Former Post Docs
Lalasia Bialic-Murphy
Research Assistant Professor (UT Knoxville)
Lalasia's research is centered on investigating the underpinning mechanisms that structure the spatial distribution and abundance of organisms, with a particular interest in vascular plants. Her current work is focused on using long-term manipulative field experiments and integral projection modeling to test prominent invasion hypotheses, including enemy release and mutualism disruption. Lalasia is also evaluating the link between physiological traits and plant fitness (i.e., population growth rate) to gain a mechanistic understanding of why some species are more successful than others at persisting in degraded landscape.
Research Assistant Professor (UT Knoxville)
Lalasia's research is centered on investigating the underpinning mechanisms that structure the spatial distribution and abundance of organisms, with a particular interest in vascular plants. Her current work is focused on using long-term manipulative field experiments and integral projection modeling to test prominent invasion hypotheses, including enemy release and mutualism disruption. Lalasia is also evaluating the link between physiological traits and plant fitness (i.e., population growth rate) to gain a mechanistic understanding of why some species are more successful than others at persisting in degraded landscape.
Priya Voothuluru
Postdoctoral Research Associate (UT Knoxville)
Email
Priya is interested in understanding the molecular and physiological mechanisms that modify plant growth and development under water stress. She comes to the Kalisz lab from University of Missouri, where she did her Ph.D. and post-doctoral research on root growth regulation under water deficit conditions. In her current position, she will be working on understanding whether the mutualism disruption of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and the native species, caused by the allelopathic invasive species Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard), affects the growth and survival of native species. She is particularly interested in evaluating the consequences of mutualism disruption on photosynthesis, carbon allocation dynamics and water use efficiency of native perennial plants.
Postdoctoral Research Associate (UT Knoxville)
Priya is interested in understanding the molecular and physiological mechanisms that modify plant growth and development under water stress. She comes to the Kalisz lab from University of Missouri, where she did her Ph.D. and post-doctoral research on root growth regulation under water deficit conditions. In her current position, she will be working on understanding whether the mutualism disruption of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and the native species, caused by the allelopathic invasive species Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard), affects the growth and survival of native species. She is particularly interested in evaluating the consequences of mutualism disruption on photosynthesis, carbon allocation dynamics and water use efficiency of native perennial plants.
Mason Heberling
Assistant Curator of Botany
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
4400 Forbes Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Website
Email
Mason was a postdoc in the lab from 2015-2018. He was an NSF postdoctoral fellow at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History co-advised by Steve Tonsor and Susan Kalisz. Before that, he was a postdoc in the lab focusing on the deer effects and invasion research in lab, and still remains actively involved in this research. He is now using herbarium specimens to understand trait changes in native and invasive species over the past century.
Assistant Curator of Botany
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
4400 Forbes Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Website
Mason was a postdoc in the lab from 2015-2018. He was an NSF postdoctoral fellow at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History co-advised by Steve Tonsor and Susan Kalisz. Before that, he was a postdoc in the lab focusing on the deer effects and invasion research in lab, and still remains actively involved in this research. He is now using herbarium specimens to understand trait changes in native and invasive species over the past century.
Rachel Spigler
Assistant Professor of Biology
Temple University
Bio-Life Building
1900 N. 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
Tel: 215-204-8855
Website
Email
Assistant Professor of Biology
Temple University
Bio-Life Building
1900 N. 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
Tel: 215-204-8855
Website
Donna W. Vogler
Associate Professor of Biology SUNY College at Oneonta 116 Science Building 1 108 Ravine Parkway Oneonta, NY 13820 Tel.: 607-436-3705 Website Katri Kärkkäinen Professor The Finnish Forest Research Institute Muhos Research Unit Kirkkosaarentie 7, FI-91500 Muhos, Finland Tel.: 358 10 211 3767 Fax: 358 10 211 3701 Website Tingshuang Yi Key Laboratory of Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography Kunming Institute of Botany Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming, Yunnan 650204 People's Republic of China |
Frances Hanzawa
Associate Professor of Biology Pomona College R. C. Seaver Biology Building, Room 113 175 W Sixh Street Claremont, CA 91711 Tel.: 909-621-8601 Website Xavier Pico Associate Professor of Research Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC) Avda. María Luisa s/n - Pabellón del Perú 41013 Sevilla, Spain Tel.: 34 95 423 2340 / 187 Fax: 34 95 462 1125 Website |
Former Graduate Students
Alex Faidiga
MS Fall 2021 (UT Knoxville)
Email
Alex joined the Kalisz lab in Fall 2019. She is interested in how pollinators and environmental variation influence the evolution of floral morphology and plant mating systems.
MS Fall 2021 (UT Knoxville)
Alex joined the Kalisz lab in Fall 2019. She is interested in how pollinators and environmental variation influence the evolution of floral morphology and plant mating systems.
Alannie-Grace Grant
PhD Spring 2021 (UT Knoxville)
Email
Alannie is an alumna of both New York University and the inaugural class of the University of Pittsburgh’s Biological Sciences Hot Metal Bridge Program. She joined the Kalisz lab in early 2013. Alannie has broad interests in mating system evolution, plant environmental adaptation, and species distributions. She draws upon a multidisciplinary skill set to merge these distinct fields together. Her current work involves modeling the niche space occupied by sister taxa in Collinsia and Tonella, which appear have diverged in part due to differing rates of selfing.
PhD Spring 2021 (UT Knoxville)
Alannie is an alumna of both New York University and the inaugural class of the University of Pittsburgh’s Biological Sciences Hot Metal Bridge Program. She joined the Kalisz lab in early 2013. Alannie has broad interests in mating system evolution, plant environmental adaptation, and species distributions. She draws upon a multidisciplinary skill set to merge these distinct fields together. Her current work involves modeling the niche space occupied by sister taxa in Collinsia and Tonella, which appear have diverged in part due to differing rates of selfing.
Morgan Roche
PhD Fall 2020 (UT Knoxville)
Email
Morgan joined the Kalisz lab in Fall 2015. Her research focuses on plant invasions and mutualism disruption, especially allelopathic effects on mating system traits of native forest species.
PhD Fall 2020 (UT Knoxville)
Morgan joined the Kalisz lab in Fall 2015. Her research focuses on plant invasions and mutualism disruption, especially allelopathic effects on mating system traits of native forest species.
Nathan Brouwer
PhD (2016; University of Pittsburgh)
"Applying multilevel longitudinal models to plant demographic processes: novel insights into the long-term impacts of invasive species and overabundant herbivores"
Email
In his dissertation research, Nathan demonstrated how both overabundant deer and invasive plants can both strongly impact the vital rates of multiple common wildflower species at Trillium Trail. A key challenge in these analyses was building statistical models that could separate the components of vital rate and population change due to deer and invaders from other dynamics in this system. This was possible due to the long-term and detailed nature of the data set, the use of a factorial experimental design, and the application of multilevel statistical models. This is one of the few demonstrations of the long-term and widespread population-level impacts of an invasive plant.
Nathan is now a research consultant with Dr. Steve Latta at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh doing demographic modeling of the Louisiana waterthrush. Dr. Latta has been doing demographic research on the waterthrush on both the breeding grounds and where it winters in the Caribbean. He is working to integrate these data into a demographic model that will allow us to understand what components in the complex life cycles of migrating birds have the greatest impact on fitness and population growth. He is also working on modeling long-term data sets on resident and migratory birds in Costa Rica and Peru.
PhD (2016; University of Pittsburgh)
"Applying multilevel longitudinal models to plant demographic processes: novel insights into the long-term impacts of invasive species and overabundant herbivores"
In his dissertation research, Nathan demonstrated how both overabundant deer and invasive plants can both strongly impact the vital rates of multiple common wildflower species at Trillium Trail. A key challenge in these analyses was building statistical models that could separate the components of vital rate and population change due to deer and invaders from other dynamics in this system. This was possible due to the long-term and detailed nature of the data set, the use of a factorial experimental design, and the application of multilevel statistical models. This is one of the few demonstrations of the long-term and widespread population-level impacts of an invasive plant.
Nathan is now a research consultant with Dr. Steve Latta at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh doing demographic modeling of the Louisiana waterthrush. Dr. Latta has been doing demographic research on the waterthrush on both the breeding grounds and where it winters in the Caribbean. He is working to integrate these data into a demographic model that will allow us to understand what components in the complex life cycles of migrating birds have the greatest impact on fitness and population growth. He is also working on modeling long-term data sets on resident and migratory birds in Costa Rica and Peru.
Eden (Odhner) McQueen
Eden was a PhD candidate in the lab until Fall 2015, when she moved to Dr. Mark Rebeiz's lab at the University of Pittsburgh.
Chris Heckel
PhD (2015; University of Pittsburgh)
"The influence of indirect effects of large herbivores on the life history and population dynamics of an unpalatable forest herb species."
Hillsdale Academy
One Academy Lane
Hillsdale, MI 49242
PhD (2015; University of Pittsburgh)
"The influence of indirect effects of large herbivores on the life history and population dynamics of an unpalatable forest herb species."
Hillsdale Academy
One Academy Lane
Hillsdale, MI 49242
Alison Hale
PhD (2012; University of Pittsburgh)
"An empirical test of the mutualism disruption hypothesis: impacts of an allelopathic invader on the ecophysiology of a native forest herb"
Understanding how biotic and abiotic contexts modify the strength of species interactions is a key goal in ecology. Mutualism effectiveness is particularly sensitive to environmental conditions, and the invasion of non-native species is hypothesized to be one biotic factor that can drive mutualism disruption between native species and their partners. Using an ecophysiological approach, Alison tested this mutualism disruption hypothesis using the allelopathic invasive plant, Alliaria petiolata, and examined its impacts on the interaction between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Maianthemum racemosum, a common native herb in North America.
Alison was a postdoc with Dr. Stephen Tonsor at the University of Pittsburgh investigating the effect of underground bituminous coal mining on streams and wetlands. She now teaches in the Dept of Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and researches quantitative biology undergraduate education as part of an NSF funded project, QUBES.
PhD (2012; University of Pittsburgh)
"An empirical test of the mutualism disruption hypothesis: impacts of an allelopathic invader on the ecophysiology of a native forest herb"
Understanding how biotic and abiotic contexts modify the strength of species interactions is a key goal in ecology. Mutualism effectiveness is particularly sensitive to environmental conditions, and the invasion of non-native species is hypothesized to be one biotic factor that can drive mutualism disruption between native species and their partners. Using an ecophysiological approach, Alison tested this mutualism disruption hypothesis using the allelopathic invasive plant, Alliaria petiolata, and examined its impacts on the interaction between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Maianthemum racemosum, a common native herb in North America.
Alison was a postdoc with Dr. Stephen Tonsor at the University of Pittsburgh investigating the effect of underground bituminous coal mining on streams and wetlands. She now teaches in the Dept of Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and researches quantitative biology undergraduate education as part of an NSF funded project, QUBES.
April Randle
April's work focused on better understanding the factors that lead to the origin of new species. One major factor central to speciation is the evolution of reproductive isolating barriers. For her dissertation, she simultaneously tested two prominent hypotheses related to the evolution of isolating barriers: The Dobzhansky-Muller (D-M) Model of Speciation and the Reinforcement Model. To test the predictions of these models, she used a comprehensive phylogenetic, biogeographic, and experimental approach to examine the strength of pre- and post-zygotic barriers to reproduction among all species in the genus Collinsia. She also examined how phylogenetic relatedness, divergence time, and current ecological interactions impact the fitness of closely related plant species in sympatry.
April conducted post-doctoral research with Dr. Pamela Diggle at the University of Colorado, Boulder and now an instructor at University of San Francisco.
April's work focused on better understanding the factors that lead to the origin of new species. One major factor central to speciation is the evolution of reproductive isolating barriers. For her dissertation, she simultaneously tested two prominent hypotheses related to the evolution of isolating barriers: The Dobzhansky-Muller (D-M) Model of Speciation and the Reinforcement Model. To test the predictions of these models, she used a comprehensive phylogenetic, biogeographic, and experimental approach to examine the strength of pre- and post-zygotic barriers to reproduction among all species in the genus Collinsia. She also examined how phylogenetic relatedness, divergence time, and current ecological interactions impact the fitness of closely related plant species in sympatry.
April conducted post-doctoral research with Dr. Pamela Diggle at the University of Colorado, Boulder and now an instructor at University of San Francisco.
Andrea Quesada-Aguilar
Pollination ecology. Andrea received her master's degree in 2007 and was co-advised by Dr. Tia Lynn Ashman and Dr. Kalisz. Andrea had been traveling the world in her work for the International Union
for Conservation of Nature.
Pollination ecology. Andrea received her master's degree in 2007 and was co-advised by Dr. Tia Lynn Ashman and Dr. Kalisz. Andrea had been traveling the world in her work for the International Union
for Conservation of Nature.
Tiffany Knight
Species interactions and population dynamics. Tiffany was at Washington University in St. Louis where her lab investigates the role of interspecific interactions on the viability of plant populations. She is holds a Humboldt professorship in the Department of Community Ecology at Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ).
Website
Species interactions and population dynamics. Tiffany was at Washington University in St. Louis where her lab investigates the role of interspecific interactions on the viability of plant populations. She is holds a Humboldt professorship in the Department of Community Ecology at Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ).
Website
Shannon Bliss
Evolution of soil seed banks. Since 2000, Shannon has been a faculty member at Cero Coso Community College in Lake Isabela, CA. Brian Black Natural selection and adaptation to variable environments. Brian is now an Associate Professor at Bay College in Escanaba, WI. Gary Schott Plant adaptation and hybridization. Gary is a Faculty Instructor at the Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, TN. Peter Smith Population dynamics of native plants. |
Denise Thiede
Quantitative genetics and evolution of plants. Denise is currently a Vice President of BioDiagnostics, Inc., located in River Falls, WI. Denise manages the ELISA technologies. Dawn Jenkins Klus Physiological responses of plants to elevated CO2. Dawn is the Dean of Science Education at the Sayre School in Lexington, KY. Kristen Hanley Allometric scaling of flower size and mating system evolution. |
Natália Padilha de Oliveira
Visiting scholar 2014-2015
PhD Candidate (Federal University of Lavras)
Natalia joined the Kalisz lab at the end of summer 2014 as a visiting scholar. She has a major degree in biology for the Federal University of Para, in Brazil, where she is am originally from. Previously, she earned a master’s degree at the Federal University of Lavras (Brazil). Her main interests include the study of cytogenetics and mating systems of Amazonian palm species. Her dissertation focused on the evolution of cytogenetics features of some Astrocaryum species, and as a visitor in the Kalisz lab, she used molecular markers to verify if these species differ on mating patterns.
Visiting scholar 2014-2015
PhD Candidate (Federal University of Lavras)
Natalia joined the Kalisz lab at the end of summer 2014 as a visiting scholar. She has a major degree in biology for the Federal University of Para, in Brazil, where she is am originally from. Previously, she earned a master’s degree at the Federal University of Lavras (Brazil). Her main interests include the study of cytogenetics and mating systems of Amazonian palm species. Her dissertation focused on the evolution of cytogenetics features of some Astrocaryum species, and as a visitor in the Kalisz lab, she used molecular markers to verify if these species differ on mating patterns.
Former research assistants
Mia Wavrek
Former Lab Coordinator
Mia joined the lab as research coordinator at the University of Tennessee Knoxville in Fall 2015. She currently is in a graduate program.
Steve Cassidy
Former Trillium Trail field crew leader
Steve currently co-leads the data collection activities at Trillium Trail, including demographic censuses, maintenance of the common garden project, and is integral to photosynthetic measurements.
Former Trillium Trail field crew leader
Steve currently co-leads the data collection activities at Trillium Trail, including demographic censuses, maintenance of the common garden project, and is integral to photosynthetic measurements.
Monica Rudowski
Monica began work in the Kalisz lab at Trillium Trail in the summer of 2013.
She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Biological Sciences with a Minor in Chemistry.
Monica began work in the Kalisz lab at Trillium Trail in the summer of 2013.
She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Biological Sciences with a Minor in Chemistry.
Tim Park
Tim led a team of researchers working at Trillium Trail in 2014.
Tim led a team of researchers working at Trillium Trail in 2014.
Former Undergraduates (no particular order)
Harley DiMarco
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Joined the lab in January 2019
Undergraduate Research Student
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Joined the lab in January 2019
Undergraduate Research Student
Leah Morton
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Joined the lab in January 2019
Undergraduate Research Student helping with the SSSE project
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Joined the lab in January 2019
Undergraduate Research Student helping with the SSSE project
Colton Adams
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Joined the lab in January 2020
Undergraduate Research Student helping with the SSSE project
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Joined the lab in January 2020
Undergraduate Research Student helping with the SSSE project
Daniel Malagon
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Joined the lab in 201?, Graduated in Spring 2019
College Scholars with an Emphasis in Conservation and Reproduction
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Joined the lab in 201?, Graduated in Spring 2019
College Scholars with an Emphasis in Conservation and Reproduction
Mia Roark
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Joined the lab in Fall 2018, Graduated in Spring 2019.
Undergraduate Research Student worked on the SSSE project
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Joined the lab in Fall 2018, Graduated in Spring 2019.
Undergraduate Research Student worked on the SSSE project
Danie Coye
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Field technician at McLaughlin Reserve (2017, 2018)
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Field technician at McLaughlin Reserve (2017, 2018)
Byanca Moreno
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Byanca is an EEB major interested in field botany, conservation biology, and computational biology. She is also a member of the Schweitzer lab.
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Byanca is an EEB major interested in field botany, conservation biology, and computational biology. She is also a member of the Schweitzer lab.
Jenny Mountz
University of Pittsburgh.
Trillium Trail field crew since 2016
University of Pittsburgh.
Trillium Trail field crew since 2016
Logan Hellinger
University of Pittsburgh
Trillium Trail Field Crew 2017
University of Pittsburgh
Trillium Trail Field Crew 2017
Carter Sheppard
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Carter is a junior majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. His primary interests are related to the medical field, and upon graduation he plans to either pursue an M.D. or go into medication related research and development.
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Carter is a junior majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. His primary interests are related to the medical field, and upon graduation he plans to either pursue an M.D. or go into medication related research and development.
Kajal Patel
University of Pittsburgh (microbiology major)
Trillium Trail field crew, 2015 & 2016
Kajal graduated from Pitt with a microbiology degree.
University of Pittsburgh (microbiology major)
Trillium Trail field crew, 2015 & 2016
Kajal graduated from Pitt with a microbiology degree.
Emma Nowakowski
University of Pittsburgh.
Trillium Trail field crew 2016
University of Pittsburgh.
Trillium Trail field crew 2016
Natalie Fitzgerald
University of Pittsburgh
Trillium Trail Field Crew 2017
University of Pittsburgh
Trillium Trail Field Crew 2017
Kevin Wottring
University of Pittsburgh
Trillium Trail Field Crew 2017
University of Pittsburgh
Trillium Trail Field Crew 2017
Umeka Ganjoo
I am currently a junior at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in Psychology. In the Kalisz lab, I have been working alongside the other undergraduates and Mason to collect data at Trillium Trail on the population cycling of certain species and how woody species might affect herbaceous plants. In the future, I plan to attend graduate school in order to get a doctorate in psychology and become a psychologist.
I am currently a junior at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in Psychology. In the Kalisz lab, I have been working alongside the other undergraduates and Mason to collect data at Trillium Trail on the population cycling of certain species and how woody species might affect herbaceous plants. In the future, I plan to attend graduate school in order to get a doctorate in psychology and become a psychologist.
Bryce Walker
University of Pittsburgh.
Trillium Trail field crew 2016
University of Pittsburgh.
Trillium Trail field crew 2016
Elizabeth Huang
University of Pittsburgh (Biological Sciences major)
Trillium Trail field crew 2014
University of Pittsburgh (Biological Sciences major)
Trillium Trail field crew 2014
Erik Moyer
University of Pittsburgh.
Trillium Trail field crew 2015 & 2016
University of Pittsburgh.
Trillium Trail field crew 2015 & 2016
Taylor Brown
University of Pittsburgh (Biological Sciences major)
Trillium Trail field crew 2013, 2014, & 2015
University of Pittsburgh (Biological Sciences major)
Trillium Trail field crew 2013, 2014, & 2015
Jeffrey Migliozzi
I'm a rising sophomore in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences (U Pittsburgh). My major is undecided, but I am on the pre-med track. I've enjoyed working with the Trillium Trail team this summer. I have also enjoyed studying photosynthesis and learning how to use the Li-Cor equipment.
I'm a rising sophomore in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences (U Pittsburgh). My major is undecided, but I am on the pre-med track. I've enjoyed working with the Trillium Trail team this summer. I have also enjoyed studying photosynthesis and learning how to use the Li-Cor equipment.
Ben Koby
University of Pittsburgh.
Trillium Trail field crew 2016
University of Pittsburgh.
Trillium Trail field crew 2016
Ikechukwu Osemene
Ike was a Microbiology major (U Pittsburgh) who began working in Kalisz
Lab over the Summer of 2014. He was part of several projects on the effect of garlic mustard on soil fungal communities. Ike is now in dental school.
Ike was a Microbiology major (U Pittsburgh) who began working in Kalisz
Lab over the Summer of 2014. He was part of several projects on the effect of garlic mustard on soil fungal communities. Ike is now in dental school.
Katha Desai
I'm a junior majoring in microbiology and sociology. I've worked in the lab since Fall 2013 on a variety of projects. One of my favorite parts has been going into the field and collecting the data instead of just looking at numbers on a page (although I do hate spiders). I plan to attend medical school and pursue a career in pediatrics after I graduate.
I'm a junior majoring in microbiology and sociology. I've worked in the lab since Fall 2013 on a variety of projects. One of my favorite parts has been going into the field and collecting the data instead of just looking at numbers on a page (although I do hate spiders). I plan to attend medical school and pursue a career in pediatrics after I graduate.
Emmanuel Benjamin
Trillium Trail 2015
Trillium Trail 2015
Sahil Amin
Biological Sciences major. Sahil began working in the Kalisz Lab in summer 2013.
Biological Sciences major. Sahil began working in the Kalisz Lab in summer 2013.
Irtaza Asar
Biological Sciences major. Irtaza joined Dr. Kalisz and Dr. Morehouse’s labs during the fall semester of my freshman year through First Experiences in Research. I worked to characterize floral coloration and patterning in the California native wildflower, Collinsia heterophylla. The project also involved modeling the visual responses of common bee pollinators with regards to floral traits.
Biological Sciences major. Irtaza joined Dr. Kalisz and Dr. Morehouse’s labs during the fall semester of my freshman year through First Experiences in Research. I worked to characterize floral coloration and patterning in the California native wildflower, Collinsia heterophylla. The project also involved modeling the visual responses of common bee pollinators with regards to floral traits.
Lauren Bakale
Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies double major with minors in Chemistry and Spanish.
Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies double major with minors in Chemistry and Spanish.
Rebecca Callodonato
Biological Sciences major, chemistry minor, and a certificate in American Sign Language. She began in the Kalisz lab spring semester of 2011. In addition to the Trillium Trail study, she worked with Dr. Rachel Spigler on her C.verna autoplast project, Nathan Bouwer on his study of Maianthemum and Polygonatum. I have also worked independently on a germination protocol for the Collinsia genus.
Biological Sciences major, chemistry minor, and a certificate in American Sign Language. She began in the Kalisz lab spring semester of 2011. In addition to the Trillium Trail study, she worked with Dr. Rachel Spigler on her C.verna autoplast project, Nathan Bouwer on his study of Maianthemum and Polygonatum. I have also worked independently on a germination protocol for the Collinsia genus.
Kayleigh Frech
Biological Sciences with minor in Chemistry. After graduation, Kayleigh plans to attend dental school.
Biological Sciences with minor in Chemistry. After graduation, Kayleigh plans to attend dental school.
Kevin Jiang
Economics major. After graduation, Kevin hopes to enroll in Dental School.
Economics major. After graduation, Kevin hopes to enroll in Dental School.
Isabel Foreman-Ortiz
Chemistry major with a focus on biological sciences. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in Chemistry and eventually attend graduate school.
Chemistry major with a focus on biological sciences. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in Chemistry and eventually attend graduate school.
Dan Lammie
Geology major, minor in Chemistry. I began working in the Kalisz lab the summer of 2013. After graduation I hope to continue to graduate school, though, I would like to keep my mind open to new opportunities and topics that may interest me.
Geology major, minor in Chemistry. I began working in the Kalisz lab the summer of 2013. After graduation I hope to continue to graduate school, though, I would like to keep my mind open to new opportunities and topics that may interest me.
Ashley O'Connor
Biological Sciences major, Chemistry minor, and a Certificate in Public and Professional Writing. I began working in the Kalisz lab in the spring of 2012. After graduation I plan on starting a career in research and then furthering my education by attending grad school.
Biological Sciences major, Chemistry minor, and a Certificate in Public and Professional Writing. I began working in the Kalisz lab in the spring of 2012. After graduation I plan on starting a career in research and then furthering my education by attending grad school.
Alex Reisser
Alex started working at Kalisz Lab in the 2013 summer. After graduation, he plans to go to graduate school to become a physician’s assistant.
Alex started working at Kalisz Lab in the 2013 summer. After graduation, he plans to go to graduate school to become a physician’s assistant.
Matthew Snyder
Neuroscience major, chemistry minor. Matthew joined the Kalisz lab in the fall of 2013.
After graduation he plans on attending medical school.
Neuroscience major, chemistry minor. Matthew joined the Kalisz lab in the fall of 2013.
After graduation he plans on attending medical school.
Will Benham
Will graduated in the winter of 2013 after majoring in Biological Sciences. He joined the Kalisz lab in the spring of 2011 and became involved in many projects in the lab, most focused on the Trillium Trail research which led to him leading the field team in the summer of 2013. After receiving funding from HHMI in the fall of 2013 Will began his independent research on overabundant deer and its impact on forest regeneration, the manuscript of which is currently in publication. He plans to continue research and continue his education in the future focused on ecology and evolution.
Will graduated in the winter of 2013 after majoring in Biological Sciences. He joined the Kalisz lab in the spring of 2011 and became involved in many projects in the lab, most focused on the Trillium Trail research which led to him leading the field team in the summer of 2013. After receiving funding from HHMI in the fall of 2013 Will began his independent research on overabundant deer and its impact on forest regeneration, the manuscript of which is currently in publication. He plans to continue research and continue his education in the future focused on ecology and evolution.
Laina Lockett
Laina graduated the summer of 2013. She has kept busy substitute teaching, playing music, martial arts, attending Audubon Society Meetings and wrangling owls (as seen in her picture.) Laina plans to enter a graduate program for environmental science and policy programs in the fall.
Mari Goetz
Mari graduated in 2013. She now works for the University of Pittsburgh's Admissions Department.
Katie Abele
Katie graduated in 2012 with plans to take some time off to volunteer either with the Peace Corps or Teach for America before continuing her education in grad school.
Keith Garmire
Keith graduated in 2012 after majoring in Ecology and Evolution. He joined the Kalisz lab in the spring of 2012 and worked on an independent study researching species distribution of Collinsia flowers as a part of his certification in the Geographical Information System (GIS) program. He also worked in the university’s plant growth facilities. After graduation he intends to seek employment in a national or state park to help preserve and understand our nation’s unique ecosystems.
Brian Keil
Brian was an Ecology and Evolution major with a minor in chemistry. He conducted an independent research project in the Kalisz lab in coordination with the National Aviary. The goal of the project is to determine how the Louisiana Waterthrush can act as a bio indicator for stream quality. I enjoy spending time outside and rock climbing whenever I can. After graduation he plans on finding a job for a couple years before going to grad school.
Katy Stark
Katy graduated in 2012 with a degree in Biological Sciences and a minor in Chemistry. She began working in the Kalisz lab in the fall of 2011. She is interested in conservation biology, and hopes to work in wildlife research upon graduation.
Tyler Stipcak
Tyler graduated in 2012 with a major in Ecology and Evolution and a minor in chemistry. He started working for the Kalisz lab in the summer of 2011, aiding with the Trillium Trail project. He then picked up an independent research project studying the effects of deer herbivory on woody species diversity at Trillium Trail. After graduation he plans on starting a career in the field of wildlife management.
Sarah Betz
Sarah graduated in 2011 with a Biology degree and was specifically interested in ecology and evolution. She worked in the Kalisz lab in the summer of 2010 collecting data on numerous native and invasive species at Trillium Trail Wildlife Reserve and assisting Alison Hale with her research project throughout the academic year. After graduation she plans to teach high school biology and then go to medical school to become a plastic surgeon.
Steven Brown
Steve graduated in 2011 as a Biological Sciences major with a chemistry minor. In the summer of 2010, Steve assisted with the fieldwork at Trillium Trail concerning the effects of deer on native and invasive plant species. Steve will be attending Pharmacy School.
Aaron Cantor
Aaron graduated in 2011 with a dual degree in Microbiology and History & Philosophy of Science, with a certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine. He started in the Kalisz lab during the summer of 2008 with a project that focused on detecting allelochemicals released into the soil by garlic mustard. We may also eventually characterize an endemic garlic mustard pathogen. I was awarded a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship for the 2011-2012 academic year in Brisbane, Queensland in Australia. During my time abroad, I plan to work on a research project at the University of Queensland that aims to determine the mechanism of action of an anti-cancer compound isolated from an Australian plant and its efficacy against several human cancer types. Furthermore, I plan to volunteer with a local cancer council in their community skin cancer awareness and patient care programs. I will also visit Australian Rotary clubs and present about myself and the U.S. Lastly, I will teach woodworking for a few weekends and travel around Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand during breaks. After all of this, I will begin medical school in August 2012. During my free time, I enjoy bicycling, motorcycling, and turning wood.
Cory Kohn
Cory graduated in 2011 with an Ecology & Evolution B.S. and a dual History & Philosophy of Science, and Anthropology B.A. In the Kalisz lab he started by working on a number of projects, most notably April Randle’s Timing of Selfing, Hybrid Breakdown, and Pollen Precedent experiments in 2008. In the following two summers he worked on Kalisz Lab fieldwork in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (focusing on the impact deer herbivory has on a number of understory plant species) and was involved with two study abroad experiences in Africa. During his junior and senior years, he completed a Honors Thesis titled "Incipient Speciation vs. Heterosis in Collinsia heterophylla: An Experimental Test of Genetic Incompatibility across the Transverse Ranges." Cory is currently a dual Ph.D. student in both Zoology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior at Michigan State University.
Samantha Maryak
Sam was a biology major who graduated in 2011. She started in the fall of 2009 and mainly concentrated on Trillium Trail data collection as well as other lab research projects. She plans on going to medical school and becoming a pediatrician or a pediatric surgeon, after which she would like to join doctors with out borders specifically concentrating on Bolivia, a place she feel in love with.
Amantha Michalopoulos
Amantha is currently in her senior year as an Ecology and Evolution major. She started working in the Kalisz lab in the spring 2009 semester, helping Alison Hale with her project on determining whether obligately mycorrhizal species have any sanctioning abilities. That summer she helped with field work and worked on her own project which studied the effects of mycorrhizal fungi on the root morphology of facultative and obligately mycorrhizal plant species. After college she plans on eventually enrolling in an ecology doctoral program after a stint as a laboratory assistant at UPMC.
Justin Aaron
Justin graduated in 2010 with a major in Biological Sciences, a certificate in Global Studies, and a minor in Studio Arts. He called the molecular lab his home doing much of his research on determining outcrossing rates using microsatellite markers, but it was the field season at Trillium Trail that kept him coming back for more. He also worked on field research with Andrew and Cory in Michigan in 2009. Upon graduating Justin embarked on a Peace Corps adventure in Honduras.
Andrew Berson
Andrew graduated in 2010 with a Biological Sciences degree and a double minor in Economics and Italian. He started by focusing on a number of projects for April Randle and Dr. Kalisz but his main work focused on field studies involving paired deer exclosures and controls in two National Lakeshores. He worked in INDU and SLBE in 2009 with Justin and Cory and in SLBE in 2010 with Cory. Andrew is currently attending the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Tom Korpar
Also in 2010, Tom graduated with an Ecology & Evolution degree and a double minor in Africana Studies and Religious Studies. He divided his efforts between working in the molecular lab with Chris Heckel in the field at Trillium Trail, quantifying the effect of allelochemicals emitted by garlic mustard on native tree seedling abundance and biomass. After taking a year off, he plans on enrolling in dental school.
Jaci Saunders
Jaci received a dual degree in Biology and Political Sciences in 2008. She then served as a Congressional and National Parks Intern and as a research assistant at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, MD. In September, 2009, Jaci moved to Seattle, WA to begin a PhD program in marine biology at the University of Washington.
Aileen Butera
In 2008, Aileen began medical school at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
John Ellis
After graduation John biked (pedaled) from Pittsburgh to Colorado with “Stern,” where he worked for an environmental consulting company. He then biked, and hitched occasionally, from California to Peru. After working in construction in Brooklyn, NY for two years, in July 2009, John took a position as a coordinator at Centro Medico Humberto Parra, a medical clinic outside Santa Cruz, Bolivia. He will work there for a year, and then he plans to attend medical school.
Theresa Strazisar
For the past two years, Theresa has worked at the Marine Education center in the Florida Keys and as an intern at Archbold Biological Field Station in Lake Placid, Florida, studying invasive plant population dynamics with Dr. Eric Menges. In the fall of 2009, she began graduate school at Florida Atlantic University. Theresa was awarded an Everglades National Park Fellowship to conduct her thesis work, which will combine GIS with the population biology of a native sea grass.
Ryan Unks
Ryan embarked on an ambitious biking trip pedaling from along the coastline of Mexico after graduating. In August of 2009 he began graduate school at North Carolina State University at Raleigh, NC. He is working on a restoration plan for Lindera melissifolia, a federally endangered SE endemic, as well as a lot of greenhouse and field experiments studying the ecology of Lindera.
Jake Winkler
Jake completed his last year of undergraduate study at the School for Field Studies on the Turks and Caicos Islands, where he received a scholarship to study Marine Resources Management. Jake graduated in April of 2007, and planned to work in field research for a year, before heading to graduate school. As an aquatic intern for the Western Penn Conservancy, Jake was last seen diving for mussels in the Allegheny River.
Erin Becker
Erin completed her PhD in Marine Biology at Penn State University in 2010. Go Erin!
Alyssa Baxter
Alyssa received her bachelor's degree in Biology from St. Vincent college. While at St. Vincent, she completed her senior research on variation of germination and flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes grown in four increasing temperature environments. Alyssa is now a graduate student at Chatham University.
Craig Beight
Craig is attending graduate school at Case Western Reserve University in a program for Medical Education.
Victor Bilan
Victor graduated in the spring of 2008 with degrees in biology and the history and philosophy of science. In the lab, Victor conducted research with Alison Hale on the allelopathic effects of invasive garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) on mycorrhizal fungi and their symbiotic relationships with native host plants. Victor plans to attend Medical School in the future.
Mollie Brooks
Mollie is attending graduate school at the University of Florida in Ben Bolker’s lab.
David Chaiffetz
David started medical school in the fall of 2007 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Lindsay Dierkes
Lindsay is a graduate student at the University of Virginia working with Laura Galloway and is enjoying conducting field research at Mountain Lake Biological Station.
Melissa Faigeless
Melissa is working as an ecological field researcher while applying to Graduate Schools. While in our lab, Melissa conducted independent research on floral longevity and timing of floral development in the Tribe Collinseae. She has also worked at Pymatuning Lab of Ecology studying how herbivores impact plant community structure and studied tropical biology in Costa Rica with the Organization for Tropical Studies.
Melissa's Past Research in the Kalisz Lab
April Hansgate
In 2007, April joined the University of Maryland Program in Sustainable Development and Conservation as a graduate student.
Sarah Hudson
Sarah is working for a law firm in Pittsburgh and is planning to attend law school.
Ja’neisha Hutley
Ja’neisha is pursuing a master’s degree in forensic science at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Lara McCleary
Lara is working on an M.S. in Epidemiology at Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health, where she’s focusing on environmental epidemiology and Women’s Health. She is also working as a Hazard Communication Specialist.
Dane Munzek
Dane graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry in the fall of 2008. While in the lab, Dane researched the effect of inbreeding depression in Collinsia corymbosa, an endangered flowering plant endemic to the sand dunes of coastal California.
Shane Myers
Shane is currently attending Saba Medical School in the Netherlands-Antilles.
Tom O’Day
Tom spent two years travelling across the country before returning to Pittsburgh. Among other things, he has worked with the Washington Conservation and the Fish and Wildlife Commission in Wyoming.
Sarah Parker
Sarah is an ecologist for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy on the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program. Congrats to Sarah, Michael, and Stella on the birth of their baby boy!
Megan Ponzo
Megan graduated with a degree in Biology with a Chemistry minor. In the lab she worked on the Trillium Trail project and the Collinsia Outcrossing Rates Project. After graduation Megan took a job at Precision Therapeutics Inc. before heading into a Masters program in Environmental Engineering at Pitt starting in the fall of 2011.
Anne Seiler
Anne graduated with a degree in Biology in the spring of 2008. She also spent a summer abroad in Peru, where she perfected her Spanish and developed her love for alpacas. Anne is currently an intern at the Klamath Bird Observatory in Oregon and plans to attend veterinary school.
Joe Stauffer
Joe graduated with a degree in economics here at the University of Pittsburgh. He is interested in Finance and Banking. After graduation he plans to work and pursue an MBA.
Gretchen Sterba
After graduation, Gretchen traveled around the country working for the Washington Conservation Corps and Wyoming Fish and Wildlife Commission, and started Duquesne University's Ecological Management Graduate Program in the fall of 2008.
Matt Stern
Matt is the Mid-Atlantic Regional Campus Coordinator for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN). CCAN is the only non-profit dedicated exclusively to fighting global warming in DC, MD, and VA area. As Campus Coordinator, Matt works within the Energy Action Coalition to help students in DC and Maryland reduce the global warming impact of their campuses through clean energy purchases, energy efficiency and other climate friendly initiatives. Check out his campaign
Anthony St.Leger
Anthony graduated in the spring of 2008 and is attending graduate school in Pitt's Department of Immunology.
Gina Zdanowicz
Gina is working in Pitt’s Department of Pathology in a lab studying the effects of immunosuppressive drugs on solid organ transplant recipients and is working on her MBA at Katz Grad School of Business.
Paityn Webb
Laina graduated the summer of 2013. She has kept busy substitute teaching, playing music, martial arts, attending Audubon Society Meetings and wrangling owls (as seen in her picture.) Laina plans to enter a graduate program for environmental science and policy programs in the fall.
Mari Goetz
Mari graduated in 2013. She now works for the University of Pittsburgh's Admissions Department.
Katie Abele
Katie graduated in 2012 with plans to take some time off to volunteer either with the Peace Corps or Teach for America before continuing her education in grad school.
Keith Garmire
Keith graduated in 2012 after majoring in Ecology and Evolution. He joined the Kalisz lab in the spring of 2012 and worked on an independent study researching species distribution of Collinsia flowers as a part of his certification in the Geographical Information System (GIS) program. He also worked in the university’s plant growth facilities. After graduation he intends to seek employment in a national or state park to help preserve and understand our nation’s unique ecosystems.
Brian Keil
Brian was an Ecology and Evolution major with a minor in chemistry. He conducted an independent research project in the Kalisz lab in coordination with the National Aviary. The goal of the project is to determine how the Louisiana Waterthrush can act as a bio indicator for stream quality. I enjoy spending time outside and rock climbing whenever I can. After graduation he plans on finding a job for a couple years before going to grad school.
Katy Stark
Katy graduated in 2012 with a degree in Biological Sciences and a minor in Chemistry. She began working in the Kalisz lab in the fall of 2011. She is interested in conservation biology, and hopes to work in wildlife research upon graduation.
Tyler Stipcak
Tyler graduated in 2012 with a major in Ecology and Evolution and a minor in chemistry. He started working for the Kalisz lab in the summer of 2011, aiding with the Trillium Trail project. He then picked up an independent research project studying the effects of deer herbivory on woody species diversity at Trillium Trail. After graduation he plans on starting a career in the field of wildlife management.
Sarah Betz
Sarah graduated in 2011 with a Biology degree and was specifically interested in ecology and evolution. She worked in the Kalisz lab in the summer of 2010 collecting data on numerous native and invasive species at Trillium Trail Wildlife Reserve and assisting Alison Hale with her research project throughout the academic year. After graduation she plans to teach high school biology and then go to medical school to become a plastic surgeon.
Steven Brown
Steve graduated in 2011 as a Biological Sciences major with a chemistry minor. In the summer of 2010, Steve assisted with the fieldwork at Trillium Trail concerning the effects of deer on native and invasive plant species. Steve will be attending Pharmacy School.
Aaron Cantor
Aaron graduated in 2011 with a dual degree in Microbiology and History & Philosophy of Science, with a certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine. He started in the Kalisz lab during the summer of 2008 with a project that focused on detecting allelochemicals released into the soil by garlic mustard. We may also eventually characterize an endemic garlic mustard pathogen. I was awarded a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship for the 2011-2012 academic year in Brisbane, Queensland in Australia. During my time abroad, I plan to work on a research project at the University of Queensland that aims to determine the mechanism of action of an anti-cancer compound isolated from an Australian plant and its efficacy against several human cancer types. Furthermore, I plan to volunteer with a local cancer council in their community skin cancer awareness and patient care programs. I will also visit Australian Rotary clubs and present about myself and the U.S. Lastly, I will teach woodworking for a few weekends and travel around Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand during breaks. After all of this, I will begin medical school in August 2012. During my free time, I enjoy bicycling, motorcycling, and turning wood.
Cory Kohn
Cory graduated in 2011 with an Ecology & Evolution B.S. and a dual History & Philosophy of Science, and Anthropology B.A. In the Kalisz lab he started by working on a number of projects, most notably April Randle’s Timing of Selfing, Hybrid Breakdown, and Pollen Precedent experiments in 2008. In the following two summers he worked on Kalisz Lab fieldwork in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (focusing on the impact deer herbivory has on a number of understory plant species) and was involved with two study abroad experiences in Africa. During his junior and senior years, he completed a Honors Thesis titled "Incipient Speciation vs. Heterosis in Collinsia heterophylla: An Experimental Test of Genetic Incompatibility across the Transverse Ranges." Cory is currently a dual Ph.D. student in both Zoology and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior at Michigan State University.
Samantha Maryak
Sam was a biology major who graduated in 2011. She started in the fall of 2009 and mainly concentrated on Trillium Trail data collection as well as other lab research projects. She plans on going to medical school and becoming a pediatrician or a pediatric surgeon, after which she would like to join doctors with out borders specifically concentrating on Bolivia, a place she feel in love with.
Amantha Michalopoulos
Amantha is currently in her senior year as an Ecology and Evolution major. She started working in the Kalisz lab in the spring 2009 semester, helping Alison Hale with her project on determining whether obligately mycorrhizal species have any sanctioning abilities. That summer she helped with field work and worked on her own project which studied the effects of mycorrhizal fungi on the root morphology of facultative and obligately mycorrhizal plant species. After college she plans on eventually enrolling in an ecology doctoral program after a stint as a laboratory assistant at UPMC.
Justin Aaron
Justin graduated in 2010 with a major in Biological Sciences, a certificate in Global Studies, and a minor in Studio Arts. He called the molecular lab his home doing much of his research on determining outcrossing rates using microsatellite markers, but it was the field season at Trillium Trail that kept him coming back for more. He also worked on field research with Andrew and Cory in Michigan in 2009. Upon graduating Justin embarked on a Peace Corps adventure in Honduras.
Andrew Berson
Andrew graduated in 2010 with a Biological Sciences degree and a double minor in Economics and Italian. He started by focusing on a number of projects for April Randle and Dr. Kalisz but his main work focused on field studies involving paired deer exclosures and controls in two National Lakeshores. He worked in INDU and SLBE in 2009 with Justin and Cory and in SLBE in 2010 with Cory. Andrew is currently attending the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Tom Korpar
Also in 2010, Tom graduated with an Ecology & Evolution degree and a double minor in Africana Studies and Religious Studies. He divided his efforts between working in the molecular lab with Chris Heckel in the field at Trillium Trail, quantifying the effect of allelochemicals emitted by garlic mustard on native tree seedling abundance and biomass. After taking a year off, he plans on enrolling in dental school.
Jaci Saunders
Jaci received a dual degree in Biology and Political Sciences in 2008. She then served as a Congressional and National Parks Intern and as a research assistant at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, MD. In September, 2009, Jaci moved to Seattle, WA to begin a PhD program in marine biology at the University of Washington.
Aileen Butera
In 2008, Aileen began medical school at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
John Ellis
After graduation John biked (pedaled) from Pittsburgh to Colorado with “Stern,” where he worked for an environmental consulting company. He then biked, and hitched occasionally, from California to Peru. After working in construction in Brooklyn, NY for two years, in July 2009, John took a position as a coordinator at Centro Medico Humberto Parra, a medical clinic outside Santa Cruz, Bolivia. He will work there for a year, and then he plans to attend medical school.
Theresa Strazisar
For the past two years, Theresa has worked at the Marine Education center in the Florida Keys and as an intern at Archbold Biological Field Station in Lake Placid, Florida, studying invasive plant population dynamics with Dr. Eric Menges. In the fall of 2009, she began graduate school at Florida Atlantic University. Theresa was awarded an Everglades National Park Fellowship to conduct her thesis work, which will combine GIS with the population biology of a native sea grass.
Ryan Unks
Ryan embarked on an ambitious biking trip pedaling from along the coastline of Mexico after graduating. In August of 2009 he began graduate school at North Carolina State University at Raleigh, NC. He is working on a restoration plan for Lindera melissifolia, a federally endangered SE endemic, as well as a lot of greenhouse and field experiments studying the ecology of Lindera.
Jake Winkler
Jake completed his last year of undergraduate study at the School for Field Studies on the Turks and Caicos Islands, where he received a scholarship to study Marine Resources Management. Jake graduated in April of 2007, and planned to work in field research for a year, before heading to graduate school. As an aquatic intern for the Western Penn Conservancy, Jake was last seen diving for mussels in the Allegheny River.
Erin Becker
Erin completed her PhD in Marine Biology at Penn State University in 2010. Go Erin!
Alyssa Baxter
Alyssa received her bachelor's degree in Biology from St. Vincent college. While at St. Vincent, she completed her senior research on variation of germination and flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes grown in four increasing temperature environments. Alyssa is now a graduate student at Chatham University.
Craig Beight
Craig is attending graduate school at Case Western Reserve University in a program for Medical Education.
Victor Bilan
Victor graduated in the spring of 2008 with degrees in biology and the history and philosophy of science. In the lab, Victor conducted research with Alison Hale on the allelopathic effects of invasive garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) on mycorrhizal fungi and their symbiotic relationships with native host plants. Victor plans to attend Medical School in the future.
Mollie Brooks
Mollie is attending graduate school at the University of Florida in Ben Bolker’s lab.
David Chaiffetz
David started medical school in the fall of 2007 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Lindsay Dierkes
Lindsay is a graduate student at the University of Virginia working with Laura Galloway and is enjoying conducting field research at Mountain Lake Biological Station.
Melissa Faigeless
Melissa is working as an ecological field researcher while applying to Graduate Schools. While in our lab, Melissa conducted independent research on floral longevity and timing of floral development in the Tribe Collinseae. She has also worked at Pymatuning Lab of Ecology studying how herbivores impact plant community structure and studied tropical biology in Costa Rica with the Organization for Tropical Studies.
Melissa's Past Research in the Kalisz Lab
April Hansgate
In 2007, April joined the University of Maryland Program in Sustainable Development and Conservation as a graduate student.
Sarah Hudson
Sarah is working for a law firm in Pittsburgh and is planning to attend law school.
Ja’neisha Hutley
Ja’neisha is pursuing a master’s degree in forensic science at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Lara McCleary
Lara is working on an M.S. in Epidemiology at Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health, where she’s focusing on environmental epidemiology and Women’s Health. She is also working as a Hazard Communication Specialist.
Dane Munzek
Dane graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry in the fall of 2008. While in the lab, Dane researched the effect of inbreeding depression in Collinsia corymbosa, an endangered flowering plant endemic to the sand dunes of coastal California.
Shane Myers
Shane is currently attending Saba Medical School in the Netherlands-Antilles.
Tom O’Day
Tom spent two years travelling across the country before returning to Pittsburgh. Among other things, he has worked with the Washington Conservation and the Fish and Wildlife Commission in Wyoming.
Sarah Parker
Sarah is an ecologist for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy on the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program. Congrats to Sarah, Michael, and Stella on the birth of their baby boy!
Megan Ponzo
Megan graduated with a degree in Biology with a Chemistry minor. In the lab she worked on the Trillium Trail project and the Collinsia Outcrossing Rates Project. After graduation Megan took a job at Precision Therapeutics Inc. before heading into a Masters program in Environmental Engineering at Pitt starting in the fall of 2011.
Anne Seiler
Anne graduated with a degree in Biology in the spring of 2008. She also spent a summer abroad in Peru, where she perfected her Spanish and developed her love for alpacas. Anne is currently an intern at the Klamath Bird Observatory in Oregon and plans to attend veterinary school.
Joe Stauffer
Joe graduated with a degree in economics here at the University of Pittsburgh. He is interested in Finance and Banking. After graduation he plans to work and pursue an MBA.
Gretchen Sterba
After graduation, Gretchen traveled around the country working for the Washington Conservation Corps and Wyoming Fish and Wildlife Commission, and started Duquesne University's Ecological Management Graduate Program in the fall of 2008.
Matt Stern
Matt is the Mid-Atlantic Regional Campus Coordinator for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN). CCAN is the only non-profit dedicated exclusively to fighting global warming in DC, MD, and VA area. As Campus Coordinator, Matt works within the Energy Action Coalition to help students in DC and Maryland reduce the global warming impact of their campuses through clean energy purchases, energy efficiency and other climate friendly initiatives. Check out his campaign
Anthony St.Leger
Anthony graduated in the spring of 2008 and is attending graduate school in Pitt's Department of Immunology.
Gina Zdanowicz
Gina is working in Pitt’s Department of Pathology in a lab studying the effects of immunosuppressive drugs on solid organ transplant recipients and is working on her MBA at Katz Grad School of Business.
Paityn Webb