|
|
|
Faculty
![]() |
Brian Darby
Soils are filled with an incredible diversity of life; many of the animals are too small to be seen with the naked eye but are important for ecosystem functioning nonetheless. Dr. Darby's research seeks to understand the ecology of these soil organisms, what genes and genome aspects are important for their life underground, and how they influence soil and ecosystem processes. Research projects are at the intersection of ecology and genomics and include field, laboratory, microscopy, molecular, genomic, and computational approaches
|
Jeffrey Carmichael
Dr. Carmichael's interests include various aspects of plant reproductive biology that emphasize structure and function in higher plants. Dr. Carmichael's recent structural studies have focused on the reproductive biology of invasive weeds. |
|
|
Richard Crawford (Emeritus)
Dr. Crawford's research program in the past has dealt mainly with ecology and restoration of wetlands and prairies and their associated avifauna. Recently, research projects on the ecology of native prairie and prairie passerines have been undertaken as well. |
. |
 |
Susan Ellis-Felege
Dr. Felege's research focuses primarily on game bird ecology and management and predator-prey interactions. Her lab is interested in how land use, such as energy development and agricultural practices in the region, impact breeding birds and interactions between these birds and the predator community. Dr. Felege employs a variety of field, lab, and analytical techniques to answer these ecological questions and inform management decisions.
|
|
Brett Goodwin
Dr. Goodwin's research interests include landscape and spatial ecology, measuring and modeling animal movement, insect population responses to landscape spatial structure, and the role of space in predator-prey and parasite-host interactions. He approaches these questions using observational, experimental and simulation modeling techniques. |
 |
|
|
Steven Kelsch
Dr. Kelsch's research interests include applied and basic fish ecology, fisheries management, physiological ecology of fishes, and bioinformatics (using GIS and the Internet). He conducts research in the field and laboratory and primarily studies the effects of environmental factors on fish populations and communities. |
Robert Newman
Dr. Newman's primary research interest is in the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of populations in variable environments. His current focus is on population and metapopulation dynamics, population genetics, and life history evolution of amphibians. |
 |
 |
Steven Ralph
Research projects in Dr. Ralph's lab focus on understanding interactions between forest trees and insect pests and consist of laboratory, greenhouse and field work. A broad range of techniques are employed in the lab including microarray transcript profiling, quantitative real-time PCR, biochemical assays for protein characterization, RNA interference to modulate gene expression, and bioassays for insect performance. Students will have an opportunity to conduct research that spans multiple disciplines including plant genomics, molecular biology, biochemistry, forest tree biology and ecology. |
 |
Dr. Rhen's research interests include the evolution and development of gender. He examines both theoretical and empirical aspects of sex determination, sexual differentiation, and reproductive biology in vertebrates.
|
Isaac Schlosser
Dr. Schlosser studies population and community dynamics of fishes in spatially and temporally variable landscapes, ecology of clonal organisms in successional landscapes, and conservation biology. |
 |
 |
Dr. Simmons' research interests include the evolution and systematics of tiger moths.
|
 |
Dr. Tkach's research interests include molecular and traditional systematics, ultrastructure, host specificity and geographic distribution of helminths of wild animals, and life cycles of parasitic worms and their circulation in nature.
|
|
|
Jefferson Vaughan
Dr. Vaughn's primary research interests are with the various insects and ticks that can transmit disease organisms to humans, livestock and wildlife. Specific interests center on the acquisition and maintenance of pathogenic organisms by vector arthropods and the effects that host blood components can exert on vector arthropods and the pathogens developing within them. |
 |
|
Kathryn Yurkonis
Dr. Yurkonis' research program combines aspects of plant community and restoration ecology. She is broadly interested in how plant communities assemble and change through time and her research focuses on addressing this question though greenhouse and field experimental approaches. |
|
Updated 09/9/11
|
|
|
