Steven Travis wins National Park Service award for research on invasive cattails in Great Lakes region

Steven Travis, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Biology, was recently selected as the recipient of the 2015 Midwest Regional Director’s Natural Resource Award for Research—an honor bestowed by the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior.

Travis received the honor for his studies at seven of the Great Lakes national parks where he evaluated the rapid expansion of invasive cattails. Using molecular DNA techniques, he identified the hybridization of the native cattail with the non-native species. As the result of Travis’ work, park managers developed a better understand of cattails’ impact on wetland biodiversity, and cattail management has become a major part of wetland restoration at several park units.

As the winner of Midwest Regional award, Travis will proceed to the national level in this competition.