I am intrigued by the different factors that facilitate rapid species' diversifications. 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 RAD-sequencing. I am a taxonomist at heart specializing in Canarian Micromeria and the Andean genus Calceolaria (Calceolariaceae). More recently, I am exploring the applications of metabarcoding and environmental DNA to study plant-pollinator interactions.
Graduate Students:
Rebecca Foy
Rebecca Foy is from Aurora, West Virginia, and earned a degree in Biological Sciences from Marshall University in 2022. She was an undergraduate in the lab from summer 2021 until her graduation in Spring 2022. After graduating, she spent a year exploring careers in research and conservation. She battled invasive plants, performed biological surveys, and led environmental education at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, then waded through mudflats studying marine worms in Acadia National Park. She has returned to Marshall to study native bees and pursue her love of learning. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, poetry, making art, and spending time with family.
Erica Edinger
Erica is from Wheeling, West Virginia. She is majoring in Biological Sciences whith a minor in GIS. She is currently doing the Accelerated Master's Degree in Biological Sciences. As part of her dissertation, she will be using eDNA to detect wood-boring beetles. Erica is part of the First 2 Network and joined the lab in Fall 2022. In the future, she would like to work as a field biologist. In her spare time, Erica enjoys hiking, reading, sewing, and baking.
Undergraduate students:
Clara Minnich
Clara is from Charleston, West Virginia. She is a third-year student majoring in biology with a minor in professional writing. She plans to pursue work as a field biologist. When she has free time, she likes to write, and spend time with her family. Clara joined the lab in Spring 2023 and is currently a student-worker at the Marshall University Herbarium.
Lab Alumni:
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Moses Shafer, MS in Biological Sciences 2024. Present: Staff Scientist, Alliance Consulting Inc., Beckley, WV.
Abagail Parker, MA in Biological Sciences 2024. Present: Research Assistant, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Mary Zulauf, MA in Biological Sciences 2024.
Zachary (Zach) Shamblin, MS in Biological Sciences 2022. Present: Herbarium Curatorial Assistant, Claude E. Phillips Herbarium, Delaware State University.
Madeline (Maddy) Thompson, MA in Biological Sciences 2022. Present: Clinical Research Coordinator at Minnesota Clinical Study Center, Blaine, MN.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Anthony Siminski, major in Environmental Sciences. Anthony helped with digitization of the fungi collection at the Marshall University Herbarium during the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters.
Addison Bounds, major in Biological Sciences. Addison helped with transcription of the Marshall University Herbarium during the Spring 2023.
Hamza Jafary, BS in Biological Sciences 2023. Present: West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg. Hamza was an undergraduate in the lab from Spring 2021 until his graduation in Spring 2023.
Jacob Webb, BS in Biological Sciences 2023. Present: Forestry Technician, Forest Service, Pedro, OH. Jacob was an undergraduate in the lab from Summer 2022 until his graduation in Spring 2023.
John Mamas, Environmental Science, Chatham University, PA. John was an undergrad working in the lab during Summer 2022 as part of the Consortium for Plant Invasion Genomics (CPING) REU.
Rachael Caudill, BS in Biological Sciences 2023. Rachael was an undergrad in the lab from Spring 2021 to Spring 2022.
Payton Stamper, BS in Biological Sciences 2023. Payton worked in the lab during Fall 2021 as a Creative Discovery Awardee.