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EEB Graduate Students

This is a listing of the current graduate students in the EEB Department. Please contact Kathy Tebo to report inaccuracies or omissions.

Photo of Jenica Allen Allen, Jenica (Doctoral Student)
Office:  BioPharm 225
Phone:  860-486-4157
E-mail: jenica.allen@uconn.edu
Silander Lab
Global change ecology and application of Bayesian methods, with an emphasis on invasive species distributions, plant phenology, climate change impacts, and land use/land cover change.

Bigwood, Laura (Doctoral Student)
Office:  BioPharm 202A
Phone: (860) 486-4458
E-mail: laura.bigwood@uconn.edu
Adams Lab
 

Photo of Sarah Bois Bois, Sarah (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 225A
Phone: (860) 486-4157
E-mail: sarah.treanor@uconn.edu
Silander Lab

Photo of Alyssa Borowske Borowske, Alyssa (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 310A
Phone: (860) 486-3005
E-mail: alyssa.borowske@uconn.edu
Elphick Lab
Ecology, behavior, and conservation of migratory songbirds; influences of life history characteristics and seasonality on causes and consequences of habitat selection and use; saltmarsh (Ammodramus caudacutus) and seaside (Ammodramus maritimus) sparrows on their breeding and wintering grounds

Photo of Vanessa Boukili Boukili, Vanessa (Doctoral Student)
Office:  BioPharm 219
Phone:  (860) 486-0805
E-mail: vanessa.boukili@uconn.edu
Chazdon Lab
Secondary forest regeneration; Neotropical forests; Plant physiology and functional traits; Community ecology. My research will explore the link between plant functional traits and community composition in the neotropics.

Photo of Holly Brown Brown, Holly (Doctoral Student)
Office:  BioPharm 402
Phone: (860) 486-0309
E-mail:  holly.k.brown@uconn.edu
Rubega Lab
Ecology of long-legged wading birds, especially in urban areas; conservation biology; urban science education

Photo of Veronica Bueno Bueno, Veronica (Doctoral Student)
Office: TLS 478
Phone: (860) 486-1882
E-mail: veronica.m.bueno@uconn.edu
Caira Lab
Taxonomy, Systematics and Biogeography of Eucestoda parasites and their elasmobranch hosts. Investigation of co-evolutionary patterns using both morphological and molecular data

Photo of Kevin Burgio Burgio, Kevin (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 402
Phone: (860) 486-3839
E-mail: kevin.burgio@uconn.edu
Rubega Lab
Evidence-based conservation biology; avian behavior, especially the Psitticidae family; invasive species; human/wildlife interactions; ecological modeling.

Photo of Wen Chen Chen, Wen (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 204
Phone: (860) 486-4458
E-mail: wen.chen@uconn.edu
Adams Lab
 

Photo of Laura Cisneros Cisneros, Laura (Doctoral Student)
Office:  CESE 187 Bldg 4 Annex
Phone:  (860) 486-1772
E-mail:  laura.cisneros@uconn.edu
Willig Lab
Community Ecology; Metacommunity Ecology; Landscape Ecology; Animal-Plant Interactions; Impacts of Anthropogenic Disturbance on Wildlife; Neotropical Mammals.

Davis, Justin (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 210
Phone: (860) 486-xxxx
E-mail: justin.p.davis@uconn.edu
Schultz Lab

Photo of Jeffrey Divino Divino, Jeffrey (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 210A
Phone: (860) 486-4694
E-mail: jeffrey.divino@uconn.edu
Schultz Lab
Ecophysiology of threespine sticklebacks: patterns and mechanisms of divergence in osmoregulatory capacity among populations living in different salinities.

Elsensohn, Johanna (BS/MS Student)
Office:  TLS 375
Phone: (860) 486-0858
E-mail: johanna.elsensohn@uconn.edu
Colwell Lab
 

Photo of Christopher Field Field, Christopher (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 310
Phone: (860) 486-3005
E-mail: christopher.field@huskymail.uconn.edu
Elphick Lab
Population biology of salt marsh birds; evidence-based conservation biology; systematic reserve design; ecological modeling, especially using Bayesian methods; evidence-based science communication.

Photo of Geert Goemans Goemans, Geert (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 323
Phone: (860) 486-3947
E-mail: geert.goemans@uconn.edu
Simon Lab
Taxonomy, Systematics, Phylogeny, Biodiversity and Biogeography of the cicada tribe Zammarini. My dissertation research aims to combine morphological, molecular, behavioral, acoustic and biogeographic data to make a monograph of the Neotropical tribe Zammarini. I will also produce (digital) identification keys for male and female specimens that should work both for experts and "amateurs"

Photo of Heidi Golden Golden, Heidi (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 211
Phone: (860) 486-6154
E-mail: heidi.golden@uconn.edu
Urban Lab
Metapopulation dynamics, population genetics and trophic interactions of Arctic freshwater fish.

Photo of Marilyn Gould Gould, Marilyn (BS/MS Student)
Office:  TLS 471
Phone: (860) 486-5503
E-mail:  marilyn.r.gould@uconn.edu
Wagner Lab
I am interested in invertebrate conservation, ecosystem services, community-based conservation and natural resource management, and sustainable development.

Photo of Johana Goyes Vallejos Goyes Vallejos, Johana (Doctoral Student)
Office: TLS 379
Phone: (860) 486-5434
E-mail: johana.goyes-vallejos@uconn.edu
K. Wells Lab
Behavioral ecology and evolution: sexual selection, animal communication, mate choice and predation risk in vertebrates, particularly amphibians.

Photo of Susan Herrick Herrick, Susan (Doctoral Student and Instructor in Residence)
Office: TLS 470
Phone: (860) 486-5662
E-mail: susan.herrick@uconn.edu
K. Wells Lab
Behavioral ecology and herpetology, particularly interested in social behavior and interspecific interactions. Currently working on spatial and acoustic interactions between breeding ranid frogs

Photo of Sara Ann Horwitz Horwitz, Sara Ann (Masters Student)
Office: BioPharm 410A
Phone: (860) 486-4158
E-mail: sara.horwitz@huskymail.uconn.edu
Schwenk Lab
Behavioral ecology, and locomotion in snakes

Ivovic, Milica (Doctoral Student)
Office: 
Phone: 
E-mail: milica.ivovic@uconn.edu
Schlichting Lab

Photo of Hayley Kilroy Mollmann Kilroy Mollmann, Hayley (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 223
Phone: (860) 486-4157
E-mail: hayley.kilroy@uconn.edu
Silander Lab
Plant community ecology, functional ecology, and landscape ecology. Specifically, I am interested in species' distribution/abundance patterns in response to shifting and dynamic climate patterns and human alterations of the landscape. I am currently working on functional traits and dispersal models of plants in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa.

Photo of Ursula King King, Ursula (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 317A
Phone: (860) 486-3937
E-mail: ursula.m.king@uconn.edu
Les Lab

Photo of Brian Klingbeil Klingbeil, Brian (Doctoral Student)
Office: CESE 187 Bldg 4 Annex
Phone: (860) 486-1772
E-mail: brian.klingbeil@uconn.edu
Willig Lab
Landscape ecology, biodiversity monitoring and conservation, effects of landscape structure on population, community, and metacommunity dynamics of bats and birds.

Photo of Kellie Kuhn Kuhn, Kellie (Doctoral Student)
Office:  TLS 375
Phone: (860) 486-0858
E-mail: kellie.kuhn@uconn.edu
Colwell Lab
Plant-animal interactions, coevolution, metacommunity dynamics - specifically, I am interested in how positive species interactions (e.g., mutualistic interactions) influence community structure and dynamics. Currently, I am investigating the interaction between the ant Myrmelachista flavocotea and its obligate host plants Ocotea atirrensis and O. dendrodaphne.

Photo of Lily Lewis Lewis, Lily (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 312A
Phone: (860) 486-6306
E-mail: lily.lewis@uconn.edu
Goffinet Lab
Population genetics and phylogeny of the dung moss genus Tetraplodon

McAloon, Michael (Doctoral Student)
Office: TLS 473
Phone: 
E-mail: michael.mcaloon@uconn.edu
Schaefer Lab
Systematics of the Acari, particularly of the Family Trombiculidae; Digital Taxonomic Resources

Photo of Russell Meister Meister, Russell (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 323
Phone: (860) 486-3947
E-mail:  russell.meister@uconn.edu
Simon Lab
Phylogeny, Systematics, and Coevolution of cicadas and their gut endosymbionts. Also I will also focus on the isolation of bacterial proteins from these symbionts in order to study their function. I also am interested in DNA barcoding.

Photo of James Mickley Mickley, James (Doctoral Student)
Office: TLS 363
Phone: (860) 486-4638
E-mail: james.mickley@uconn.edu
Schlichting Lab
Botany, fire ecology, invasion dynamics, seed banks, modeling, databases and information management, floral selection and the evolutionary significance of merosity in angiosperms.

Photo of Kerri Mocko Mocko, Kerri (Doctoral Student)
Office:  BioPharm 400A
Phone: (860) 486-4027
E-mail: kerri.mocko@uconn.edu
Jones Lab
Evolution of form and function in vascular plants; leaf traits; South African plants and specifically the genus Pelargonium (Geraniaceae)

Photo of Tim Moore Moore, Tim (Doctoral Student)
Office: TLS 363A
Phone: (860) 486-4638
E-mail: timothy.e.moore@uconn.edu
Schlichting Lab
Plant molecular systematics; primarily in its application to questions of adaptation and understanding of the processes that drive inter- and intraspecific variation in functional attributes, as well as the implications these processes may have for ecology and evolution. Focusing on the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa.

Photo of Benjamin Olsen Olsen, Benjamin (Masters Student)
Office: TLS 471
Phone: (860) 486-5503
E-mail: benjamin.olsen@uconn.edu
Wagner Lab
I am interested in a broad range of topics including behavioral ecology of insects; insect conservation, and multi-trophic interactions in the neotropics

Photo of Christopher Owen Owen, Christopher (Doctoral Student)
Office:  TLS 461
Phone:  (860) 486-6650
E-mail: christopher.l.owen@uconn.edu
Simon Lab
Phylogenetics/Phylogenomics; Systematics; Transcriptomics; Diversification; Biogeography; Speciation. My dissertation research aims to combine molecular, morphological, spatial, and climate data to explore the processes that contribute to the radiation of the Australian cicada genus Pauropsalta throughout Australia to become one of the most diverse and successful groups of Australian cicadas.

Photo of Summer Payne Payne, Summer (BS/MS Student)
Office: 
Phone: (860) 486-1811
E-mail: summer.payne@uconn.edu
Jones Lab
Overall, my focus is in renewable energy as a means to a sustainable future. With the help of Dr. Louise Lewis, I’m researching how to culture green algae to use as a source for renewable fuel. And my internship is with a coal-powered utility that is undergoing changes to be powered by municipal solid waste instead.

Photo of Jessica Phillips Phillips, Jessica (Doctoral Student)
Office:  TLS 479B
Phone: (860) 486-5479
E-mail: jessica.phillips@uconn.edu
Henry Lab
Behavioral ecology and evolution, particularly of insects in the order Neuroptera

Photo of Maria Pickering Pickering, Maria (Doctoral Student)
Office:  TLS 480
Phone: (860) 486-1882
E-mail: maria.pickering@uconn.edu
Caira Lab

Potts, Carrie (BS/MS Student)
Office: 
Phone: (860) 486-xxxx
E-mail: carrie.potts@uconn.edu
Holsinger Lab
 

Photo of Kasey Celene Pregler Pregler, Kasey Celene (BS/MS Student)
Office:  BioPharm 210A
Phone: (860) 486-4694
E-mail: kasey.pregler@uconn.edu
Schultz Lab

Photo of Jessica Rack Rack, Jessica (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 211
Phone: (860) 486-6154
E-mail: jessica.rack@uconn.edu
Urban Lab
Predator-prey chemical signaling in amphibians; coevolution; differences in behavioral responses to chemical cues on a spatial scale.

Photo of Hamid Razyfard Razyfard, Hamid (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 319
Phone: (860) 486-3937
E-mail: hamid.razyfard@uconn.edu
Les Lab
Angiosperm systematics, phylogeny, and population genetics; particularly in Elatine L. (Elatinaceae), a genus of aquatic herbs.

Photo of Sarah Redmond Redmond, Sarah (Doctoral Student)
Office: 
Phone: (203) 251-8530
E-mail: sarah.redmond@uconn.edu
Yarish Lab
Ecophysiology of marine macroalgae, development of mariculture techniques for native seaweed species

Photo of Alejandro Rico Guevara Rico Guevara, Alejandro (Doctoral Student)
Office:  Pharmacy/Biology 404
Phone: (860) 486-0309
E-mail: a.rico@uconn.edu
Rubega Lab
My investigation is aimed at solving questions pertaining to the link between feeding mechanisms and social systems of tropical nectarivores. Currently I have three research lines: sexually-dimorphic weapons, biophysical modeling of nectar intake, and evolutionary convergences on nectarivorous birds' feeding mechanisms including related morphological traits.

Rock-Blake, Rachel Esther (Doctoral Student)
Office:  BioPharm 405
Phone: (860) 486-4027
E-mail: r.rockblake@gmail.com
Jones Lab

Photo of Robert Roehm Roehm, Robert (BS/MS Student)
Office:  BioPharm 211
Phone: (860) 486-6154
E-mail: robert.roehm@uconn.edu
Urban Lab
Conservation biology with interests in herpetology and entomology. Researching amphibian conservation, looking at the effects of the spatial configuration of land development on species richness in temporary pools.

Photo of William Ryerson Ryerson, William (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 412
Phone: (860) 486-4158
E-mail: william.ryerson@uconn.edu
Schwenk Lab
Vertebrate morphology, physiology and biomechanics, particularly the form and function of animal movement, and how these principles change through ontgony and evolution.

Rymsza, Kathryn Lynn (Masters Student)
Office:  BioPharm 405
Phone: (860) 486-4027
E-mail: kathryn.rymsza@uconn.edu
Jones Lab

Photo of Manette Sandor Sandor, Manette (Masters Student)
Office: BioPharm 219A
Phone: (860) 486-7955
E-mail: manette.sandor@uconn.edu
Chazdon Lab
Community ecology of tropical tree communities; secondary forest regeneration; Neotropical forests; biodiversity.

Photo of Katherine Shaw Shaw, Katherine (Doctoral Student)
Office: TLS 364
Phone: (860) 486-4638
E-mail: katherine.shaw@uconn.edu
Schlichting Lab
Phenotypic plasticity, behavioral ecology and mating systems -- more specifically, behavioral and color plasticity related to alternative mating tactics and geographic variation in behavior of the Threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus).

Photo of Frank Smith Smith, Frank (Doctoral Student)
Office:  BioPharm 322A
Phone: (860) 486-6215
E-mail: frank.smith@uconn.edu
Jockusch Lab
The evolution and development of appendages and other body plan components of the super-phylum Panarthropoda. I have adopted a comparative approach using the flour beetles Tribolium castaneum, T. confusum, T. brevicornis, and Latheticus oryzae, and the tardigrade Hypsibius dujardini for my investigations

Photo of Diego Sustaita Sustaita, Diego (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 402
Phone: (860) 486-0309
E-mail: diego.sustaita@uconn.edu
Rubega Lab
Functional morphology and biomechanics of feeding in predatory birds - specifically raptors and shrikes - and the role of performance in linking morphology to feeding ecology.

Photo of Kelly Tardif Tardif, Kelly (BS/MS Student)
Office: BioPharm 402
Phone: (860) 486-3839
E-mail:  kelly.tardif@uconn.edu
Rubega Lab
Animal behavior in captive environments, particularly mammals, and the use of research and captive breeding to manage endangered species.

Photo of Elizabeth Timpe Timpe, Elizabeth (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 322A
Phone: (860) 486-6215
E-mail: elizabeth.timpe@uconn.edu
Jockusch Lab
Herpetology; Speciation; Phylogeography/Phylogenetics; Biogeography; Systematics; Animal Behavior. Specifically, I am investigating the evolutionary, ecological, and behavioral factors that promote the divergence of populations and diversification of species of plethodontid salamanders in the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

Photo of Jonathan Velotta Velotta, Jonathan (Doctoral Student)
Office:  BioPharm 210
Phone: (860) 486-4694
E-mail: jonathan.velotta@uconn.edu
Schultz Lab
Microevolution and ontogeny of the osmoregulatory system in an anadromous shad known as the alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus).

Photo of Elizabeth Wade Wade, Elizabeth (Doctoral Student)
Office:  BioPharm 323A
Phone: (860) 486-3947
E-mail: elizabeth.wade@uconn.edu
Simon Lab
Speciation, adaptive radiation and hybridization in the New Zealand cicada genus Kikihia.

Photo of Amanda Wendt Wendt, Amanda (Doctoral Student)
Office:  BioPharm 217A
Phone: (860) 486-0805
E-mail: amanda.wendt@uconn.edu
Chazdon Lab

Photo of Yingying Xie Xie, Yingying (Doctoral Student)
Office: BioPharm 223A
Phone: (860) 486-4157
E-mail: yingying.xie@uconn.edu
Silander Lab
Global change ecology and plant phenology. Now I am working on comparison of phenological responses to climate change between New England and East Asia, and using cameras to monitor plant canopy phenological events.

Photo of Brigette Zacharczenko Zacharczenko, Brigette (Doctoral Student)
Office: TLS 471
Phone: (860) 486-5503
E-mail: brigette.zacharczenko@uconn.edu
Wagner Lab
Invertebrate systematics, speciation, and developmental biology. Evolutionary biology of the noctuid moth genus Acronicta with a focus on larval mimicry complexes, and changes in morphology and behavior between instars.


57 people total