People

Postdoctoral Fellows

Postdoctoral Fellow Research and Contact Information

Amanda Brandt, Ph.D.
Harwood Lab

Contact Dr. Brandt: amandambrandt@usf.edu

Lindsay McCulloch, Ph.D.
Zalamea Lab

Contact Dr. McCulloch: lmcculloch@usf.edu

Rajendra Panda, Ph.D.
Kramer Lab

Rajendra has more than ten years of research experience in the fields of ecology, and its related domains of agriculture, remote sensing, marine science, and soil science. He has a Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IITKGP) and in the past, has served as Postdoctoral Associate at the IITKGP, University of Georgia (UGA), Mississippi State University (MSU). He has research experience in biodiversity and conservation, climate change forecasting, invasion risk assessments, gradient pattern analyses, modelling spatio-temporal ecological phenomena, interactive mapping and visualization, with competencies in large-data analytics, multivariate statistics (Bayesian and non-Bayesian), species distribution modeling, causal modeling, machine learning applications, development of R-Shiny Apps, spatial analyses and interpretation. In the past several years, he has also contributed to wildlife conservation that included endangered species management and the behavioral pattern, and human-animal interactions. The recent research at University of South Florida focuses on multiscale disease modelling.

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Rajendra has proficiency in R programming, ArcGIS and STAN, with strong communication skills, and good records of scientific publications and presentations at scientific conferences. He has published more than fifteen peer-reviewed journal articles (two of which received media attention), eight chapters, a book, six GitHub repositories and two R-Shiny Apps.

Rajendra has strong experience in collaboration with local and international people from the USA and globally,  that includes multiple collaborative research activities. Currently, he is a Co-PI of an International Project, where he leads in collaborating with global stakeholders. He has abilities to perform grant and project management, including procuring supplies, managing contract relationships, and budget development. Rajendra have been associated with different professional organizations, societal activities, and volunteering journal reviews for 23 journals. He has experience in teaching and mentoring Masters and Ph.D. students.

Contact Dr. Panda: rmpanda@usf.edu

Yu Zeng, Ph.D.
Deban Lab

Yu Zeng, Ph.D.

Yu is interested in the biomechanics and evolution of locomotor and feeding systems. His current research at the Deban Lab is centered around the remarkable musculoskeletal system responsible for ballistic tongue projection in salamanders.

Contact Dr. Zeng: yuzeng@usf.edu