Lab Members

Students are an important part of any research lab, and I have been fortunate enough to work with many graduate, undergraduate, and high school students. You can read a little bit about students currently working in my lab and their projects below.

Current Students

Nealey Barak
Undergraduate		 Nealey is reviewing and revising a database of features in living and extinct xenarthrans (sloths, armadillos, anteaters, and relatives) that was originally complied by MS alumnus Andrew Weber. Once the database is finalized, we will use it to explore the morphological diversity of these groups and possible implications for xenarthran taxonomy.
Garrett Garrett Brown
Undergraduate		 Garrett is collecting topographic data from CT scans of marsupial and primate teeth as part of a collaboration with researchers at the University of Salford. The aim of the study is to correlate topographic features with diet in living species and then use CT scans of extinct species to reconstruct their diets.
Nicholas Burkart
Undergraduate		 Nicholas is collecting topographic data from CT scans of marsupial and primate teeth as part of a collaboration with researchers at the University of Salford. The aim of the study is to correlate topographic features with diet in living species and then use CT scans of extinct species to reconstruct their diets.
Russell E Russell Engelman
PhD Student		 Russell has been working with me since he was a senior at West Geauga High School. He earned his BS from CWRU in 2015 and received the prestigious Michelson-Morley prize in Biology. He earned his MS in 2018 with a thesis that resulted in three papers on extinct marsupials of South America: one on paucituberculatans (extinct relatives of shrew-opossums) from Quebrada Honda, Bolivia, and two on sparassodonts (carnivorous marsupials) from central Chile. He has published several other papers on carnivorous marsupials, and his PhD dissertation will focus on carnivorous mammals in both South America and Africa.
Luka Perazich
Undergraduate		 Luka will be studying late Eocene native ungulate fossils from the Abanico Formation of Central Chile. We have collected many specimens from two sites, so there are a variety of options, and we are currently working to define the scope of Luka’s project.
Skylar Reichlin

Skylar Reichlin
MS Student

 Skylar is describing several specimens of octodontoid rodents from the Early Miocene site of Chucal in northern Chile. These include at least two species, one of which is a species of Acarechimys, a genus of very small caviomorphs that has been recorded from throughout South America.
Brenna Roy

Brenna Roy
MS Student

 Brenna is describing a very small partial articulated skeleton that was collected from the Early Miocene site of Chucal in northern Chile. It lacks the skull, so Brenna is focusing on postcranial features to determine whether it is a rodent or a marsupial and to which group it pertains.

Alex Teresi
Undergraduate

 Alex is describing the notoungulate remains that have been collected from the late Early Miocene site of Pampa Castillo in southern Chile. They are the most abundant remains at the site and pertain to at least three families (Toxodontidae, Interatheriidae, Hegetotheriidae).

Past Students (alphabetical order by last name)

  • Ellen Adams, Swarthmore Undergraduate (Summer 2018)
  • Cara Anderson, Undergraduate (2013-14)
  • Leah Anderson, MS Student (2004-07)
  • Kanvaly Bamba, PhD Student (2010-19)
  • Brian Barbieri, Undergraduate (2014-15)
  • Mariana Blanco, Undergraduate (2020-21)
  • Troy Bowers, Undergraduate (2020-21)
  • Marie Brosovich, High School Intern (Summer 2010)
  • Anish Buddi, Undergraduate (2024)
  • Jeb Bugos, Undergraduate (2020-21)
  • Megan Burns, Undergraduate (Summer 2005)
  • Beth Carroll, MS Student (2004-07)
  • Angeline Catena, PhD Student (2013-18)
  • Jen Chick, MS Student (2007-10)
  • Sophia Damico, MS Student (2022-24)
  • Tatiana Dolgushina, Undergraduate (2009-10)
  • Nicholas Drew, MS Student (2011-13)
  • Rob Evenden, MS Student (2023-25)
  • Andrew Franco, Undergraduate (2010-11)
  • Amy Gao, Undergraduate (2023)
  • Susan Grana, Undergraduate (Summer 2005)
  • Pat Guder, Undergraduate (2012, 2014)
  • Aaron Holland, Undergraduate (2019-20)
  • Tara Kelloway, MS Student (2012-14)
  • Maeve Kolk, High School Intern (Summer 2013)
  • Nathanael Lee, Undergraduate (2021-23)
  • Smruthi Maganti, Undergraduate (2017-19)
  • Bhavya Mahesh, Undergraduate (2021-23)
  • Maura McDonald, Undergraduate (2024-25)
  • Andy McGrath, Undergraduate (2012-15)
  • Diane Moon, Undergraduate (2010-11)
  • Maria Murphy, High School Intern (Summer 2017)
  • Grant Mussemann, Undergraduate (2024-25)
  • Kyle Niemi, Undergraduate (Spring 2009)
  • David Parker, High School Intern (Summer 2009)
  • Niki Perez, MS Student (2012-13)
  • Alix Prybyla, High School Intern (Summer 2012)
  • Katie Prybyla, High School Intern (Summer 2013)
  • Deborah Rook, Undergraduate (Spring 2007)
  • Melissa Sameh, Undergraduate (2010-11)
  • Stephanie Sang, Undergraduate (Summer 2010, 2012)
  • Thomas Sheppard, Undergraduate (Spring 2007)
  • Joanna Sherman, High School Intern (Summer 2015)
  • Catherine Taylor, Undergraduate (2014-16)
  • Danielle Thornsberry, Undergraduate (2013-14)
  • Elizabeth Tobin, Undergraduate (2017-18)
  • Jula Van Orman, Macalester Undergraduate (2023-25)
  • Sophie Verbecke, Undergraduate (2023-25)
  • Valentine Volk, MS Student (2014-15)
  • Andrew Weber, MS Student (2022-24)
  • Nick Whalen, Undergraduate (2018-19)
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