CURRENT STUDENTS
Currently accepting new students
Samantha Turner-Rosa (MS, Northwestern University, expected graduation 2023). Thesis: Ecological drivers of climate change-induced geographic range expansion in black mangroves (Avicennia germinans, Acanthaceae): Floral ecology and plant migration.
Gretta Buttelmann (MS, Northwestern University, expected graduation 2023). Thesis: How many mulberries are there? Untangling species complexes in Morus (Moraceae) using target sequence capture and in-depth sampling.
Julie Phipps (MS, Northwestern University, expected graduation 2023). Thesis: Evolution of dioecy and its correlates: Studies in Moraceae and Urticaceae
Emily Woodworth (MS, Northwestern University, expected graduation 2024). Thesis: TBD
LAB ALUMNI
Lindsey Gohd (MS 2021, Northwestern University). Thesis: The potential for soil carbon storage in breadfruit (Artocarpus spp.) agroecosystems: Testing the effects of different cultivars. Co-advised with Louise Egerton-Warburton.
Leta Dickinson (BA 2019, Northwestern University). Senior Thesis: Population genetics of the endangered, Artocarpus annulatus, a crop wild relative of jackfruit. Current position: Environmental journalist.
Lauren Audi (MS 2018, Northwestern University). Thesis: “The Breadfruit Odyssey: Genetic Characterization of Caribbean Artocarpus altilis using historical, genomic, morphological and collaborative approaches.” Current position: Lab manager in the Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics at the American Museum of Natural History.
Elliot Gardner (PhD 2017, Northwestern University). Dissertation: “Evolutionary transitions: Phylogenomics and pollination of Artocarpus (Moraceae).” Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow Florida International University and National Tropical Botanical Garden.
Natalie Iwanycki Ahlstrand (PhD 2017, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Major Advisor: Nina Ronsted): “Plantago major L. Travel tales of a worldwide weed: Predicting genotypes from migration routes and habitat types.” Current position: Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Copenhagen.
Theresa Melhem – MS 2015, Northwestern University. Thesis: “Diversity and origins of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus, Lam.) in the Western Ghats of South India.” Current position: working in education.
Kristen Laricchia – MS 2014, Northwestern University. Thesis: “Transcriptome analysis of domesticated breadfruit and its wild relatives.” Current position: Associate Computational Biologist at the Broad Institute.
Maria Wang Mei Hua– MS 2014 Northwestern University. Thesis: “Diversity and origins of an underutilized tropical fruit tree, cempedak (Artocarpus integer, Moraceae), and its wild relative bangkong (Artocarpus integer var. silvestris).” Watch Maria explain her research in a video produced through the Ready, Set, Go Program. Watch it here. Current position: PhD student at The University of Sheffield.
Daiyon Kpou – SROP (Summer Research Opportunities Program) student from Penn State. Summer 2014 research: “Genetic Diversity in Vanuatuan Breadfruit.” Current position: MS student in Public Health, Emory University.
Matthew Murphy – NSF- REU student from Illinois College. Summer 2014 research “Measuring Genetic Diversity of an Underutilized Tropical Fruit Tree Crop: Artocarpus odoratissimus.” Current position: PhD student at Clemson University.
Paya Sarraf – BA 2014, Northwestern University. Research: “Phylogeny and biogeography of Maclura, Moraceae.” Current position: Graduate student at University of Cincinnati
Lindsay Darling – MS 2013, Northwestern University. Thesis: “Genetic diversity and population structure of three tree species across an urban to remnant landscape gradient.” Current position: research assistant at the Morton Arboretum
Tyr Wiesner-Hanks – BA 2013, Northwestern University. Research: “Diversity of the Breadfruit Complex (Artocarpus, Moraceae): Genetic Characterization of Critical Germplasm.” Current position: PhD student in Plant Breeding at Cornell University.
Chloe Siegel – High School Student (2013). “DNA fingerprinting in Artocarpus.” Currently a student at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Current position: PhD student at Cornell University.
Robert Harris – Undergraduate at Carleton College (2013), REU student “Phylogeny of Artocarpus.”
Evelyn Williams – Postdoctoral Research Associate (2013-14). Current position: co-PI on NSF Collaborative Research: Testing the effects of phylogenetic diversity on restoration outcomes in tallgrass prairie.
Colby Witherup – MS 2013, Northwestern University. Thesis: “Genetic diversity of Bangladeshi jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus, Moraceae). Current position: PhD student in Plant Biology and Conservation at Northwestern University.
Tracy Misiewicz – MS 2009, Northwestern University. Thesis “Investigating the evolutionary history, biogeography, and pollination biology of the genus Dorstenia (Moraceae)” PhD in Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley. Current position: NSF Postdoctoral Fellow.
Diane Huebner – MS 2009, Northwestern University. Thesis: “A morphological, molecular, and experimental assessment of the conservation status of Great Lakes Sea-Rocket (Cakile edentula var. lacustris, Brassicaceae),” Current position: PhD student in Institute of Arctic Biology at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks)