Meet our new PhDs!

1) My favorite experiences during my PhD were spent in the field. I spent a collective 13+ months living and working in fishing communities across islands in The Caribbean.

2) I chose EEB because I wanted to be challenged to think broadly and apply an integrative approach to conservation with my advisor, Dr. Jake Allgeier.

3) My advice for incoming grad students would be to find your people – those who are going to advocate for you, support you, and push you to be the best scientist you can be.

4) I am now working for NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA as a Fisheries Scientist. I am thrilled to apply my knowledge of social ecological systems to advance science for US fisheries management.

1) I enjoyed taking EEB 512 "Molecular and Genomic Evolution" taught by Prof. Jianzhi Zhang, and EEB 490 "Evolution at the Population Level" taught by Prof. Alexey Kondrashov. They were the most insightful evolutionary biology courses I have ever taken.

2) I was initially very interested in insect taxonomy and even intended to pursue a career in entomology. During my undergraduate studies, I joined an entomology lab and worked on a project involving phylogenetic analyses of Hymenoptera. To support this work, I read Ziheng Yang's Computational Molecular Evolution, which opened my eyes to the depth of math and statistics in evolutionary biology. I was fascinated by the logical rigor of the field and found it intellectually rewarding. This experience ultimately led me to apply to EEB graduate programs, with a focus on computational and theoretical analysis of evolution.

3) My advice? Explore diverse fields of science, both within and beyond EEB, to identify the one that you are truly passionate about.

1) Sampling for zooplankton in lakes near Ann Arbor was a major portion of my dissertation research and ultimately my favorite EEB experience. Visiting these lakes year after year was an opportunity to learn about seasonal disease outbreaks in zooplankton communities. There is something very special about conducting field work and observing these natural systems over many years. My appreciation for lake ecosystems continues to grow.

2) I learned about the field of disease ecology during an undergraduate invertebrate zoology course, and I was immediately hooked. Studying the ecology and evolutionary biology of host-parasite interactions during graduate school has been fascinating. As an undergraduate, I also had the opportunity to conduct research focusing on the fitness effects of mutation accumulation using Daphnia pulex as my study organism. At U-M, I continued to study Daphnia but in the context of host-parasite interactions in the lab of Meghan Duffy.

3) My advice for incoming grad students is to explore a wide range of research areas early during your graduate studies because you may find interesting connections or knowledge gaps that exist across fields. I would encourage incoming graduate students to attend conferences and reach out to researchers who are doing work that you find interesting. You never know when a collaborative project may arise.

Next year, I will be a postdoc in Tara Stewart Merrill’s lab at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. My research will focus on how the individual impacts of parasites on hosts scale up to influence ecosystem functioning.

1) Favorite EEB experience? There are so many it's hard to choose! I would say it's a tie between hosting the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles conference in Ann Arbor in 2024 and making all of the new connections and collaborations throughout the course of my degree. I've met so many amazing, inspiring, and cool researchers and educators from around the world - it's by FAR my favorite part of my PhD.

2) What was your path to EEB? I blame Jurassic Park and Steve Irwin for my love of reptiles, and attribute my unwavering path here to the support of many wonderful, animal-loving women I've been fortunate enough to have in my life from a young age.  I chose UM EEB for the museums. My dream has always been to work in a large research collection and here I had the opportunity to deeply integrate the UMMZ, UMMNH, and Matthaei Botanical Gardens in my research and outreach efforts.

3) Advice for incoming grad students? Talk to everyone! Don't limit your advice-seeking to just your advisor. Use your committee members, your colleagues, professors in other departments, collections managers, etc. In grad school, you will be surrounded by SO MUCH expertise and creative thinkers - you never know who will have an awesome idea for a project.

1) It’s hard to choose just one favorite memory from graduate school, but a major highlight was participating in a plant functional traits field course in Norway. I had the chance to collaborate with ecologists from around the world and develop field skills that became essential to my own research. On top of that, working in and exploring the stunning fjords of Norway—one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been—was truly unforgettable.

2) My interest in biology began during my first semester of college, when an inspiring professor sparked my curiosity in an introductory biology course. As I continued my degree, I found myself drawn to ecology-focused classes and realized I wanted to pursue field-based ecological research in graduate school. After connecting with my advisor, Prof. Nate Sanders, and learning about the strong graduate student union, supportive community, and rich research opportunities, the UM EEB program felt like the perfect fit.

3) My advice to incoming graduate students is to take full advantage of the many resources available at UM. From professional development and career support to teaching and funding opportunities, the university offers a lot of tools that can enhance your graduate experience. And more importantly, make time to hang out with your friends—nothing gets you through fieldwork woes or formatting your dissertation like a good laugh and great company. 

I just started working as a postdoc with Mia Howard and will be staying in AA for the next year!