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 Nurturing 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 Hyde

My research interests include desert ecology (resource use in desert birds) 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: Reassessing connectivity in the Alexander Archipelago Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Interests in biology or career choice: Graduate program in Evolutionary Biology Mentor: Yadeeh Escobedo Lab: Dr. Joe Cook
Carmela Carrasco Project Title: Coming soon Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Spring 2009 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: Ursula Sheperd Lab: Dr. Ursula Shepherd
David Garcia Project Title: Coming soon Major with expected graduation date: Double major in Biology and Chemistry, Fall 2008 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, doctoral student Lab: Dr. Blair Wolf
Matt Garcia Project Title: Discovering New Diversity and Species Diversity Controls in Lava Tube Microbial Mats in New Mexico, Hawaii, and the Azores. Major with expected graduation date: Interests in biology or career choice: Mentor: 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 2008 Interests in biology or career choice: Grad School Mentor: Jon Dunnum, doctoral student Division of Mammals
Ashley Monotya Project Title: Evolutionary diversification of southern jumping mice. Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Fall 2008 Interests in biology or career choice: I want to become a genetic counselor. Mentor: Jason Malaney, doctoral student Lab: Dr. Joe Cook
Elisha Song Project Title: Phylogeography of the nematode, Soboliphym batrini, across the Alexander Archipelago. Expected Date to Graduate from UNM: Summer 2008 Interests in biology or career choice: Biomedical Research career. Mentor:Dr. Sara Brant and Anson Koehler, doctoral student Lab: Dr. Joe Cook
Monica Tellez Project Title: Length-Mass Relationships for Freshwater Macroinvertebrates in the Rio Grande River. Expected Date to Graduate 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. Mentor: Ayesha Burdett Lab: Dr. Tom Turner

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.

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 Northrup, 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.