Former Students

The NSRL, although not an academic department, has supported the thesis and dissertation research and hands-on training of hundreds of graduate students (as well as hundreds of undergraduate researchers) in the Departments of Biological Sciences, Natural Resources Management, and Heritage and Museum Sciences of Texas Tech University. The complete list of our “alumni” begins in the 1960’s, when graduate students first began utilizing and contributing to the Mammal Collection (then housed in Biological Sciences), and continues to the present day.  For these students, the Mammal, Bird, Invertebrate Zoology, and/or Genetic Resource collections of the NSRL (and former collections such as fish and herps) were vital to their research, and/or the students contributed to the growth and care of the collections while being trained in field collection techniques, specimen preparation, and collection management and curation.

The NSRL is proud of our legacy of former graduate students who have achieved career success in research and academia and who have contributed to advancements in science and education that have benefitted our natural world and human society.  Below is a list of recent graduates (2015 to present).  See the full list (1964 to present) here.

2024

Emma Sanchez
MS advised by Richard D. Stevens
Use of Culverts as Day-roosts by Bats

Jacob Ancira
MS advised by Caleb D. Phillips
Characterizing the Influence of Microbial Communities on Wound Healing Time of Chronic Wounds through Structural Equation Modeling

Garret Langlois
PhD advised by Richard D. Stevens
Environmental Determinants of Behavioral Ecology: Differences in Roosting Ecology and Socioecology of a Neotropical Bat (Artibeus lituratus) Between Two Disparate Landscapes in the Atlantic Forest of Paraguay

Daniela Arenas-Viveros
PhD advised by Jorge Salazar-Bravo
The Impact of the Central Andes in the Evolution and Diversification of Two Rodent Lineages since the Miocene

2023

Emily A. Wright
PhD advised by Robert D. Bradley
Mitochondrial and Nuclear Genomes Reflect Different Evolutionary Trajectories of Two Ungulate Species: Tales from Aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) and Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) in Texas

Sarah Vaca
MS advised by David A. Ray
Evaluation of the Bioinformatic Tool RAM and Diversification of Carollia perspicillata and C. brevicauda (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

Craig Tipton
PhD advised by Caleb D. Phillips
The Chronic Wound Microbiome: Complex Communities Shaped by Microbial Interaction and Environmental Selection

Susan Revollo
MS advised by Jorge Salazar-Bravo
Identifying Areas of Conservation Importance Based on Spatial Patterns of Evolutionary Diversity: Non-volant Mammals in the Andean Puna

2022

Sufia A. Neha
MS advised by Jorge Salazar-Bravo
Fine-scale Spatial Variation Shape Fecal Microbiome Diversity and Composition in Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus)

Jennifer Korstian
PhD advised by David A. Ray
Unraveling the Myotis Morass: Genomic Analysis Reveals Introgression, Cryptic Diversity, and Taxonomic Trouble in the Most Species-rich Bat Genus

Matthew Fox
PhD advised by Caleb D. Phillips
The RNA-binding Protein Musashi-2 Regulates Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in the Developing Mammalian Palate

Austin Buchholz
PhD advised by Warren Conway and Blake Grisham
Ecology of Free-ranging Axis Deer (Axis axis) in the Edwards Plateau Ecoregion of Central Texas: Population Density, Genetics, and Impacts of an Invasive Deer Species

2021

Rachael Wiedmeier
MS advised by Caleb D. Phillips and Warren Conway
Characterization of Aoudad and Desert Bighorn Sheep Microbiomes in Association to Disease Risk

Iroro Tanshi
PhD advised by Tigga Kingston
Drivers of Diversity Patterns and Ensemble Structure of Forest Understory Insectivorous Bats along Elevational Gradients in an Afrotropical Biodiversity Hotspot

Erin Stukenholtz
PhD advised by Richard D. Stevens
Avian metacommunity structure and influence of Grinnellian and Eltonian niche characteristics on geographic distribution

Heidi Amarilla-Stevens
MA advised by Robert D. Bradley
Temporal Rate of Post-mortem DNA Degradation in Archived Samples: Evidence from Liver and Muscle Tissues

Megan Rowe
MS advised by Caleb D. Phillips
The Genomic Distribution of Musashi Binding Elements

Michaela Halsey
PhD advised by Richard D. Stevens and David A. Ray
Conservation Genomics and Distribution Modelling of Texas Geomyoid Rodents

2020

Emma K. Roberts
PhD advised by Robert D. Bradley
Molecular Evolution and Phylogenetic Importance of a Gamete Recognition Gene Zan Reveals a Unique Contribution to Mammalian Speciation

Preston J. McDonald
MS advised by Caleb D. Phillips
Status, Distribution, Morphology and Genetics of Sigmodon fulviventer dalquesti in the Chihuahuan Desert Ecoregion

Laramie Lindsey
PhD advised by Robert D. Bradley and Caleb D. Phillips
Utilizing Transcriptome and Target-capture Applications to Examine Patterns of Diversification in Deermice (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Peromyscus)

Brett Anderson
MS advised by Liam McGuire and Richard D. Stevens
Influences of Habitat and Temperature on Winter Bat Activity in the Southeastern United States

2019

Taylor Soniat
MS advised by Robert D. Bradley
Assessing levels of DNA degradation in frozen tissues archived under various preservation conditions in a natural history collection

Oscar Sandate
MS advised by Caleb D. Phillips
Determinants of Digestive Efficiency During Reproduction in a Highly Vagile Colonial Bat

Courtney Ramsey
MS advised by Warren Conway
Pronghorn Fawn Survival, Bed Site Characteristics, and Adult Doe Habitat Selection in Southeastern New Mexico

2018

Beth Rogers
MS advised by Liam McGuire
Seasonal Flexibility in Lipid Metabolism in Brazilian Free-tailed Bats

Sydney Pope Kerby
MS advised by Jorge Salazar-Bravo
non-thesis

Howard Huynh
PhD advised by Caleb D. Phillips
Taxonomic Delimitation and Natural History of Some Mammals From Atlantic Canada

Jack Francis
MS advised by Robert D. Bradley and Caleb D. Phillips
non-thesis

2017

Amie S. Sommers
MS advised by Liam McGuire
Phenotypic Flexibility and Energy Demand: Insectivorous Bat Response Through the Summer Active Season

Luke Rankin
MS advised by Jorge Salazar-Bravo
non-thesis

Kandel Narayan
PhD advised by Jorge Salazar-Bravo
Evolution and Systematics of the Genus Calomys

Daniela Arenas-Viveros
MS advised by Jorge Salazar-Bravo
Historical Biogeography of the Diversification in Akodon (Rodentia: Sigmodontinae)

2016

Kendra Phelps
PhD advised by Tigga Kingston
Responses of Cave-roosting Bats to Complex Environmental Gradients: An Assessment Across Assemblage, Species and Population Levels

Nicté Ordóñez-Garza
PhD advised by Robert D. Bradley
Diversification of Cricetid Rodents in the Montane Regions of Mesoamerica: Is the Isthmus of Tehuantepec a Vicariant Barrier?

Chris Dunn
MS advised by Robert D. Bradley
Genetic Diversity and the Origin of Contemporary Eastern Elk (Cervus canadensis) Populations in Texas

Juan Pablo Carrera
PhD advised by Robert D. Bradley and Caleb D. Phillips
Diversity, Zoogeography, and Community Ecology of Bats in the Ecuadorian Andes

Erin Stukenholtz
MS advised by Richard D. Stevens
Hormone Concentrations, Vaginal Cytology and Diet: Variations During Reproduction in Seba's Short-tailed Fruit Bat

2015

Julie Parlos
PhD advised by Robert J. Baker
Estimating Genetic Boundaries with the Application of Multiple Operational Criteria

Jonathan Falcone
MS advised by Robert D. Bradley and Patricia Harveson
The Taxonomic and Conservation Status of the Pecos River Muskrat

Megan Corley Keith
PhD advised by Robert D. Bradley
Phylogenetic Relationships, Divergence, and Radiation within the Subfamily Neotominae (Rodentia: Cricetidae)

Cibele Sotero Caio
PhD advised by Robert J. Baker
Significance of Karyotypic Evolution in Phyllostomid Bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) as Revealed by Chromosome Painting