OEB Alumni

2023

Henry Patrick Roberts
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Landscape ecology and conservation of freshwater turtles in the eastern United States
Advisor: David King
OEB PhD sstudent, Jessica Norstog
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Osmoregulation and appetite regulation in a basal vertebrate, the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
OEB PhD student, Luis Aguirre
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Contextual effects on pollination: assessing the effects of herbivory and diversity on plant-pollinator interactions
Advisor: Lynn Adler
OEB PhD Candidate, Meghna Marjadi
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: River herring conservation in freshwater: Investigating fish reproductive success and the educational value of citizen monitoring programs
Advisor: Allison H. Roy

2022

OEB student, Alison Fowler
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: The effect of pollen diet on pathogen infection, immunity, and gut bacteria in bees
Advisor: Lynn Adler
OEB, PhD Candidate, Cory Elowe
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Beyond the fat: protein metabolism and muscle function as part of the migratory syndrome of songbirds
OEB PhD candidate Elsa Cousins
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Ecology and phytochemistry of the non-native plant Thlaspi arvense (Brassicaceae) in subalpine meadows of Colorado
Advisor: Kristina Stinson
OEB PhD graduate student, Michel Griego
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Flexible phenotypes, energetics, and whole-animal performance of migratory songbirds
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Constraints of the imagination: how phenotypes are shaped through genetics, development, and the environment

2021

PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: The spatial distribution of invasive plant presence, abundance, and impact
Profile
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Statistical improvements for ecological learning about spatial processes
photo of Joseph C. Drake
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: On spatiotemporal connectivity dynamics: perspectives from a naturally fragmented metapopulation
photo of joshua moyer
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Investigations of the form and function of feeding by modern neoselachians
photo of Kadambari Devarajan
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Monitoring mammals at multiple scales: case studies from carnivore communities
Advisor: Toni Lyn Morelli
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Thermal ecophysiology of juvenile anadromous river herring
OEB PhD candidate, Mariamar Gutierrez, with a nano-tagged Northern Waterthrush
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Drivers and direct impacts of lean mass dynamics on the stopover ecology and migratory pace of Nearctic–Neotropical songbirds in spring

2020

Ciaran Shaughnessy
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Physiology of a basal vertebrate, the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus): osmoregulation and corticosteroid action

2019

PhD
Advisor: Lynn Adler
PhD
Advisor: Li–Jun Ma

2018

Hannah J. Broadley Headshot
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Impact of native natural enemies on populations of the invasive winter moth (Operophtera brumata L) in the northeast United States

2017

PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: The role of phenotypic integration in mammalian tooth function and jaw morphological diversity
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Metapopulation structure, habitat selection, and spatial ecology of the timber rattlesnake
Advisor: Paul R Sievert
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Investigating the effect of mortality factors on emerald ash borer biological control

2016

Photo of Skye Long
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Spider brains and behavior
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: The consequences of speed: studies of cavitation during the mantis shrimp strike and the control of rapid deceleration during toad landing
Advisor: Gary B. Gillis
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Burrowing and walking mechanisms of North American moles

2015

MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Density-dependent survival in the larval stage of an invasive insect: dispersal vs. predation
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: A tale of lost tails: a cost-benefit analysis of the variation in an extreme antipredator trait
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Estimation problems in complex field studies with deep interactions: time-to-event models for environmental responses in vital rates
Advisor: Benjamin Letcher
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Evolvability of the skull: a study of genetic basis and integration in the teleost craniofacial skeleton

2014

MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Volatile profiles and resistance to herbivory in eastern hemlock
Lexi Brown
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: How yellow is your belly? Honesty and carotenoids in a pigmented female fish
Photo of David Hof
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Aggressive signaling in New World warblers
Advisor: Jeffrey E. Podos
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: The effects of suburbanization on nest ectoparasites and nest defense behaviors in the Wood Thrush
Advisor: Paige S. Warren
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Turning up the heat on the little things that run the world: evaluating the impacts of climate change on ant biodiversity in the temperate forest communities of the Northeastern United States
MS
Advisor: Lynn Adler
Photo of Thomas Eiting
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Functional and comparative morphology of the nasal cavity in phyllostomid bats

2013

Photo of Alexander (Sasha) Tulchinsky
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Evolution of hybrid incompatibilities in gene regulatory networks
Advisor: Adam H. Porter
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Regional comparison of overwintering mortality, fecundity and virulence in the hemlock woolly adelgid
Photo of Dana Moseley
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Vocal performance in songbirds: territorial defense and the development of male song and female mating preferences
Advisor: Jeffrey E. Podos
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Patterns of volatile resin secondary metabolism of eastern hemlock and interactions with its exotic herbivores
Photo of Justin Henningsen
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Performance and signaling in the green anole lizard
Photo of Kim Vitale
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Habitat use and seasonal movement patterns of four-toed salamanders (Hemidactylium scutatum) in Massachusetts
Advisor: Paul R Sievert
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Diet, feeding behaviour, and the evolution of thumb morphology in phyllostomid bats
Photo of Rachel Bolus
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Birdsong as a source of social information for migrating common yellowthroats
Advisor: Bruce Byers

2012

PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Distribution of large mammal assemblages in Thailand with a focus on dhole (Cuon alpinus) conservation
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Population dynamics, chick diet, and foraging behavior of the razorbill (Alca torda) at Matinicus Rock, Maine
Advisor: Paul R Sievert
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: The effects of environmental temperature on locomotor performance and growth patterns in spotted salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum

2011

PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Studies of the population dynamics of the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae)
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Exploring patterns of evolution in the Amoebozoa
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Discovery and evolution of cryptic species among North American pine-feeding Chionaspis scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)
Advisor: Benjamin Normark
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Mutualisms in trophic cascades: The effects of parasites of bumblebees on pollination
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: The conservation value of residential landscapes for native bird communities: The patterns, processes and management implications
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Genome reduction in a marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus

2010

PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: The role of dawn song in tree swallows and its place in the diversity of oscine song learning
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: New species of Moropus (Mammalia, Perissodactyla, Chalicotheriodea) in the Batesland Formation, Great Plains Area of North America
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Spatial variation and tradeoffs in species interactions
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: A heterochronic explanation for the behaviorally polymorphic genus Canis: a study of the development of behavioral differences in dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and wolves (Canis lupus lupus)
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: The diversity of eukaryotes and their genomes
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Spatial ecology of eastern box turtles (Terrapene c. carolina) in Central Massachusetts
Advisor: Paul R Sievert
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Movin' & groovin' salamanders: conservation implications of large scales and quirky sex
Advisor: Paige S. Warren
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: The evolution of cranial morphology, feeding performance and behavior in Neotropical leaf-nosed bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

2009

PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Functional consequences of acute temperature stress in the Western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: A phylogenetic analysis of armored scale insects, based upon nuclear, mitochondrial, and endosymbiont gene sequences
Advisor: Benjamin Letcher
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Distribution and diversity of planktonic ciliates in the Choreotrichia and Oligotrichia: patterns and driving forces
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Ciliate biodiversity and phylogenetic reconstruction assessed by multiple molecular markers
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Spatial ecology, population structure, and conservation of the Wood Turtle, Glyptemys insculpta, in Central New England
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Functional and comparative morphology of the pectoral fins among benthic "scorpaeniform" fishes

2008

PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Phenotypic plasticity, functional morphology and ecomorphology of two terrestrial ectotherms
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: The ecology and development of alternative vocal learning programs in birds
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Dietary ecology and community paleoecology of Early Tertiary mammals
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Imperfectly redundant signals: color, song, and mate choice in Chestnut-sided Warblers (Dendroica pensylvanica)
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: A phylogenetic and functional approach to the study of the evolution of body shape in lizards (Squamata)

2007

MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Diversity and movement patterns of passerine birds near an urban center on Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands
Advisor: Jeffrey E. Podos
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Post-introduction evolution in invasive Bromus tectorum
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Endocrine control and disruption of physiological and behavioral smolt development in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Wild mammals harbor bacteria with a diversity of novel and known antibiotic resistance genes: a resistance gene reservoir in the wild?
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Investigating endosymbionts of scale insects from the family Diaspididae
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Impacts of episodic acid and aluminum exposure on the physiology of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolt development
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Behavioral ecology of Darwin's finches: song and mating patters in a bimodal population of the medium ground finches (Geospiza fortis)
Advisor: Jeffrey E. Podos

2006

MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: The population ecology of the winter moth (Operophtera brumata) in Eastern Massachusetts

2005

PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Morphology and development of the axial and appendicular systems in fishes
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: The behavioral ecology of jumping spiders (Phidippus sp.): laboratory and field studies of mating behavior and space use
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Interspecific communication in mixed-species bird flocks of a Sri Lankan rainforest
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: New interpretations of the skull of a primitive bony fish: Erpetoichthys calabaricus (Actinopterygii: Cladistia)
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Factors influencing survival and reproduction of Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) at their northern distributional limit
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: The ecological study of the maritime ringlet butterfly (Coenonympha nipisiquit McDunnough) in Daly Point, Bathurst, New Brunswick
Advisor: Adam H. Porter
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Biomechanics of salamander locomotion
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Biomechanics of the skin during swimming in the American eel, Anguilla rostrata
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Pathogenicity and virulence of Entomophaga maimaiga Humber, Shimazu, Soper and Hajek (Entomophthorales: Entomophthoraceae), a fungal pathogen of gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae)
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Song learning and syntax patterns in the American Robin, and the soil characteristics of Bank Swallow nest sites

2004

PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Evolution and development of the skull morphology of canids: an investigation of morphological integration and heterochrony
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Impact of habitat disturbance, including ecotourism activities, on breeding behavior and success of the pitta-like ground roller, Atelornis pittoides, an endangered bird species in the Eastern rainforest of Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Setting conservation priorities at the local scale: the threatened pitch pine-scrub oak communities of Southeastern Massachusetts
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: The biology, ecology and cytogenetics of the genus Axarus (Diptera: Chironomidae) in the Connecticut River

2003

MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Contribution of eye retraction to swallowing performance in the northern leopard frog, Rana pipiens
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Hierarchical, multi-scale analysis of species environment relationships
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Ontogeny of escape swimming performance in the spotted salamander, Ambystoma maculatum

2002

PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: A contribution to the comparative osteology and phylogenetic systematics of fossil and living bony-tongue fishes (Actinopterygii, Teleostei, Osteoglossomorpha)
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Variation in trout growth and survival within and among seasons, species, and cohorts
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Swimming performance of upstream migrant fishes:  New methods, new perspectives

2001

PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Ecology and status of the bog turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergii) in New England
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Patterns and processes of speciation in desmognathine salamanders
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Functional morphology and evolution of the feeding apparatus of blind snakes
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Visual factors guiding mate choice in a group of Lake Malawi cichlids
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Mitochondrial adaptive change and a CAPr-correlated polymorphism in toxin-selected Brachionus plicatilis rotifers

1999

PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: The functional implications of a cartilaginous skeleton
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Isolation and cultivation of spore-forming filamentous bacteria from Porcellio scaber
MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: The influence of material effects on the dispersal, growth, and population dynamics of gypsy moths (Lymantria dispar, l.)
PhD
Dissertation/Thesis title: Amitochondriate protists: trichomonad symbionts of dry-wood-eating termites

1998

MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Ultrastructure and description of Cryptotermes cavifrons eukaryotic symbionts: Snyderella sp., Stephanonympha sp. and Caduceia sp.

1995

MS
Dissertation/Thesis title: Phenology, conservation, and behavioral ecology of the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) in Western Massachusetts