Helen J. Michaels

Helen J. Michaels is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences within the College of Arts and Sciences at Bowling Green State University. She maintains an active research laboratory focused on conservation and restoration ecology, with particular expertise in plant-pollinator interactions and the conservation genetics of native plant species. Her work spans multiple Ohio ecosystems including oak savannas, prairies, and Lake Erie marshes.

Dr. Michaels' research interests center on how anthropogenic changes in land use and climate impact natural populations, with special focus on plant interactions with pollinators, dispersal agents, and microbial mutualists. Her laboratory employs diverse methodologies including field experiments, molecular techniques, demographic modeling, and chemical analyses to address questions in conservation biology and restoration ecology. Key study systems include Lupinus perennis (wild blue lupine) and various wetland plant communities.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on wetland nutrient cycling as part of the H2Ohio initiative, plant-pollinator interactions in fragmented habitats, and the genetic consequences of population size reduction in native plants. Dr. Michaels collaborates extensively with researchers across Ohio, including projects with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ohio State University scientists.

• Sigma-Xi grant for student Rachel Wilson (2019)
• Editor's Choice selection in Annals of Botany - Plants (2014)

Dr. Michaels actively mentors graduate students, with numerous MS and PhD advisees completing their degrees under her supervision. Her current research includes grant-funded projects on nutrient removal by wetland vegetation and the effects of lupine seed coat and flower color variation on plant interactions. She regularly hires undergraduate research assistants for field and laboratory work, demonstrating her commitment to student training and research.