My research program is centrally grounded in landscape ecology, the field that examines the interrelationship between environmental patterns and ecological processes. In my lab, we use geospatial technologies to visualize and analyze spatially explicit environmental data. Our primary focus is on the ecological consequences of anthropogenic sources of spatial heterogeneity, namely land-cover change. We strive to understand pattern-process relationships to be able to predict future outcomes of environmental change. Our goal is to provide ecologically informed recommendations to land-management and conservation stakeholders. 

With both applied and basic research projects going on in my lab that dovetail with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education and museum science, our activities mesh research with teaching and service to the community.

Latest news from the McIntyre Lab:

• Congratulation to M.S. student Hannah Girgente, who successfully defended her Master's thesis!

• M.S. student Hannah Girgente's paper on speculated habitat for a rare dragonfly species has been published in the International Journal for Odonatology!

• Congratulation to M.S. student Joe Girgente, who successfully defended his Master's thesis!

• Ph.D. candidate Sean Sutor has been on a winning streak lately: a TTU Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship, a David J. Morafka Memorial Research Award, First Place student presentation award from the Desert Tortoise Council, a NASA-MSU Professional Enhancement Award from the International Association for Landscape Ecology-North America (highest student award in landscape ecology), and Best Overall Presentation at TTABSS! 🔥

• Lab members Justin Dawsey and Sean Sutor presented at the Texas Tech Annual Biological Sciences Symposium (TTABSS); Sean won the Best Overall Presentation award!

• Dr. McIntyre is coauthor on a newly published paper in Landscape Ecology, led by lab alumnus Dr. Lucas Heintzman.

• Congratulations to Ashley Kempken, who successfully completed her M.A. degree in Heritage & Museum Sciences! She graduated in December 2023 and has started a new job as the Collections Manager at the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science.

• M.S. student Joe Girgente had a paper published in Insects on ecomorphological variation in the Twin-Striped Clubtail Dragonfly (Hylogomphus geminatus).

• Ph.D. candidate Sean Sutor had a paper published in Landscape Ecology on some of his research on barriers to connectivity for the Sonoran desert tortoise.

• Congratulations to McIntyre Lab alumnus Dr. Scott Starr, who was named the James E. Hansen Professor in Environmental Sciences (an endowed professorship) at Hampden-Sydney College!