Graduate and undergraduate research students &
Postdoctoral Researchers
updated October 2012


  Lab members, Spring 2011.  From left:  Daniel Simoes; Joe Fader; Katie Westby; Jen Breaux; S. Juliano; Paul O'Neal; Ebony Murrell   

RECENT AWARDS WON BY MY GRADUATE STUDENTS 
Two of my recent graduate students,
Ebony Murrell (PhD 2012) and Joe Fader (MS 2011),
have won awards for best presentation at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America.  For more on these awards, click here.

Banu Kesavaraju, in the field                          
Banu Kesavaraju, in the field                                                                                

Current graduate students and their research

Jennifer Breaux Ph.D. Student.  Ecoimmunology of mosquitoes and its role in vector-borne disease.
Katie Westby Ph.D. Student.  Community ecology of mosquitoes and transmission of LaCrosse encephalitis
Geoff Ower  Ph.D. Student.  Mosquito ecology and disease transmission; modeling

 

Jillian Chamberlain M.S. Student.  Sex and diet effects on anti-predator behavior of Aedes larvae
Molly Schumacher M.S. Student. Mate choice and parasitism in mosquitoes.
Jake Williams New MS student

Undergraduate research students and their research

Alex Pakula  Comparison of the values of different Aedes larvae as prey for Corethrella
Tyler Malone 
Density-dependent parasitism
Patrick McCormick  Water level fluctuation and competition among mosquitoes
Graham Niswander  Water level fluctuation and competition among mosquitoes
Kris McIntire Pattern of mortality and overcompensation by populations

Some recent Post docs and graduate students who have moved on

Post docs

John Hatle, Postdoctoral researcher worked with me, David Borst, and Doug Whitman on reproductive tactics of  lubber grasshoppers. Now Associate Professor of Biology at University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL.

Paul Leisnham. Ph.D. University of Otago, New Zealand.  Postdoctoral researcher:  Ecology of invasion by Aedes albopictus and mechanisms of coexistence among competing mosquitoes. Now Assistant Professor, Environmental Sciences, University of Maryland

Jason Jannot.  Ph.D. Purdue University, Indiana.  Postdoctoral researcher:  Mechanisms and fitness consequences of life history variation in insects.  Jason also worked with the CRUI coPIs Doug Whitman, Dave Borst, and Olcay Akman.  Now a Fisheries researcher with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Seattle

Bruce Noden.  Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University, Maryland.  Postdoctoral Researchers: indirect effects of competition on A. japonicus, and effects of competition among larvae on Aedes aegypti vector competence for Brugia.  Now in a faculty position in the Department of Health Sciences, Polytechnic of Namibia
Bruce will be starting a faculty position in Entomology at Oklahoma State University in August 2013

Kyoko Futami.  Ph.D. Hokaido University.  Visiting Scholar 2011.  Research Assistant Professor, Nagasaki University.

 

Graduate students

Ebony Murrell, MS 2007, PhD 2012.  Now post doc at University of Wisconsin.
Daniel Simoes Visiting Ph.D. Student; Returned to University of Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil and complete his degree 2012.  Now post doctoral researcher at Floianopolis, Brazil. 
Colleen Stephens MS 2011 Data analyst, Germany
Joe Fader MS 2011. Field biologist, San Diego Natural History Museum, among many other things
Paul O'Neal  MS. 2011. Biology instructor at community college.
Esther Dubrovsky  MS 2010 Now in Seattle.
Kavitha Damal, Ph.D. 2009 (co-advised by Sabine Loew Now post doctoral researcher in molecular genetics at University of Utah
Banugopan Kesavaraju , Ph.D. 2007.  Post Doc at Rutgers; Now  researcher with Salt Lake City Mosquito Control
Donald Yee, Ph.D. 2006. Post Doctoral researcher at University of Calgary; Now Assistant Professor, Biology, University of Southern Mississippi.
Mary Lee, M.S. 2004. DVM University of Illinois.
 Now a veterinarian in Colorado
Katie Costanzo, M.S. 2002.  Ph.D. in Biology at University of Buffalo; Post Doc, Illinois Natural History Survey;
                          Now Assistant Professor, Biology, Canisius College
Brianna Waters
, M.S. 2000. Now PhD student at Washington State University, Vancouver,
                                           and Instructor at Mt. Hood College
Matthew Daugherty, M.S. 2000.   Ph.D. 2007, Biology at University of California, Berkeley;
                           Post doctoral researcher at Berkeley, 
                           Now Assistant Professor, Entomology, University of California, Riverside
Barry Alto, M.S. 2000. Ph.D. 2006 in Entomology, University of Florida.  Post Doctoral Researcher at Yale; 
                           Now
Assistant Professor, Florida Medical Entomology Lab, University of Florida

Stephen Van Rhein, M.S. 1999. Now working for the State of Missouri Department of Conservation
Scott Hegrenes, Ph.D. 1999. Now Co-Director, Environmental Science Program, Assistant
                            Professor of Biology, & Director of Discovery Program, Carthage College, Kenosha WI

Marc Gravel, M.S. 1997, now employed by State Farm Insurance Co.
Andrea Aspbury, M.S. 1997, Ph.D. in Biology at University of Nebraska 2002, Now Research Assistant Professor at Texas State University
Michael Nannini, M.S. 1996, Ph.D. 2001, Biology, Brigham Young University, Post doc with EPA,
                             
Now Assistant Director, Sam Parr Biological Station,  Illinois Natural History Survey
Lisa Turek, M.S. 1997 whereabouts unknown
Pascale Leonard, Technician 1992-1993, Ph.D. 2002, Biology, University of New Mexico;
                            
Now a scientist with New Mexico Department of Health
Tony Frankino, M.S. 1993, Ph.D. 2000, Biology,  Indiana University, Post Doc at University of North Carolina; 
                          Post Doc in The Netherlands; Post Doc at Princeton;
Now Assistant Professor at University of Houston
Laura Hechtel, Ph.D. 1993, Now Assistant Professor, D'Youville College, Buffalo
 

Some recent undergraduate research students who have moved on

Jake Williams  Graduating May 2013; entering MS program in Biological Sciences at ISU
Alex Moss continunig student
Stefani
Brandt Summer intern with Student Conservation Corps, Yosemite
Nathan Hoover  Working on an organic farm, Colorado
Corey Jordan
Computer tech, University of Nebraska
Alex Ko. 
MS Winthrop University, SC; Entering PhD program in Entomology at NC State Univ.
Scott Chism
.  Now M.S. student at Southern Illinois University
Dustin Herrmann. 
Now PhD student, University of California Davis
Mickayla Bennett,
 MS Illinois State University; Now works for Monsanto
Eileen Bader,
Now an MS student at Miami University
Jessica Brinton,
Now Field Organizer for Environment California
Eric Stone, Now an MS student in Anthropology at Iowa State University
Lindsey Kling, Now a Nursing student at Illinois State university
Linsey Sala,
Now an MS student in Biology at San Diego State University
Amanda Solliday,
MS in Agronomy at Cornell; Now doing ecological risk assessment for the federal government
Carlos Villanueva,
Entered Seminary school at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary (really)
Rachel Homeny,
Now in Veterinary School, Ohio State University
Danielle Tomevi,
Now in  Medical School, University of Illinois
Sarah Hohm, Technician in Biology at Washington University
Kim Mormann, graduate school in Biology
Eshani Gunawardene, Now in veterinary school at Arizona
Jessica Davis,
M.S. (2003) in Health Sciences at Illinois State University; now on the job market

Jennifer Olson, Now a MS student in Biology at Ohio State University

Crystal Jones,
Now a MS student in Conservation at SUNY Albany
Lindsay Luker, Now an Optometry Student
Michael Crowley, Now teaching high school biology
Rachel deFreese, unknown

Brian Stannis, now at Abbott Laboratories in their Hospital Products Division.
Virginia Flanagin, PhD from Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology
Leah Harting, now in Physician's Assistant School, Midwestern University, Downer's Grove, Illinois
Barry Flanary, M.S. (2001) Biological Sciences, Illinois State University; 
                         PhD (2005) Molecular Biology, University of Florida

Christopher Grill, Ph.D. (1998) Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kentucky; Post Doc at University of Hawaii
Gregory Moehrlin, Taught high school biology in the Chicago area; Entered Medical School at University of Illinois.
Steven Haase, DVM from University of Illinois
Jeneen Morrill, DVM (2002) from University of Illinois
Kelly Fabish, DVM (2002) from University of Illinois
 

Ascogregarina barretti