GERALD NIEMI

Professor
B.S., 1974, University of Minnesota, Biology
M.S., 1977, University of Minnesota, Zoology
Ph.D., 1983, Florida State University Biology

Email: gniemi@d.umn.edu
Office: 317 LSci
Phone Biology: 218-726-7774
Phone NRRI: 218-720-4270

Gerald ‘Jerry’ Niemi has been a professor in the Department of Biology since 1988. He is also a senior research associate at the Center for Water and the Environment at the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI), a part of the University of Minnesota, Duluth. He has actively worked with graduate students and holds appointments in Integrated Biological Sciences (IBS), Conservation Biology, and Chemical Toxicology. In the department he teaches Ornithology, Conservation Biology, and Special Topics classes.

Research

Besides administrative duties at NRRI, Jerry has maintained an active research program focusing on birds, natural resource development issues, environmental indicators of disturbance and ecological condition, and issues affecting biological diversity of the Great Lakes region. Four of his current projects are focused on 1) the biodiversity of Minnesota’s forest bird communities, 2) environmental indicators of the US Great Lakes coastal region, 3) prediction of bird species occurrence in the western Great Lakes region, and 4) sustainability of regional economies.  

Recent Publications

See http://www.nrri.umn.edu/staff/gniemi.asp

Teaches

• BIOL 5865 Conservation Biology
• BIOL 4763 Ornithology

Current Graduate Student Projects

• Anna Peterson, PhD – Conservation Biology – Dynamics of fall bird migration
• Heidi Seeland, MS – IBS – Model development of fall raptor migration
• Carly Lapin, MS – IBS – Habitat and landscape use by a rare passerine
• Annie Bracey, MS – IBS – Bird mortality from window kills
• Paul Dolan-Linne, MS – In progress
• Ed Zlonis, MS- In progress

Recently Completed Ph.D. and Master of Science Theses

• David Grosshuesch (MS). 2009. Nesting biology of the Northern hawk owl.
• Eric Jensen (MS). 2009. Habitat  and landscape use by the American kestrel.
• Julie Palakovich (MS). 2007. Using gps collars to monitor Canada lynx.
• Nicholas McCann (MS). 2007. Snowshoe hare population and habitat use.
• Chris Burdett (PhD). 2007. Ecology of the Canada lynx.