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Dr. Jennifer Rhode Ward, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., College of William and Mary. Dr. Ward's research combines molecular, greenhouse, field, and statistical methods to examine several interrelated aspects of plant population biology, with current focus on two plant systems.  The first, the Piriqueta (Turneraceae) complex, is a group of terrestrial plants that form a natural hybrid zone in the Southeastern United States. The second is community of two marine angiosperms (one native, one introduced; Zosteraceae) in the Pacific Northwest.  Dr. Ward enjoys working collaboratively and mentoring undergraduate students within her research programs, and she looks forward to exploring plant population dynamics in the Western North Carolina region. Dr. Ward received her B.A. (biology) from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, a public liberal arts college, in 1995.  She earned her Ph.D. in 2002 from the College of William and Mary, School of Marine Science (Virginia Institute of Marine Science), then did post-doctoral research in terrestrial plant population biology at Portland State University (Oregon).