Ingrid C. "Indy" Burke is the Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Dean at the

Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies Yale School of the Environment (YSE) is a professional school of Yale University. It was founded to train foresters, and now trains environmental leaders through four 2-year degree programs (Master of Environmental Management, Master of Environmen ...

. She is the first female dean in the school's 116 year history. Her area of research is

ecosystem ecology Ecosystem ecology is the integrated study of living ( biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components of ecosystems and their interactions within an ecosystem framework. This science examines how ecosystems work and relates this to their components s ...

with a primary focus on

carbon cycling The carbon cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth. Carbon is the main component of biological compounds as well as a major component ...

and

nitrogen cycling The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it circulates among atmospheric, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems. The conversion of nitrogen can be carried out through both biologi ...

in semi-arid rangeland ecosystems. She teaches on subjects relating to ecosystem ecology, and

biogeochemistry Biogeochemistry is the scientific discipline that involves the study of the chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes and reactions that govern the composition of the natural environment (including the biosphere, the cryosphere, t ...

Early life and education

Burke received her B.S in

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

from

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...

and her Ph.D in

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

from the

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a public land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, and opened in September 1887. The University of Wyoming ...

. At Middlebury College, Burke was planning on becoming an English major, but after taking a science class where they examined the role of

photosynthesis Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored i ...

in aquatic environments she became fascinated by the topic of environmental science. Soon after taking this class, Burke decided to switch her major to biology after realizing that she could spend her life working outside and be able to solve scientific mysteries as a profession. After her time at Middlebury College she started a Ph.D. track at

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

. Here she planned on studying a phenomenon known as “

fir wave A fir wave is a set of alternating bands of fir trees in sequential stages of development, observed in forests on exposed mountain slopes in several areas, including northeastern North America and Japan. Fir waves develop by wave-regeneration fol ...

s,” where rows of balsam fir trees die collectively, forming arresting patterns across the landscape, but after her advisor moved to work at the University of Wyoming, Burke decided to move as well. After finishing her Ph.D, she moved to

Colorado State University Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a public land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. Colorado State University is classified among "R1: ...

where she started her professional career.

Career and research

Burke's career as an environmental scientist began with a job teaching at

in 1987 in the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory. She became an associate professor in the Department of Forest Sciences at Colorado State University in 1994. In 2008 she began teaching at the

where she earned a spot as the director of th
Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources
She worked there until 2016 when she became the Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Dean at the

. Burke is also on the board of directors at

The Conservation Fund The Conservation Fund is a U.S. nonprofit organization with a dual charter to pursue environmental preservation and economic development. From 2008–2018, it has placed more than 500,000 acres under conservation management through a program wh ...

. Burke has published over 150 peer reviewed articles, chapter, books and reports including the investigation of a significant project titled, "A Regional Assessment of Land Use Effects on Ecosystem Structure and Function in the Central Grasslands" from 1996-1999. This project had major implications for understanding and managing ecosystems in the central United States.

Selected publications

* The Importance of Land-Use Legacies to Ecology and Conservation (2003) ''BioScience'', Vol 53, Issue 1, 77–88 * Texture, Climate, and Cultivation Effects on Soil Organic Matter Content in U.S. Grassland Soils (1989) ''Soil Science Society of America Journal,'' Vol. 53 No. 3, 800-805 * Global-Scale Similarities in Nitrogen Release Patterns During Long-Term Decomposition (2007) ''Science'', Vol. 315, Issue 5810, 361-364 * ANPP Estimates From NDVI for the Central Grasslands Region of The United States (1997) ''Ecology'', Vol. 78, No 3, 953-958 *Interactions Between Individual Plant Species and Soil Nutrient Status in Shortgrass Steppe (1995) Ecology, Vol. 76, No 4, 45-52 additional publications can be found on her Google Scholar profile.

Notable awards and honors

Her awards and honors include: * 2019 Fellow,

Ecological Society of America The Ecological Society of America (ESA) is a professional organization of ecological scientists. Based in the United States and founded in 1915, ESA publications include peer-reviewed journals, newsletters, fact sheets, and teaching resources. I ...

, for advancing our understanding of ecosystem processes, in particular nitrogen and carbon cycling in grasslands. * 2018 Fellow,

Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering is a non-profit institution patterned after the National Academy of Sciences to identify and study issues and technological advancements that are or should be of concern to the state of Connecticut ...

* 2012 Promoting Intellectual Engagement Award, University of Wyoming * 2010 Fellow,

American Association for the Advancement of Sciences The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

* 2008

USDA Agricultural Research Service The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area. ARS is charged with ext ...

, Rangeland Resources Unit: Award for Enhancing Collaborative Research Partnerships * 2005 Colorado State University Honors Professor * 2004–2005

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

Education Fellow in the Life Science * 2001-2008 University Distinguished Teaching Scholar, Colorado State University * 2000 Mortar Board Rose Award, Colorado State University * 1993–‘98 National Science Foundation Presidential Faculty Fellow Award

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burke, Ingrid Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Middlebury College alumni University of Wyoming alumni Yale University faculty Colorado State University faculty University of Wyoming faculty American botanists Biogeochemists Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science