Faculty and Staff
About Our Faculty and Staff
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Sterling Wright
Associate Professor of Neurophysiology
Chair of Biology Department
2112B Biology Building
BS, Texas Tech University; MS, Texas Tech University; PhD, University of Texas at Austin. The research in our laboratory examines the pharmacology and biophysics of voltage-dependent sodium channels. We investigate the influence of local anesthetic agents and naturally occurring neurotoxins on the gating kinetics of the channels.
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Alexey Arkov
Professor
Genetic Cell Biology
2112I Biology Building
BS, MS, Moscow State University (Russia); PhD, University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center. We are interested in understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms of germline and stem cell development. In addition, we aim at the identification of novel molecular factors which promote longevity of living organisms.

Oliver Beckers
Associate Professor
Behavioral Ecology
1112B Biology Building
MS, Friedrich-Alexander University (Germany); PhD, University of Missouri Columbia. I am fascinated by the evolution of animal behavior. More specifically, I study how the environment (i.e., phenotypic plasticity), female choice (i.e., sexual selection), and parasitoids (i.e., natural selection) affect the evolution of reproductive communication in insects. My lab is currently working on two of the only three described Orthopteran species that exhibit phenotypic plasticity in their mating calls.
Visit Beckers Lab. Visit Beckers Lab YouTube.

Andrea Darracq
Assistant Professor of Wildlife Biology
Program Coordinator
102A Biology Building
BS, University of Maine; MS, University of Arkansas-Monticello; PhD, University of Florida. I am interested in how wildlife respond to management and anthropogenic stressors, including urbanization, agriculture, and invasive species. I address these impacts on individuals (e.g. predation risk and stress) and populations. I aim to understand the broader implications of individual and population level impacts on ecosystem health and for my research to help inform the management and conservation of wildlife.

Michael Flinn
Professor of Aquatic Community Ecology
Director of Hancock Biological Station
1112I Biology Building
BA, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota; MS, Kansas State University; PhD. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale. I am an aquatic community ecologist with a wide range of interests which have recently included the use of aquatic macroinvertebrates for bioassessment in stream restoration and Arctic scaling studies, the role of invasive Asian carp on reservoir biology, and the reintroduction of native fish species.

Claire Fuller
Professor of Parasitology
Dean of Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology
201A I&T Building
BA, University of California, San Diego; MS, PhD, Oregon State University. I study how environmental factors affect the host-parasite ecology of terrestrial insects. I am especially interested in how climate change affects Caribbean termites and how agricultural chemicals affect dragonflies.

BS, MS, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China; PhD, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. I am interested in large-scale species distribution modeling using information derived from remote sensing and biophysical traits of plant species. I also study the characteristics of invasive plants and their impacts on native ecosystems.

Christopher Lennon
Assistant Professor
Microbiology
2112J Biology Building
BA, MS, University of Montana; PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison. My lab is broadly interested in the biological importance and biotechnological application of inteins. Inteins, or internal proteins, are self-catalytic, mobile genetic elements removed from host genes through protein splicing. Abundant in the microbial world, inteins have recently emerged as adaptive regulatory elements, representing a novel and potentially widespread form of posttranslational regulation. Further, the power of inteins to make and break peptide bonds has been utilized extensively in biotechnology, and my lab seeks to develop new applications of this chemistry.

Jessica (J.B.) Moon
Assistant Professor
Wetland Ecology
2309C Engineering & Physics
BS in Biology, Behrend College, Penn State University; MS in Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Penn State University; PhD in Ecology, Penn State University. I study landscape and ecosystem ecology, with a focus on wetlands. My current research examines how the landscape context affects microbial communities and nutrient cycling in freshwater and salt water wetlands. I use a combination of field studies, laboratory experiments, and spatial modeling tools to understand these dynamics.

Suguru Nakamura
Associate Professor
Renal Cardiovascular Biology
2112D Biology Building
MD, Jiangxi Medical University; PhD, Tokyo Medical and Dental University. My research laboratory is focused on determining the physiological and pathological role of H+ secretion pumps of H+-ATPase (potassium-independent) and H+-K+-ATPase (potassium-dependent) in normal tissue homeostasis and disease processes.

Suman Neupane
Assistant Professor
Botany, Systematics and Phylogenetics
1112G Biology Building
BS and MS, Tribhuvan University, Nepal; Ph.D., University of Connecticut. I am a plant evolutionary biologist. I study how plants and their complex set of interacting traits have evolved through time (in million years) and space. I do that by building phylogenies (evolutionary trees) of mostly modern (extant) plants using DNA and morphological data.

Timothy Spier
Associate Professor, Fish Ecology
Graduate Coordinator
2309F Engineering & Physics
BS, Truman State University; MS, Morehead State University; PhD, University of Southern Illinois, Carbondale. I am a fish ecologist interested in fish, watersheds, and all things involved with aquatic ecology. I study both game and non-game native fishes.

Laura Sullivan Beckers
Assistant Professor
Evolutionary Biology
2112E Biology Building
BA, University of Tulsa; BS Northeastern State University; PhD University of Missouri-Columbia. I am an evolutionary biologist interested in understanding the ecological conditions that influence the evolution of reproductive traits. I am particularly interested in exploring the role of the social environment in shaping selective environments. My current research program uses wolf spiders to examine the evolution of cognitive traits involved in the mating displays and decisions of these spiders.
Visit Sullivan Beckers Lab. Visit Sullivan Beckers Facebook.

Christopher Trzepacz
Assistant Professor
Cell and Molecular Biology
2112H Biology Building
BS, University of Massachusetts Amherst; PhD. University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio. My research group explores the conserved pathways and mechanisms that regulate fertility in multicellular organisms, primarily through the cellular, molecular, and genetic dissection of the amazing model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

Dena Weinberger
Assistant Professor
Neurobiology
1112H Biology Building
BA, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota; PhD, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I study nervous system development and function using the zebrafish as a model. I am investigating two related projects: 1. Is there neurotransmitter-receptor plasticity in the zebrafish neuromuscular junction? and 2. What is the role of Cabin1, a calcium-dependent repressor protein, in the development and function of the cerebellum, the site of motor learning and coordination.

Howard Whiteman
Professor, Evolutionary Biology
Director of Watershed Studies Institute
0105 Biology Building
BS, Allegheny College; PhD, Purdue University. My interests span evolutionary ecology and conservation biology, particularly in aquatic systems. My research focuses on the evolution of alternative strategies, ecological consequences of predator-prey interactions, and understanding the distribution and restoration of biodiversity.
Visit Watershed Studies Institute. Visit Whiteman Lab.

Gary ZeRuth
Associate Professor, Cell Molecular Biology
Houston Endowed Chair of Pre-Medicine
2112F Biology Building
BS, PhD, University of South Florida. My lab’s research is primarily focused on understanding how transcription factors mediate development, function, and disease. The principal focus is on the transcription factor, Glis3 and its role in the development and maintenance of the endocrine pancreas and the pathogenesis of diabetes.
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Dana Vinson
Administrative Assistant
Biology
2112K Biology Building
Amanda Wetherington
Accounting Assistant
Biology
2112C Biology Building

Karen Baumann
Research Technician
Biology
1112A Biology Building
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Joe Caudell
Adjunct Professor
Wildlife Biology
BS, University of Georgia, MS, Utah State University, PhD, Utah State University (wildlife biology) (2001). Indiana Department of Natural Resources, State Deer Research Biologist.

Dayle Saar
Associate Professor Emeritus,
Adjunct Professor, Botany
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Melody Feden
Advisor: Dr. Howard Whiteman
Biology
My field site is in western Colorado where I am looking at the influence of beaver activity on a degraded stream in a desert ecosystem. Specifically, how beavers effect stream temperature, macroinvertebrate communities, and decomposition.

John Hewlett
Advisor: Dr. Andrea Darracq
Biology
My research is at the interface of endocrinology, wildlife disease epidemiology, and ecology. Specifically I study how stress physiology affects disease susceptibility and behavioral ecology with methods ranging from radio-telemetry to molecular techniques.

Andrew Lydeard
Advisor: Dr. Tim Spier
Biology
I am an ecologist studying ecology and population structure of fish found in Land Between the Lakes Recreational Area and the surrounding agricultural watersheds.

Jacob Pease
Advisor: Dr. Howard Whiteman
Biology
My research pertains to the multidisciplinary reintroduction of the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) in some of Kentucky’s public lands. This project focuses on combining principles of GIS, conservation, forestry, remote sensing, and forest ecology to streamline the reintroduction process for native tree species that face extirpation or extinction by anthropogenic factors.

Kyler Rogers
Advisor: Dr. Oliver Beckers
Biology
I am interested in how the communication system in Neoconocephalus katydids are exploited by the eavesdropping parasitoid fly Ormia lineifrons. I study this arms race in multiple species of Neoconocephalus throughout the year. I am specifically trying to answer (i) if there are any katydid host preferences for O. lineifrons, (ii) what the parasitism rate of these species are over the course of their respective season, (iii) are there differences between the communication systems in males that are parasitized and not parasitized, and (iv) if there are differences in host quality among the utilized katydid species.

Dan Schoenberg
Advisor: Dr. Laura Sullivan Beckers
Biology
The focus of my research is on the development and use of biochemicals in communication and aggression in the context of courtship/copulation of spiders.

Christy Soldo
Advisor: Dr. Michael Flinn
Biology
My research focuses on the responses of macroinvertebrate communities following wetland restoration.

Kiersten Youngquist
Advisor: Dr. Andrea Darracq
Biology
My research takes a look at interactions between native and invasive species and how they play a role in the physiological stress response of the native species. Specifically, I hope to take a deeper dive into understanding the relationship between native freshwater mussel species and the invasive Asian clam using bivalve filtration rates and an understanding of the stress response of the mussels.
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Terry Derting
Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences
Biology
BA, Mount Holyoke College; MS, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; PhD, Indiana University. My research interests are twofold. As a mammalogist, I study impacts of anthropogenic stressors, such as habitat fragmentation, on the health of small mammals. As an educator, my research focuses on effective approaches to faculty professional development and improved student learning in higher education.

Leon F. Duobinis-Gray
Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences
(parasite populations, dynamics of freshwater vertebrates and invertebrates, histology,
pathology)
BS, MS, East Tennessee State University; PhD, Louisiana State University. —We are sad to report that our good friend Leon passed in August 2019.—

Timothy C. Johnston
Professor
Biology
BA, Harding College; MS, Murray State University; PhD, Southern Illinois University.

Robert A. Martin
Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences
(mammal evolution, paleoecology) (1993)
BA, Hofstra University; MS, Tulane University; PhD, University of Florida.

Tom J. Timmons
Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences
(fisheries biology) (1982)
BS, Iowa State University; MS, Tennessee Technological University; PhD, Auburn University.

David S. White
Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences AB
(1988)
MA, DePauw University; PhD, University of Louisville. My research continues to focus on aquatic ecology. I am working with long-term and real-time physicochemical and biological databases to assess changes caused by anthropogenic disturbances and climate change. Visit David S. White's website.

Stephen B. White
Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences
(ornithology, wildlife biology and management, animal damage control) (1981)
BS, West Virginia University; MS, Colorado State University; PhD, Ohio State University.

Edmund J. Zimmerer
Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences
Emeritus (behavioral genetics, molecular genetics, herpetology) (1989)
BS, Moravian College; MS, PhD, Rutgers University.