Directory

Shane Lishawa, MS

About

Shane Lishawa has been a faculty Research Associate at Loyola University Chicago since 2008. He began his career at Loyola in 2007, in the now defunct Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy, where he co-developed and co-taught the Solutions to Environmental Problems (STEP) course, and managed the biodiesel lab. Prior to coming to Loyola, Lishawa worked as a field biologist for the State of Wisconsin, where he conducted biological research, invasive species monitoring, remote sensing, and GIS research and mapping (2005-2007). Lishawa developed his connection with the ecosystems of the Great Lakes region early in life, growing up in Traverse City, Michigan. His dedication to conservation and restoration was sparked by observing the rapid development of the region as a youth. 

Degrees

• BS, Resource Ecology and Management, University of Michigan (2001)
• MS, Forest Ecology, University of Vermont (2005)

Research Interests

Lishawa is interested in investigating the interplay between invasive plant species and biodiversity, plant community dynamics, nitrogen and carbon cycling, and water level change in Great Lakes coastal wetland ecosystems. Furthermore, his research aims to bridge the gap between ecological research and applied restoration and conservation. He is conducting large-scale adaptive ecological restoration experiments that test methods to treat invasive species and improve habitat values. 

Professional & Community Affiliations

• Society of Wetland Scientists
• Society of Ecological Restoration
• Peer-reviewer: Wetlands Ecology and Management, Aquatic Botany; Journal of Great Lakes Research; Freshwater Biology; Aquatic Sciences; Wetlands; Hydrobiologia; Environmental Engineering

Courses Taught

• Solutions to Environmental Problems
• Advanced STEP: Renewable Energy
• General Ecology
• Field Natural History
• Field Botany
• Field Ornithology
• Biological Research Independent Study in Biology

Awards

• Michigan Departments of Natural Resources, Environmental Quality and Agricultural and Rural Development: Invasive Species Grant Program. $386,083 (February 2018) Statewide risk assessment and adaptive management of European frogbit. Shane Lishawa, Jodi Brandt, Eric Clark, Andrew Monks.
• Environmental Protection Agency: People, Prosperity, and the Planet Award. Phase I. $15,000 (2017) Anaerobic digestion for a zero waste urban campus. Shane C. Lishawa, Zach Waickman, Andrew Monks, Brendan Carson, Zhenwei Zhu. Grant funds will be used to assess the potential to establish an anaerobic digester on the Loyola campus and to support undergraduate research experiences.
• United States Department of Agriculture: Michigan Conservation Innovation Grant 2017. $74,976 (2017, Notice of Award Pending). Recycling watershed nutrients by using wetland invasive plants to improve crop soil health and fertility, while reducing downstream nutrient loads. Douglas R. Pearsall, Shane C. Lishawa, Eric Dunton, Dennis Albert.

Selected Publications

• Keyport S, Carson BD, Johnson O, Lawrence BA, Lishawa SC, Tuchman NC, Kelly JJ. In Press. Effects of harvesting an invasive hybrid cattail on abiotic and biotic wetland properties. Restoration Ecology.
• Carson, BD, Lishawa SC, Tuchman NC, Monks AM, Lawrence BA, Albert DA. Harvesting invasive plants to reduce nutrient loads and produce bioenergy: an assessment of Great Lakes coastal wetlands. Ecosphere. 9 (6): e02320. 10.1002/ecs2.2320
• Lishawa SC, Carson BD, Brandt JS, Tallant JM, Reo NJ, Albert DA, Monks AM, Lautenbach JM, Clark E. 2017. Mechanical harvesting effectively controls young Typha spp. invasion and unmanned aerial vehicle data enhances post-treatment monitoring. Frontiers in Plant Science. 8 (619): 1-14.

Please see his CV for his complete list of publications, affiliations and awards.