Lab members
Pepe Iriarte-Diaz
Associate Professor of Biology (on sabbatical until August 2025)
I am a functional morphologist interested in how animals can produce and control movement. Before joining Sewanee, I was an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I received my PhD from Brown University, where I studied the biomechanics of flight in bats, and then I did a postdoc at the University of Chicago working on the biomechanics of feeding in primates. While I am originally from Chile, I have been in the US since 2002 when I came for my PhD.
Current Students
Kabir Menon
Kabir started in the lab by participating in the summer research program in 2023, collecting and analyzing flight behavior data of local birds.
Former Students
Will Holzer (C' 23)
McNeill Davis (C'23)
Thomas McMichael (C' 23)
Katie Davidson (C' 23)
Madelyn Kenny (C' 21)
Mary (MP) Sims (C' 20)
Will North (C' 20)
How do I join the lab?
I am currently recruiting students, so please send me an email to indicate your interest in joining the lab.
If you are interested in:
understanding how animals move or
visualizing 3D anatomy or
understanding how the shape of organisms affects the way they perform or
animation of 3D structures,
coding
then my lab might be the right place for you!
Tips for contacting professors about research
Start early
Scientific research is a slow process that requires significant time commitment. Some projects can last for a semester, some can last a year or more. So if you want to do an honor thesis, present your work at a conference, or publish your research, you will need to set aside enough time to ensure you can succeed.
Explain why
Keep in mind that professors might get approached by many students and that they have limited time and material resources. When contacting a professor, spend some time considering why you want to do research with them and what interests you about their research.