people

Matt Forister (he/him), Ph.D. (download CV)

I am interested in population ecology and the evolution of ecological interactions. I have spent much of my career thinking about diet breadth and host shifts in herbivorous insects, especially in Lycaeides butterflies. In recent years, more of my attention has gone to questions of global change and monitoring butterflies at long term study sites that we maintain in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Current lab folks (alphabetically)

Cas Carroll (any pronouns), Ph.D. student

I graduated from the University of Maine with a B.S. in ecology and environmental science with a concentration in forest ecology in 2019. Through several research experiences and technician positions, I developed an interest in the relationships between insect populations, plants, habitat, and human land use, as well as the co-evolution of specialized Lepidopterans and their host plants, and using science to inform conservation efforts. My senior capstone, an applied conservation paleobiology project, and a technician position at an NGO solidified my interest in science in collaboration with conservation agencies. At UNR, I research the Carson wandering skipper, and ESA-listed, grass-feeding specialist, its host plant, and its habitat. This work allows me to merge my interests while also aiding in the conservation and management of an endangered insect.

Christian Connors, Ph.D. student

co-advised with Drs. Smilanich and Dyer

I graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.A. in Biology, with a focus on Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. During that time, I established my first SURF funded research project, aimed at studying the effect of habitat fragmentation on caterpillar and parasitoid diversity. Since then, I've fallen in love with the practice of caterpillar husbandry and identification, which has motivated my current interest in determinants of dietary specialization in both lepidopterans and their parasitoids. Presently, my work is focused on incorporating long-term monitoring of larval lepidopterans into pre-existing monitoring efforts in the Sierra Nevada, and leveraging life-history, microclimate, and predation during larval development to better understand lepidopteran responses to shifting abiotic conditions.

Clare Dittemore (she/her), Ph.D. student

I received both my B.S. in agroecology and MS in entomology from Montana State University, where I had the opportunity to explore the ecology of a noctuid of both conservational and agricultural significance—the army cutworm. This experience solidified my interest in montane ecosystems, the use of science to inform policy, and Lepidoptera that straddle those two categories. Now, I am excited to help continue a long-term monitoring effort of butterflies at sites throughout the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In the context of this study system, I plan to look at how plant and butterfly communities have varied throughout our study sites over time, as well as how floral resources may be changing. I hope to untangle what specific mechanisms are driving population declines within these communities and whether (and how) we can mitigate these impacts.

Simon Doneski, Ph.D. student, UNM

Co-advised (remotely) with Dr. Kelly Miller at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

My doctoral work focuses on butterfly conservation and understanding butterfly declines and extinctions by looking at the biological and ecological characteristics that result in rare and declining species, with a focus on trying to protect and preserve New Mexico butterflies. In previous years, I have worked extensively with federal and state agencies on the conservation of several butterflies including the Karner blue butterfly, frosted elfin, Sacramento Mountains checkerspot, and Nokomis silverspot.

Angie Lenard (she/they), postdoctoral reseacher

My research focuses on how environmental stress influences the ecology and evolution of organisms. I am particularly interested in global change biology and my work focuses on human-modified environments. For my doctoral work, I studied the ecology and evolution of cabbage white butterflies from urban populations. For my postdoctoral research, I am monitoring butterfly populations and examining how butterfly diversity relates to landscape pesticide contamination of host plants.