Research

The Department of Biology is actively engaged in research, including faculty and students at the graduate and undergraduate level.

Symposia

Students at the undergraduate and graduate level within the Department of Biology have the opportunity to participate in the Office of Research Symposia each year, sharing posters highlighting their research, internships or field courses.

Faculty Labs

Lab Website Focus Contact
Aquatic Biogeochemistry Lab Ecosystem Approaches to Understand and Protect Freshwaters Dr. Michelle Baker
Beckman Lab Seedscape Ecology Dr. Noelle Beckman
Bobeck Lab The Neurobiology of Pain, Tolerance, and Addiction Dr. Erin Bobeck
Borghi Lab Flower Metabolomics Dr. Monica Borghi
Demard Lab Biology and Management of Arthropod Pests in Horticultural Crops Dr. Emilie Demard
Freeman Lab Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and the Comparative Neurobiology of Social Behavior Dr. Sara Freeman
French Lab Population Monitoring and Physiological trade-offs; Population Physiology and Genomics; Ecoimmunology; Ecotourism and Anthropogenic Disturbance Dr. Susannah French
Gompert Lab N/A Dr. Zach Gompert
Goodman Lab Disease Ecology, Animal Behavior, Wildlife, Social Behavior, Host-Parasite Interactions Dr. Graham Goodman
Hanifin Lab Chemical ecology and functional genomics/genetics of coevolutionary interactions Dr. Charles Hanifin
Jones Lab Bioinspired Materials: A Common Thread Dr. Justin A. Jones
Kapheim Lab Behavioral and Evolutionary Genetics of Sociality in Bees Dr. Karen Kapheim
Mora Mitchell Lab Craniofacial & Developmental Biology Dr. Jennyfer Mora Mitchell
Mundim Lab Ecology of above and below ground multi-species interactions Dr. Fabiane Mundim
Nischwitz Lab Plant Pathology Dr. Claudia Nischwitz
Pitts Lab Phylogenetics and Systematics of Aculeate Hymenoptera and Applied Mathematical Education for Life Science Majors Dr. James Pitts
Robinson Lab Patterns and causes of ecological variation; native plant and insect community ecology; plant-herbivore/pollinator/microbe interactions; impacts of environmental stress on ecological function. Dr. Moria Robinson
Rothfels Lab Interested in phylogenetics theory and practice; plant systematics; reticulate evolution; fern biology; polyploidy. Dr. Carl Rothfels
Rushworth Lab Evolutionary ecology, genetics, and speciation of plants Dr. Cathy Rushworth
Saarman Lab Species Location & Variation Across Space in Genetic Diversity/Phenotypic Traits that Allow Species to be Successful in their Environment Dr. Norah Saarman
Sadler-Pitts Lab Phylogenomics of Aculeate Hymenoptera Dr. Emily Sadler-Pitts
Savitzky Lab Chemical Ecology and Evolutionary Morphology of Amphibians and Reptiles Dr. Al Savitzky
Schaeffer Lab Basic and Applied Ecology of Plant-Microbe-Insect Interactions Dr. Robert Schaeffer
Smith Lab Evolution and ecology of insect societies, especially ants Dr. Chris R. Smith
Takemoto Lab Microbial Natural Products Labs Dr. Jon Takemoto
von Dohlen Lab Phylogenetics and Genomics of Insects and their Symbionts Dr. Carol von Dohlen
Wei Lab Fungal-plant interactions, fungicide resistance, mycoviruses as biological control agent Dr. Wei Wei
Weinstein Lab The ecology of host symbiont interactions Dr. Sara Weinstein
Williams Lab Chemical Ecology and Wildlife Ecology Dr. Becky Williams
Wilson Lab N/A Dr. Joseph Wilson

Research Centers