Who we are

The Heskel Plant Ecophysiology Lab (aka the 'PEP Squad') is led by Mary Heskel and based at Macalester College in Saint Paul, MN.

​In our lab group, we examine how plants in forest, grassland, and tundra systems cycle and store carbon under changing environments. To do this, we use a range of field and lab methods and apply models to better understand how plants respond to the impacts of climate change. 

Are you an undergrad at Mac? A student of any level in the Twin Cities area? Excited about researching plant responses to the environment? Contact me at mheskel [at] macalester [dot] edu for information about joining the PEP Squad!

Lab NEws

Spring 2021
  • Saiido Noor joined the lab to work remotely on urban ecology, air quality, and data science!
  • Elizabeth is rounding the finish for her senior Honors thesis on Redlining, radiocarbon, and remote sensing of air quality in Midwestern cities. Saiido is also working on the project to measure urban geography metrics and work on data analysis.
  • Jennings created a fantastic "Herman & Nimoy" video about their herbarium/stomata/climate change independent study from last spring! Watch here!
  • Mary taught Ecology & the Environment and Global Change Biology in the Fall, and Arctic Ecology & Big Data in Ecology this Spring. 

July 2020
  • Jean is creating a poster to share our research from Ordway on buckthorn and black cherry physiology in the understory at ESA 2020. Here is the abstract .
  • Elizabeth, Jennings, and Mary continue work on examining legacies of air quality and how they are captured by trees in the Twin Cities. 
  • Mary presents at a panel on Inclusive Teaching at ASPB 2020. 
June 2020
  • Mary completed her pre-tenure review files! Phew!
  • Elizabeth is reviewing studies of radiocarbon in tree cores to examine how fossil fuel emissions impact urban areas 
  • Jennings will continue work on regional and local environmental history and climate change - we will get back to microscopy when COVID allows!
  • Kori is reporting for the Mac Weekly and interning for 'Living on Earth' a public radio program based out of Boston. 
May 2020
  • Lab members Jean Pengra & Lianna Goldstein graduate! Congrats! Jean was awarded the William R. Angell Foundation Prize from the Biology Department. Lianna served as an excellent TA - even during COVID-times to Ecology & the Environment. Thanks, Lianna!
  • Jennings completed a fantastic COVID-adapted capstone paper based on the Macalester herbaria, its history, and its use as a window into plant adaptation to elevated CO2. 
  • Mary made it through two courses going remote in mid-March. Next up - Fall 2020 Module style...