Lab Members
Interested in Joining the Lab?
I mentor a large group of students with diverse academic interests and backgrounds each academic year. This research group consists of senior comp students (Bio 600/610), independent research students (Bio 590), and summer students funded through the Office of URSCAs Student-Faculty Research Program.
Most of my senior comp students have interests in, and pursue research topics related to, disease ecology. However, I also oversee senior research projects related to general ecology, ecological physiology, and animal behavior. Many of my Bio 590 and summer research students earn co-authorship on published scientific articles and thus I expect them to contribute to manuscript preparation beyond the semester/summer in which they conducted research. Given that this is done outside of my normal teaching schedule, I look for happy and collaborative students that are highly motivated and get excited about asking questions in ecology when recruiting summer research students and independent study students.
If you are interested in doing senior comp, Bio 590, or summer research in my lab, read through my Research page to get a feel of my present research interests and swing by my office or lab so that we can discuss whether you would be a good fit in the lab.
2023-2024 Senior Comp Group
Zach Altenbaugh: temperature and seasonal activity in redback salamanders
Genna Feltmeyer: the relationship between Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infection burden and bacterial skin microbiota in adult and juvenile newts
Anastazia Herbst: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infection and PHA injections in salamanders
Sofia Maass: rates of herbivory in native and non-native plants
Chris Rubino: examining the metabolic costs of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infection in salamanders
Lia Teufel: variability in the timing of temperature shifts and salamander responses to Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
Sheyli Wetzel: seasonal activity and tick abundance in Crawford County, PA
In addition to the current Senior Comp students working in my lab, I've had 66 seniors complete their Senior Comp Research in my lab. Click here for a list of my former seniors along with the title of their comp projects.
Where are they now? Although many students conduct their Senior Comp Research on a topic related to disease ecology, most of my students graduate from Allegheny and pursue professional interests outside of disease ecology. Some of my Senior Comp Students are pursuing graduate degrees in biology (Yale University, Duquesne University, William and Mary, and others) and epidemiology (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Other students enter Medical School (University of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Wayne State University, and others) or other health-related fields (nursing, physical therapy, etc.). In addition to those career paths, some of my graduates have landed jobs as: a Groundfish Observer with North Pacific Alaska, Veterinarian Technician, Research Analyst at Special Pathogens Laboratory, and many others!