PhD student

August studies the genetics and phenomics of polyploid resurrection grass Microchloa afra. When not worrying over plant babies in the greenhouse, August spends their time hiking, baking, and reading  or writing weird ecological sci-fi. 

email: alipari2[at]illinois.edu

PhD student

Grace is fascinated by the convergent evolution of plant adaptations to aridity. She seeks to understand how vegetative desiccation tolerance interfaces with plant community structure, individual resilience, and micro-environmental variables. Grace loves to hike, read,  and sketch outside.

email: gracehm2[at]illinois.edu

PhD student

Noah is drawn to unique plant adaptations and the environmental factors that drive them. He aims to utilize herbaria to understand how traits have changed over time in comparison to today’s species. Outside his studies Noah likes to bake, go on walks, and visit museums.

email: volin2[at]illinois.edu

Postdoc

Wagner studies bryophytes and is fascinated by how tiny mosses make big reproductive decisions across environmental gradients. He combines fieldwork, lab experiments, and molecular tools to understand how climate and ecological interactions shape sex expression and survival. Outside the lab, he enjoys being outdoors, biking, exploring new places, and good conversations over coffee or a beer.