People

Associate Professor of Biology

PhD – Indiana University, 2013

BA – Colby College, 2006

Naima Starkloff

Ph.D. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, State University of New York, Albany, 2020

B.A. Ecology & Evolution, Bennington College, 2015

My research interests lie in understanding the factors that determine the diversity of and interactions within biological communities, with a special interest in host-parasite interactions. For my Ph.D., I developed my own study system to investigate the diversity of immunogenetics and avian malaria parasites in a clade of North American songbirds. Thereafter, I spent a year as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Davidson College and continued to develop my teaching pedagogy rooted in biological rigor, active learning, and anti-oppressive classroom practices. As a postdoctoral researcher in the Civitello lab, I will be focusing on the spatial and temporal variation of Schistosoma species of human concern in Tanzanian snails. I am especially interested in how environmental gradients and interspecific interactions may impact transmission potential within this neglected tropical disease system. In my free time, I enjoy everything food-related, traveling, good friends, and hanging out with my cat Luna.

www.naimastarkloff.com

Stephanie Gutierrez

Ph.D. Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 2022

B.A. Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, 2015

Info coming soon!

B.S. Biophysics and biochemistry, Oregon State University

I am interested in how to predictively model system-wide consequences of sudden ecological perturbations- my dissertation is on how freshwater host-parasite dynamics change following a resource pulse (using the snail-schistosome system). I like the challenge of merging theory and empirical data together to improve model forecasts. Outside the lab, I like to sew/needlework, run, and hang out with my crew.

Nadia Raytselis

B.S. in Microbiology and Spanish, University of Massachusetts Amherst

I am a PhD student interested in how complex life cycle parasites move through ecosystems and impact ecosystem structure and function. My dissertation research focuses on the ecology of the Guinea worm parasite, a complex life cycle parasite. For my dissertation, I am investigating a potential alternative transmission pathway and assessing its relative importance to Guinea worm transmission. I employ both theoretical and empirical methods to explore this question. Outside the lab I enjoy doing art, traveling, food-related activities (cooking, baking, and eating!!), and hiking with my partner and our dog, Neva.

Mackenzie Hoogshagen

Info coming soon!

Ben Lukubye

Info coming soon!