Associate Professor , PI

Eugenie Schwartz Professor of River & Coastal Studies

Director, Tulane / Xavier Center

for Bioenvironmental Research

cbr.tulane.edu

Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA 70118

mjblum@tulane.edu

Postdoc  US EPA (2002-2006)

Postdoc  UC Davis (2002)

PhD        Duke University (2002)

BA          UC Berkeley (1995)

Courses:

EEB 2050: Global Change Biology

EEB 4170/7170: Speciation &   

    Macroevolution

EEB 4190/7190: Wetlands Ecology

EEB 4230/7230: Molecular Evolution

    & Ecology

Research Assistant Professor (2007-2008)

PhD graduate student (2007-2015)

MS thesis graduate student (2007-2008)

Undergraduate student (2007-2008)

PhD graduate student

EPA STAR Fellow

Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA 70118

bbernik@tulane.edu

BS     Tulane University (2008)

Undergraduate student (2007-2009)

PhD graduate student (2008-2014)

PhD graduate student (co-advised, 2008-2015)

Undergraduate student (2007-2009)

My current research uses a ‘genes to ecosystems’ approach to understand marsh processes and resilience. I use genetic tools to characterize intraspecific genetic variation in marsh plants, then document ecosystem-level consequences of this variation. Focusing on the interface of human and natural systems, I’ve received an EPA STAR fellowship to examine how genotypes used to restore Spartina alterniflora marshes influence the provisioning of ecosystem services including water treatment and shoreline stabilization. Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, I expanded my work to consider how oil contamination and cleanup activities might favor recolonization of specific genotypes. This work aims to support environmentally-sensitive remediation of oil-impacted marshes.

Completed a MS degree focusing on the defensive responses of salt marsh plants to herbivore attack along a gradient of salinity and tidal inundation. Completed a PhD at the University of North Dakota, and is currently a postdoctoral scholar at the National University of Singapore.

Completed a MS degree on the ecological consequences of catastrophic flooding on coastal Louisiana brackish marsh arthropod community structure. Currently assisting with a study on the demography of cockroaches in New Orleans.

Completed a doctoral dissertation on the introduction history, population genetics, and ecology of a non-native parasite infecting native stream fishes in Hawaii. Currently a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Wyoming.

Completed a doctoral dissertation on the ecology, behavior, and evolutionary genetics of freshwater fish invasions involving hybridization. Currently preparing for postdoctoral training.

Assisted with research on coastal marsh responses to sea level rise, focusing on genotyping Schoenoplectus seeds from sediment cores and the molecular systematics of the Schoenoplectus americanus group.

Assisted with research on endocrine disruption and hybridization between non-native red shiner and native blacktail shiner in the Coosa River basin. Currently teaching high school biology in southeastern Louisiana.

Assisted with research on population genetics and phylopatry of migratory suckers and island biogeography of stream fishes. Recently held a position with the customs office of the US Dept of Homeland Security in Honolulu, Hawaii, and worked for a biotechnology company in Boston. Currently pursuing a medical degree.

Carried out research on the evolution of life-history traits, focusing on aspects of organisms' phenotypes that pertain to the timing and relative investment in growth, maintenance, and reproduction. Examined the interplay of natural selection with other factors, such as phylogenetic history and body shape, in producing the patterns of life-history variation seen among species and populations of darters. Currently teaching life sciences at the Isidore Newman School in New Orleans.

Completed a MS thesis degree focusing on hybridization and evolutionary responses of coastal marsh plants to sea level rise. Completed a JD at the Tulane University Law School, and is currently working as an attorney at Thompson Hine LLP.

Assisted with research on hybridization between non-native red shiner and native blacktail shiner in the Coosa River basin. Recently completed graduate studies at the University of Chicago.

4+1 MS graduate student (2009-2010)

Completed a MS degree focusing on genetic diversity of native and non-native populations of Spartina patens. Currently pursuing a PhD degree in the Dept of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior at the University of Minnesota.

Assisted with research on native fish species responses to watershed land use and in-stream conditions across Hawaii. Completd a MS degree in conservation genetics at Fordham University with Dr. Evon Hekkala.

Undergraduate student (2007-2009)

Assisted with research on life history and morphological evolution of stream fishes, focusing on evolutionary responses of stream fishes to impoundment events. Recently completed graduate studies in biology at the University of New Orleans.

Senior research associate (2008-2009)

Completed a doctoral dissertation on reproductive strategies and conservation genetics of the freshwater mussel Lampsilis cardium (Bivalvia: Unionidae). Also assisted with research on demographic responses of native amphidromous fishes to land use in Hawaii.

Currently a research scientist with the Ohio EPA and developing a non-profit organization to promote and sustain wilderness areas in the State of Ohio.

Carried out research on island phylogeography of freshwater fishes and invertebrates in Trinidad and Hawaii. Also assisted with research on coastal marsh plant responses to climate change. Currently Chief of Staff at the NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Miami.

Postdoctoral research associate (2008-2009)

PhD graduate student (2008-2009)

Postdoctoral research associate (2008-2009)

Completed a doctoral dissertation on the ecology and evolutionary biology of stream fish responses to flow regimes including the effects of water impoundment on fish morphology.  Currently teaching integrated sciences at NOCCA in New Orleans.

Undergraduate student (2008-2009)

Undergraduate student (2008-2009)

Undergraduate student (2009-2010)

Completed a senior honors thesis on the role of sexual selection in biological invasions. Recently completed post-bac training at the NIEHS in RTP, North Carolina. Currently pursuing a medical degree.

Undergraduate student (2009-2010)

Assisted with research on hybridization between non-native red shiner and native blacktail shiner in the Coosa River basin, and responses of shiners to endocrine disruptors.

Undergraduate student (2010)

Assisted with research on native fish species responses to watershed land use and in-stream conditions across Hawaii.

Visiting Scholar (Summer 2010)

Professor, State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China. Carried out research on the genetic diversity and invasion history of Spartina alterniflora introduced to China. Visit hosted as part of the Tulane-ECNU Ecopartnership supported by the U.S. State Department. Through the Ecopartnership, the two universities are working together to develop a global model for the sustainability of coastal cities, focused on restoration, conservation and enhancement of environmentally sensitive wetland areas.

Research associate (2009-2010)

Undergraduate student (2008-2009)

Assisted with work on the conservation genetics and phylogeography of native amphidromous gobies in Hawaii, as well as a study of genetic variation among migratory sucker populations in the Great Lakes.

PhD graduate student (co-advised, 2007-2014)

PhD graduate student

Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA 70118

rhazen@tulane.edu

NCCC    Americorps (2002-2003)

BS          SUNY Cortland (2001)

My research focuses on 1) variables affecting the diversity of interactions in multitrophic food webs, and 2) the phylogeographic signatures of invasion on multiple trophic levels. I use plant-caterpillar-parasitoid interactions as a model system for addressing my study questions. In bottomland hardwood forests of southeastern Louisiana, I examine the diversity of interactions in this system along a gradient of hurricane disturbance. This study is also an integral component of an ongoing collaboration with researchers at multiple sites across the globe, examining this tritrophic system using the same methodologies, to make powerful comparisons between different latitudes, altitudes and environmental gradients. More recently, I have begun work on on the phylogeography of the invasive Chinese Tallow tree (Triadica sebifera) and specialist herbivores of this plant from the genus Caloptilia. I currently have studies underway that aim to establish the distribution, genetic diversity and comparative phylogenetic relationships for Caloptilia specializing on T. sebifera across the species native and non-native ranges.

Assisted with research on inundation and trophic cascades in coastal marshes of Louisiana Completed a MS degree at Indiana University (SPEA).

Undergraduate student (2010-2011)

PhD graduate student (2012-2013)

Research associate (2011-2012)

Completed a MS degree focusing on salt marsh plant-microbial interactions, coastal wetland plant community responses to sea level rise, and coastal restoration. Recently joined the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority as a Coastal Research Scientist.

Postdoctoral research associate (2009-2011)

Carried out research on population connectivity and larval dispersal of native amphidromous fishes in Hawaii. Also assisted with research on the landscape genetics of freshwater fishes.  Currently an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

Undergraduate student (2011-2012)

Conducted independent research on the responses of coastal marsh Schoenoplectus sedges and Cladium sawgrass to sea level rise. Also assisted with research on genotypic variation in Spartina grasses.

Postdoctoral research associate (2009-2011)

Completed research on invasion genetics, hybridization and the reproductive consequences of exposure to estrogenic contaminants in wild fish populations.  Currently a postdoctoral research associate in the Dept of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior at the University of Minnesota.

Conducted conservation genetic studies of Caribbean and African crocodiles, imperiled frogs in the desert southwest of North America, and imperiled suckers in New York and the Great Lakes. Currently an Assistant Professor at Fordham University.

Undergraduate student (2010-2011)

Undergraduate student (2010-2011)

Assisted with research on native fish species responses to watershed land use and in-stream conditions across Hawaii.

Assisted with research on endocrine disruption and hybridization between non-native red shiner and native blacktail shiner in the Coosa River basin.

Undergraduate student (2011-2012)

Assisted with research on the ecological genetics of biological invasions, focusing on the spread of red shiner in the Coosa River basin.

Carried out research on the biogeography and recruitment dynamics of native fishes in Hawaii as well as the evolutionary diversification of freshwater fishes across the Lesser Antilles.  Currently an Assistant Professor at California State University, Fullerton.

Postdoctoral research associate (2009-2011)

Research Associate (2012-2013)

PhD graduate student (2012-2013)

Completed a MS degree focusing on the urban ecology of the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) and rodent-borne zoonotic pathogens in New Orleans.

Undergraduate student (2010-2012)

Undergraduate student (2010-2012)

Assisted with and completed independent research on reproductive isolation of Red and Blacktail Shiners following exposure to endocrine disruptors. Currently enrolled in an accelerated nursing program.

Completed a senior honors thesis on the population genetics of native amphidromous snails in Hawaii. Assisted with research on the population genetics of native amphidromous fishes in Hawaii. Currently pursuing a PhD degree at the University of Connecticut on the molecular evolution and evolutionary ecology of bioluminescence in cephalopods.

Undergraduate student (2011-2012)

Assisted with research on the landscape genetics of native Hawaiian stream fishes. Currently pursuing an advance degree at the LSU School of  Dentistry.

Undergraduate student (2012)

Xavier University

Assisted with research on the responses of coastal marsh Schoenoplectus sedges and Cladium sawgrass to sea level rise. Currently pursuing professional opportunities in preparation for graduate training.

4+1 MS graduate student (2012-2013)

Completed a MS degree focusing on natural resource  management and policy for coastal restoration in the lower Mississippi River Delta. Currently pursuing a law degree at Georgia State University.

Completed a senior honors thesis on reproductive isolation and behavior in Cyprinella minnows to better understand the ecological genetics of biological invasions involving hybridization. Recently joined an environmental consulting firm in the Greater New Orleans area.

Assisted with a range of projects that relate to aquatic conservation and management, including field research and lab work on native Hawaiian fishes.

Assisted with research on the invasion genetics of red shiner and hybridization with blacktail shiner.

Undergraduate student (2012-2014)

Undergraduate student

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA 70118

agulache@tulane.edu

I am pursuing my degree in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology with an emphasis on interfaces with public health and infectious disease. I am currently assisting with research on the urban ecology of rodent-borne infectious disease. 

Visiting Scholar (Summer and Fall 2012)

Doctoral student, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China. Carried out research on the resurrection ecology and evolution of salinity tolerance in Schoenoplectus americanus, as well as responses of coastal marsh plants to oil exposure. Visit hosted as part of the Tulane-ECNU Ecopartnership supported by the U.S. State Department.

Undergraduate student (2012-2014)

Assisted with research on the ecology of rodent-borne pathogens and the distribution of infectious disease in post-Katrina New Orleans.

Undergraduate student (2012-2013)

Undergraduate student (2013-2014)

Assisted with research on the evolutionary ecology of plant-animal relationships and biological invasions. 

Undergraduate student (2013-2014)

Assisted with research on the structure and function of the urban forest in metro New Orleans.

Undergraduate student

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA 70118

spiper@tulane.edu

I am currently assisting with research on the population genetics and ecology of non-native parasites in native Hawaiian stream fishes, and the urban forest in metro New Orleans.

PhD graduate student

Board of Regents Fellow

Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA 70118

apeter1@tulane.edu

MS         University of Colorado (2013)

BS          University of Colorado (2008)

http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kGaaKlsAAAAJ&hl=en

PhD graduate student

Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA 70118

bghersi@tulane.edu

Fellow        NIH International Clinical

                   Research Program

VetMed       Universidad Nacional

                   Mayor de San Marcos  (2006)

I am interested in emerging Infections, zoonosis and public health. Disease ecology, more specifically how environmental change affects species diversity and disease transmission and risk. I’m currently involved in the study of urban ecology of rats and the risk of disease in post Katrina New Orleans.

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Center for Bioenvironmental Research

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA 70118

kmoody3@tulane.edu

PhD      Clemson University  (2015)

BS         University of Florida (2006)

http://knmoody.wix.com/kristine-moody

I am an integrative evolutionary geneticist using a multitude of tools to answer fundamental evolutionary questions of local adaptation and population connectivity to inform conservation strategies. My past work focuses on stream fishes endemic to the Hawaiian Islands with integration of modeling, genomics, and phenotypic experiments. Currently, my work aims to combine ecological modeling and genomics to understand how invasive species affect the health, population structure, and ecology of native stream fauna of Oahu.

MS thesis graduate student (co-advised, 2012-2014)

Completed a MS thesis degree focusing on the landscape genetics of Schistocephalus parasites in threespiine stickleback from southeastern Alaska. Currently an adjunct instructor in the Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University

I am broadly interested in understanding how anthropogenically driven alterations of ecological communities can influence the emergence or spread of pathogens in both wildlife and human populations. I have a special interest in concentrating my research on systems that have direct applicability to conservation, management and human and wildlife health. My master's degree research focused on investigating host/pathogen dynamics in an amphibian system, where I sought to clarify the role that an invasive species plays in influencing pathogen infection patterns in sympatric native species. I am very excited to transition to a new system where I will focus on the complex interactions between human and ecological diversity by investigating population genetics and pathogen dynamics in urban rodents in New Orleans.

Conducted research on endophytes and the rhizosphere microbiome of Spartina alterniflora to determine whether plant-microbial interactions govern salt marsh ecosystem responses and recovery following environmental stress. Currently the senior scientist at Wetland Resources, which focuses on coastal restoration in SE Louisiana.

Postdoctoral research associate (co-advised, 2013-2014)

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Center for Bioenvironmental Research

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA 70118

rrael@tulane.edu

www.rosalynrael.com

PhD        University of Arizona (2009)

BS          Western  New Mexico

               University (2003)

I am a mathematical biologist interested in the evolution of ecosystem structure and the impacts of the confluence of humans and natural ecosystems on patterns of species abundance and diversity. My previous research has focuse on the dynamics and evolution of competition and predator-prety relationships using networks, stochastic models, and evolutionary game theory. Currently, my work involves modeling the dynamics of a pathogen reservoir host species to assess changes in the distribution of exposure risk through time, as well as the societal  and ecological impacts of intervention and control strategies.

Research Associate

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA 70118

chayes6@tulane.edu

Research Associate

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA 70118

amusgrov@tulane.edu

Postdoctoral Research Associate (2014-2015)

Carried out research on the biogeography and evolutionary ecology of native amphidromous fishes in Hawaii. Also assisted with research on the invasion genetics of freshwater fishes and parasites.  Currently a postdoctoral research associate at Louisiana State University.

PhD graduate student

Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA 70118

jsummers@tulane.edu

BA          Furman University (2013)

My background is in sustainable agricultural systems, wildlife and conservation biology, and freshwater ecology. Evolutionary ecology and molecular evolution in freshwater systems fascinate me!

I am working with the Hawaii Project Team to support on-the-ground operations across Oahu.

I am working with Christine on the Hawaii Project Team to support on-the-ground operations across Oahu.