Graduate student directory
Andrea Bailey (baile480@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Craig Packer and Mike Wilson
Research Interests: Sexual Coercion
Study System: Olive Baboons
Degrees Held: B.A. Biology, Lewis Clark College, 2005
Year of Entry into Program: 2009
Kristen Becklund (kbeck@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Jennifer Powers
Research Interets:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.S., University Wisconsin, Madison, 2007, biology
Anika Bratt (bratt075@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Jacques Finlay
Research Interests:
Study System:
Derees Held: B.A. College of St. Catherine, 2010, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2011
Matthew Burgess (burg0408@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): David Tilman and Stephen Polasky
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.S., University of Toronto, 2009, ecology specialist
Year of Entry into Program: 2009
Allan Chang (chang405@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Michael Travisano
Research Interests: Experimental Microbial Evolution, Cost-benefits of sex, Reversibility of Evolution
Study System: Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)
Degrees Held: B.S., Case Western Reserve University, 2000; M.S., Case Western Reserve University, 2003
Year of Entry into Program: 2007
Adam Clark (clar1079@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): David Tilman
Research Interests: Community ecology, succession, old filed dynamics, and myrmecology
Study System: Cedar Creek LTER
Degrees Held: A.B., Harvard University, 2011, environmental science & organismic biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2011
Jane Cowles (cowl0037@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): David Tilman
Research Interests: Biodiversity, productivity, mechanisms of species coexistence
Study System: North American tallgrass prairie
Degrees Held: B.A., Hamilton College, 2010, biology
Aaron David (david250@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Eric Seabloom and Georgiana May
Research Interests: community assembly
Study System: fungal endophytes, coastal dunes
Degrees Held: BA, Washington University in St Louis, 2009, Environmental Studies and Spanish
Year of Entry Into Program: 2010
Juan Diaz-Nieto (diaz0154@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Sharon Jansa
Research Interests:Species delimitation and speciation patterns.
Study System:Neotropical mammals.
Degrees Held: B.S. Biology, Universidad de Antioquia, 2006, biology
Additional Links: 2009
Danielle Drabeck (drabe004@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Sharon Jansa
Research Interests: Evolution of resistance to Venom in Mammals
Study System: South American marsupials/crotalids and African Carnivores, Viperids, and Elapids
Degrees Held: B.S. Tulane University, 2008; M.S. Tulane University, 2010
Year of Entry Into Program: 2012
Max Dresow (dreso004@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Emilie Snell-Rood
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.A. St. Olaf College, 2010
Year of Entry Into Program: 2012
Matthew Dufort (dufor003@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Keith Barker and Ken Kozak
Research Interests: Community ecology, trait evolution, diversification, phylogenetics, geometric morphometrics, behavioral ecology, birds
Study System: Woodpeckers
Degrees Held: B.A. Carleton College, 2001, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2008
William Eddy (eddyi001@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Sarah Hobbie
Research Interests: Microbial Ecology, Biogeochemistry, Ecosystem Ecology, Plant Physiological Ecology, Landscape Ecology -- form a global change perspective.
Study System: Terrestrial Ecosystems, especially northern forests.
Degrees Held: B.S., Baldwin-Wallace College, 2002, biology; M.S., University of Michigan, 2006, natural resources and environment terrestrial ecosystem
Year of Entry into Program: 2007
Katrina Freund (freu0039@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Georgiana May and Elizabeth Borer
Research Interests: Community ecology and biodiversity of fungal endophytes
Study System: Fungal endophytes and grasslands
Degrees Held: B.A., Luther College, 2011. biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2011
Maria Gei (geixx001@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Jennifer Powers
Research Interests: Nutrient cycling in tropical forests
Study System: Tropical dry forests of Costa Rica
Degrees Held: B.S. in Biology, 2004, Licenciatura in Botany, 2007, Universidad de Costa Rica
Year of Entry into Program: 2008
Thomas Giarla (giarl002@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Sharon Jansa
Research Interests: My research focuses on understanding the geographic and ecological forces that influence speciation and diversification, specifically in small mammals. I am interested in applying molecular systematics, ecological niche modeling, and population genetics techniques to pursue these topics.
Study System:Didelphid marsupials
Degrees Held: B.A., Washington University, 2007, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2007
Website: http://www.umn.edu/~giarla
Casey Godwin (godwi018@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Jim Cotner
Research Interests: Microbial ecology, limnology, and ecological stoichiometry
Study System:Aquatic heterotrophic bacteria
Degrees Held: B.A., Cornell College, 2003, biology and environmental studies; M.S., Penn State University, 2006, ecology
Year of Entry into Program: 2008
Nicholas Goldsmith (golds306@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Ruth Shaw
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.S. Purdue University, 2012
Year of Entry into Program: 2012
Jacob Grossman (gross679@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Jeanine Cavender-Bares
Research Interests: effects of (phylo)genetic, species, and functional diversity on ecological function
Study System: plant communities
Degrees Held: B.A. in Biology and Environmental Studies, Oberlin College, 2008; M.F.R. in International Forestry, University of Washington, 2012
Year of Entry into Program: 2012
Dustin Haines (hain0072@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Diane Larsen
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.S., Northwest Missouri State University, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, 1993, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2004
[Dustin's Homepage]
Virginia Heinen (heine142@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Dave Stephens
Research Interests: Learning, cognition, signaling, and social information
Study System: Blue jays
Degrees Held: B.S., Michigan State University, 2011, zoology
Year of Entry into Program: 2011
Travis Henspeter (hens0145@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Susan Galatowitsch & Diane Larson
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.A., Macalester College, 2002, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2009
Vinnie Hirt (hirt0021@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Andrew Simons
Research Interests: Ichthyology, Evolutionary Developmental Biology, Systematics
Study System: Freshwater suckers (Catostomidae)
Degrees Held: B.S. University of North Carolina, 2002, biology; M.S., John Carroll University, 2006, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2006
Sarah Jaumann (jauma002@umn.edu)
Advisor(s):
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.S. Colorado State University, 2011, biology, psychology
Year of Entry into Program: 2011
Matthew Kaiser (kais0101@umn.edu)
Advisor(s):George Heimpel
Research Interests:biological control, community ecology, introduced species.
Study System:aphid parasitoids, soybean aphid
Degrees Held: B.S., University of Minnesota, 2008, EEB
Year of Entry into Program: 2009
Clare Kazanski (ckazansk@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Sarah Hobbie and Peter Reich
Research Interests: plant-soil interactions, soil carbon and carbon cycling, terrestrial ecosystem response to global change
Degrees Held: B.A. Carleton College, 2007, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2011
Amy Kendig (kend0110@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Eric Seabloom and Elizabeth Borer
Research Interests: Dynamics of multihost pathogen systems, spatially-explicit community interactions
Study System: Barley/cereal yellow dwarf virus and the grasslands it infects
Degrees Held: B.S. Georgia Technology Institute, 2007, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2011
Margaret Kosmala (
)
Advisor(s): Craig Packer and David Tilman
Research Interests: Effects of anthropogenic change on multi-trophic interactions and community structure
Study System: North American tallgrass prairie plant and arthropod communtites and African large mammal communities
Degrees Held: B.S., Brown University, 2000, computer science
Year of Entry into Program: 2007
Katherine Liu (liuxx971@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Mike Travisano
Research Interests: Evolutionary developmental biology, translational medicine, history and philosophy of biology
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.S. University of California, Davis, 2007; M.S. Arizona State University, 2010
Year of Entry into Program: 2012
Benjamin Lowe (lowe0160@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Ken Kozak
Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology of Reptiles and Amphibians
Study System: Southern Appalachian salamanders
Degrees Held: B.S. Humboldt State University, 2004, zoology; M.S. San Diego State University, 2008, evolutionary biology
Amy Luxbacher (luxb0001@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Ken Kozak
Research Interests: Ecological and evolutionary forces creating and maintaining species' ranges
Study System: Salamanders
Degrees Held: B.A., Ohio Wesleyan University, 2004, zoology; M.A., University of Colorado, 2007, ecology and evolutionary biology
Marta Lyons (lyons179@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Ken Kozak
Research Interests: Evolutionary ecology of geographic range limits
Study System: Montane salamanders
Degrees Held: B.A., Carleton College, 2010, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2011
Emily Mohl (mohlx006@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): George Heimpel
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: BA, Grinnell College, 2002, biology and anthropology; M.A., Washington University, 2004, Secondary Education
Year of Entry into Program: 2008
Paul Nelson (nels6813@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Georgiana May
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.S., University Illinois, 2006, biology; M.S., University Illinois, 2008, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2009
Daniel Nidzgorski (dnidz@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Sarah Hobbie
Research Interests: How do urban trees control nitrogen and phosphorus cycling and help exceed nutrients out of our groundwater and stormwater? How do trees act as a linkage between people, land, and water in cities?
Study System: City parks and local neighborhoods in St. Paul, Minnesota
Degrees Held: BS, Stanford University, 2001, earth systems
Year of Entry into Program: 2008
Lisa O'Bryan (obry0017@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Michael Wilson
Research Interests: animal behavior, acoustic communication, animal cognition
Study System: chimpanzees, Gombe National Park, Tanzania
Degrees Held: BS, Texas A&M University, 2008, zoology
Year of Entry into Program: 2008
Christine O'Connell (
)
Advisor(s): Jon Foley and Steve Polasky
Research Interests: Land use change impacts on ecosystem ecology, ecosystem services, tropical forest ecology, and global agriculture.
Study System: Amazonia
Degrees Held: B.S., Stanford University, 2008, environmental science
Year of Entry into Program: 2010
Website: http://envelopescience.wordpress.com/
Timothy Polnaszek (polna005@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Dave Stephens
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.S., North Dakota State University, 2005, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2009
Kristina Prescott (presc030@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): David Andow
Research Interests: ecological and evolutionary impacts of introduced species, biological control, oviposition behavior
Study System: lady beetles in agro-ecosystems
Degrees Held: B.A. Grinnell College, 2000, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2007
Rachel Putnam (rputnam@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Dave Tilman and Peter Reich
Research Interests: I am interested in factors that shape broad spatial patterns of plant distributions across landscapes as well as community-level processes that determine local presence or absence of plant species. In my thesis research I am examining the relative importance of climate and biotic interactions in limiting the range of sugar maple.
Study System: Forests of the midwestern United States and Canada
Degrees Held: B.A., Carleton College, 2001, ecosystem science
Year of Entry into Program: 2006
Additional Links: http://forestecology.cfans.umn.edu/People/putnam/index.htm
Gina Quiram (quira012@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Jeannine Cavender-Bares and Ruth Shaw
Research Interests: I am interested in the evolutionary consequences of invasive species management. I am currently developing a project to understand how the introduction of biological control agents has affected the evolutionary trajectory of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) specifically herbivore defense traits. I believe that characterizing the long-term consequences of invasive species control is critical when considering the risks and sustainability of management programs.
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.A. Gustavus Adolphus College, 2006, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2007
Joseph Reid (reid0058@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Jacques Finlay
Research Interests: temporal variability in ecosystems, biogeochemistry, ecosystem connectivity, resource pulsing
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.S. University of Wisconsin, 2002, botany
Year of Entry into Program: 2007
Maria Rebolleda-Gomez (rebol004@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Michael Travisano
Research Interests: Evolution of complexity and cooperation; multicellularity; cell differentiation; modularity
Study System: Yeast
Degrees Held: B.A., National Auto University Mexico, 2010, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2011
Charlotte Riggs (riggs077@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Sarah Hobbie
Research Interests: Biogeochemistry; ecosystem ecology; plant-soil-microbe interactions; carbon cycling
Study System: Temperate ecosystems
Degrees Held: B.A., Wesleyan University, 2008, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2010
Tricia Rubi (rubix002@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): David Stephens
Research Interests: Cognitive behavior, learning, decision-making, and information use
Study System: Blue Jays
Degrees Held: B.A., University of Colorado, 2008, ecology and evolution
Year of Entry into Program: 2010
Megan Strauss (strau102@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Craig Packer
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.S., University of Michigan, 2003, anthropology-zoology and psychology
Year of Entry into Program: 2006
Meredith Steck (steck047@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Eric Seabloom and Elizabeth Borer
Research Interests: Insect community ecology, species interactions
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.A. Bowdoin College, 2009
Year of Entry into Program: 2012
Carl Stenoien (sten0364@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Karen Oberhauser
Research Interests: Parasitology, behavioral ecology, human impacts, introduced species, bicontrol
Study System: Pteromalus puparum (a parasited wasp) and Danaus plexippus (Monarch butterfly)
Degrees Held: B.A. Gustavus Adolphus College, 2011
Year of Entry into Program: 2012
Elizabeth Swanger (swang009@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Marlene Zuk
Research Interests: Evolution and behavior, sexual selection, variation in female preferences, and mating behavior.
Study System: Pacific field crickets
Degrees Held: B.A./B.S. Indiana University, 2010
Year of Entry into Program: 2012
Alexandra Swanson (swan1022@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Craig Packer
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.A., University of Virginia, 2005, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2009
Jessie Tanner (tanne1232umn.edu)
Advisor(s):Mark Bee
Research Interests: Behavioral ecology, mating systems, female choice and intra-individual variation in female preferences
Study System: Amphibians
Degrees Held: B.S./B.A. University of Oklahoma, 2012
Year of Entry into Program: 2012
James Tumulty (tumul001@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Mark Bee
Research Interests: Behavioral Ecology
Study System: Frogs
Degrees Held: B.S. Siena College, 2007; M.S. East Carolina University, 2012
Year of Entry into Program: 2012
Hernan Vazquez Miranda (miran050@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Robert Zink and Keith Barker
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.S., Universidad Nacional Autonoma, 2004, biology; M.S., Universidad Nacional Autonoma, 2007, systematics
Year of Entry into Program: 2008
Xiaojing Wei (weixx150@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Jeannine Cavender-Bares
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.S., China Agricultural University, 2008, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2009
Marcus Warwell (warw0017@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Ruth Shaw
Research Interests:ecological genetics, biogeography, adaptive relation between plants and climate
Study System: Conifers
Degrees Held: B.S., Florida A & M University & University of Florida (Joint Degree), 1997, natural resources conservation; M.S., University of Florida, 2002, natural resources conservation
Year of Entry into Program: 2006
Website: http://www.fs.fed.us/rmrs/profiles/?last=Warwell&first=Marcus+V
Pamela Weisenhorn (weise088@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Sarah Hobbie
Research Interests: Microbial physiological ecology, biogeochemical cycling, and ecosystem ecology
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.S. Louisiana State University, 2003, marine biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2007
Michael Wells (wells306@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Keith Barker
Research Interests: Evolution and behavior, particularly cooperation, cooperative breeding and animal societies
Study System: Neotropical Wrens
Degrees Held: B.A., University of Michigan, 2007, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2009
Laura Williams (will3972@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Jeannine Cavender-Bares and Peter Reich
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.A./B.S., University of Monash, 2007, biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2011
Shelby Williams (will1366@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Clarence Lehman
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.S. Biology, University of Minnesota, 2006, genetics & cell biology
Year of Entry into Program: 2011
Peter Wragg (wragg@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): David Tilman
Research Interests: Ecology, evolution and conservation, particularly of grassland plant diversity
Study System: South African mesic grasslands and North American tallgrass prairie
Degrees Held: B.S., University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006, ecology and conservation biology; B.S., University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007, biological sciences
Year of Entry into Program: 2008
Xiao Yi (yixxx076@umn.edu)
Advisor(s): Antony Dean
Research Interests:
Study System:
Degrees Held: B.S., Zhongshan University, 2008, biotechnology
Year of Entry into Program: 2008
