BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.3.2//EN TZID:America/Chicago X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Chicago BEGIN:VEVENT UID:56@minnesotamycologicalsociety.org DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260608T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260608T210000 DTSTAMP:20260529T125734Z URL:https://minnesotamycologicalsociety.org/events/graduate-2026-scholarsh ip-recipients-june/ SUMMARY:Graduate 2026 Scholarship Recipients\, June DESCRIPTION:\n\n\n\n\nGraduate 2026 Scholarship Recipients\, June\n\n\n\n\n This June member meeting will feature our 2026 MMS Graduate Scholarship re cipients\, Ryan Franke and Mikayla Haynes\, remotely via Zoom\n\n\n\n\nThe Minnesota Mycological Society (MMS) is continuing our scholarship program for University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin students (any cam pus location) currently enrolled in graduate-level studies with an emphasi s on mycology. Each year\, MMS gives away monetary scholarships to graduat e students at the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin. Come check out their presentations highlighting their graduate thesis top ics!\n\n\n\nThis meeting is free and open to the public. Presentations may be recorded and posted on the MMS YouTube channel. \;Members receive Zoom \;link on meeting announcements and reminders. Anyone can click t he button below to provide their contact info and receive the Zoom link fo r this meeting.\n\n\n[frmmodal-content class="frm_button" label="Request Z oom link"][formidable id=10][/frmmodal-content]\n \n\n\nRyan Franke\n\n\n \nA Fungal Biological Control for Invasive Black Locust in Minnesota?\n\n\ n\nBlack locust\, a leguminous and early successional tree native to the m id-Atlantic United States has been expanding its range west and north over the past century and is currently becoming established in Minnesota. Its ability to invade prairie and oak savanna habitat\, changing soil chemistr ies in the process\, disadvantages native plant species that thrive in the se nutrient-poor habitats. On the other hand\, black locust is a widely pl anted\, high-value\, non-native timber species in Central and Eastern Euro pe. Given its economic value\, European pathologists have studied the fung i associated with disease in black locust in an effort to preserve timber harvests. Fungi reported to cause canker and wilt in stands of black locus t in Europe were isolated from dying black locust stands in Minnesota duri ng the summer of 2024. This summer\, more fungi will be collected from dyi ng black locust throughout the state and these fungi will be assessed for their potential to serve as a biological tool for controlling stands of in vasive black locust in Minnesota.\n\n\n\n\nRyan Franke grew up in Eagan\, MN and learned to revere the natural world at a young age. During a fall c amping trip around Lake Superior in 2015\, he became fascinated with fungi and shortly thereafter joined the Minnesota Mycological Society. His fasc ination with fungi mushroomed after joining the society\, opening a gourme t mushroom cultivation business in 2017\, editing the MMS newsletter from 2018-2020\, and most recently joining the mycology focused Forest Patholog y Lab at the UMN in 2023\n\n\n\nLearn more about Ryan's work: https://mitp pc.umn.edu/research/research-projects/biological-control-black-locust-usin g-fungi\n\n\n\n\nMikayla Haynes\n\n\n\nMycorrhizal Fungi Recruitment to Se edlings: Tree-to-tree vs wind dispersal?\n\n\n\nIn the world of ecological restoration\, it is increasingly apparent that mycorrhizal fungi plays an imperative role in both restoring habitats to functioning ecological nich es as well as ensuring resilience in the face of climate change. While the re is a surge in commercial mycorrhizal fungi use\, there are no regulatio ns and few standards to guide the industry in a responsible\, sustainable way\, which may create unintended consequences down the road. By focusing her research on tree responses to native mycorrhizal fungi\, Haynes has be gun to test whether using native mycorrhizal fungi in nursery-settings is a viable path forward for reforestation efforts in northern Minnesota. In her current experiment\, Haynes explores whether there is benefit to plant ing inoculated eastern white pines (Pinus strobus) near uninoculated easte rn white pines (tree to tree dispersal) or if nearby sources of mycorrhiza l fungi find their way to tree roots regardless of whether there is an ino culated tree nearby (alternative dispersal).\n\n\n\n\nMikayla Haynes\, a t hird-year PhD student in Dr. Julie Etterson's lab at the University of Min nesota\, has spent her time in the Integrated Biosciences Program research ing ways that mycorrhizal fungi can benefit reforestation efforts. As a li fe-long Duluthian and fungi enthusiast\, she has enjoyed getting to know h er fungal neighbors (both edible and just plain cool)\, observing response s of known fungal species to different precipitation patterns throughout t he years. In learning about the importance of mycorrhizal fungi\, she has dedicated her current path to identifying habitat restoration opportunitie s in northern Minnesota where she can implement mycorrhizal fungi applicat ion to improve and restore landscapes to functioning habitat for sensitive plant and animal species.\n\n\n\nLearn more about Mikayla's work: https:/ /sites.google.com/d.umn.edu/dr-julie-r-etterson/lab/current-grad-students? authuser=0#h.durl4gner1fu\n\n\n\n\n.stk-dffe9d0 .stk-block-heading__text{t ext-shadow:none !important\;}FOR MORE INFORMATION\n\n\n\nHow to join a Zoo m meeting: You do not need a Zoom account\, but you will need the Zoom app installed on your desktop or mobile device. You can either download the Z oom app in advance here. Or\, you will be automatically prompted to downlo ad and install the Zoom app when you click on a meeting link for the first time. \;You can also join a test meeting at any time at https://zoom. us/test.  \;Watch a video on how to join a Zoom meeting here.\n\n\n\n\ n ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://minnesotamycologicalsociety.org/wp-conte nt/uploads/2025/08/Ryan_Franke-portrait.jpg CATEGORIES:Membership Meetings LOCATION:https://minnesotamycologicalsociety.org/send-zoom-link/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR