Curriculum vitae
| Since 10/2024 | PhD student, Chair of Conservation Biology and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg |
| 11/2019 – 09/2024 | Student assistant, University of Freiburg |
| 04/2024 – 09/2024 | Project internship, Baden-Württemberg Forest Research Institute (Wildlife Institute), Freiburg |
| 04/2024 – 06/2024 | Teaching assistant for the modul “Introduction to Environmental and Sustainability Sciences”, University College Freiburg |
| 09/2023 – 04/2024 | Master of Science in Environmental Sciences, University of Freiburg. Title of thesis: “Wolves at the Crossroads: An Institutional Analysis of the Legal and Political Landscape Shaping Conservation Policies in EU Member States” |
| 06/2023 – 08/2023 | Research internship, Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) |
| 09/2018 – 09/2022 | Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences (Major: Earth and Environmental Sciences), University of Freiburg |
| 08/2016 – 06/2017 | Study abroad in B.Sc. Biology, Acadia University, Canada |
Research
Environmental scientist with a passion for the intersection of ecology, environmental law and policy. I am driven by the necessity to understand the dynamics of ecosystems from an interdisciplinary perspective and to explore how human activities and environmental changes affect natural systems. I focus on establishing a balance between human needs and ecological sustainability by incorporating scientific findings into decision-making processes. I am currently working as a researcher on the WildPosh project, investigating the effects of various pesticides on pollinator species, particularly hoverflies and butterflies. This research is related to the first work package (WP1) of the WildPosh project, which aims to develop a monitoring system to identify sources of pesticide exposure in different environmental matrices. As part of the project, I will also be working on my own dissertation project, which examines the extent to which pollinators were taken into account in the recent EU approval of the extended use of glyphosate.
Teaching
- Summer semester 2024: B.Sc. course “Ecology in Practice” at the University College Freiburg
Publications
- Wintermantel, D., Kassie, D., Hendricks-Franco, L., Knapp, J., Jahnke, A., Breeze, T. D., Brown, M. J. F., Brühl, C. A., Dewaele, J., Fievet, M., Focks, A., Gekière, A., Goulson, D., Hagedorn, G., Huelsduenker, T., Ituarte-Lima, C., Klein, A.M., Kling, A., de Miranda, J. R., Michez, D., Ozoh, P. N., Paxton, R. J., Pe’er, G., Potts, S. G., Riedel, A., Rouillard, J., Rundlöf, M., Schäfer, R. B., Schäffer, A., Sgolastra, F., Slunge, D., Topping, C. J., Tosi, S., Vanbergen, A. J. & Osterman, J. (2026): EU Omnibus proposal increases pesticide risks. Science 392: 1348-1351. https://www.science.org/stoken/author-tokens/ST-3148/full
- Heid, K.B., Dieckmann, L.A., Kassie, D., Fünfgeld, H., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Sousa-Silva, R. & Greinwald, K. (2026): Citizen stewardship of street tree beds promotes urban biodiversity. Journal of Urban Ecology 12:1. https://doi.org/10.1093/jue/juag003
- Meyers, B., Friaud, R., Kassie, D., Scherer-Lorenzen, M. & Freschet, G.T. (2025): Soil nutrient availability rather than spatial nutrient heterogeneity shapes the intraspecific response of root architectural, morphological and mycorrhizal traits in Vaccinium myrtillus. Journal of Ecology 113: 3678–3699. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70188
- Kassie D. (2024): Unravelling the legal labyrinth: Investigating barriers to effective adoption and enforcement of international environmental law in domestic jurisdictions. Journal of Environmental Management 352: 119944. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119944
- Diehl, J.M.C., Kassie, D. & Biedermann, P.H.W. (2023): Friend or foe: Ambrosia beetle response to volatiles of common threats in their fungus gardens. Symbiosis 89: 353–358. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-023-00914-y