Recent EEB Graduates
Recent EEB Graduates (A-D)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2010
- Faculty Mentors: Bruce Lieberman & Edward O. Wiley
- Dissertation Defense: June 10, 2010 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: The nature of evolutionary radiations with a special focus on Devonian calmoniid trilobites
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2020
- Faculty Mentor: Rafe Brown
- Dissertation Defense: November 19, 2020
- Dissertation Title: Convergent patterns suggest parallel processes of insular anuran diversification between oceanic archipelagos of the Southwest Pacific and the sky islands of the continental Western Ghats
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Daniel Reuman
- Thesis Defense: December 6, 2023
- Thesis Title: Cross Environmental Variable Synchrony
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2017
- Faculty Mentor: Craig Martin
- Thesis Defense: September 20, 2017
- Thesis Title: CAM Succulents Are Fat in Day, Skinny at Night: Mechanisms Controlling Day/Night Changes in CAM Tissue Volume, With a Focus on the Kansas Cactus, Opuntia macrorrhiza
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2011
- Faculty Mentor: Rudolf Jander
- Dissertation Defense: May 4, 2011
- Dissertation Title: New behavioral insights into home range orientation of the house mouse (Mus musculus)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2022
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: November 29, 2022
- Dissertation Title: Geographic distributions of medically important ticks and tick-borne diseases in North America in changing climates
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2017
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: April 10, 2017
- Dissertation Title: Climate change influences on the potential geographic distribution of Ixodes ricinus, vector of Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis virus
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2018
- Faculty Mentors: Micheal Engel
- Dissertation Defense: July 2, 2018
- Dissertation Title: Phylogeny of the wasp subfamily Metopiinae and patterns of speciation in the Exochus albiceps species-group.
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2016
- Faculty Mentor: Rafe Brown and A. Townsend Peterson
- Thesis Defense: July 13, 2016
- Dissertation Title: Analysis of stacked species distribution models provides a new perspective on biogeography and conservation of Philippine amphibians
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2013
- Faculty Mentor: Robert Moyle
- Dissertation Defense: December 9, 2013
- Dissertation Title: Diversification of the tropical Pacific avifauna
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2014
- Faculty Mentor: Jorge Soberón
- Thesis Defense: December 10, 2014
- Report Title: Theoretical and Practical Analysis of Species Ecological Niche Internal Structure: Implications for Species Distribution Modeling
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2017
- Faculty Mentor: James Thorp
- Thesis Defense: June 23, 2017
- Report Title: Basal carbon sources supporting fish food webs in terminal basin rivers
- Degree: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2021
- Faculty mentor: James Thorp
- Dissertation Defense: June 25, 2021
- Dissertation Title: Tracing Carbon Through Lotic Food Webs Using Amino Acid Stable Isotope Analysis
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2021
- Faculty Mentor: Bruce Lieberman and David Burnham
- Thesis Defense: April 12, 2021
- Report Title: Caenagnathids of the Hell Creek: A new specimen and volumetric mass estimation of Anzu wyliei
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2021
- Faculty Mentor: Andrew Short
- Dissertation Defense: June 28, 2021
- Dissertation Title: Evolution of the aquatic beetle family Noteridae (Coleoptera: Adephaga): integrating methods to examine patterns of diversification across temporal scales
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Entomology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2015
- Faculty Mentor: Andrew Short
- Thesis Defense: June 30, 2015
- Thesis Title: The systematics of the burrowing water beetles (Coleoptera: Adephaga: Noteridae)
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Entomology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2009
- Faculty Mentor: Deborah Smith
- Report Title: Three dimensional path integration in the house mouse
- Degree: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2014
- Faculty mentor: Rafe Brown
- Dissertation Defense: April 14, 2014
- Dissertation Title: From Microevolutionary Processes to Macroevolutionary Patterns: Investigating Diversification at Multiple Scales in Southeast Asian Lizards
- Degree: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2015
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: May 5, 2015
- Dissertation Title: Physiological constraints on geographic distribution of species
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Entomology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2008
- Faculty Mentor: Orley “Chip” Taylor
- Master's Presentation: August 14, 2008
- Thesis Title: A possible size-determined directional selection in Danaus plexippus (Lepidoptera: Danaidae) with evidence from stable isotope analysis
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Entomology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2010
- Faculty Mentor: Michael Engel
- Dissertation Defense: December 6, 2010 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Phylogenetics of Crabronini, with a consideration of the evolution of predatory and nesting behaviors (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Crabronidae).
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2012
- Faculty Mentor: Paulyn Cartwright
- Dissertation Defense: May 24, 2012 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Phylogenetic systematics, taxonomy, and biogeography of jellyfish (Cnidaria: Medusozoa)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2011
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: November 30, 2011 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Deciphering the evolutionary history of the montane New Guinea avifauna: Comparative phlyogeography and insights from paleodistributional modeling in a dynamic landscape
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2012
- Faculty Mentor: Edith L. Taylor
- Thesis Defense: April 6, 2012 - Honors
- Thesis Title: Dordrechtites arcanus, an anatomically preserved gymnospermous reproductive structure from the Middle Triassic of AntarcticaWork history
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Jim Bever
- Thesis Defense: May 24, 2024
- Thesis Title: Responses of Intermediate Wheatgrass to Domestication: Mycorrhizal Fungi and Acclimation Influence Drought Tolerance
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2024
- Faculty Mentor: Bryan Foster
- Dissertation Defense: April 19, 2024
- Dissertation Title: Exploring the roles of initial seeding structure and time in shaping plant community structure of restorations
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2024
- Faculty Mentor: Bruce Lieberman
- Thesis Defense: April 22, 2024
- Thesis Title: It's clam-plicated: how functional traits influenced extinction patterns of Neogene West Atlantic mollusks
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2018
- Faculty Mentor: Deborah Smith
- Dissertation Defense: December 11, 2018
- Dissertation Title: Foraging difference, potential competition, and resource overlap between Western honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) and Asian honeybee (Apis cerana F.)
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2016
- Faculty Mentor: Bryan Foster
- Thesis Defense: May 6, 2016
- Thesis Title: Historical contingency and biotic determinism in community assembly: a long-term experiment of grassland dynamics.
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2012
- Faculty Mentor: John Kelly
- Dissertation Defense: June 15, 2012 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Mating system evolution, plant-pollinator interactions, and floral ultraviolet patterning in Mimulus guttatus
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2007
- Faculty Mentors: A. Townsend Peterson and Linda Trueb
- Dissertation Defense: August 6, 2007
- Dissertation Title: Evolution of the New World jays (Corvidae): Phylogeny, biogeography, and ecology
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2016
- Faculty Mentor: James Thorp
- Dissertation Defense: May 6, 2016 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Temporal analysis of river food webs.
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2018
- Faculty Mentor: Michael Engel
- Dissertation Defense: April 24, 2018
- Dissertation Title: Systematics and Evolution of the Family Chrysopidae (Neuroptera), with an Emphasis on their Morphology
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2019
- Faculty Mentor: John Kelly
- Dissertation Defense: June 28, 2019
- Dissertation Title: On the nature of genetic variation in yellow monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus): combining theoretical and empirical approaches
- Degree Earned: MA in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2020
- Faculty Mentor: Joy Ward
- Dissertation Defense: May 8, 2020
- Dissertation Title: Inter-population Response of White Ash to the Emerald Ash Borer: Is Vegetative Regeneration Possible
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Dr. James Bever
- Dissertation Defense: June 29, 2023
- Dissertation Title: Microbiome response to plant diversity, composition, and precipitation gradients: Evidence for pathogen dilution, and differential responses of saprotrophs & AMF
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2020
- Faculty Mentor: James Bever
- Thesis Defense: May 8, 2020
- Thesis Title: Fungal pathogen diversity and composition respond rapidly to changes in plant diversity and composition
- Degree Earned: M.A in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2019
- Faculty Mentor: Bruce Lieberman
- Thesis Defense: May 10, 2019
- Thesis Title: Phylogenetic and Biogeographic Analysis of Cretaceous Spatangoid Echinoids from the Western Interior Seaway
- Degree Earned: M.A in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2016
- Faculty Mentor: Robert Moyle
- Thesis Defense: March 25, 2016
- Thesis Title: Use of genomic data to resolve gene tree discordance in a Southeast Asian genus: Readdressing paraphyly in the spiderhunter (Nectariniidae, Arachnothera) phylogeny.
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2016
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: November 28, 2016
- Dissertation Title: Modeling approaches to investigating distributions, abundances, and connectivity of mosquito vector species.
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Dr. Town Peterson
- Thesis Defense: June 9, 2023
- Thesis Title: Interpreting the concept of 'near': Georeferencing with Voronoi polygons
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2007
- Faculty Mentors: Edward O. Wiley and Deborah Smith
- Dissertation Defense: July 13, 2007
- Dissertation Title: Population genetic patterns in sister species pairs sharing a single speciation event: A study of two species pairs of freshwater fishes
- Degree Earned: M.A in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2020
- Faculty Mentor: Joy Ward
- Thesis Defense: May 13, 2020
- Thesis Title: Diet analysis of Neotoma middens from the last glacial period to present in the Snake Range, NV
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2009
- Faculty Mentor: James Thorp
- Dissertation Defense: May 15, 2009
- Dissertation Title:: Resources pulses and spatial subsidies in Ozark Karst Springs: Effects on community structure and food webs
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2015
- Faculty Mentor: Joy Ward
- Dissertation Defense: August 25, 2015
- Dissertation Title: Phenology and Physiology of White Ash in Relation to Climate Extremes
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2017
- Faculty Mentor: Rafe Brown
- Thesis Defense: November 11, 2017
- Thesis Title: Mountains and Migrations: Using Biogeography, Population and Landscape Genetics to Elucidate Patterns and Processes of Diversification in a Biodiversity Hotspot
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2018
- Faculty Mentor: Paulyn Cartwright
- Dissertation Defense: October 26, 2018 - Honors
- Dissertation Title:The genomics of the gelatinous: Genomic insights into major evolutionary transitions within the Cnidaria
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2008
- Faculty Mentor: Edward O. Wiley
- Dissertation Defense: April 24, 2008
- Dissertation Title: Ecological niche modeling as a predictive tool: Asiatic freshwater fishes in North America
- Degree Earned: M.A in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2015
- Faculty Mentor: Justin Blumenstiel
- Thesis Defense: September 4, 2015
- Thesis Title: A signature of an increased piRNA response with increased TE abundance in Drosophila: an evolutionary arms race between TE and genome defense provided by piRNA pathway
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2013
- Faculty Mentor: Kirsten Jensen
- Thesis Defense: April 12, 2013 - Honors
- Thesis Title: Contributions to the systematics, comparative morphology, and interrelationships of selected lecanicephalidean tapeworms (Plathelminthes: Cestoda: Lecanicephalidae)
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2016
- Faculty Mentor: Rafe Brown
- Thesis Defense: July 28, 2016
- Dissertation Title: Geographic basis of genetic variation in Platymantis corrugatus
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Dr. A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: July 10, 2023
- Dissertation Title: Integrating Multiple Approaches for Comprehensive Correlative Ecological Niche Modeling
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Entomology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2009
- Faculty Mentors: Jennifer Gleason and Michael Greenfield
- Dissertation Defense: October 23, 2009
- Dissertation Title: Species recognition is driving evolution of the acoustic mating system of shield back katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Aglaothorax): Behavioral and phylogenetic evidence
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2016
- Faculty Mentor: Lena Hileman
- Thesis Defense: May 24, 2016
- Dissertation Title: Lingering wounds: The molecular and evolutionary outcomes of transgenerational plasticity in Mimulus guttatus
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2009
- Faculty Mentor: Bryan Foster
- Dissertation Defense: March 5, 2009 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Population and community responses to anthropogenic environmental changes
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2019
- Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Gleason
- Thesis Defense: September 19, 2019
- Dissertation Title: Evolution of Sexual Signals in Drosophila saltans Species Group
- Degree Earned: M.A in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2016
- Faculty Mentor: Jorge Soberón
- Thesis Defense: April 12, 2016
- Thesis Title: Testing stacked distribution models: Predicting species richness and community composition in hummingbirds
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2009
- Faculty Mentor: Edward O. Wiley
- Dissertation Defense: December 4, 2009 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Integrating molecular evolution and morphology to study the evolutionary history of lizardfishes and their allies
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Entomology / Ph.D. in Entomology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2008 / Spring 2014
- Faculty Mentors: Michael Engel and the late Steve Ashe
- Thesis Defense:June 6, 2008
- Dissertation Defense: April 14, 2014 - Honors
- Thesis Title: Morphology and phylogeny of the weevil subfamily Baridinae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
- Dissertation title: Morphology, Phylogeny, and Evolutionary Development in the Weevils (Insecta: Coleoptera: Curculionoidea)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Rob Moyle
- Dissertation Defense: September 13, 2023
- Dissertation Title: Origin and evolution of tropical montane birds: exploring examples of rapid secondary sympatry in passerines
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2022
- Faculty Mentor: Richard Glor
- Dissertation Defense: June 1, 2022
- Dissertation Title: Dewlap Color in the Hispaniolan Bark Anole: A Sexually Dimorphic Trait Sex Linked Through Chromosomal Fusions
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2024
- Faculty Mentor: Rob Moyle
- Dissertation Defense: May 3, 2024
- Dissertation Title: How and why genomes lie: case studies in the birds of Oceania
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2021
- Faculty Mentor: James Bever
- Dissertation Defense: February 19, 2021 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Biogeographic plant-microbe patterns and process: natural and anthropogenic impacts across three spatial scales
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2018
- Faculty Mentor: Bryan Foster
- Dissertation Defense: October 8, 2018 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Examining potential multi-scale drivers of flower visitor communities and plant-pollinator interactions in the context of tallgrass prairie habitat reconstruction
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2020
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: August 27, 2020
- Dissertation: A history of weaving: insights into the ecology, evolution and biogeography of family Ploceidae (Aves)
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2008
- Faculty Mentors: James Thorp
- Master's Presentation: January 28, 2008
- Thesis Title: Landscape impacts on fish community structure and food chain length in prairie and Ozark rivers
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2008
- Faculty Mentor: Edward O. Wiley
- Dissertation Defense: December 10, 2008
- Dissertation Title: Interrelationships of fishes of the order Stomiiformes
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2021
- Faculty Mentors: Lena Hileman
- Master's Presentation: August 27, 2021
- Thesis Title: CYCLOIDEA paralogs function redundantly to specify dorsal flower development in Mimulus lewisii (Phrymaceae)
Recent Graduates (E-L)
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2010
- Faculty Mentor: Daphne Fautin
- Thesis Defense: November 18, 2010
- Thesis Title: Taxonomy and distribution of sea anemones (Cnidaria: Actiniaria, Corallimorpharia) from deep water of the northeastern Pacific
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Entomology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2016
- Faculty Mentor: Michael Engel
- Dissertation Defense Defense: June 1, 2016
- Dissertation Title: Morphological and molecular insights into aleocharine rove beetle evolution.
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2022
- Faculty Mentor: Sara Baer
- Dissertation Defense Defense: October 14, 2022
- Dissertation Title: The effects of drought on plant and soil microbial communities and functioning during tallgrass prairie restoration
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2008
- Faculty Mentor: Helen Alexander
- Dissertation Defense: April 18, 2008
- Dissertation Title: Population ecology and management of the invasive plant, Lespedeza cuneata
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2018
- Faculty Mentors: Justin Blumenstiel
- Dissertation Defense: March 29, 2018 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: How germ line epigenetic regulators contribute to gene expression during genomic instability
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2010
- Faculty Mentors: Rafe Brown and Robert Timm
- Dissertation Defense: April 27, 2010 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Diversification processes in an island radiation of shrews
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2009
- Faculty Mentor: Paulyn Cartwright
- Master's Presentation: July 14, 2009
- Thesis Title: The phylogenetic placement of two enigmatic metazoan parasites: Polypodium hydriforme and Myxozoa
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2020
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Thesis Defense: May 12, 2020
- Thesis Title: Evolutionary Aspects of the Family Corvidae: A Synthesis of Phylogenetics, Biogeography and Niche Evolution
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2010
- Faculty Mentor: Helen Alexander
- Master's Presentation: March 12, 2010
- Thesis Title: Ecology of Carex blanda throughout a woodland/grassland ecotone: A small-scale study of a woodlands species in heterogeneous environments
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2020
- Faculty Mentor: Joy Ward
- Thesis Defense: May 8, 2020
- Thesis Title: The influences of elevated carbon dioxide on trichome densities and trichome molecular pathways in Arabidopsis
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2018
- Faculty Mentor: Bryan Foster
- Master's Presentation: August 20, 2018
- Report Title: Interpreting Stability From Forest Diameter Distributions With Maximum Likelihood
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2021
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: February 12, 2021
- Dissertation Title: Quantitative approaches to spatial conservation prioritization and planning in West Africa
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2012
- Faculty Mentors: Rafe Brown and Linda Trueb
- Thesis Defense: March 28, 2012
- Thesis Title: Skeletal variation in Melanesian forest frogs (Anura: Ceratobatrachidae)
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Folashade Agusto
- Dissertation Defense: December 13, 2023
- Dissertation Title: The New Age of Fire: Exploring the Effect of Prescribed Fire on Tick Propagation and Distribution
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2022
- Faculty Mentor: James Thorp
- Dissertation Defense: May 4, 2022
- Dissertation Title: More discovery with less death: Substituting dragonfly exuviae for living insects in stable isotope studies of food webs
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2021
- Faculty Mentor: WM. Leo Smith
- Dissertation Defense: May 6, 2021 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Systematics and Macroevolutionary Dynamics of Carangiform Fishes: Integrating Genomic, Morphological, and Spatial Data
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2019
- Faculty Mentor: Andrew Short
- Thesis Defense: December 10, 2019
- Thesis Title: Morphology and Evolution of the Water Scavenger Beetle subfamily Acidocerinae (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae)
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2009
- Faculty Mentors: John K. Kelly and Maria Orive
- Master's Presentation: March 27, 2009
- Thesis Title: The effects of directional epistasis on molecular evolution
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2008
- Faculty Mentor: Deborah Smith
- Dissertation Defense: June 30, 2008
- Dissertation Title: Phylogeny and classification of the bee tribe Megachilini (Hymenoptera: Apoidea, Megachilidae), with emphasis on the genus Megachile
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Andrew Short
- Dissertation Defense: April 26, 2023
- Dissertation Title: Taxonomy and Evolution of Water Scavenger Beetle genus Notionotus (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) from the Neotropical region
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2009
- Faculty Mentor: Larry Martin
- Report Title: Flapping jaws: Cranial kinesis in the Nile hippopotamus (H. amphibius) and an anthracothere (Elomeryx), mechanisms, and muscular control
- Degree Earned: PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2016
- Faculty Mentor: Rafe Brown
- Dissertation title: The fragmentation of Gondwanaland: Influence on the historical biogeography and morphological evolution within Dragon Lizards (Squamata: Agamidae)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2007
- Faculty Mentor: Linda Trueb
- Dissertation Defense: November 19, 2007
- Dissertation Title: Phylogeny, taxonomy, character evolution, and biogeography of glassfrogs (Amphibia: Centrolenidae)
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2016
- Faculty Mentor: Kirsten Jensen
- Thesis Defense: June 10, 2016
- Thesis Title: Select lecanicephalidean (Cestoda) fauna of the giant freshwater whipray, Himantura polylepis (Myliobatiformes: Dasyatidae), from Malaysian and Indonesian Borneo
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2016
- Faculty Mentor: Bryan Foster
- Dissertation Defense: November 11, 2016
- Dissertation Title: Using ecological theory to inform the restoration and conservation of tallgrass prairie.
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2021
- Faculty Mentors: Amy Burgin
- Dissertation Defense: July 22, 2021
- Thesis Title: Contrasting the effects of nitrogen form and concentration on primary producer biomass, cyanotoxins, and microbiome structure in eutrophic and mesotrophic lake communities
- Degree: M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2015
- Faculty Mentor: Jamie Walters
- Thesis Defense: April 22, 2015
- Thesis Title: Investigating novel traits in Lepidoptera through the use of shotgun proteomics
- Degree: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2015
- Faculty Mentor: Thomas N. Taylor
- Dissertation Defense: May 1, 2015 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: The diversity and interactions of fungi from the Paleozoic and Mesozoic of Antarctica
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2017
- Faculty Mentors: Frank deNoyelles, John Jones, and Val Smith
- Dissertation Defense: February 10, 2017 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Factors effecting local, regional, and global scale cyanobacterial dominance and secondary metabolite occurrence.
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2021
- Faculty Mentors: Sharon Billings
- Dissertation Defense: December 10, 2021
- Dissertation Title: Roots as agents of soil change over time and as mediators of humanity’s imprint on Earth’s critical zone
- Degree: M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2016
- Faculty Mentor: Bruce Lieberman and Mark Holder
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2018
- Faculty Mentor: Justin Blumenstiel
- Dissertation Defense: June 13, 2018 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: The Evolution of Recombination Landscapes and Mechanisms in Drosophila in Light of Intragenomic Conflict
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2022
- Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lena Hileman
- Dissertation Defense: July 1, 2022
- Dissertation Title: Global Change Effects on Flowering Time in Arabidopsis thaliana
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2018
- Faculty Mentor: Jorge Soberón
- Dissertation Defense: April 11, 2018
- Dissertation Title: Macro-scale avian migration, foraging, and dispersal: environmental and geopolitical perspectives.
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2022
- Faculty Mentors: Kirsten Jensen
- Dissertation Defense: April 29, 2022 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Population genomics, systematics, and phylogenomics of the tapeworm order Trypanorhyncha
- Degree: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2016
- Faculty Mentor: Kirsten Jensen
- Thesis Defense: July 7, 2016 - Honors
- Thesis Title:Tapeworms of the mangrove Whipray, Himantura granulata Macleay, and an investigation of host size as it relates to tapeworm faunal composition
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Entomology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2010
- Faculty Mentor: Michael Engel
- Dissertation Defense: November 10, 2010
- Dissertation Title: Comparative genital morphology, phylogeny, and classification of the orchid bee genus Euglossa Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae), with distributional modeling of adventive Euglossines
- Degree: M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2017
- Faculty Mentor: Craig Martin
- Dissertation Defense: March 16, 2017
- Thesis Title: First Finding of Succulence and C4/CAM-cycling Photosynthesis in a Grass: Ecophysiology of Spinifex littoreus in coastal regions of Taiwan
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2021
- Faculty Mentor: Robert Moyle
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2021
- Faculty Mentors: Benjamin Sikes
- Dissertation Defense: March 23, 2021 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Fire and fungi: fungal ecology in pyrophilic ecosystems
- Degree: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2014
- Faculty Mentor: Robert Moyle
- Dissertation Defense: April 15, 2014
- Dissertation Title: Geographic Drivers of Avian Diversification in the Philippine Archipelago
- Degree Earned: M.A. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2018
- Faculty Mentor: Robert Moyle
- Dissertation Defense: May 4, 2018
- Dissertation Title: A phylogenomic investigation of the relationships among herons (Aves: Ardeidae)
- Degree: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2019
- Faculty Mentors: Rafe Brown and Richard Glor
- Dissertation Defense: July 30, 2019
- Dissertation Title: Phylogenomic systematics, bioacoustics, and morphology of frogs from Madagascar reveals that background noise drives the evolution of high frequency acoustic signaling
- Degree Earned: M.A. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology / Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2013 / Fall 2020
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Master's Exam / Dissertation Defense: December 2, 2013
- Dissertation Defense: May 8, 2020 - Honors
- Master's Report: Trans-Amazon dispersal potential for Crotalus durissus during Pleistocene climate events.
- Dissertation Title: Enhancing the correlative niche modeling framework to incorporate the temporal dimension of species' distributions
- Degree: M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2014
- Faculty Mentors: Rob Moyle and A. Townsend Peterson
- Master’s Defense: January 9, 2014
- Report Title: Phylogenetic Relationships of Niltavinae Using Multi-Gene Analysis
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Entomology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2008
- Faculty Mentor: Michael Engel and the late Steve Ashe
- Dissertation Defense: June 24, 2008 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Comprehensive phylogenetics, systematics, and evolution of the neoteny of Lampyridae (Insecta: Coleoptera)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2021
- Faculty Mentor: Jorge Soberón
- Dissertation Defense: January 27, 2021 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Estimation of the fundamental niche of a species using presence data, physiological tolerances, and accessible areas, and the evaluation of niche and species distribution models
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2022
- Faculty Mentor: Dr. K. Chris Beard
- Dissertation Defense: July 19, 2022
- Dissertation Title: Origin and evolution of bats: evaluating a potential stem group in the fossil record
- Degree: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2013
- Faculty Mentor: Robert Moyle
- Master’s Defense: July 8, 2013
- Thesis Title: A molecular genetic investigation into secondary contact and gene flow in island sister taxa
- Degree: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2019
- Faculty Mentor: Amy Burgin
- Master’s Defense: April 26, 2019 - Honors
- Thesis Title: High supply, high demand: A unique nutrient addition decouples nitrate uptake and metabolism in a large river
- Degree: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2020
- Faculty Mentor: Mark Mort
- Master’s Defense: June 5, 2020
- Thesis Title: Phylogeny, Biogeography, and Mating System Evolution of Tolpis in Macaronesia
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2021
- Faculty Mentors: Benjamin Sikes and Terry Loecke
- Dissertation Defense: July 28, 2021
- Thesis Title: N or out? Examining the effects of drought on nitrate retention.
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2020
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: August 12, 2020
- Dissertation Title: Application of Deep Learning to Automated Species Identification Systems
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2008
- Faculty Mentors: Bryan Foster and Val Smith
- Master's Presentation: March 3, 2008
- Thesis Title: Arthropod and plant responses to resource availability and heterogeneity
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2010
- Faculty Mentor: Kelly Kindscher
- Master's Presentation: August 25, 2010
- Thesis Title: Landscape context, metacommunity dynamics, and private management practices of native prairie hay meadows
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2020
- Faculty Mentor: Robert Moyle
- Dissertation Defense: January 31, 2020
- Dissertation Title: Phylogenomics of Avian Taxa in The Southwest Pacific
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2022
- Faculty Mentor: Paulyn Cartwright
- Dissertation Defense: November 14, 2022
- Dissertation Title: Evolutionary patterns and ecological influences of venom function in Medusozoa (phylum Cnidaria)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2018
- Faculty Mentor: Benjamin Sikes
- Dissertation Defense: December 4, 2018 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Microbiological insights into ecological and taphonomy of prehistoric wetlands
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2009
- Faculty Mentor: Kirsten Jensen
- Master's Presentation: June 29, 2009
- Thesis Title: The lecanicephalidean fauna of three species of eagle rays of the genus Aetomylaeus (Myliobatiformes: Myliobatidae)
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2017
- Faculty Mentor: Bruce Lieberman
- Master's Presentation: June 2, 2017
- Thesis Title: The biogeography and macroevolutionary trends of Late Paleozoic Cephalopods in the North American Midcontinent Sea: Understanding the response of marine organisms to changing climate during the Late Paleozoic Ice Age
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2017
- Faculty Mentor: John Kelly
- Dissertation Defense: April 28, 2017
- Dissertation Title: Application of RAD-seq in Evolutionary Genomics of Non-Model Organisms
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2011
- Faculty Mentor: Lena Hileman
- Master's Defense: April 13, 2011- Honors
- Thesis Title: Pollinator attractors: petaloidy and epidermal cell shape in close relatives of snapdragon
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2009
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Master's Presentation: July 20, 2009
- Thesis Title: Biogeography, ecology and conservation of Paradisaeidae: Consequences of environmental and climatic changes
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2008
- Faculty Mentor: Mark Mort
- Dissertation Defense: October 6, 2008 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Systematics and glacial population history of the Alternifolium group of the flowering plant genus Chrysoplenium (Saxifragaceae)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2012
- Faculty Mentor: Rafe Brown
- Dissertation Defense: April 2, 2012
- Dissertation Title: Molecular phylogenetics and biogeography of Sphenomorphini (Squamata: Scincidae)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2010
- Faculty Mentors: Bryan Foster & Kelly Kindscher
- Dissertation Defense: June 28, 2010
- Dissertation Title: Species coexistence in restored grassland plant communities: trait-based recruitment, niche-neutral assembly, and heterogeneous management
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2018
- Faculty Mentors: Helen Alexander
- Dissertation Defense: August 30, 2018
- Dissertation Title: Context-Dependency of Ecological Restoration Strategies
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2020
- Faculty Mentors: James Thorp
- Dissertation Defense: May 12, 2020
- Thesis Title: Small scale hydrogeomorphic features influence macroinvertebrate food webs in two Great Plains rivers
Recent Graduates (M-Q)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Dr. A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: May 18, 2023
- Dissertation Title: Evolutionary and Ecological Factors of Social Mating Systems in Caciques and Oropendolas (Aves, Cacicinae)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2010
- Faculty Mentors: A. Townsend Peterson and Robert Timm
- Dissertation Defense: April 27, 2010
- Dissertation Title: Spatial dynamics of mammals and their pathogens and parasites
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Entomology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2016
- Faculty Mentor: Andrew Short
- Dissertation Defense: July 14, 2016
- Dissertation Title: Phylogeny, ecology, and taxonomic revision of the travertine beetles (Coleoptera: Lutrochidae)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2015
- Faculty Mentor: Robert Moyle
- Dissertation Defense: December 11, 2015
- Dissertation Title: Evolutionary biology of birds and their associated microbiota in the Madrean Archipelago Sky Islands
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2009
- Faculty Mentors: John K. Kelly and Maria Orive
- Dissertation Defense: August 19, 2009
- Dissertation Title: Mutation, asexual reproduction and genetic load: A study in three parts
- Degree: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2022
- Faculty Mentor: Mark E Mort
- Thesis Defense: July 18, 2022
- Thesis Title: New insights for the systematics and taxonomy of Vallisneria (Hydrocharitaceae)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2022
- Faculty Mentor: W. Leo Smith
- Dissertation Defense: November 30, 2022
- Dissertation Title: Aspects of Macroevolution and Adaptation in Two Lineages of Deep-sea Fishes
- Degree: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2016
- Faculty Mentor: Helen Alexander
- Thesis Defense: April 29, 2016
- Thesis Title: Effects of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herbivory on remnant tallgrass prairie plant communities
- Degree: M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2019
- Faculty Mentor: James Thorp
- Thesis Defense: May 13, 2019
- Thesis Title: Hydrogeomorphic drivers of functional diversity in riverine fishes at an intercontinental scale
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2019
- Faculty Mentor: Deborah Smith
- Dissertation Defense: May 13, 2019
- Dissertation Title: Wild bee responses to land use change: investigating the role of bee body size
- Degree: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2022
- Faculty Mentor: Jamie Walters
- Thesis Defense: April 25, 2022
- Thesis Title: Proteomic Analysis of Dimorphic Sperm in the Cabbage White Butterfly, Pieris rapae
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2010
- Faculty Mentor: Linda Trueb
- Dissertation Defense: April 28, 2010
- Dissertation Title: Elucidating the relationships within the Limnonectes kuhlii species complex (Amphibia: Anura: Dicroglossidae)
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2024
- Faculty Mentor: Bruce Liberman
- Thesis Title: Geometric Morphometrics of Middle Cambrian Trilobites from Utah
- Thesis Defense: April 30, 2024
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Dr. James Bever and Dr. Ben Sikes
- Dissertation Defense: December 5, 2022
- Dissertation Title: Tipping the scales: alternative stable states and the role of soil microbes in ecosystem resilience
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2012
- Faculty Mentors: Hans-Peter Schultze & Edward Wiley
- Dissertation Defense: April 10, 2012 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Unraveling the systematics of palaeoniscoid fishes - lower actinopterygians in need of a complete phylogenetic revision
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2010
- Faculty Mentors: Michael Greenfield & Jennifer Gleason
- Dissertation Defense: September 27, 2010
- Dissertation Title: Pre-mating communication and hybridization between two meadow katydids, Orchelimum nigripes and O. pulchellum (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae): Male calling song and asymmetric female preference
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2021
- Faculty Mentors: K. Christopher Beard
- Dissertation Defense: May 5, 2021 - Honors
- Thesis Title: Phylogenetics and biogeography of two new species of paromomyid plesiadapiforms from a unique, High Arctic ecosystem of Eocene Canada
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2017
- Faculty Mentor: Sharon Bilings
- Dissertation Defense: March 29, 2017
- Dissertation Title: Temperature responses of microbial soil organic matter decomposition and associated respiration at various scales, ranging from exo-enzymes to populations and communities
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2011
- Faculty Mentor: John K. Kelly
- Dissertation Defense: July 18, 2011 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: What constrains directional selection on complex traits in the wild?
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2019
- Faculty Mentor: Jamie Walters
- Dissertation Defense: September 3, 2019 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Neo-sex chromosomes and non-fertilizing sperm: novel reproductive biology in Lepidoptera
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2016
- Faculty Mentor: John K. Kelly
- Dissertation Defense: March 21, 2016 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Evolutionary implications of the standing genetic variation in natural populations of Mimulus guttatus
- Degree: M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2014
- Faculty Mentor: Caroline Chaboo
- Master’s Defense: April 10, 2014
- Thesis Title: Molecular Phylogeny of Leaf Shining Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Criocerinae)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2012
- Faculty Mentor: Bryan Foster
- Dissertation Defense: August 22, 2012
- Dissertation Title: Above-ground-belowground interactions: Investigating the role of plant communities in structuring soil bacterial communities
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Entomology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2009
- Faculty Mentor: Rudolf Jander
- Dissertation Defense: April 15, 2009
- Dissertation Title: Redefining honeybee foraging cognition
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2012
- Faculty Mentor: Paulyn Cartwright
- Dissertation Defense: March 28, 2012 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Phylogenetics of Aplanulata (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) and the evolution and development of Ectopleura larynx
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2022
- Faculty Mentor: Andrew Short
- Dissertation Defense: July 15, 2022
- Dissertation Title: Evolution of Chasmogenus: Tracking 70 million years of ecological and geological change in the Neotropics through an ancient water beetle lineage
- Degree: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2014
- Faculty Mentors: Jorge Soberón and A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: April 8, 2014 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Scale and Ecological and Historical Determinants of a Species’ Geographic range: The Case of the Vector-borne Plant Parasite Phoradendron californicum Nutt. (Viscaceae)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2010
- Faculty Mentors: Kenneth Armitage & Norman Slade
- Dissertation Defense: July 1, 2010
- Dissertation Title: Determinants of annual and lifetime reproductive success in female yellow-bellied marmots: a cross-generational study
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2011
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: April 22, 2011
- Dissertation Title: Origin and evolution of the unique Australo-Papuan mangrove-restricted avifauna: novel insights from molecular phylogenetic and comparative phylogeographic analyses
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Jorge Soberon
- Dissertation Defense: December 8, 2023
- Dissertation Title: Distributional and dispersal patterns of Urania moths, elements for the conservation of a migratory insect
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2013
- Faculty Mentors: Rafe Brown and Mark Holder
- Dissertation Defense: October 16, 2013
- Dissertation Title: Islands and Integrals: Processes of Diversification in an Island Archipelago and Bayesian Methods of Comparative Phylogeographical Model Choice
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2019
- Faculty Mentor: Folashade Agusto
- Master's Thesis Defense: December 9, 2019
- Thesis Title: Mathematical Modeling of Neisseria meningitidis: A Case Study of Nigeria
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2009
- Faculty Mentor: Mark Mort
- Master's Presentation: June 24, 2009
- Thesis Title: Phylogenetics and biogeography of Aichryson inferred from chloroplast DNA sequences
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology / Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2009 / Summer 2015
- Faculty Mentor: Robert Moyle
- Thesis Defense: April 28, 2009
- Thesis Title: Origin and Diversification of Philippine Bulbuls
- Dissertation Defense: July 17, 2015
- Dissertation Title: Phylogenomics of Rapid Avian Radiations
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2017
- Faculty Mentor: Rafe Brown
- Master's Presentation: February 24, 2017
- Thesis Title: Using genomic data to test biogeographic hypotheses of landmass fragmentation and population divergence in a model island archipelago
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2021
- Faculty Mentor: Rafe Brown
- Dissertation Defense: December 16, 2020
- Dissertation Title: Genomic Perspectives on Island Biological Invasions in the Western Pacific
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2010
- Faculty Mentor: James Thorp
- Thesis Defense: March 26, 2010
- Thesis Title: Ecological responses to hydrogeomorphic fluctuations in a sand bed prairie river: River complexity, habitat availability, and benthic invertebrates
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2014
- Faculty Mentor: James Thorp
- Dissertation Defense: July 10, 2014
- Dissertation Title: Community dynamics of ephemeral systems: food web drivers, community assembly, and anthropogenic impacts of playa wetlands
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rob Moyle
- Dissertation Defense: May 2, 2023
- Dissertation Title: The evolutionary history of Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) at multiple scales
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2008
- Faculty Mentor: Kirsten Jensen
- Master's Presentation: August 22, 2008
- Thesis Title:Multiple species of Phoreiobothrium from the blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus, in the Gulf of Mexico
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2015
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: April 6, 2015
- Dissertation Title: Modeling species distributions: applications and methods for marine biogeography and conservation
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2009
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: April 21, 2009 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Ecological applications of remote sensing data in neotropical rainforests
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2008
- Faculty Mentor: Walter Dimmick
- Report Title: Population genetics of captive and wild-caught Topeka shiners (Notropis topeka)
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2021
- Faculty Mentor: Kirsten Jensen
- Thesis Title: New species of Tetragonocephalum (Cestoda: Lecanicephalidea) parasitizing members of the stingray genus Pateobatis (Myliobatiformes: Dasyatidae) and an update of host associations of the genus
- Degree: M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Graduation Term: Summer 2013
- Faculty Mentor: Bryan Foster
- Master’s Defense: April 17, 2013
- Thesis Title: Drivers of plant and arthropod diversity and community structure in a grassland ecosystem
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2011
- Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Gleason
- Dissertation Defense: December 9, 2011
- Dissertation Title: Population genetics, phylogeography, and morphology of the Sand Shiner, Notropis stramineus
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2014
- Faculty Mentor: Chip Taylor
- Dissertation Defense: August 20, 2014
- Thesis Title: A Re-examination of Reproductive Arrest on the Monarch Butterfly, Danaus plexippus
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Dr. James Bever
- Dissertation Defense: May 2, 2023
- Dissertation Title: The ecosystem consequences of plant diversity: drivers, patterns, and the effects of altered precipitation
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2010
- Faculty Mentor: Mark Mort
- Report Title: Distribution and diversity of Aeonium spathulatum (Crassulaceae) on the western Canary Islands
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2008
- Faculty Mentor: Bryan Foster
- Dissertation Defense: April 22, 2008
- Dissertation Title: Disturbance, spatial turnover, and species coexistence in grassland plant communities
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2022
- Faculty Mentor: Chris Beard
- Dissertation Defense: June 8, 2022
- Dissertation Title: New Eurasian Immigrants in the Late Paleogene of Africa, and the Great Old World Biotic Interchange: a Quantitative Analysis of Mammalian Dispersal
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2012
- Faculty Mentor: Paulyn Cartwright
- Dissertation Defense: March 28, 2012 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Phylogenetics of Aplanulata (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) and the evolution and development of Ectopleura larynx
Recent Graduates (R-Z)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2022
- Faculty Mentor: James Bever
- Dissertation Defense: March 10, 2022
- Dissertation Title: Plant Mycorrhizal Feedback Patterns in the Context of Plant Life History and Phylogenetic Variation in the Prairie
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2012
- Faculty Mentor: Sharon Billings
- Dissertation Defense: April 9, 2012
- Dissertation Title: Variation in physiological responses of forest trees to disturbance: implications for future forest carbon and management
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2018
- Faculty Mentor: Chris Beard
- Dissertation Defense: June 13, 2018
- Dissertation Title: Fossil Mammals of the Twelvemile Bonanza Local Fauna, Late Tiffanian of Southwestern Wyoming
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2011
- Faculty Mentor: Helen Alexander
- Master's Defense: June 24, 2011 - Honors
- Thesis Presentation: July 1, 2011
- Thesis Title: Not easy being Mead's: Comparative herbivory on three milkweeds, including threatened Mead's milkweed (Asclepias meadii) and seedling ecology of Mead's milkweed
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2008
- Faculty Mentors: Joy Ward
- Report Title: Interactive effects of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration and temperature on flowering time of Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes between the preindustrial and present periods
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2023
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: December 4, 2023
- Dissertation Title: Unveiling the zoonotic and environmental potential of leprosy transmission
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2019
- Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Gleason
- Dissertation Defense: May 14, 2019
- Dissertation Title: Dancing in the Dark: The evolution of visually mediated courtship behaviors and sexual dimorphisms in spotted winged Drosophila
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Botany
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2009
- Faculty Mentor: Edith Taylor
- Dissertation Defense: August 19, 2009 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Antarctic glossopterids: Clarifying and comparing reproductive structures
- Degree: M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2014
- Faculty Mentor: John Kelly
- Master’s Defense: April 17, 2014
- Thesis Title: Integrating Multiple Evolutionary Processes in Models of Captive Breeding.
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2016
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: May 5, 2016 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Geographic distribution modeling of infectious disease dynamics in space and time
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2015
- Faculty Mentor: Paulyn Cartwright
- Dissertation Defense: December 16, 2014 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Integrating genomic, transcriptomic and developmental approaches to investigate coloniality and life cycle evolution in the Hydractiniidae (Hydrozoa: Cnidaria)
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Lena Hileman
- Dissertation Defense: May 3, 2023
- Dissertation Title: The Penstemon kunthii draft genome: Integrating a genetic map with assembled sequence data
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2015
- Faculty Mentors: Jim Thorp and Jerry deNoyelles
- Master’s Defense: July 29, 2015
- Thesis Title: Structure and function of the phytoplankton community of the Kansas river
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2012
- Faculty Mentor: Thomas N. Taylor
- Dissertation Defense: July 23, 2012
- Dissertation Title: Paleophysiology of Permian and Triassic seed plants
- Currently:a postdoctoral researcher at KU Dr. Thomas Taylor
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2019
- Faculty Mentor: Lena Hileman
- Dissertation Defense: July 2, 2019
- Dissertation Title: Evolution of novel genetic programs: insights from flower and fruit development
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2019
- Faculty Mentors: Chris Beard, Gloria Arratia, Hans-Peter Schultze
- Master's Defense: September 3, 2019
- Thesis Title: Redescription of Wushaichthys exquisitus and phylogenetic revision of Thoracopteridae
- Degree: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2015
- Faculty Mentors: Kirsten Jensen and Michael Engel
- Dissertation Defense: July 15, 2015
- Dissertation title: Systematics and morphology of Ischyrosonychini, with an investigation of color change in the Geiger tortoise beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2011
- Faculty Mentor: Rafe Brown
- Dissertation Defense: October 7, 2011 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Historical processes and genetic implications of limb reduction and loss in an island skink lineage
- Degree: Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2017
- Faculty Mentors: Andrew Short
- Dissertation Defense: December 1, 2017
- Dissertation title: Systematics and Evolution of the Leaf-Beetle Tribe Dorynotini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae)
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Amy Burgin
- Thesis Defense: November 17, 2023
- Thesis Title: Stream Metabolism In Eastern Kansas: Comparing Grassland and Agriculture Land use, Season, and Flow State
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2011
- Faculty Mentor: Ford Ballantyne IV
- Master's Defense: April 18, 2011
- Thesis Title: Carbon dynamics in aquatic ecosystems in response to different nutrient availability and rising atmospheric CO2
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2022
- Faculty Mentor: Sharon Billings
- Dissertation Defense: August 22, 2022
- Dissertation Title: Quantifying the depth effects of environmental changes on soil structure and organic matter decay across scales in the Anthropocene
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2011
- Faculty Mentors: Helen Alexander and Val Smith
- Report Title: Early life stage growth in crop-wild sunflower (Helianthus annuus) hybrids
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2012
- Faculty Mentor: Deborah Smith
- Dissertation Defense: May 14, 2012
- Dissertation Title: A gang of thieves - evolution of cooperative kleptoparasitism in the subfamily Argyrodinae (Araneae: Theridiidae)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2012
- Faculty Mentors: Rafe Brown & Mark Holder
- Dissertation Defense: January 31, 2012
- Dissertation Title: Geographies and genealogies: Phylogeographic simulation and Bayesian approaches to statistical phylogeographic model selection
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2021
- Faculty Mentor: Brian Atkinson
- Thesis Defense: June 15, 2021 - Honors
- Thesis Title: Uncovering the early diversification of core eudicots in western North America: structurally preserved fruits from Late Cretaceous deposits of Sucia Island
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2021
- Faculty Mentor: Rafe Brown and A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: October 8, 2021
- Dissertation Title: Geographic patterns of speciation in West and Central Africa: The role of rivers, mountains, and refugia
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2022
- Faculty Mentor: Rafe Brown
- Dissertation Defense: June 21, 2022
- Dissertation Title: Dynamic historical climatic variation as a driver of diversification in chameleons endemic to the Congo basin and the montane rainforests of central African "sky-islands"
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Early Spring 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Maggie Wagner
- Thesis Defense: January 19, 2024
- Thesis Title: Community functions of the rhizosphere microbiome distinguish hybrids from inbred parents, despite functional redundancy.
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2019
- Faculty Mentor: Bruce Lieberman
- Thesis Defense: December 3, 2019
- Report Title: Animating Ammonites: Using GIS to Illustrate Changes in Abundance Through the Western Interior Seaway
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2017
- Faculty Mentor: James Thorp
- Thesis Defense: May 30, 2017
- Report Title: A macroecological approach to understanding drivers of riverine fish community composition
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2011
- Faculty Mentor: Sharon Billings
- Dissertation Defense: April 14, 2011 - Honors
- Dissertation Title: Soil microbial community carbon and nitrogen dynamics with altered precipitation regimes and substrate availability
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2013
- Faculty Mentor: Mark Mort
- Dissertation Defense: August 26, 2013
- Dissertation Title: Systematics and evolution in the tribe Schizopetalae: an approximation to the study of extreme aridity as factor of diversification of an endemic lineage from the Atacama Desert (Chile)Soil microbial community carbon and nitrogen dynamics with altered precipitation regimes and substrate availability
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2019
- Faculty Mentor: Rafe Brown
- Dissertation Defense: September 6, 2019
- Dissertation Title: The Evolution and Assembly of a Pacific Island Frog Fauna
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2021
- Faculty Mentor: Jorge Soberόn
- Master’s Defense: September 1, 2021
- Thesis Title: The social system of an endemic lava lizard, Microlophus atacamensis: the interplay between social structure and social organization
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2010
- Faculty Mentor: Deborah Smith
- Master's Defense: August 31, 2010
- Thesis Title: Genetic diversity in Apis dorsata F.
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2022
- Faculty Mentor: Amy Burgin
- Master's Defense: May 6, 2022
- Thesis Title: Reach-scale Denitrification and Nitrogen Concentrations in Six Streams Draining Grassland and Cropland Landscapes
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2018
- Faculty Mentor: Joy Ward
- Dissertation Defense: April 16, 2018
- Dissertation Title: The influence of rising temperature and atmospheric CO2 on flowering time across global change encompassing preindustrial through future conditions
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2023
- Faculty Mentor: Sara Baer
- Dissertation Defense: April 26, 2023
- Dissertation Title: Are We There Yet: Assessing Trajectories of Two Restored Prairies to Target Native Watersheds over a Decadal Time Frame
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Summer 2022
- Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rafe Brown
- Dissertation Defense: June 14, 2022
- Dissertation Title: Assembling the Philippine snake fauna: Diversification and biotic exchange in a tropical archipelago
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2012
- Faculty Mentor: Rafe Brown
- Master's Defense: April 2, 2012
- Thesis Title: Multilocus phylogeny and Bayesian estimates of species boundaries reveal hidden evolutionary relationships and cryptic diversity in Southeast Asian water monitors (genus Varanus)
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Spring 2009
- Faculty Mentor: Larry Martin
- Dissertation Defense: April 21, 2009
- Dissertation Title: Small mammal faunal stasis in Natural Trap Cave (Pleistocene – Holocene), Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming
- Degree Earned: Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2010
- Faculty Mentor: A. Townsend Peterson
- Dissertation Defense: December 7, 2010
- Dissertation Title: Ecology and geography of avian viruses using niche models and wild bird surveillance
- Degree Earned: M.A. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Term of Graduation: Fall 2014
- Faculty Mentor: Val Smith
- Master’s Defense: November 24, 2014
- Thesis Title: The Potential of Freshwater Macroalgae as a Biofuels Feedstock and the Influence of Nutrient Availability on Freshwater Macroalgal Biomass Production