MSB Mammal Division

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

The goal of the Undergraduate Opportunities (UnO) program is to recruit and prepare undergraduate students for graduate study and research careers. All students will have introductory training and then experience concentrated research in their junior and senior years.

UnO students will participate in 1 credit-hour seminars each semester that emphasize academic skills, how to gain admission to graduate schools and other topics that will lead to a successful career in biology.

UnO undergraduates will work directly with a graduate student and faculty mentor.

One of our students had this to say after presenting her UnO undergraduate research project at the June 2008 North American Benthological Meetings (NABS) in Salt Lake City, Utah.

"The NABS meeting was fun and very intense. It was great to see what other people are working on as well as getting feedback on my project. It's good to see that all the 'names' on the articles I've been reading for so long, are 'real people'. At first it was a little overwhelming, but later, I felt like I was part of the community. I also thought it was good to see what graduate students were doing. The difference between 'work from my master's thesis' and 'a chapter in my dissertation' was interesting. I also liked hearing what other labs are doing at different universities and trying to imagine myself doing MY grad work at different places. It was overall a very valuable experience and I look forward to future meetings."

--Monica Tellez, 2008

To apply for 2008-2009: download these two forms: Application and Consent.

(PI, Joseph A. Cook and co-PI, William L. Gannon)

UnO Graduate Student Coordinator: Theresa C. Hyde

Project Title: Tracking Water Resource Use by Migrant and Resident Birds in the Sonoran Desert using Stable Isotopes

Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Fall 2009

My research interests include desert ecology and looking at bird migration through the use of stable isotopes.

Lab: Dr. Blair Wolf

Meet the current UnO Students:

David Banks-Richardson Project Title: Introduction of Exotic Species on Islands/: Peromyscus/ Found on Shemya Island of the Far Western Aleutian Islands of Alaska* (Yadéeh E. Sawyer, David Banks-Richardson, S. O. MacDonald, and Joseph A. Cook) Peromyscus Newsletter, in press. Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Spring 2010 Interests in biology or career choice:* I am interested in studying the interactions between different species within the ecosystems they inhabit. I hope to better understand these interactions. I hope to study the pathways that nutrients use to move through Polar or Marine ecosystems. Ultimately I plan to use the information that I gain from these studies to help conserve these ecosystems. Mentor: Yadéeh E. Sawyer Lab: Dr. Joe Cook
Carmela Carrasco Project Title: Entry of Nitrogen into a Marine Community Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Spring 2010 Interests in biology or career choice: I enjoy almost all facets of biology, but am especially interested in paleoenvironmental effects on evolution and their anthropological connections; ultimately I hope to be involved in research on this topic. Mentor: Dr. Ursula Shepherd Lab: Dr. Ursula Shepherd
Justin Pichardo Project Title: Life On the Outside; elucidating the genetic signatures of core and peripheral populations of the montane vole, Microtus montanus. Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Fall 2009 Interests in biology or career choice: Justin is testing the hypothesis, first considered by Brown (1987), that core populations should have reduced genetic variation compared to peripheral populations because they are larger and more contiguous, which encourages gene flow and genetic homogeneity. Mentor: Ian Murray Lab: Dr. Blair Wolf
Ashley Reid Project Title: Examining the Relative Abundance of Thermal Spring Community Members Using Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Fall 2009 Interests in biology or career choice: Ashley really loves bacteria, especially ones that can be found in extreme environments like the thermal vents in Yellowstone National Park. After graduation she plans to apply to graduate school in hopes of eventually getting a PhD. Mentor: S. O'Neil Lab: Dr. Tina Takacs-Vesbach
Jessica Martin Project Title: You are what you eat: the key role of mesquite in promoting survival in extreme environment. Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Spring 2010 Interests in biology or career choice: Jessica is interested in studying invertebrates living in cryptobiotic crusts in arid habitats like the pinyon-juniper woodlands that are common here in the Southwestern USA. Her research examines the relationship between desert woodrats, Neotoma lepida, living in the valley floor and their absolute dependence on one resource, mesquite, for survival. Jessica has been teasing apart this plant-animal interaction to see how the mesquite affords not only food resources, but also the physical protection it provides through spinescence to the woodrats, and she is interested in expanding her research to examine plant toxins present in the mesquite and how the rats might be combating their effects. Mentor: Dr. Larisa Harding Lab: Dr. Felisa Smith
April Tafoya Project Title: Phylogenetic analysis of the genus Hygrotus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Fall 2009 Interests in biology or career choice: April is interested in sustainable fresh water resources and clean-up and plans to attend graduate school to conduct research in the field of water chemistry. She envisions herself as part of a professional team that implements innovative new ideas to address the issues of water clean-up and conservation. April is currently collaborating on several projects. First is a phylogenetic analysis of the genus Hygrotus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) under the supervision of Dr. Kelly Miller (UNM). The goals of this project are to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships among the species in this genus as well as to identify and discuss unique habitats. As part of April's senior thesis, she is conducting a survey of the Bitter Lakes (New Mexico) ecosystem, and comparing the aquifer water chemistry and arthropods faunas between this water source and the Edwards Aquifer (Texas). Part of this project involves the description of a new species of Hydroporini (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). April is also conducting a GIS analysis in collaboration with Dr. David Lightfoot (MSB). CONGRATULATIONS APRIL! April received an award for first place in oral presentations at the New Mexico Alliance for Minority Participation conference at New Mexico State University on October 1-3, 2009. Mentor: Gino Nearns Lab: Dr. Kelly Miller
Kelly Speer Project Title: Evidence for a relict population of shrews (Genus Sorex) in New Mexico Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Spring 2011 Interests in biology or career choice: Kelly is interested in studying the effects of climatic cycling during the late Pleistocene in mammals. Mentor: Andrew Hope Lab: Dr. Joe Cook
Eudora Claw Project Title: Intracommunity dynamics of Trematodes in Bosque del Apache and Nature Center Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Spring 2010 Interests in biology or career choice: I am interested in two sites in New Mexico Bosque del Apache in Socorro, NM and the Nature Center in Albuquerque, NM and comparing and contrasting snails and their parasites and seeing similar/different variations or trends due to their biogeography and locality. I would like to continue doing research in Parasitology and hopefully get into medical school. I like studying the natural world, and the more I study biology the greater sense of wonder and the excitement I get every time I go out in any environment. We're surrounded by this world of life and all of these magnificent organisms interacting with each other in incredibly complicated ways. Biology to me is filled with both a sense of wonder, delight, and enjoyment and a real sense of practicality. Biology from stem cells all the way up to the biosphere is exciting and important. Mentor: Dr. Sara Brant Lab: Dr. Sara Brant
Matt Garcia Project Title: Discovering New Diversity and Species Diversity Controls in Lava Tube Microbial Mats in New Mexico, Hawaii, and the Azores. Expected date to graduate from UNM: Spring 2011 Interests in biology or career choice: Matthew G. Garcia, a junior majoring in Biology at UNM, is pursuing research into the microbial diversity of lava tubes on the island of Hawai’i. Matt has sampled lava tubes of different ages that are located in different volcanic flows and that are located under different surface vegetation and precipitation regimes in order to shed light on what controls diversity in colorful microbial mats that coat the walls of many lava tubes worldwide. He’ll be presenting his results at the International Congress of Speleology, which will be held in Texas in July 2009. Although born in Albuquerque, Matt spent his early years in a small (600 people) NM town, Seboyeta, before moving to Grants, NM. His high school biology teacher, Mr. Alexander, and his participation in a Science Fair project shaped his interest in science, and biology in particular. He’s particularly interested in discovering new information about living things. Through UnO he’s pursuing learning to write grant proposals and papers and to give oral and poster presentations. He most appreciates responsiveness, reliability, and forgiveness in a mentor. In the lab, Matt has been mentoring a high school student from Sandia Preparatory School. Matt plans to go to graduate school to continue studying life in caves, or possibly to pursue biomedical research. Mentor: Jennifer Hathaway Lab: Dr. Diana Northrup	photo by: Kenneth Ingham
Randle McCain Project Title: Building an Archival Database of Mexican Gray Wolves. Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Fall 2009 Interests in biology or career choice: My current focus is in mammalogy, moreover studies of the Mexican grey wolf, its evolutionary history and the current conservation problems facing the species. I am researching the archive of specimens of this species in natural history museums, and how that may contribute to conservation efforts. Although I enjoy research, I am looking in to going into education for graduate school. I would like to be a biology teacher and ultimately I would like to teach mammalogy. Mentor: Dr. Jon Dunnum Lab: Dr. Joe Cook
NEW STUDENT (Summer 2009) - Natalie Blea Project Title: A new species of Anolis similar to Anolis polylepis from a region of the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Spring 2010 Interests in biology or career choice: I am interested in herpetology and the ecology and evolution of species, currently working with the genus Anolis. This well studied group has proven to be very important in studies of sexual selection, ecomorphology, niche partitioning and adaptive radiation all of which are areas which interest me. I envision myself continuing my research and using my knowledge of such aspects of biology to aid in conservation of species diversity. I will be going on to graduate school next fall and am excited to see what type of research my future will hold. Mentor: Mason Ryan Lab: Dr. Stephen Poe
NEW STUDENT (Summer 2009) - Raphaelita Bishara Project Title: Coming soon Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Spring 2010 Interests in biology or career choice: I am interested in all aspects of biology, it is hard to make a decision but I have become very interested in aquatic ecology and the effects of drying periods on freshwater species that live in rivers and streams such as the Rio Grande. I hope to research this further and to later go to grad school Mentor: Dr. Ayesha Burdett Lab: Dr. Tom Turner
NEW STUDENT (Summer 2009) - Martha Jo (MJ) Vargas Project Title: Coming soon Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Spring 2012 Interests in biology or career choice: MJ is currently working with Foraminifera from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Using Qualitative PCR, she is searching for clades of Symbiodinium that act as symbionts and are found in the Foraminifera, Corals, Nudibranchs, and other surrounding invertebrates. She is interested in this topic because its implications extend and mesh with many disciplines in biology. Mentor: Dr. Tina Takacs-Vesbach Lab: Dr. Ursula Shepherd
NEW STUDENT (Summer 2009) - Victoria Corvino Project Title: Coming soon Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Spring 2013 Interests in biology or career choice: Almost every aspect of biology interests me and while I am not sure yet of which specific area I would like to study further, I do know that lab work and working with mammals have a strong hold on my interest. Mentor: Jason Malaney Lab: Dr. Joe Cook and Dr. Jon Dunnum
NEW STUDENT (Fall 2009) - Jesse Trujillo Project Title: Coming soon Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Spring 2011 Interests in biology or career choice: Coming soon Mentor: Lab: Dr. Tom Turner
NEW STUDENT (Fall 2009) - Hiyatsi Bassett Project Title: Coming soon Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Fall 2010 Interests in biology or career choice: I am interested in studying mammals and I would like to study this aspect of Biology further with the goal of conducting research within this field. Currently, I do not have a specific research project in place, but I know any project where I am allowed to work with mammals will be rewarding and exciting. I hope to discover the project I will be working on soon and look forward to working with my mentor. Mentor: Dr. Joe Cook
Graduated Students - UnO Alumni:
Elisha Song Project Title: Phylogeography of the nematode, Soboliphym batrini, across the Alexander Archipelago. Graduated from UNM: Summer 2008 Interests in biology or career choice: Elisha is interested in biomedical research. She was part of the Local Organizing Committee for the 87th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists and presented her work at the UNM Undergraduate Research Day symposium, in April 2008 and April 2009. Elisha is currently working full-time but plans to apply to graduate school in the near future. Mentor: Dr. Sara Brant and Anson Koehler Lab: Dr. Joe Cook
David Garcia Project Title: Determining reproductive allocation of Scleoperous ungulatus Graduated from UNM: Spring 2009 Interests in biology or career choice: I began studying Biology with the intention of getting into medical school and working in the health fields, with a main focus on opthalmology. However, I've been more interested in animal research - primarily behavioral studies dealing with consciousness in Corvids. I would like to work my way into further research of that field. Mentor: Robin Warne Lab: Dr. Blair Wolf
Ashley Montoya Project Title: Evolutionary diversification of southern jumping mice. Graduated from UNM: Fall 2008 Interests in biology or career choice: Ashley’s primary career interest includes fields that use genetic counseling as part of their research activities. She is currently living in Iowa with her fiancée and planning to apply to graduate school or a professional program in 2010. Mentor: Jason Malaney Lab: Dr. Joe Cook
Monica Tellez Project Title: Length-mass relationships for freshwater macroinvertebrates in the Rio Grande River. Graduated from UNM: Spring 2009 Interests in biology or career choice: I'm interested in freshwater ecology of rivers and streams - mainly aquatic insects and fish - and recently entered a Master’s program in biology at the University of New Mexico. Mentor: Dr. Ayesha Burdett Lab: Dr. Tom Turner
Dan Colman Project Title: Investigating host feeding strategy as a determinant of gut microbial community profile in insects. Graduated from UNM: Spring 2009 Interests in biology or career choice: While my scientific interests are far-reaching, I'm particularly interested in studying microbial ecology. I am interested in the fundamental dynamics of evolution and ecology that can be answered by studying the most phylogenetically basal life forms: bacteria & archaea. Some of the specific issues in the study of bacteria and archaea that are of great interest to me are their role in animal evolution, their contribution to ecosystems (and metabolic diversity) and the insights into early life forms that they allow us to study. Mentor: Dr. Tina Takacs-Vesbach Lab: Dr. Tina Takacs-Vesbach
Geneva Williams Project Title: Avian Adaptations to Altitudinal Gradients using Histology Graduated from UNM: Spring 2009 Interests in biology or career choice: Geneva is interested in biochemistry and plans to enroll in graduate studies after completing her undergraduate degree. Geneva graduated in May 2009 and has been completing her research project in Dr. Witt’s laboratory. She plans to commence graduate school in the near future. Mentor: Michael Lelevier Lab: Dr. Chris Witt
Monica Lucero Project Title: Diversity and Prevalence of Avian Malaria in Peru Graduated from UNM: Spring 2009 Interests in biology or career choice: Monica was mentored in Dr. Chris Witt’s laboratory and since graduating in December 2008 has taken a full-time job with the USDA Forest Service in Las Vegas, NM. Mentor: Michael Lelevier Lab: Dr. Chris Witt

Faculty mentors:

Joseph Cook, PI: Professor of Biology, Curator of Mammals. Research: molecular ecology, conservation genetics, and evolution of mammals and associated parasites.

William Gannon, Co-PI: Research Assistant Professor, Biology; Senior Scientist, Museum of Southwestern Biology; Assistant Director, UNM Office of Research & Compliance. Research: small mammal ecology and behavior

Sara Brant, Research Assistant Prof., Biology. Research: molecular variation of parasites of birds and mammals and associations with their hosts.

Scott Collins, Professor of Biology, PI/Director of Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research Program. Research: the role of climate variability, fire and herbivores on community structure and ecosystem processes in mesic and arid grassland.

Sylvia Brunner, Research Associate at UNM and UnO Program Coordinator. Research: morphometrics of otariid seals.

Tim Lowrey, Professor of Biology, Curator of Herbarium, Museum of Southwestern Biology. Research: reproductive biology and evolutionary systematics of arid land vascular plants.

Kelly Miller, Assistant Professor of Biology. Research: systematics of insects and other arthropods, species level to higher phylogenetics with morphology and DNA sequences data.

Diana Northup, Visiting Associate Professor, Biology, and Professor Emerita, Centennial Science & Engineering Library. Research: Microbiologist interested in cave microbial ecology using molecular and microscopy techniques.

Ursula Shepherd, Associate Professor of University Honors, Research Assistant Professor of Biology. Research: ecological field research techniques; PI, NSF “Biodiversity of Australia.”

Felisa Smith, Associate Professor of Biology. Research: bridging gap between ecology and paleoecology.

Thomas. Turner, Associate Professor of Biology, Curator of Fishes, Museum of Southwestern Biology. Research: basic/applied questions in evolution/ecology of aquatic species & communities.

Christopher Witt, Assistant Professor of Biology. Research: physiology & hemoglobin evolution in high-altitude hummingbirds.

Blair Wolf, Associate Professor of Biology. Research: Physiological ecology, ecology of desert animals, plant–animal interactions, animal energetics and water balance. Avian biology, particularly reproductive biology and habitat selection.