Pam smiles for the camera wearing a blue t-shirt with her hair blowing in the wind.
Pamela
Geddes
Associate Chair, Professor, Audrey Reynolds Distinguished Teaching Professor
Biology
College of Arts and Sciences
(773) 442-5737
Expertise
Ecology and Environmental Science
Courses Taught
The Changing Natural Environment (BIO 104)
Alien Invasions of Chicago (First Year Experience, BIO 109A)
General Biology II (BIO 202)
Essential Skills for Biologists (BIO 250)
General Ecology (Writing Intensive Program, BIO 305)
Community Ecology (BIO 357)
Biology Senior Seminar (BIO 390)
Conservation Biology (BIO 453)
Restoration Ecology (BIO 455)
Research Interests
My research focuses on the effects of invasive plant species in wetlands. I’m interested in how plant invasive species’ traits (such as rapid growth, large biomass, large litter deposition, and even genotype) trigger a cascade of effects that span from their interaction with co-occurring native species all the way up to ecosystem-level processes. I also combine molecular tools (microsatellite markers) to answer ecological questions, mostly related to the identification of hybridizing invasive plant species. I’m also interested in how ecological communities respond to external disturbances (e.g., invaders, pollutants, urbanization) and habitat restoration.

Keywords: invasive plant species, community ecology, habitat restoration
Education

Ph.D., Ecology, University of Chicago                                           

Post-doc., Ecology, Loyola University Chicago     

M.S., Biology, Florida International University     

B.S., Biology, Florida International University                                      

A.A., Biology, Miami-Dade Community College

Selected Publications

Undergraduate students are underlined

Geddes, P., L. Murphy, Y. Astudillo-Scalia, D. Blasini, S. Nugent, M. J. Rios, A. Schirmer, and J. P. Olfelt. 2021. Microsatellite markers reveal unprecedented high frequencies of hybridization among Typha species in the Midwestern US. Wetlands 41(2021): 1-9.  

Pini, A.K. and P. Geddes. 2020. Fungi are capable of mycoremediation of river water contaminated with E. coli. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 231:83. 

Geddes, P. 2019. The invasion of the cattails. Podcast. In Defense of Plants. http://www.indefenseofplants.com/podcast/2019/4/21/ep-209-invasion-of-the-cattails

Volesky, L.A., S. Iqbal, J.J. Kelly, and P. Geddes. 2018. Relationships of native and exotic Phragmites australis to wetland ecosystem properties. Wetlands 38(3):577-589. 

Room BBH 340H
Northeastern Illinois University
5500 North St. Louis Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
United States

(773) 442-5737
Office Hours
Please email p-geddes@neiu.edu to arrange to meet or speak with Dr. Geddes.
Main Campus