Afkhami, Mehrnaz
Ph.D. student with Dr. JP Masly; B.S. & M.S. University of Tehran, Iran. Research interests include evolutionary genetics, male-female interactions, and female reproduction.
Email: mehrnaz.afkhami-1@ou.edu
Biology Graduate Students
Allira, Meagan
Research interests include understanding how seasonal stressors affect viral transmission and innate immunity in bats.
Email: Meagan.Allira-1@ou.edu
Azom, Golam
Ph.D. student with Dr. J.P. Masly. Research interests include evolutionary biology, developmental genetics, and molecular biology.
Email: mgazom@ou.edu
Bailey, Leigh
M.S. student with Dr. Alex Bentz; BS Truman State University, Missouri; Research interests include transgenerational behavioral plasticity and epigenetic programming in songbirds.
Email: Leigh.Bailey-1@ou.edu
Besozzi, Elizabeth
Alumni Fellow and Ph.D. student with Dr. Michael Patten; BS Smith College; Research interests include exploring relative importance of top-down and bottom-up drivers of distribution, community ecology, biogeography and conservation.
Email: ebesozzi@ou.edu
Busch, Michelle
Ph.D. candidate with Dr. Katharine Marske; BS University of Michigan. Research Interests include anthropogenic effects (i.e., dams, drying) on macroinvertebrate and fish assemblages, hydrology, and food webs.
Email: buschmh@ou.edu
Byrd, Brendon
PhD student with Dr. Laura Stein; BS Texas A&M University; Research interests include the evolutionary consequences and mechanistic basis of transgenerational plasticity.
Email: Brendon.E.Byrd-1@ou.edu
Cespedes-Gonzalez, Alejandra
Ph.D. student with Prof. Ingo Schlupp; MSc Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, BSc University of Bristol; Research interests include behavioral ecology, parthenogenetic mating systems, transgenerational effects, and herpetology.
Email: acespedesg@ou.edu
Cimprich, Paula
Ph.D. student with Dr. Jeffrey Kelly; BS Miami University, Ohio; Research interests include conservation biology, ornithology and ecology.
Email: paula.m.cimprich-1@ou.edu
Cook, Katherine
NSF Graduate Research Fellow and Ph.D. student with Dr. David Hambright; BS Baylor University; Research interests in include aquatic ecology, botany and water resource management.
Email: khooker@ou.edu
Cruz, Marcos
Ph.D. student. Research interests include phylogenetics, bioinformatics, genomics, molecular evolution and population genetics.
Email: marcos.cruz@ou.edu
Cueto Aparicio, Luis
Ph.D. student co-advised by Dr. Katharine Marske and Dr. Jeremy Ross; Research interests include phylogeography, ecology, and ornithology.
Email: l.cueto@ou.edu
Forehand, Cameron
MS Student with Dr. Cameron Siler; BS Clemson University; Research interests include conservation biology, ecology, and herpetology.
Email: Cameron.R.Forehand-1@ou.edu
Franzen, Alex J.
Ph.D. student with Dr. Caryn Vaughn. M.S.- Univ. of Minnesota. Research interests include community ecology, conservation genetics, evolutionary ecology of freshwater bivalves (unionoida), and freshwater ecosystems in general.
Email: ajfranzen@ou.edu
Fulton, Alex
M.S. student; BS University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Research interests include reptile and amphibian conservation-based research with direct implications for imperiled species.
Email: amfulton@ou.edu
Goodenough, Katharine
Ph.D. student with Dr. Eli Bridge; BS Humboldt State University, M.S. San Diego State University; Research interests include ornithology, marine biology, tropical ecology and stable isotope applications in ecology.
Email: kate.goodenough@ou.edu
Grimmett, Claire
MS student with Dr. Dave Hambright, BA Yale University; Research interests include freshwater ecology and harmful algal blooms.
Email: claire.grimmett@ou.edu
Han, Donglin (Donny)
Ph.D. student in Cellular and Behavioral Program. Doing rotations at Dr. Ashlee Rowe’s Lab and Dr. Michael Markham’s Lab. Interested in investigating sensory physiology and electricphysiology in animals, ion channels function and weakly electric fish.
Email: dhan2@ou.edu
Heiple, Zach
Research interests include macroevolutionary trends and diversification in fishes.
Email: zachheiple@ou.edu
Higgins, Ed
Alumni Fellow and Ph.D. student with Dr. Caryn Vaughn; BS Boston University. Research interests include freshwater ecology, ecosystem services and genetics.
Email: higginse@ou.edu
James, Anna
Ph.D. student with Dr. Alexandra Bentz; B.A. The College of Wooster. Research interests include behavioral endocrinology, physiological and behavioral responses to climate change, and transgenerational effects.
Email: anna.o.james-1@ou.edu
Kaur, Jasmeen
Ph.D. student with Dr. Alex Bentz; BS Indiana University - Bloomington; Research interests include maternal effects, testosterone, and phenotypic plasticity in songbirds.
Email: Jasmeen.Kaur-1@ou.edu
Kelley, Ethan
M.S. student with Dr. Katie Marske, BS- Univ. of Oklahoma. Research interests include entomology, biogeography, phylogeography, and chemical ecology.
Email: Ethan.A.Kelley-1@ou.edu
Kirsch, Madelyn
M.S. student with Dr. Hayley Lanier. BS from Washington State University. Research interests are driven by a love of salamanders and evolutionary biology.
Email: Madelyn.R.Kirsch-1@ou.edu
Kolbmann, Christina
Ph.D. student with Dr. Jeff Kelly, M.S. Southeastern Louisiana University, BS Canisius College. Research interests include animal behavior, ornithology, sexual selection, and conservation management.
Email: christinak@ou.edu
Leri, Faith
Ph.D. student with Dr. Laura Stein, M.S. Penn State University., Research interests include evolution, behavior, and plasticity.
Email: faith.leri@ou.edu
Link, Austin
My research interests include evolutionary biology, developmental genetics, speciation, fitness/selection, ecology, and how each of these fields intersect with each other.
Email: Austin.C.Link-1@ou.edu
Lock, Lauren
Ph.D. student with Dr. Dan Becker. Research interests include relationships between wildlife disease dynamics and landscape ecology.
Email: laurenlock@ou.edu
Lumula, Harriet
Ph.D. student with Dr. JP Masly. BS Missouri University of Science and Technology. Research interests include genetics and evolutionary biology.
Email: hklumula@ou.edu
McCarthy, Rionach
PhD student with Dr. Laura Stein; B.S., Washington State University; Research interests: fish cognition, behavioral syndromes, social learning in fishes
Email: Justine.R.Mccarthy-1@ou.edu
McLimans, Chris
Ph.D. student with Dr. Karl D. Hambright. Research interests include aquatic ecology, microbial genomics, and climate change
Email: Christopher.J.Mclimans-1@ou.edu
Melendez Vasquez, Fernando
Ph.D. student with Dr. Dahiana Arcila; BS & M.S. University of Puerto Rico; Research interests include evolutionary history of pelagic fishes. Ecological and evolutionary implications of the development of endothermy in pelagic fishes.
Email: fernando.melendez1@ou.edu
Minkin, Eve
M.S. student with Dr. Dave Hambright, BS from Eckerd College.
Email: eve.minkin@ou.edu
Morris, Madison
M.S. student with Dr. Ari Berkowitz, BS- Missouri S&T. Research interests include neurobiology and neurons involvement in central pattern generators (CPGs).
Email: mmorris@ou.edu
Nielsen, Forrest
MS student with Dr. Cameron Siler; BS Colorado State University, Colorado; Research Interests include conservation biology and herpetofauna population ecology.
Email: Forrest.P.Nielsen-1@ou.edu
Nourbakhsh, Mehrnoush
Ph.D. student with Dr. Michael Markham; BSc Isfahan University, Iran; MSc National Institute of Polytechnic and University, France. Research interests include neurobiology in weakly electric fish.
Email: mrey@ou.edu
O’Dell, Samuel
PhD student with Dr. James Hung; BS Humboldt State University, MS San Diego State
University; Research interests include pollinators, pollination, plant-pollinator networks, applied ecology, and biogeography.
Email: Samuel.ODell-1@ou.edu
Oakley, William
Ph.D. student with Dr. Eli Bridge; BA College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, MA The Citadel, Charleston, SC; Research interests include migration and population ecology of songbirds, wintering ecology of tidal marsh sparrows, the technology used to track migratory songbirds and science education and citizen science.
Email: wf.oakley@ou.edu
Pandit, Meelyn
PhD student with Drs. Eli Bridge and Jeremy Ross; BS Indiana University; M.S. Oklahoma State University. Research interests include ornithology, behavioral ecology, sexual selection, electrical engineering and computer programming.
Email: meelyn.pandit@ou.edu
Pedraza Marrón, Carmen
Ph.D. student with Dr. Ricardo Betancur; BS and MSc Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo; Research interests elucidating biogeographical and evolutionary processes shaping population structure and species diversity patterns in marine ecosystems.
Email: carmen.pedraza@ou.edu
Perera, Nu
Ph.D. student with Dr. Jeremy Ross, M.S. from Wichita State Univ. Research interests include wintering ecology of migratory birds and the conservation of birds.
Email: nuperera@ou.edu
Premathilake, Dineesha
Ph.D. student with Dr. Katharine Marske; BS University of Kelaniya (Sri Lanka), M.S. University of Central Oklahoma; Research interests include comparative phylogeography, macroecology, and large-scale patterns of genetic variation of vertebrates.
Email: dineeshapr@ou.edu
Rosas-Puchuri, Ulises
Ph.D. student with Dr. Ricardo Betancur. BS Biological Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (Peru), M.S. The George Washington University. Research interests include emerging approaches for phylogenetic analysis.
Santaquiteria Gil, Aintzane
Ph.D. student with Dr. Ricardo Betancur; BS University of Navarra (Spain), M.S. University of Tromsø (Norway); Research interests include fish evolution, phylogenomics and biogeography.
Email: a.santaquiteria@ou.edu
Shahrokhi, Golya
Ph.D. student with Dr. Michael Patten; BS Shahid Beheshti University, Iran; M.S. Texas State University-San Marcos. Research interests include genetic studies, evolution, ornithology and ecology.
Email: golya.shahrokhi-1@ou.edu
Smith, Caden
MS student with Dr. Ingo Schlupp; BS Mississippi State University; Research interests include behavioral ecology, sexual selection, and speciation.
Email: Caden.D.Smith-1@ou.edu
Smith, Sierra
Ph.D. candidate with Dr. Cameron Siler; BS University of Oklahoma. Research interests include microbiomes, ecology, venomics, genomics, and herpetology.
Email: sierrasmith@ou.edu; https://www.sierranicolesmith.com/
Strand, Alva
Ph.D. student with Dr. Jeffrey Kelly. Research interests include the ecology of seasonal avian migration, the impacts of climate change on migration, and radar aeroecology.
Email: alvastrand@ou.edu
Theriot, Miranda
Ph.D. student with Dr. Hayley Lanier, M.S. University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Research interests include body size trends and responses to recent climate change in mammals.
Email: mirandaktheriot@ou.edu
Trankina, Grace
M.S. student with Dr. Jeffrey Kelly; BS University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Research interests include migratory birds, artificial light at night, and radar aeroecology.
Email: gtrankina@ou.edu
Triemstra, Abigail
M.S. student with Dr. Eli Bridge; BS Calvin Universtiy; Research interests include avian ecology and ecotoxicology.
Email: abigail.a.triemstra-1@ou.edu
Troyer, Emily
Ph.D. student with Dr. Dahiana Arcila; BA & BS Ohio State University, M.S. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia; Research interests include phylogenomics and fish evolution.
Email: emily.troyer@ou.edu
Verrett, Taylor
Ph.D. student with Dr. Daniel Becker; BS Texas A&M University; M.S. Western Kentucky University. Research interests center on songbird disease ecology, including migration-parasite interactions and urban ecology.
Email: tbverrett@ou.edu
Wersebe, Matthew
Ph.D. student with Dr. Larry Weider, BS from SUNY: Binghamton; Research interests include phenotypic plasticity, secondary salinization, aquatic ecology, and evolution.
Email: matthew.wersebe@ou.edu
Wiser, Shannon
M.S. student with Dr. Michael Markham; BS The University of Oklahoma; Research interests include animal communication, biophysics, and the behavioral and metabolic constraints caused by ecological changes.
Email: shannonwiser@ou.edu
Zumpano, Kyle
Ph.D. student with Dr. Chris Lemon. Research interests include sensory neurobiology, neural circuits, and taste and thermosensation.
Email: kylezump@ou.edu
