The Institute for Environmental Studies
- Research Fellow, Institute for Environmental Studies
- Assistant Professor, Departments of Biological Sciences & Geography
Contact Information:
- Phone: (309) 298-1752 (Office)
- Phone: (309) 298-1632 (Institute for Environmental Studies)
- Email: s-romano2@wiu.edu
Education:
- Ph.D., Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, 2006 Plant Biology.
- M.S., Western Illinois University, 1990 Botany.
- B.S., Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, 1984 Forest Resource Management.
Research Interests:
Dr. Romano’s research interests include the ecology and evolution of the riparian forest community, riparian wetlands, regulated river ecology, and resource management. Her research addresses the evolution, ecology, conservation, and management of vegetation within large river systems. Landscape scale evolution and ecological relationships of plant genetics are studied in her lab using GIS (Geographic Information System) software as an analysis tool.
Dr. Romano is also the lead faculty at Western Illinois University-Quad Cities for the Environmental GIS Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program. This program combines GIS skills with environmental courses such as Advanced Ecological Techniques, Environmental Impact Analysis, Conservation and Management of Natural Resources, Plant Ecology, Animal Ecology, and Biogeography. Click on http://www.wiu.edu/grad/catalog/environmentalgis.php for more information about the Environmental GIS Post-Baccalaureate Certificate.
Graduate Students:
- Brett Shreiner
- Selina Goddard
- Walt Zuurdeeg
Current Research:
- Hybridization, and spatial and genetic distribution of the federally threatened plant species, Boltonia decurrens, the decurrent false aster, along the Illinois River.
- Spatial, Temporal, and Genetic Distribution of Pin Oak Genotypes Along the Upper Mississippi River, USA. (Graduate student: Brett Shreiner)
- Historical land use relationships to current forest cover types at Vishnu Springs, at the Ira and Reatha T. Post Wildlife Sanctuary. (Graduate student: Selina Goddard)
Publications:
- Site Modeling Methods for detecting hydrologic alteration of flood frequency and flood duration in the floodplain below the Carlyle Dam, Lower Kaskaskia River, Illinois, USA. River Research and Applications. In Press.
- Romano, M.A., S.P. Romano, and C.W. Kilpatrick. Report on Genetic Analyses of Vermont Wild Turkey Populations. Prepared for The Vermont Chapter of the Wild Turkey Federation Turkey populations of Vermont. October 1, 2007.
- Tree composition and growth response to flooding in a hydrologically modified floodplain forest in southern Illinois, USA. Ph.D., Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, 152 p., Major Professor, J.J. Zaczek and D.J. Gibson. 2006. Dissertation.
- Susan Peitzmeier Romano, Mary Jeanne Packer, Carol Thailing, Bill Fontenot, Michael Wiant, Julie Barr, Vickie Clark, and Dane Johnson. 2005. Illinois River Road: Route of the Voyageurs Corridor Management Plan. Technical Report prepared as a component of the Illinois River Road Scenic Byway Application, Illinois Department of Transportation, and Federal Highway Administration, March 10, 2005.
- Susan P. Romano, James J. Zaczek, Karl Williard, Sara Baer, Andrew Carver, and Jean Mangun. 2002. Riparian forest communities of the lower Kaskaskia River bottoms. In: Thirteenth Central Hardwood Forest Conference Proceedings, April 1-3, 2002.
- Rogers, S., T. Blackburn, D. Dieterman, H. Langrehr, J. Nelson, and S. Romano-Peitzmeier. 1998. 1991 annual status report: A summary of aquatic vegetation monitoring at selected locations in Pools 4, 8, 13, and 26 and La Grange Pool of the Upper Mississippi River System. U.S. Geological Survey, Environmental Management Technical Center, Onalaska, Wisconsin, June 1998. LTRMP 98-P005. 21pp. + Appendixes A-B. (NTIS PB98-164510)
- Rogers, S., T. Blackburn, H. Langrehr, J. Nelson, and S. Romano-Peitzmeier. 1998. 1992 annual status report: A summary of aquatic vegetation monitoring at selected locations in Pools 4, 8, 13, and 26 and La Grange Pool of the Upper Mississippi River System. U.S. Geological Survey, Environmental Management Technical Center, Onalaska, Wisconsin, June 1998. LTRMP 98-P006. 24 pp. + Appendixes A-C. (NTIS PB98-164569)
- The relationship between land use within two stream watersheds and the successional state of deltas along the shoreline of Pool 19, Upper Mississippi River. B.S., Western Illinois University, 73p., Major Professor, R.A. Anderson. 1990. Thesis.
The Institute for Environmental Studies
301 Tillman Hall • 1 University Circle
Macomb, IL 61455-1390 • IES@wiu.edu
Phone: 309/298-1632