My research will be investigating how well sedimented pollen can indicate historic changes in Florida’s fringing wetlands and aquatic macrophyte communities, specifically in and around benchmark lakes. I would love to go on to work as a field biologist protecting Florida’s incredible and unique freshwater systems. 

My name is Kotomi Allgauer, and I am a Master's student in Dr. Peter Stiling's lab. 

My research interests include how wetland ecosystems respond to anthropogenic effects (changes in sea levels, water temperature and pollutants, introduction of invasive species, etc.). 

I have not decided on my research project. However, I do wish to work with wetlands (specifically mangroves) and determine human impacts and possible solutions. 

My name is Bethany Burns and I am a first year Ph.D. student. My research interests include how invasive plants respond to selective pressures in new environments and how it relates to conservation. In Dr. Richards Lab I will be studying Japanese knotweed, an invasive plant in the Eastern United States.

Previously, I got my B.S. in Biology from the University of Tampa. While there, I studied the monk orchid which naturalized from Africa to the Neotropics and I used herbarium records to find patterns within its phenology across its range.

I am currently a Ph.D. student in Dr. Harwood’s lab. Before joining the lab as a graduate student, I worked as a lab technician on a CDC-funded project researching critical barriers to antibiotic resistant ESKAPE pathogens in reclaimed water treatment trains.

I have not yet determined what my research project will be, but I would like to stay within the topic of antibiotic resistant pathogens in the environment.

I study how climate change drives shifts in vegetation in wetland communities, and investigate the resulting changes in plant-soil dynamics. My current dissertation research focuses on the recent expansion of mangroves into salt marsh territory on Florida's Gulf Coast. I am exploring the factors driving changes in the spatial arrangement of mangrove forests, and documenting changes in soil properties that occur as a result of mangrove encroachment. Because mangroves are expanding poleward following changes in climate and sea level, I hope that my work will be used to predict changes in wetland ecosystem dynamics on a global scale.

I am a first-year Ph.D. student working with Dr. Diego Santiago Alarcon. Birds are my big passion; anything related to them excites me. My main interest is looking at how different changes in the land and environment affect bird communities. I am curious about how they manage to live and even do well in these changing habitats.

During my master's at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati, I studied the impacts of exotic timber stands on the bird communities in the Western Ghats' Sky Islands. After that, I worked as a research assistant at the Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Natural History on a project monitoring bird diversity and populations in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Now, for my Ph.D. at USF, I will be digging into how urbanization impacts bird communities. When I am not busy with research, you can find me birdwatching or cooking. I love exploring new places, trying local food, and learning about different cultures. Whenever I visit somewhere new, I make it a point to bring back a unique recipe. I have also got a passion for singing and putting together events.

My life is a mix of uncovering bird secrets in my studies and enjoying the world beyond research through travel and my hobbies.

My research interests include comparative osteology, biomechanics, and life history variation of plethodontid (lungless) salamanders.

In 2019, I obtained my Bachelor’s in Zoology from Colorado State University and recently graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University with a Master’s in Biology.

I am excited to be getting my Ph.D. from the IB department here at USF so I can continue studying herps/amphibians and take advantage of the animal diversity and beautiful weather of south Florida!

My name is Kelsey Daniels, and I am a first year master's student in Dr. Gemmell’s lab. My research interests include coral biology, predator prey interactions and anthropogenic impacts on coral morphology and behavior. 

I will be focusing on coral heterotrophic feeding on copepods. Particularly how branching morphology is important in prey capture in respect to the escape response in copepods.  

My project will explore the identification and characterization of novel antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in wild bird bacteria potentially using metagenomic studies, assess the stability and persistence of free-floating AMR genes in various environmental conditions, and examine the frequency and impact of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events between avian and human bacteria in real-world settings. By investigating diverse bird species, environmental factors, and interactions between wild birds and humans, the research aims to understand the environmental reservoirs and public health implications of AMR genes.

I am a biologist with an interest in plant ecology. I am specifically drawn to the microbes that interact with plants in all stages of life, like bacteria and fungi. As a Masters student in the Zalamea lab, my research will consider the diverse and complex nature of plant-microbe interactions in hopes of addressing current topics such as forest restoration and diverse ecosystem-level understanding of tropical forests using the background I have in microbiology. I also hope to build my pedagogy skills as a TA at USF to apply toward my dream of becoming a professor. I am from Florida and received my undergraduate degree from USF.

I joined the Parkinson lab at USF in 2020 to use molecular tools in order to relate how the genomes of corals and their algal symbionts affect their response to climate change. Some research plans include observing the level to which corals adapt or evolve (or both) to climate-induced thermal stress.

Additionally, I plan to use environmental DNA (eDNA) to observe coral biodiversity patterns with different levels of impact, including hurricane damage. I previously used eDNA to detect the presence of Hippocampus seahorses in Tampa Bay and The Bahamas during my undergraduate career at the University of Tampa, where I earned my B.S. in Marine Science-Biology.

Throughout my time at UT and USF, I have always emphasized science communication, and I find great value in teaching.

I joined the Department of Integrative Biology in the Fall of 2020, after receiving an M.S. from the University of Florida. At UF, I used the ongoing invasion of the tropical clawed frog to examine how individual differences in dispersal-related traits can be spatially selected during the process of range expansion.

I am interested in intra- and interspecific variation in the morphological and physiological traits related to dispersal. Specifically, I am interested in how trade-offs can constrain or facilitate variation in such traits.

I graduated with my B.A. in Psychology in 2021 and my M.S. in Environmental Science in 2023 from Florida Gulf Coast University. During my M.S., I studied human impacts on mammal, fish, reptile, and amphibian communities and biodiversity in the Peruvian Amazon. I my research interests revolve around wildlife responses to anthropogenic disturbance, and have previously worked with primate behavior, rattlesnake ecology, and African megafauna. At USF, I will continue to assess how humans are affecting wildlife using venom variation across human disturbance gradients and investigate the effect of rattlesnake venom on breast cancer cells.

My name is Faith Hale and I am pursuing my Masters' in Biology with a concentration in Environment and Ecological Microbiology. I am a student in Dr. David Lewis' lab. I received my Bachelors' Degree at USF in Cell and Molecular Biology in 2022. In the summer of 2023, I spent three months in New Mexico at the Los Alamos National Laboratory for an internship working on a couple projects. I am interested in soil microbes and their role in the environment. I have not decided on what my research project will be, but I am working on a wetland carbon storage project and plan branch off this project for my research project. 

I graduated from USF in 2022 with a B.S. in Biology. While an undergraduate, I volunteered and worked as a technician in the Parkinson lab, where I could regularly be found maintaining and optimizing sea anemone and microalgal cultures. Now that I’m a Master’s student, my research interests are broadly revolved around the Aiptasia anemone-algal symbiosis. I will likely utilize rapid genetic fingerprinting using TE-AFLP to distinguish genetically distinct individuals from clones.

I am an NSF Graduate Research Fellow pursuing my Ph.D. at USF Tampa and working with the Margres lab. For my research, I am interested in using next generation sequencing technology to investigate evolutionary patterns at multiple scales. Currently, I use a combination of genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics to investigate genetic diversity and venom evolution of snakes found throughout the Baja California region and on islands in the Sea of Cortés.

Prior to joining the Margres lab, I received my B.S. in Genetics, Genomics, and Biotechnology from Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah) where I studied the application of eDNA to assess the effects of large-scale ecological events on aquatic biodiversity.

Hi, my name is Joanna Idafibia. I'm a graduate of microbiology from Anchor University in Lagos, Nigeria. My research interest is in biology education, specifically to gain a deep understanding of how written assessments can be designed and analyzed to measure student learning and academic performance effectively.

My goal is to contribute to the advancement of biology education by leveraging data-driven insights to improve teaching methodologies and student outcomes. I aspire to engage deeply with research on student learning through written assessments and work collaboratively to support the adoption of evidence-based teaching practices. By analyzing faculty interactions and implementing effective strategies, I aim to help foster an educational environment that enhances both teaching effectiveness and student achievement in the field of biology.

I developed a fascination with corals and their endosymbionts while completing a Research Experience for Undergraduates in Little Cayman Island while attending Southern Utah University.

After acquiring my undergraduate degree, I moved to the Florida Keys, where he worked to restore degraded reefs with the Coral Restoration Foundation.

My experience with coral nursery work and population genetics propelled me into the Master’s program at the University of North Florida. There I tested the activation of thermal plasticity as a potential tool for coral restoration.

At USF, I plan to study how intraspecific variation within endosymbionts influences host resilience.

My research will investigate the impact of feral pigs on ecosystem properties, such as soil nutrients, vegetation growth, and species composition, in cypress wetland and pine upland habitats throughout Florida. With game cameras, I will observe feral pigs to better understand drivers in site selection for rooting and interactions that take place directly or indirectly with feral pigs and their rooted plots. Lastly, I hope to address the human-wildlife conflict associated with feral pigs by surveying people in agricultural residential areas, suburban communities, and natural environments to better understand how the public classifies and interacts with this species. Since feral pigs are extensively hunted in Florida, many individuals view them as a game species which promotes their presence in the environment and disguises the fact that they are invasive. Through my research, I hope to convince the public and policymakers that there must be better management and control of feral pig populations.

I am a Colombian biologist with concentrations in molecular biology and biotechnology. Throughout my career I have found great passion in microbiology, especially in its applications in agriculture, restoration ecology and bioremediation.

As a master’s student in Dr. Zalamea’s Lab I hope to further understand the complex plant-microbe interactions, as a basis for developing applications that can help us face challenges related to climate change, anthropogenic disturbances, and food safety issues.

I consider myself a loving, kind, empathetic person and a responsible and committed professional who is always trying to give her best to achieve her own goals and help others. Apart from science I enjoy practicing different arts and crafts, cooking, baking, and learning from different cultures and languages.

Research experience: I got my Bachelors of Science from University of North Carolina, Wilmington. I have always been passionate about the natural world and wildlife.  Getting my bachelor’s at UNCW and getting to partake in herpetology research while there further cemented that for me. 

My current master’s research revolves around movement telemetry of diamondback terrapins in an estuary located in southeastern Massachusetts. The goal is to understand how this species’ movement relates to multiple environmental and habitat variables.

I’m a Ph.D. student in the Carney Lab. My research will be on the diet and dentition of Archaeopteryx. I’ll be making use of a variety of methodologies, both morphological and functional, to synthesize a reconstruction of its diet. Details of its dental morphology may also elucidate potential phylogenetic differences between the various specimens.Enter toggled content here.

I previously earned my M.S. in Geosciences concentrating in Vertebrate Paleontology at East Tennessee State University where I studied the tooth morphology of Brown and Black Bears.

My name is Jasmine Kesselring, and I graduated in 2024 with a B.S. in Biology and a second B.S. in Biomedical Sciences from UCF. While completing my undergraduate degree, I discovered an interest in disease ecology and the effects of parasites in native species. During my undergrad, I assisted in field research investigating the effects of an invasive snake parasite in Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnakes. I also assisted in research exploring the impacts of parasites and climate change on migrating populations of Monarch Butterflies. Here at USF, I am an M.S. student in Dr. Doody's lab, where I will continue to explore the threat of the invasive snake pentastome parasite (Raillietiella orientalis) in native snake species.

My research interests include water quality, specifically limnological studies.

My current research focuses on the coevolution of venom and venom resistance in rattlesnakes and their prey.

Before coming to USF, I earned undergraduate and Master's degrees in biology from Texas Tech University.

A native Floridian, I have long held a fervent passion for the outdoors, and more specifically, the marine environment. Having originally graduated from USF with a business management degree, I returned after several years in the workforce to gain a bachelor’s degree in marine biology.

My research seeks to uncover the intricacies of how marine organisms are interacting with their physical environments and how these interactions have influenced their evolutionary ecology. As a PhD student I am investigating the swimming locomotion and predator-prey interactions of reef and pelagic fishes with the assistance of high speed imaging.

I use molecular methods (e.g., qPCR, NASBA) to monitor water quality and inform public health decisions. My current projects include quantifying Karenia brevis - a toxin-producing dinoflagellate that causes red tides in the Gulf of Mexico - and fecal indicator bacteria (e.g., Escherichia coli) in water samples. These data are used by stakeholders to monitor the spatiotemporal distributions of harmful algal blooms and to develop mitigation strategies.

I am a plant ecologist interested in the biodiversity of non-pathogenic fungal endophytes in natural ecosystems, especially root endophytes (mycorrhizae).

I study this system with the hope that this information can be integrated into disturbance mitigation of threatened ecosystems.

My name is Anthony Powell, and I am a Ph.D. student in Dr. Deban’s lab.

I obtained both my Bachelor’s in Biology and my Master’s in Biology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. As a Master’s student, my research work involved identifying and measuring sustained force production in the jaw muscles of horned frogs (Ceratophrys spp.). 

For my current research interests, I hope to continue my M.S. work by looking into sustained force production in the jaws of other frogs, other muscle groups, and the physiology behind this phenomenon.

I obtained a B.S. in Integrative Biology here at USF. During this I was fortunate enough to work in Dr. Kathleen Scott’s lab, assisting with research investigating the metabolism of worms found at deep sea hydrothermal vents. There I developed a love of dexterous lab work and a strong desire to participate in academia.

For my master’s I am working in Dr. Lajeunesse’s lab investigating Cordyceps, a grouping of fungus which parasitizes arthropods. With this work I hope to help bring about a better understanding of, what is often regarded as, a bizarre organism. I am particularly drawn to such organisms as I feel many forms of life are undeservedly overlooked or stigmatized, such as ants and fungi or vultures and carrion insects.

I am a Costa Rican tropical biologist graduated from the Universidad Nacional of Costa Rica.

As a Ph.D. student in Dr. Zalamea’s lab, I would like to deepen into the mechanisms behind plant-soil-microorganisms interactions and how they are translated into the adaptation and survival of plant communities and their implications on the ecosystem level.

When I'm not nerding about biotic interactions I enjoy martial arts, painting, hiking, and other outdoor activities.

We are also looking to see if any unknown/elusive native (sharks, rays, etc.) or invasive (walking catfish, aquaria species, lionfish, etc.) species have been utilizing these habitats as those need to be factored into measuring the overall success of the restoration itself.

I am hoping to better understand the pros and cons of utilizing eDNA alongside seine nets when measuring biodiversity of tidally influenced water systems.

Ever since I was a child, I have loved reptiles, especially snakes. I got my B.S. in Environmental Science with a minor in Biology from USF in 2021. Before coming to the Doody Lab, I have worked on a FWS study on the threatened herpetofauna of the Florida scrub, a project looking at population dynamics and competition in daphnia species, and a couple other projects regarding avian surveys, gopher tortoises, and venomous snakes. Here at the Doody Lab, my research revolves around the intersection of conservation biology and disease ecology, specifically as it pertains to ophidiomycosis in snake populations. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, climbing, kayaking, playing/watching cricket, and cooking.

I am a Ph.D. student in Dr. Kramer’s lab (joined August 2019). My research focuses on invasive species, species interactions, population dynamics, and spatial ecology in large aquatic systems.

I am currently investigating the spatial and trophic dynamics of invasive lionfish and regal demoiselle in the Gulf of Mexico, along with the ecological interactions among these invasive species and native fishes.

I am excited to be a Ph.D student, co-advised by both Dr. Richards and Dr. Parkinson. Through my Ph.D research I plan to examine how DNA methylation changes within symbionts of Cnidarians.

I also plan to research how changes to the epigenome of a holobiont is affected by different environmental factors, such as temperature or pH.

Prior to my time here at USF, I received my Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in Molecular and Cellular Biology. I then obtained my master’s degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where I studied DNA methylation in deep-sea Octocorals.

Hey, I am Jana and I am a graduate student from Germany! I am a Ph.D. student at  Dr. Scott’s lab. My earlier research includes work on the biochemistry of army ants and their parasites as an undergraduate student and a Master Thesis focused on mitigation of the Florida Red Tide organism Karenia Brevis via algicidal bacteria.

My Ph.D. project is going to focus on genetically interesting bacteria. These bacteria produce Carboxysome microcompartments, which help the organism with CO2-fixation. Interestingly, the bacteria seem to miss genetic information for important enzymes that are necessary for CO2-fixation. I hope to solve some puzzle pieces in this paradox for a better understanding of those organisms. A better understanding could lead to multiple applications, such as bioengineered CO2 fixation (not part of Scott’s lab research).

My name is Jake and I study poison dart frog behavior in Dr. Yusan Yang’s lab. Specifically, I am focused on how ecological resource availability alters sexual selection, parental care behavior, and tadpole development. Additionally, I am interested in finding out what sexual traits,  e.g. color, body size, courtship effort, are most important in mate choice and how they may vary in importance between species with different mating systems and parental care behaviors.

I received my B.S. in Biology from Saint Louis University in 2023, where I studied vibrational communication in invertebrates.