Ashley Burtner

Ashley Burtner is pursuing a master's degree in Aquatic Sciences. She will graduate next semester. Originally from Butler, Pa., Ashley earned her undergraduate degree in Environmental Science in 2006 from the University of Notre Dame.

Name: Ashley Burtner
Age: 24
Hometown: Butler, Pa.
SNRE degree sought: M.S.
Projected semester/year of graduation: April 2009
Undergraduate degree: University of Notre Dame, B.S. in Environmental Science, '06

Why did you pick this particular field of study? Why were you drawn to this field?
I was always in and around water growing up but it never occurred to me that "water" was a viable career.At Notre Dame, I took work-study position picking bugs in a very active stream ecology lab. I became more aware of and interested in the opportunities in stream ecology as I became more involved with the lab, which eventually led me here. Aquatic ecology is a great field for me because I have an excuse to be outside and it still counts as work. Yes, sometimes I'm working long hours in the rain or snow but to me it still beats sitting behind a desk all summer.

What do you like best so far about your program?
Aquatic Science students have a lot of resources available to them. The school has close affiliations with  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), the Cooperative Institute for Limnology and Ecosystem Research (CILER), Michigan Sea Grant (MSG), the Institute of Fisheries Research (IFR), the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). All the acronyms can be a little overwhelming but these institutions offer a lot of opportunities for SNRE students.

Describe your research interests and experiences at SNRE.
Although my research interests are varied, my main concentration is ecosystem-level functioning of streams. My thesis will discuss the influence of land use on carbon dynamics in Upper Peninsula (Michigan) streams. I also worked on a post-doc's project where we attempted to quantify the effect of the sucker migration on ecosystem functioning in the same area. Grants from SNRE and Rackham supplemented the project's external funding and allowed me to extend my summer field work.

What will you do after graduation?
Get a job? Right now, I'm focusing on finishing my degree. I'm sure that I'll be doing something related to my degree but I haven't narrowed it down yet.

What advice do you have for incoming SNRE students?
SNRE is an interdisciplinary school — take advantage of that. Attend guest lecturers indiscriminately. Learn how to use GIS, statistical or modeling software. Take courses that are only tangentially related to your field.

How do you relax when not studying?
There's a never ending list of distractions in Ann Arbor. I play in one of the community bands - the concert kind, not the rock kind. It's a great way to meet people outside of SNRE and blow off some steam. I'm a big fan of the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, the library and the Arboretum. I also watch an embarrassing amount of football.