Daniel Al Fatayri, Johansen Lab
Office: D-W341
Email: dalfatayri27@jcu.edu
I have most recently been living and studying in Debrecen, Hungary, where I pursued a Bachelor's degree in Biology at the University of Debrecen. As a recipient of the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship, I have been deeply involved in academic and research activities, including projects focused on cellular biology and ecotoxicology. Additionally, I have been participating in the Talent UD program, which has provided me with opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research.ÌýÌý
I pursued an undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Debrecen, Hungary, focusing on general biological sciences. My research included studying lithium's effects on yeast and HeLa cells in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, and examining the ecotoxicological impact of environmental antibiotics on hydra in the Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology.
I am excited to be part of Dr. Johansen's lab because of his internationally recognized expertise in cyanobacterial taxonomy and systematics, and I look forward to working on his current research on soil cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae on San Nicolas Island, California.
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Erica Berent, Saporito Lab
Office: D-W249
Email: eberent26@jcu.edu
I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the College of Wooster.Ìý I most recently worked as technician in a biology lab at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.ÌýÌý
I am researching alkaloid defense in the strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio). Specifically I am looking at how mothers provision their tadpoles with alkaloids, and whether differences in adult alkaloids are reflected in the tadpoles across populations. I am also examining the potential defense against microbes these alkaloids offer the tadpoles.
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Nathnael Admassu,ÌýJohansen Lab
Office:D-W341
Email: nadmassu27@jcu.edu
I received my Bachelor of Science in Biology at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.Ìý I currently live in Solon.Ìý I am interested in researching, identifying and naming new species.
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Kasey Watterson, Anthony/Hickerson Lab
Office: D-W342
Email: kwatterson26@jcu.edu
I am from a small farming town in Hanover, Indiana where I worked on my family farm in addition to working in my undergraduate lab. In my undergraduate lab, I worked on learning behaviors in planaria (freshwater flatworms) and defensive behaviors in red eyed tree frogs. My work with planaria has been published, and my work with red eyed tree frogs is currently in review.Ìý I earned my Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2023 at Hanover College.
I am interested in how animals react to stimuli in the natural world (behavioral research). While at ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥, I want to understand how fluorescence in the post cloacal glands of red-back salamanders is related to the animal’s ability to hold territory and the overall quality of said territory.
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Emily Masluk, Johansen Lab
Office: D-W311
Email: emasluk23@jcu.edu
I am from Youngstown, Ohio. I graduated from ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science degree (Environmental Science major and Business minor).Ìý I worked and studied in the phycology lab with Dr. Jeff Johansen in my senior year, then began the Master of Science program the following fall semester.ÌýÌý
I am studying the molecular phylogenetics of green algae from desert biological soil crusts in the Channel Islands. I am using an all-evidence based approach to assess the biodiversity of notouriously aquatic taxa from a terrstrial environment, while also aiming to test the limits of species delimitation approaches used for cyrptic species in green algal taxonomy.
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Samuel Hinkley, Saporito Lab
Office: D-W249
Email: shinkley27@jcu.edu
I have a B.S. in Zoology from Michigan State University, with a double concentration in "Zoo and Aquarium Science" and "Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology."Ìý Most recently I was living in Madison Wisconsin, and working in wildlife rehabilitation at the Dane County Humane Society Wildlife Center with everything from tree frogs to bald eagles.ÌýÌý
My research interests include chemical ecology, predator-prey interactions, and evolutionary trade-offs as they pertain to reptiles and amphibians.
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Jensyn Scott,ÌýAnthony/Hickerson Lab
Office: D-W248
Email: jlscott27@jcu.edu
I've lived in Cincinnati, OH my entire life; coming up to JCU will be my first time living outside of my home county! While in Cincy, I completed my biology undergrad at Northern Kentucky University and assisted Dr. Durtsche with research for two years in his herpetology lab. While the first project was continuing a broad population survey at our field site along the Ohio River, my second project focused on dispersal patterns of Cope's Gray Treefrogs. After this, I took a year off to work with the urban forestry team at Cincinnati Parks to prepare for moving out, and now I'm here!ÌýÌý
I have broad interests in ecology and behavior as it pertains to amphibians. At JCU, I'll be exploring the phylogeny of bioflourescence and its evolution among plethodontid salamanders - ultimately expanding our knowledge of how many species fluoresce and where we may find divergence.
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Carlota Faustino,Ìý Anthony/Hickerson Lab
Office:D-W248
Email: cfaustino27@jcu.edu
In 2023, I graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL with a B.S. in Zoology. There I was a member of the Taylor Lab where I was involved in determining the fitness benefits of color vision in the jumping spider Habronattus pyrrthrix and measuring the efficacy of their predation through their reproductive success.ÌýÌý
My research interests focus on animal behavior, varying from sexual selection to defense strategies.
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Ashley Brumit,Ìý Drenovsky Lab
Office:D-W311
Email: abrumit24@jcu.edu
For the past 6 months, I have been in St. George, Utah working as a field botanist technician for the Seeds of Success program. I was tasked with scouting for native plant populations in the Colorado Plateau. In addition, I collected mature seeds to be used for habitat restoration purposes.Ìý I graduated from ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ in May 2024 with a Biology Major; Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Minor.ÌýÌý
Overall, my research interests focus on plant biology in arid and semi-arid environments. I have a few different topics I am interested in researching, including plant physiological ecology, restoration, and plant symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. I also focus on plants growing on gypsum soils.
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