Lab Alumni
Some photos are from the times these students were in my lab (so, don't expect all of them to look the same today!)
Amy Briggs (PhD 2022, UGA)
Amy's work examined the environmental drivers of ciguatoxic dinoflagellates (the cause of ciguatoxic finfish poisoning, CFP), the spatial distribution of macroalgae and microbes, and the food-web implications of these dynamics (dissertation title: Algae affect coral reef microbial communities at multiples spatial scales, with consequences for coral-algal regime shifts). Amy went on to a National Museum of Natural History Fellow post-doc at the Smithsonian Marine Station in Fort Pierce (working with Val Paul) and is now a Center for Population Biology post-doc at UC Davis (working with Jay Stachowicz, Marissa Basket and Anya Brown. [her webpage]
Rebecca Atkins (PhD 2022, UGA)
Rebecca worked on Littoraria - Spartina interactions in east-coast saltmarshes (dissertation title: Intraspecific variation in the distribution, physiology, population traits, and consumer effects of the salt marsh periwinkle, Littoraria irrorata, across its geographic range). She was particularly interested in latitudinal variation in the strength of the interaction and the factors (including temperature and size-structure) that shifted the interaction from beneficial to deleterious. As a PhD student, she had an NSF predoctoral fellowship (as well as a UGA Presidential Fellowship) and was a Knauss Policy Fellow in 2022-23. She is currently a Scientific Program Manager for NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Sciences Competitive Research Program [her webpage].
Greg Jacobs (PhD 2021, UGA; coadvised with Seth Wenger)
Greg's dissertation (Population-level consequences of environmental variation for migratory fishes) used long-term data sets for Chinook salmon in central Idaho and lake sturgeon in the Niagara River and integrated population models to quantify effect of environmental factors on breeding and population dynamics of these threatened fishes. Greg is now a research scientist at Cornell University, where he is continuing his research on stream fish ecology. [his google scholar page]
Dan Hawkins (MS CESD 2020, UGA)
Dan's thesis (Ontogenetic diet shifts at multiple spatial scales in the salt march periwinkle, Littoraria irrorata) quantified diets (using stable isotopes) and distributional patterns along latitudinal and elevational gradients in salt marshes from Florida to Maryland. His thesis work nicely complemented the dissertation work of Rebecca Atkins, who worked closely with Dan. Dan is now working in the forests of the Pacific Northwest.
Philip Shirk (PhD 2020, UF)
Phil's dissertation explored the responses to chameleons in the East Usumbara Mountains in Tanzania to climate change, building on his previous work on effects of forest fragmentation at the same sites (during his MS at VCU with James Vonesh). His research focused on the thermal physiology of chameleons, long-term changes in the thermal micro-environment, and assessment of population densities (e.g., using distance-based N-mixture models). Phil went on to a post-doc at Oregon State (working with salmon) and he is now in the Influenza Division at the CDC (on a Presidential Management Fellowship). [his google scholar page]
Anya Brown (PhD 2018, UGA)
Anya's dissertation research explored the interactions among algae, vermetids, and coral; and how these interactions were mediated by microbial dynamics. Anya also played a central role in our studies of vermetid dynamics and our documentation of the widespread die-off of vermetids in much of French Polynesia. Anya went on to a Ewel Post-doctoral Fellow in Ecology and Environmental Science at the University of Florida (working with Julie Meyer and Tom Frazer), a post-doc at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (with Amy Apprill) and in now on faculty at UC Davis' Bodega Marine Laboratory. [her webpage]
Lianne M. Allen-Jacobson (PhD 2018, UF; co-advised by Scott McKinley)
Lianne's dissertation explored the ecology and evolution of colonial organisms. She quantified coral growth via new polyp production (budding) and calcification along gradients of water depth and competitor density, and examined the implications with respect to coral morphology. She also conducted comparative analyses across the tree of life to examine the scaling of metabolism to size in multicellular individuals, colonies, and aggregates of individuals, which challenge existing explanations of 3/4 scaling laws. Lianne went on to a post-doc at the USGS, was a lecturer at UF, and then a post-doc at NEU (with Mark Patterson). She is now a Senior Scientist with INSPIRE Environmental. [her LinkedIn page]
Paula Pappalardo (Post-doc 2015-2017)
Paula was a post-doc on our DOE project using meta-analysis to investigate soil C dynamics. In addition to her skills in meta-analysis and data management, Paula has expertise in larval ecology and biogeography of marine invertebrates. She is now a post-doc at the Smithsonian. [her webpage]
Elizabeth Hamman (PhD 2017, UGA; co-advised by Scott McKinley)
Elizabeth started at UF, participated in our QSE3 IGERT program, and then moved with me to UGA. For her dissertation, she worked on spatial patterns in coral reef systems, focusing primarily on snail-coral interactions, and on "settlement shadows". She went on to a post-doc at ECU in Mike McCoy's lab (and collaborating with James Vonesh and Ben Bolker) working on rock pool community dynamics, then Tulane University (on our joint NSF project focusd on coral-CAFI dynamics) and is now on faculty at St Mary's College of Maryland. [her webpage]
Jing Jiao (PhD 2017, UF; co-advised by Sergei Pilyugin)
Jing conducted theoretical investigations into the effects of movement in marine ecosystems. She was primarily interested in how movement altered the efficacy of marine protected areas and the response of herbivores to local eutrophication. She went on to post-docs at Michigan State, NIMBiOS/University of Tennessee, and Florida State. She is now on faculty at Texas Christian University.
Mike Gil (PhD 2015, UF)
Mike conducted fieldwork for his dissertation in Moorea, but also worked (and taught) in Mexico. His research focused on the effects of nutrients, sedimentation, and fish on algae and coral dynamics; he also investigated the use of social information by foraging fishes (i.e., the "landscape of fear"). He went on to an NSF post-doc in 2016 at UC Davis (with Andy Sih and Marissa Baskett), post-docs at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Santa Cruz (with Andrew Hein) and then the University of Colorado Boulder. He joined the faculty of CU in 2021. [his webpage]
Nick Ruktanonchai (PhD 2014, UF)
Nick was a student with David Smith, but worked in our lab after Dave left UF. Nick's work focused on spatial dynamics of mosquitoe-malaria dynamics. He went on to a post-doc at the University of Southampton, and is now on faculty at Virginia Tech in the VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine. [Google Scholar / Research Gate]
Julie Zill (BS 2012, UF)
Julie was an awesome field assistant in our lab for a few years, working tirelessly in Moorea. We kept her in the lab as long as we could, but she eventually left for UH (to do her graduate work with Megan Donahue; she also received an NSF predoctoral fellowship).
Adrian Stier (PhD 2012, UF)
Adrian's research examined predator-prey interactions and competition in reef fish. He worked in Moorea and was a key contributor to our FACE program. Adrian went on to a Kilham Post-doc at UBC, NCEAS/NOAA (NMFS' NW Science Center), and UW. He joined the faculty at UC Santa Barbara in 2016. [his web page / Google Scholar / Research Gate]
Shane Geange (PhD 2010, Victoria University Wellington)
Shane did his PhD with Jeff Shima; Craig was his co-advisor. He also worked with us on our NSF grant on cryptic density-dependence and did a Fulbright in the Osenberg lab. His dissertation research investigated priority effects in reef fish. He is now at the New Zealand Department of Conservation.
Gabriela Blohm (MS 2008, UF)
Gaby's thesis focused on the effects of temperature, nutrients and grazers on seagrass biomass, allocation, and disease. For her MS, she was co-advised by Bob Holt; Gaby went on to a PhD with Jose Miguel Ponciano (UF, 2017) and then a post-doc at UF, continuing her work on the Zika virus. She is now a data analyst with Bagamian Scientific Consulting. [her LinkedIn page]
Joachim Claudet (Post-Doc 2006-07, EMPAFISH)
Joachim was a post-doc on EMPAFISH, and did a rotation among Craig's, Serge Planes' and Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi's labs. Joachim is now with the CNRS. He and Craig continued to collaborate, including co-teaching their course on Meta-analysis (along with Fio Micheli). He is now a Senior Researcher with CNRS. [his webpage / Google Scholar / Research Gate]
Mike McCoy (PhD 2006, UF)
Mike's research examined the effects of phenotypic plasticity and size-structure on predator-prey interactions and amphibian dynamics. He went on to several post-docs (e.g., Boston University, and USF), a faculty position at East Carolina University, and he is now an Associate Professor at Florida Atlantic University (Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute). [his webpage / Google Scholar]
Darlene Saindon (MS 2006, UF)
Darlene worked in Tom Frazer's lab (Craig was her co-advisor). Her research examined nutrient limitation in King's Bay, Florida. She is now a staff scientist at the Suwanee River Management District.
Becca Hale (PhD 2006, UF)
Becca worked with Colette St. Mary; Craig was her co-advisor; and she also received great mentoring from Joe Travis. Becca's work focused on parental care in flagish. She went on to a post-doc at FSU and is now on faculty at UNC Asheville. [her webpage]
Jacqueline Wilson (Farber) (MS 1998, UF; PhD 2004, UF)
Jackie's work focused on recruitment processes and post-settlement density-dependence in Gobiosoma. Her work in St. Croix led to our description of cryptic density-dependence. Jackie went on to a Knauss Fellowship and is now working for the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA).
Ben Miner (PhD 2003, UF)
Ben was in Larry McEdward's lab at UF, but moved to mine and Colette St. Mary's labs after Larry died in 2001. Ben's research focused on phenotypical plasticity and larval development. He did a post-doc at UCDavis/Bodega Marine Lab and is now on faculty at Western Washington University. [his webpage / Google Scholar / Research Gate]
James Vonesh (PhD 2003, UF)
James' research focused on stage-structure, phenotypic plasticity, and multi-predator effects in amphibians. He conducted fieldwork in Tanzania and was supported by an EPA STAR Fellowship. James did a post-doc at WashU and is now a Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. [Google Scholar / Research Gate]
Lock Rogers (Post-doc 2003-04, UF)
Lock was a post-doc on our NSF grant examining density-dependence in reef fish (based in Moorea). Lock is now on the faculty of Agnes Scott College. [his webpage]
Jennifer Hauxwell (Post-doc 2000-2002, UF)
Jennifer worked with me and Tom Frazer on our project (Southwest Florida Water Management District) examining the efficacy of macrophyte restoration in King's Bay. She then went to Wisconsin DNR and is now the Associate Director of Wisconsin Sea Grant at UW-Madison. [her webpage / google scholar]
Laurent Vigliola (Post-Doc 2000-02, UF)
Laurent was supported by our National Sea Grant project examining reef fish dynamics, density-dependence, settlement processes, and the response of fishes to habitat restoration. He is now with IRD in New Caledonia. [his webpage / Google Scholar]
Casey Huckins (Post-Doc 1996-98, UF)
Casey was a post-doc on our NSF grant (with Gary Mittelbach) explored biogeographic patterns of sunfishes and effects of introduced species. That project built upon Casey's dissertation work at KBS. Casey is now a Professor at Michigan Tech University. [his webpage / Google Scholar]
Ace Sarnelle (Post-doc 1996-97, NCEAS)
Ace was supported by NCEAS as part of our Meta-analysis working group. He is now a Professor Emeritus (dang, we're getting old) at Michigan State University, [his webpage]
Other alumni:
- Tom Adam (undergraduate; 2000-2002)
- Jimmy O'Donnell (undergraduate; 2003-05)
- Shelby Boyer (undergraduate; 2006)
- Esther Emmanuelli (visiting graduate student; 2006)
- Adrien Delval (visiting graduate student; 2007)
- Laëtitia Kernaleguen (visiting graduate student; 2009)
- Louise Riotte-Lambert (visiting graduate student; 2010)
- Matthieu Leray (visiting graduate student; 2011)