Dr. Pamela Puppo
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences
Curator, Marshall University Herbarium (MUHW)
pamela.puppo[at]marshall.edu
Ph.D. University of Porto and University of Lisbon, Portugal
M.Sc. University of Missouri-St. Louis and the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO
B.S. Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima, Peru
I am intrigued by the different factors that facilitate the rapid diversification of species. To try to understand this, I combine different approaches such as taxonomy, biogeography, phylogenetics, population genetics, and genomics. For several years I have been studying how the geological history of an island, inter-island colonization and hybridization affect the diversification process of insular taxa. I have been studying this in genus Micromeria (Lamiaceae) in the Canary Islands using morphometric analyses, single nuclear markers, microsatellites, and RADseq. My taxonomical research has been mostly focused on the Andean genus Calceolaria (Calceolariaceae), on its distribution and species limits. More recently, I am exploring the applications of metabarcoding to study plant-pollinators interactions.
Graduate Students:
Moses Shafer
Moses is from Parkersburg, West Virginia. He completed his Bachelors in Environmental Science from Marshall University in 2019. Since then he has been roaming through the White Mountains of New Hampshire, catching frogs in wetlands, and living out of a truck in the Northwest. He is a MS student in the lab, and his research interests are pollinator/plant ecology and the way fire interacts with ecosystems. In his spare time, he likes baking, carving spoons, birding, mushroom foraging, trail running, backpacking, and skiing.
Moses is from Parkersburg, West Virginia. He completed his Bachelors in Environmental Science from Marshall University in 2019. Since then he has been roaming through the White Mountains of New Hampshire, catching frogs in wetlands, and living out of a truck in the Northwest. He is a MS student in the lab, and his research interests are pollinator/plant ecology and the way fire interacts with ecosystems. In his spare time, he likes baking, carving spoons, birding, mushroom foraging, trail running, backpacking, and skiing.
Abagail Parker
Abagail is from Fort Gay, West Virginia. She completed her Bachelors in Clinical Exercise Physiology with an emphasis on pre-med at Marshall in Summer 2022. Abagail joined the lab as an undergrad in Spring 2021, and is currently a MA student in the lab. Her plans for the future consist of getting into PA school. In her free time she loves to enjoy the outdoors, volunteering at local hospitals, and listening to music.
Abagail is from Fort Gay, West Virginia. She completed her Bachelors in Clinical Exercise Physiology with an emphasis on pre-med at Marshall in Summer 2022. Abagail joined the lab as an undergrad in Spring 2021, and is currently a MA student in the lab. Her plans for the future consist of getting into PA school. In her free time she loves to enjoy the outdoors, volunteering at local hospitals, and listening to music.
Undergraduate students:
Hamza Jafary
Hamza is from Beckley, West Virginia. He is a junior majoring in Biology and hopes to go to medical school and also become a professor at some point. In his free time, he enjoys going for hikes, playing sports, watching movies or tv shows, and playing video games.
Hamza joined the lab in Spring 2022 to learn more about molecular methods. He has been helping with DNA extraction of pollen loads.
Hamza is from Beckley, West Virginia. He is a junior majoring in Biology and hopes to go to medical school and also become a professor at some point. In his free time, he enjoys going for hikes, playing sports, watching movies or tv shows, and playing video games.
Hamza joined the lab in Spring 2022 to learn more about molecular methods. He has been helping with DNA extraction of pollen loads.
Jacob Webb
Jacob is from Fort Gay, West Virginia. He is a junior going into his senior year, and is a biology major with a wildlife focus. In the future he plans to work as a wildlife and field biologist. In his free time, Jacob likes to run, hike and spend time outside.
Jacob joined the lab as a technician in Summer 2022 doing field surveys on plant communities and bumble bees. He is currently working at the Marshall University Herbarium, mainly digitizing specimens.
Jacob is from Fort Gay, West Virginia. He is a junior going into his senior year, and is a biology major with a wildlife focus. In the future he plans to work as a wildlife and field biologist. In his free time, Jacob likes to run, hike and spend time outside.
Jacob joined the lab as a technician in Summer 2022 doing field surveys on plant communities and bumble bees. He is currently working at the Marshall University Herbarium, mainly digitizing specimens.
Erica Edinger
Erica is from Wheeling, West Virginia. She is a first year student majoring in Biological Sciences while minoring in Chemistry and GIS. In the future, she would like to work as a field biologist. In her spare time, Erica enjoys hiking, reading, sewing, and baking.
Erica joined the lab in Fall 2022. She is part of the First 2 Network and is helping with transcription of the Marshall University Herbarium and learning to do DNA extractions from pollen loads in the lab.
Erica is from Wheeling, West Virginia. She is a first year student majoring in Biological Sciences while minoring in Chemistry and GIS. In the future, she would like to work as a field biologist. In her spare time, Erica enjoys hiking, reading, sewing, and baking.
Erica joined the lab in Fall 2022. She is part of the First 2 Network and is helping with transcription of the Marshall University Herbarium and learning to do DNA extractions from pollen loads in the lab.
Lab Alumni:
- Zachary (Zach) Shamblin, MS in Biological Sciences 2022. Present: Herbarium Curatorial Assistant, Claude E. Phillips Herbarium, Delaware State University.
- John Mamas, Senior, Chatham University. John was an undergrad working in the lab during Summer 2022 as part of the Consortium for Plant Invasion Genomics (CPING) REU.
- Madeline (Maddy) Thompson, MA in Biological Sciences 2022. Present: Certified Research Coordinator, Axis Clinicals, MN.
- Rebecca Foy, BS in Biological Sciences 2022. Present: Biology Technician, Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Rebecca was an undergraduate in the lab from summer 2021 until her graduation in Spring 2022.
- Rachael Caudill, Senior, Biological Sciences. Rachael was an undergrad in the lab from Spring 2021 to Spring 2022.
- Payton Stamper, Senior, Biological Sciences. Payton worked in the lab during Fall 2021 as a Creative Discovery Awardee.
