HARRISONBURG, Va., April 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As communities mark Earth Day on April 22, faculty at James Madison University are tackling some of the most pressing environmental questions, from how forests recover after disturbance to how agriculture, energy and human decision-making shape a sustainable future.
The researchers’ work spans forests, farms, fire-prone landscapes, human-built environments, and severe weather phenomenon, offering timely expertise for conversations around climate change, biodiversity loss and land stewardship.
Here is some of the research taking place:
Protecting culturally significant plants
Rachel Palkovitz, a professor of integrated science and technology and geography, bridges conservation biology, botany and human relationships with plants. Her work includes landscape genomics, agroforestry and forest ecology, with a particular focus on culturally and ecologically important species.
She is a co-author of a recent peer-reviewed study on American ginseng conservation, which examines how harvesting pressure, land use and genetics intersect to affect the future of the iconic medicinal plant. Her research sheds light on how working directly with medicinal plant farmers can benefit wild plant conservation strategies, especially by helping to understand and protect genetic diversity.
Fire, atmosphere and resilience
Kevin Varga, a professor of geography, brings an interdisciplinary lens to atmospheric science, fire ecology, and human-environment relationships. His research explores how weather, climate and ecology affect fire behavior, as well as how communities experience and respond to natural hazards.
Varga also incorporates traditional ecological knowledge into his work, examining how indigenous and community-based approaches can inform more resilient responses to fire and other hazards in a changing climate.
Sustainability from farm fields to landfills
Jared Stoltzfus, a professor of integrated science and technology, approaches sustainability as a challenge and an opportunity that spans agriculture, energy and waste systems.
His work focuses on identifying best practices at both personal and regional scales, helping communities reduce environmental impacts while remaining economically viable. Stoltzfus also explores entrepreneurial solutions to sustainability challenges in the United States and abroad, highlighting how innovation can drive environmental progress.
Restoring biodiversity in human-shaped landscapes
Ehren Moler, a professor of integrated science and technology, uses ecological methods to study how to conserve and restore biodiversity in places altered by human use, including harvested forests, agricultural lands, and urban parks.
His research on biodiversity restoration spans ecosystems in tropical Africa, the Pacific Northwest, California and Virginia. Moler seeks strategies that reconcile conservation with the realities of human habitation and infrastructure, offering insights into how biodiversity can succeed even in working landscapes.
Understanding flash droughts
People may be familiar with flash floods, but flash droughts occur too, and they warrant closer attention, says JMU researcher Tobias Gerken.
Unlike long-term droughts, flash droughts develop rapidly, sometimes over just a few weeks, potentially causing crop losses and damaging ecosystems. What drives that sudden intensification remains poorly understood. Gerken, a professor of integrated science and technology, and his students are analyzing climate and environmental data from across the United States to better understand how and why flash droughts form.
Gaining a clearer picture of the processes behind flash droughts could help improve predictions of when and where they are likely to occur, giving communities and decision-makers more time to prepare for their impacts.
In addition to environmental research, JMU faculty can also speak to issues tied to Earth Day’s focus on healthy communities and ecosystems, including the benefits of regular exercise and efforts to conserve monarch butterflies.
Regular exercise is key to good health
Trent Hargens, a professor of kinesiology, researches the physiological links between sleep quality, physical activity, and sedentary behavior across the lifespan. He also studies how short-term sleep quality may impact aerobic exercise performance. Hargens said consistent physical activity is a key component to good health.
“It’s not possible for people to exercise for hours every day, but doing something most days of the week is really important,” he said. “Individuals also need to limit their sedentary time. Research has shown that, even in individuals who exercise regularly but spend a lot of time during the rest of the day sitting, their risk for chronic disease is higher than those who exercise regularly and limit their sedentary time.”
Tracking Monarch butterfly migration aids preservation efforts
Biology professor Lee Brown studies the implications of tagging monarch butterflies to track their movements. One tool being used is radio telemetry, which provides important conservation-relevant information about the movements of breeding, migrating and overwintering monarchs. Researchers attach tiny tags to the insects to gather data on continental-scale movements via the Motus network of telemetry towers. These towers pick up signals from the tags and help scientists understand where the animals travel over long distances.
Brown’s research addresses previous concerns that the weight of tags could affect butterfly movement.
“As technological advances allow for smaller and smaller tags, researchers often put them on smaller and smaller insects without first evaluating their impacts. Up until last year, the smallest Motus-compatible tags being used to track monarchs weighed up to half their body weight. Even if the insects could still fly, that’s a heavy burden to carry,” said Brrown.
To arrange interviews with any of these faculty experts, please contact Eric Gorton, gortonej@jmu.edu
