About Me

Ladybird beetle, peri-urban garden, Havana, Cuba


Theresa Wei Ying Ong, PhD.,M.S.

wyong@princeton.edu
106A Guyot Hall
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ 08544-2016

I am an NSF postdoctoral research fellow studying with Simon Levin (Princeton University), Stacy Philpott (UC Santa Cruz), and Brenda Lin (CSIRO- Australia).

I am broadly interested in theoretical agroecology, especially in the setting of urban gardens. My work focuses on how biocomplexity influences the resilience of these agricultural systems to both ecological and political perturbations.



Here is a copy of my current NSF project abstract:

This is an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology, under the program Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellow, Theresa Wei Ying Ong, is conducting research and receiving training that is increasing the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The fellow is being mentored by the following sponsoring scientists: Simon Levin (Princeton University), Stacy Philpott (University of California Santa Cruz), and Brenda Lin (CSIRO- Australia). Urban agriculture provides food security, biodiversity, greenspace and educational opportunities to underrepresented groups in science, yet urban landscapes are in constant flux, with parcels frequently transitioning between vacant lots, urban gardens and developed land. This research explores past and future patterns of land-use change in urban areas, the role of socio-economic and ecological factors in driving change, and how land-use change influences biodiversity and ecosystem function. The fellow is participating in multidisciplinary collaborations that will advance her work at the intersection of theoretical, landscape and urban ecology. The project addresses why transitions to urban agriculture are more permanent in some cases than others, and results will be shared with community members who are seeking land-tenure for urban gardens in gentrifying neighborhoods. 

The fellow is receiving training in socio-ecological theory through collaborations with the sponsoring scientists, and is developing a spatially-explicit dynamic model of land-use transitions as a function of the net socio-ecological costs associated with the direction and frequency of transitions between land-use states. The model is also being fit with socio-ecological data from urban gardens, future land-use changes are being predicted, and results are compared to past patterns observed for large, urban counties of California using historical aerial imagery. Historical land-use change is being categorized into dynamic types ranging from critical to smooth, and transition type regressed against data on pest and natural enemy biodiversity in urban gardens to understand its impact on biological control. Broader impacts and broadening participation efforts target youth from working-class families that use urban agriculture for food subsistence and are directly influenced by the land-use change resulting from gentrification of their neighborhoods. These individuals are participating in workshops focused on the socio-ecological drivers and consequences of land-use transitions for biological control services in their own neighborhoods. The results of this research are being further disseminated through policy pamphlets designed for relevance to urban gardeners and city planners.




This web graphic is the result of a collaboration with the Community Agroecology Network's Growing Justice team. Growing Justice is a group of 12-17 year olds who come from families of farmworkers in the Northern California region. I spoke to them about their experiences urban gardening, and the changes they witnessed in their quickly gentrifying neighborhoods. Click through the buttons to hear their stories!

Also, check out CAN's write up about the BioBlitz here

Education 

PhD., 2017. University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology - Advisor: John Vandermeer


M.S., 2011 University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology - Advisor: John Vandermeer


B.A., 2009 Williams College, Biology & Chinese - Advisor: David Smith


Links  


Science Daily:“Predators, Parasites, Pests, and the Paradox of Biological Control”


* Indicates students I have mentored




Publications (In review)

Ong. T. W., A. Lucatero* and J. Vandermeer. Coupling unstable agents rescues biological control in a greenhouse experiment. 

Publications (In preparation)

Ong, T. W., B. Lin, S. Philpott, S. Barthel and S. Levin. A model for growing and shrinking cities: the urban garden bridge to chaos.
Ong, T. W., L. McManus, V. Vasconcelos, and S. Levin. Turing patterns in the sea: coral rings.
Ong, T. W., H. Cohen, A. Lucatero*, H. Liere and B. Lin. Does rarity beget rarity? Species and people in urban gardens.
Ong, T. W., K. Sanchez*, and M. Duffy. Algae blooms and hysteresis:  experimental demonstrations using Daphnia microcosms.
Ong, T. W., K. Li, D. Pak*, A. Lucatero*, L. Hawkes*, M. Hunter and J. H. Vandermeer. Taylor made landscapes: using Taylor’s law to scale between metapopulations and source-sinks in urban garden space
Ong, T. W., and J. Vandermeer. Transitions in garden management practices drive hysteresis in an experimental setting with evidence of unstable and stable regions
Ong, T. W., J. Vandermeer, and T. Y. James. Evidence for high-dispersal levels in pea aphids across an urban-rural landscape
B. Duan*, E. Jackson*, C. Ho*, J. H. Vandermeer and Ong, T. W. Signatures of chaos derived from plant-structure time approximations.

Invited Presentations

Ong, T. W. “Autonomous biological control: chaos and complex hysteretic patterns.” Proc. of Ecological Society of America, New Orleans, LA. 2018. (Invited speaker for Symposia: Agroecology and Theory: Progress and Prospects)
Ong, T. W. “Dynamic urban gardens.” Lightning presentation: SESYNC Boundary Spanning Symposium, Annapolis, MD. 2018. 
Ong, T. W. “Multiple hysteretic patterns from elementary population models.” Gordon Research Conference, Predator Prey Interactions, Ventura, CA. 2018.
Ong, T. W., and J. Vandermeer. “Agro-ecological transitions and hysteresis: Combining experiment with theory.” Proc. of Ecological Society of America, Portland, OR. 2017. (Invited speaker for Organized Oral Session: Beyond Biodiversity in Urban Agriculture Research: Ecosystem Services, Social Dimensions, and Management Applications)  
Ong, T. W., and J. Vandermeer. “The stability of urban agriculture: hysteresis and spatio-temporal flux.” Proc. of Ecological Society of America, Baltimore, MD. 2015.   (Invited speaker for Organized Oral Session: Contributions of Urban Agriculture to the Urban Ecosystem)
Ong, T. W., and J. Vandermeer. “The effect of biocomplexity on the spread of pests in urban agriculture.” Proc. of Ecological Society of America, Portland, OR. 2012. (Invited speaker for Organized Oral Session: Agroecology of Urban Gardens)             

Presentations

Ong, T. W., and J. Vandermeer. “Scaling from meta-populations to source-sinks: Taylor’s law and landscape structure.” Proc. of Ecological Society of America, Fort Lauderdale, FL. 2016.                  
Ong, T. W., and J. Vandermeer. “Autonomous control achieved through the coupling of two unstable control agents.” Proc. of Ecological Society of America, Sacramento, CA. 2014.           
Ong, T. W., and J. Vandermeer. “Navigating the urban matrix: Pest population dynamics in an urban agroecosystem.” Proc. of Ecological Society of America, Minneapolis, MN. 2013.         
Ong, T. W., and J. Vandermeer. Predation-controlled infection: Coexistence in a multi-exploiter system.” Proc. of Ecological Society of America, Austin, TX. 2011.  
Ong, T. W., E. Roche, and F. Cuthbert. "Innate Anti-predator Behavior in Captive-reared Piping Plovers (Charadrius Melodus)." Proc. of Ecological Society of America, Pittsburgh, PA. 2010.          
        
Teaching Experience

Instructor / Co-Instructor
·             Field Ecology R Workshops (2015, 2016), University of Michigan
·             Agroecology (2014), University of Michigan
Guest Lecturer
·             Population & Community Ecology (2014), University of Michigan
Graduate Student Instructor / TA / Primary Lab Instructor
·             Field Ecology (2013, 2015, 2016), University of Michigan: Journals Available Online
·             Practical Botany (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), University of Michigan
·             Food, Energy and the Environment (2012), University of Michigan
·             Introductory Ecology Laboratory (2011), University of Michigan
·             Introductory Biology Laboratory (2009, 2010), University of Michigan

Awards

1.     Social Environmental Research Network (SEReNe) Grant (2018)
2.     Socio-Environmental Synthesis (SESYNC) Boundary Spanning Symposium (2018)
3.     Gordon Research Conference Grant (2017)
4.     National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology (NSF PRFB) with Simon Levin (Princeton University), Stacy Philpott (UC Santa Cruz) and Brenda Lin (CSIRO- Australia) (2017)
5.     ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Nomination (2017)
6.     Rackham One-Term Grant, University of Michigan (2016)
7.     Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Nomination (2016, 2017)
8.     Rackham Travel Grant, University of Michigan (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
9.     Block Grant, University of Michigan (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
10.  M-Cubed Grant:  “Urban Gardens: constrained auto-generation of spatial pattern and consequences for ecosystem services.”  (2013)
11.  Rackham Candidate Award (2013)
12.  Rackham Pre-Candidate Award (2011)

Media attention

1.     Science Daily: “Predators, Parasites, Pests, and the Paradox of Biological Control” (2015)
2.     University of Michigan- Record: “Predators, Parasites, Pests, and the Paradox of Biological Control” (2015)
3.     Michigan Today: “Teach-In +50” (2015)
4.     The Ann Magazine: “You don’t have to be extreme to be an activist” (2015)
5.     NPR interview with Stateside’s Cynthia Canty (2015)

Volunteer and service activities
1.     Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability (SEEDS) Mentor to Amairani Marin Tovar. (2018)
2.     Community Agroecology Network (CAN) Urban Transitions Workshop organizer for Growing Justice youth group. (2018)
3.     Sustainability Special Issue: “Agroecology in the City: Applying Ecological Principles to Sustainable Urban Agriculture.” Guest Editor with Ivette Perfecto and Stacy Philpott. (2018)
4.     UM Bicentennial Celebration: MC2: Michigan and the Climate Crisis- conference committee member, organizer, and panelist. (2017, 2018)
5.     Science with a Passion and a Moral Compass- conference committee member, organizer, and panelist. (2017)
6.     Climate Teach-In +50: End the War Against the Planet- conference committee member, organizer, promoter. (2015, 2016)
7.     Science for the People- Co-organizer, Panelist at Science Café- “Science, Politics & Power.” Co-sponsored with the U-M Natural History Museum. (2015)
8.     UROP- Undergraduate Research Opportunities Advisor. Students: Kerrel Spivey (2014), Anderson Shu (2014)
9.     Humans as a force of Ecological and Evolutionary Change- conference committee member, organizer, promoter. (2014)
10.  Ed-Ques2t Mentor- for underrepresented minorities in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Students: L’Oreal Hawkes (2012), Azucena Lucatero (2013)
11.  Panelist for M-STEM (M-Science and M-Engineering) Student Orientation: discussing graduate school for undergraduate students from underrepresented minorities (2012)
12.  Science Mentoring Weekend - Williams College: Invited Alumni Panelist (2010)

Additional undergraduates mentored:

1.     Damie Pak, Independent study (2014)
2.     Tim Kuzel, Independent study (2014)
3.     Madeline Baroli, Independent study (2014)
4.     Jane Li, Independent study (2014)
5.     Jessica Ruff, Independent study (2011-2013)
6.     Corinne Erickson, Independent study (2011-2013)

Professional membership

1.     AMA-AWA (Mujeres en Agroecología/ Women in Agroecology) (2016, 2017, 2018)
2.     Ecological Society of America (2010-2018)
3.     Frontiers Masters Program, University of Michigan (2009, 2010)
4.     One Voice Scholars (2003, 2004, 2005)

5.     Math, Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)