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:
Madeline Thompson
Maddy is from Mankato, Minnesota. She completed her bachelor's degree in standard biology at North Dakota State University. She is a MA student in the lab, and she is planning on going to Veterinary School after graduating. In her free time, Maddy enjoys hanging out outside or at the mall.
Maddy is from Mankato, Minnesota. She completed her bachelor's degree in standard biology at North Dakota State University. She is a MA student in the lab, and she is planning on going to Veterinary School after graduating. In her free time, Maddy enjoys hanging out outside or at the mall.
Zachary Shamblin
Zach is from Charleston, West Virginia. His undergrad research was performed here, in the Marshall University Herbarium. He is a MS student in the lab, and his areas of research include herbarium informatics and plant ecology. He devotes his free time to his newly acquired hobby of woodworking, reading, and playing video games.
Zach is from Charleston, West Virginia. His undergrad research was performed here, in the Marshall University Herbarium. He is a MS student in the lab, and his areas of research include herbarium informatics and plant ecology. He devotes his free time to his newly acquired hobby of woodworking, reading, and playing video games.
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.
Undergraduate students:
Abagail Parker
Abagail is from Fort Gay, West Virginia. She is a junior Clinical Exercise Physiology major with an emphasis on pre-med. Her plans for the future consist of getting into medical school and becoming an emergency medicine physician. In her free time she loves to enjoy the outdoors, volunteering at local hospitals, and listening to music.
Abagail joined the lab in Spring 2021; she is working with WV bees. She was awarded a Creative Discovery and Research Award to work with yellow-masked bees during the Fall 2021.
Abagail is from Fort Gay, West Virginia. She is a junior Clinical Exercise Physiology major with an emphasis on pre-med. Her plans for the future consist of getting into medical school and becoming an emergency medicine physician. In her free time she loves to enjoy the outdoors, volunteering at local hospitals, and listening to music.
Abagail joined the lab in Spring 2021; she is working with WV bees. She was awarded a Creative Discovery and Research Award to work with yellow-masked bees during the Fall 2021.
Rachael Caudill
Rachael is from Barboursville, West Virginia. She is a sophomore, biological science major with emphasis in pre-med. In the future, she plans to attend medical school. Her dream is to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. As a member of Delta Zeta, she serves as Vice President of Membership Development in the Marshall University Panhellenic counsel. In her free time, she enjoys reading, tutoring, and traveling.
Rachael joined the lab in Spring 2021; she is looking into the pollen preferences of two closely-related species of long-horned bees. She was awarded a Creative Discovery and Research Award to continue with this research during the Fall 2021.
Rachael is from Barboursville, West Virginia. She is a sophomore, biological science major with emphasis in pre-med. In the future, she plans to attend medical school. Her dream is to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. As a member of Delta Zeta, she serves as Vice President of Membership Development in the Marshall University Panhellenic counsel. In her free time, she enjoys reading, tutoring, and traveling.
Rachael joined the lab in Spring 2021; she is looking into the pollen preferences of two closely-related species of long-horned bees. She was awarded a Creative Discovery and Research Award to continue with this research during the Fall 2021.
Rebecca Foy
Rebecca is from Aurora, West Virginia, and this is her third year at Marshall. She is majoring in Biological Science with minors in Chemistry and Spanish. When she has free time, she enjoys poetry, playing flute and banjo, and hiking. She is still exploring careers, but her goal is to find one that combines her love of learning, science, and the great outdoors.
Rebecca joined the lab during the Summer of 2021 as part of the Consortium for Plant Invasion Genomics REU. She is studying how Bipolaris fungal infection affects the invasive Japanese Stiltgrass.
Rebecca is from Aurora, West Virginia, and this is her third year at Marshall. She is majoring in Biological Science with minors in Chemistry and Spanish. When she has free time, she enjoys poetry, playing flute and banjo, and hiking. She is still exploring careers, but her goal is to find one that combines her love of learning, science, and the great outdoors.
Rebecca joined the lab during the Summer of 2021 as part of the Consortium for Plant Invasion Genomics REU. She is studying how Bipolaris fungal infection affects the invasive Japanese Stiltgrass.
Payton Stamper
Payton is from Chapmanville, West Virginia. She is a junior at Marshall University where she is majoring in Biological Sciences with minors in Chemistry and Military science and with an emphasis in pre-med. Her plans for the future are going to medical school and commissioning into the Army as a medical officer. She is a member of the ROTC where she will commission as an officer upon completion of her bachelor's degree. In her free time, she enjoys knitting, reading, and traveling.
Payton joined the lab in the Fall 2021 as a Creative Discovery and Research Awardee. She is looking into the plants used by alfalfa leaf-cutter bees for nest construction.
Payton is from Chapmanville, West Virginia. She is a junior at Marshall University where she is majoring in Biological Sciences with minors in Chemistry and Military science and with an emphasis in pre-med. Her plans for the future are going to medical school and commissioning into the Army as a medical officer. She is a member of the ROTC where she will commission as an officer upon completion of her bachelor's degree. In her free time, she enjoys knitting, reading, and traveling.
Payton joined the lab in the Fall 2021 as a Creative Discovery and Research Awardee. She is looking into the plants used by alfalfa leaf-cutter bees for nest construction.
