A warm welcome to Cody Thompson, collection manager in the Museum of Zoology’s Mammal Division.

“I am excited about joining EEB and the Museum of Zoology. I am looking forward to integrating my experience working in museum collections with my own research program and to continue to grow the mammal voucher and tissue collections. I hope to accomplish this through collaborations with biologists both on and off-campus, as well as through the involvement of students at all levels.”     

Thompson is responsible for the daily activities of the mammal research collection, including maintaining the specimens currently found in the collection and the associated database, coordinating the research activities that involve the mammal collection for both on- and off-campus researchers, and improving the functionality and usability of the mammal collection to others.

“My primary goal as the mammal collection manager is to not only maintain the strong tradition of collections-based research at the University of Michigan but to improve on that tradition by creating more opportunities for scientists to utilize the collection. I hope to accomplish this by seeking out grants to increase the visibility of this vital resource, as well as by increasing research activity in the mammal collection by developing my own research program. Thompson joined U-M in June 2013.

He recently completed his doctorate degree in zoology at Texas Tech University where his research focused on hybridization in rodents, particularly ground squirrels. “I incorporated both a strong field and lab component into my dissertation research, which enabled me to have a holistic view of the system.”

Outside of work, Thompson enjoys sports and the outdoors, especially hunting, and he loves spending time with his wife and daughter.