41% of the world's known fish species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benthic zone</span> Ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water

The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean, lake, or stream, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. The name comes from ancient Greek, βένθος (bénthos), meaning "the depths." Organisms living in this zone are called benthos and include microorganisms as well as larger invertebrates, such as crustaceans and polychaetes. Organisms here generally live in close relationship with the substrate and many are permanently attached to the bottom. The benthic boundary layer, which includes the bottom layer of water and the uppermost layer of sediment directly influenced by the overlying water, is an integral part of the benthic zone, as it greatly influences the biological activity that takes place there. Examples of contact soil layers include sand bottoms, rocky outcrops, coral, and bay mud.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constructed wetland</span> Artificial wetland to treat municipal or industrial wastewater, greywater or stormwater runoff

A constructed wetland is an artificial wetland to treat sewage, greywater, stormwater runoff or industrial wastewater. It may also be designed for land reclamation after mining, or as a mitigation step for natural areas lost to land development. Constructed wetlands are engineered systems that use the natural functions of vegetation, soil, and organisms to provide secondary treatment to wastewater. The design of the constructed wetland has to be adjusted according to the type of wastewater to be treated. Constructed wetlands have been used in both centralized and decentralized wastewater systems. Primary treatment is recommended when there is a large amount of suspended solids or soluble organic matter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquatic ecosystem</span> Ecosystem in a body of water

An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem found in and around a body of water, in contrast to land-based terrestrial ecosystems. Aquatic ecosystems contain communities of organisms—aquatic life—that are dependent on each other and on their environment. The two main types of aquatic ecosystems are marine ecosystems and freshwater ecosystems. Freshwater ecosystems may be lentic ; lotic ; and wetlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Periphyton</span> Bioindicators attached to submerged surfaces in most aquatic ecosystems

Periphyton is a complex mixture of algae, cyanobacteria, heterotrophic microbes, and detritus that is attached to submerged surfaces in most aquatic ecosystems. The related term Aufwuchs refers to the collection of small animals and plants that adhere to open surfaces in aquatic environments, such as parts of rooted plants.

<i>Typha latifolia</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Typhaceae

Typha latifolia, better known as broadleaf cattail, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus Typha. It is found as a native plant species in North and South America, Eurasia, and Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River ecosystem</span> Type of aquatic ecosystem with flowing freshwater

River ecosystems are flowing waters that drain the landscape, and include the biotic (living) interactions amongst plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as abiotic (nonliving) physical and chemical interactions of its many parts. River ecosystems are part of larger watershed networks or catchments, where smaller headwater streams drain into mid-size streams, which progressively drain into larger river networks. The major zones in river ecosystems are determined by the river bed's gradient or by the velocity of the current. Faster moving turbulent water typically contains greater concentrations of dissolved oxygen, which supports greater biodiversity than the slow-moving water of pools. These distinctions form the basis for the division of rivers into upland and lowland rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phosphorus cycle</span> Biogeochemical movement

The phosphorus cycle is the biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Unlike many other biogeochemical cycles, the atmosphere does not play a significant role in the movement of phosphorus, because phosphorus and phosphorus-based compounds are usually solids at the typical ranges of temperature and pressure found on Earth. The production of phosphine gas occurs in only specialized, local conditions. Therefore, the phosphorus cycle should be viewed from whole Earth system and then specifically focused on the cycle in terrestrial and aquatic systems.

<i>Typha angustifolia</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Typhaceae

Typha angustifolia L. is a perennial herbaceous plant of genus Typha. This cattail is an "obligate wetland" species that is commonly found in the northern hemisphere in brackish locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brackish marsh</span> Marsh with brackish level of salinity

Brackish marshes develop from salt marshes where a significant freshwater influx dilutes the seawater to brackish levels of salinity. This commonly happens upstream from salt marshes by estuaries of coastal rivers or near the mouths of coastal rivers with heavy freshwater discharges in the conditions of low tidal ranges.

<i>Typha domingensis</i> Species of plant

Typha domingensis, known commonly as southern cattail or cumbungi, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Typha.

The Society for Freshwater Science (SFS) is an international scientific society whose members study freshwater ecosystems and ecosystems at the interface between aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

<i>Typha <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> glauca</i> Species of aquatic plant

Typha × glauca is a hybrid species of plant originating as a cross between T. angustifolia and T. latifolia. It shows invasive behavior in the Midwestern United States

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human impact on marine life</span>

Human activities affect marine life and marine habitats through overfishing, habitat loss, the introduction of invasive species, ocean pollution, ocean acidification and ocean warming. These impact marine ecosystems and food webs and may result in consequences as yet unrecognised for the biodiversity and continuation of marine life forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phytobenthos</span>

Phytobenthos (from Greek φυτόν and βένθος are autotrophic organisms found attached to bottom surfaces aquatic environments, such as rocks, sediments, or even other organisms. This photosynthetic community includes single-celled or filamentous cyanobacteria, microalgae, and macrophytes. Phytobenthos are highly diverse, and can be found in freshwater and marine environments, as well as transitional water systems. However, their distribution and availability still depend on the factors and stressors that exist in the environment. Because phytobenthos are autotrophs, they need to be able to subsist where it is still possible to perform photosynthesis. Similar to phytoplankton, phytobenthos contribute to the aquatic food web for grazers and heterotrophic bacteria, and researchers have also been studying their health as an indicator for water quality and environmental integrity of aquatic ecosystems.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Our People: Founding Dean, Institute of Environmental Sustainability: Institute of Environmental Sustainability: Loyola University Chicago". www.luc.edu. Retrieved 2018-11-08.
  2. 1 2 "Why the Next Big Environmental Breakthrough Could Start in Chicago". Chicago magazine. Retrieved 2018-11-08.
  3. 1 2 "7 Eco-Champions Bringing Positive Change and Sustainability to Chicago". Make It Better - Family, Food, Finances & Philanthropy. 2018-03-19. Retrieved 2018-11-08.
  4. ↑ "Jesuit Friends and Alumni". Jesuitmidwest.org. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Nancy C. Tuchman: Biology, Department of: Loyola University Chicago". www.luc.edu. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  6. ↑ "Nancy Tuchman, Ph.D." HealingEarth. 2013-03-12. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  7. ↑ Lishawa, Shane C.; Jankowski, Kathijo; Geddes, Pamela; Larkin, Daniel J.; Monks, Andrew M.; Tuchman, Nancy C. (2014). "Denitrification in a Laurentian Great Lakes coastal wetland invaded by hybrid cattail ( Typha × glauca )". Aquatic Sciences. 76 (4): 483–495. doi:10.1007/s00027-014-0348-5. S2CID   15571527 . Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  8. ↑ "Nancy Tuchman, Ph.D. | Catholic Climate Covenant". catholicclimatecovenant.org. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  9. 1 2 "Loyola University Chicago champions social and environmental justice [video] | U.S. Green Building Council". www.usgbc.org. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  10. ↑ Owen, Ruggerio (September 21, 2016). "Loyola Named Seventh Greenest University in the Nation". Loyola Phoenix. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
  11. ↑ "Officers & Committees | Society for Freshwater Science". freshwater-science.org. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  12. ↑ Angeloni, Nicholas L.; Jankowski, Kathi Jo; Tuchman, Nancy C.; Kelly, John J. (2006). "Effects of an invasive cattail species (Typha x glauca) on sediment nitrogen and microbial community composition in a freshwater wetland". FEMS Microbiology Letters. 263 (1): 86–92. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2006.00409.x . ISSN   0378-1097. PMID   16958855.
  13. ↑ Tuchman, Nancy C.; Wetzel, Robert G.; Rier, Steven T.; Wahtera, Kirk A.; Teeri, James A. (2002). "Elevated atmospheric CO2 lowers leaf litter nutritional quality for stream ecosystem food webs". Global Change Biology. 8 (2): 163–170. Bibcode:2002GCBio...8..163T. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2486.2002.00460.x. ISSN   1354-1013. S2CID   85728019.
  14. ↑ Johnson, Ronald E.; Tuchman, Nancy C.; Peterson, Christopher G. (1997). "Changes in the Vertical Microdistribution of Diatoms within a Developing Periphyton Mat". Journal of the North American Benthological Society. 16 (3): 503–519. doi:10.2307/1468140. ISSN   0887-3593. JSTOR   1468140. S2CID   84086897.
  15. ↑ Tuchman, NC; Schollett, MA; Rier, ST; Geddes, P (2006). "Differential Heterotrophic Utilization of Organic Compounds by Diatoms and Bacteria under Light and Dark Conditions". Hydrobiologia. 561 (1): 167–177. doi:10.1007/s10750-005-1612-4. ISSN   0018-8158. S2CID   17718937.
  16. ↑ Janus, LR; Angeloni, NL; McCormack, J; Rier, ST; Tuchman, NC; Kelly, JJ (2005). "Elevated Atmospheric CO2 Alters Soil Microbial Communities Associated with Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides) Roots". Microbial Ecology. 50 (1): 102–109. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.524.7680 . doi:10.1007/s00248-004-0120-9. ISSN   0095-3628. PMID   16052378. S2CID   29579344.
  17. ↑ Tuchman, Nancy C.; Larkin, DJ; Geddes, P; Wildova, R; Jankowski, K; Goldberg, E (2009). "Patterns of environmental change associated with Typha x glauca invasion in a Great Lakes coastal wetland". Wetlands. 29 (3): 964–975. doi:10.1672/08-71.1. ISSN   0277-5212. S2CID   28937488.
  18. ↑ "Healing Earth". HealingEarth. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  19. ↑ Tuchman, Nancy (2014). "Preferential Option for the Earth".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  20. ↑ "Opinion: The pope is talking to you, Chicago". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  21. ↑ Tuchman, Donald J. Wuebbles and Nancy C. "Cold truth". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  22. ↑ "Expanded Reason Award for Healing Earth | Ecology and Jesuits in Communication". www.ecojesuit.com. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 2018-11-08.
  23. ↑ "CMU names December commencement speakers | Central Michigan University". www.cmich.edu. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
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