STUDENTS INVOLVED IN MY RESEARCH

Undergraduate projects

Spring 2006: Jeremy V. Camp (BIOL 7890) - Tick population genetics (Completed).

Fall 2006: Jeremy V. Camp (BIOL 7890) - Genetic structure in ticks (Completed).

Spring 2007: Erica J. Burkman(BIOL 7895) - Rickettsiae in Amblyomma cajennense (Completed in collaboration with work student Malcolm Williams).

Spring 2008: Kristen M Corbitt (DeFilippis)(BIOL 4890) - Microsatellite in Ixodes scapularis (Completed).

Summer 2008: Kendra Burke(ASPIRES program) - Optimizing microsatellite amplification (Completed).

Spring 2009: Danielle L. Estomba (BIOL 4890) - Taxonomy of two confusing Amblyomma species (Completed).

Fall 2009 - Spring 2010: Jovanni T. Springer (Anderson) (BIOL 4890) - Questing dynamics in Ixodes scapularis (Completed).

Fall 2009 - Spring 2010: Kayla M. Stanfill (BIOL 4890) - Phylogeny of Ixodes scapularis (Completed).

Fall 2009 - Spring 2010: Jenny L. Dickson (BIOL 4895H) - Borrelia detection in I. scapularis of the southern U.S. (Completed).

Spring 2010: Corey M. Sweat (BIOL 4890) - Nocturnal questing in I. scapularis (Completed).

Spring 2010: Jenna Kitchings (BIOL 4890) - Fire ants and rodents' baits (Completed).

Summer 2010: Tabatha M. Knowles (BIOL 4890) - Modifying Berlese funnels (Completed).

Spring 2010 - Spring 2011: Keely M. Duff (BIOL 4895H) - Borrelia detection in ticks from Iowa (Completed).

Spring 2010 - Fall 2010: Nina M. Griffin (BIOL 4895H) - Host races in I. scapularis? (Completed), co-mentored with Dr Lance Durden.

Spring 2011: Daniel Walker (BIOL 4890) - Seasonal dynamics of spiders (Completed).

Summer 2011: Daniel Lindsay (ASPIRES program) - Pathogens in bird tick (Completed).

Spring 2011 - Spring 2012: Felicia Williams (BIOL 4895H) - Host-Louse specificity- the odd case of Neotrichodectes mephitidis parasitizing skunks and island foxes (Completed), co-mentored with Dr Lance Durden.

Fall 2013: Michael Bishof (BIOL 4890) - Ticks of the South East U.S. (Ongoing).

Spring 2015: Julius Muellner (BIOL 4890) - Population genetics of endophilic ticks (Ongoing).

Fall 2015 - now: Philip Panhorst (BIOL 4895H) - Soil arthropods and organic farming

Fall 2017- Spring 2018: Guy Hobbs (BIOL 4890/Chemistry) DNA Barcoding of Georgia Spiders (Completed)

Fall 2017 – 2018: Trang Nguyen (BIOL 4890) Microsatellite markers for A. maculatum (Completed)

Fall 2021 – now: Ashly Nussbaum Biology volunteer student. Further identification of ticks imported to the U.S. on birds

Fall 2021 – now: Valeria Ensenat-Rivera Biology volunteer student. Further identification of ticks imported to the U.S. on birds

Spring 2021- now: Sydney Wilkinson iFREE student

Recent work students helping in the lab and in the collection

Laquita Burton, Alysha Benn, (Helaina) Dani Capps, Jennifer Lumia, Heather Walker, Danielle Hibbs, Michael Bishof, Amber Carter, Edie Willis, Marissa Schenkle, John Ludwig, Ashleigh Riggs, Arianna Gibbs, Olivia Dees.

Graduate students

BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH SCHOOL

Fall 2006 - Spring 2009: Erica J. Burkman (Blackford) (Biology Master thesis project) - Phylogeography of Amblyomma cajennense a cattle pest distributed from southern Texas to northern Argentina (Completed).

Fall 2008: Jigar Bhagadwala (Public Health Master student project) - Temporal genetic variation in Ixodes scapularis (Completed).

Fall 2009 - now: Jigar Bhagadwala (Public Health Master program) - Genetics of I. scapularis in CT (Completed).

Summer 2009: Jaymin Patel (Public Health Master program) - Phylogeography of Amblyomma variegatum, in collaboration with Drs Patrick kelly and Tammi Krecek (Ross University, St Kitts, WI) (Completed).

Spring 2010 - 2012: Jaymin Patel (Pubic Health Master program) - Genetic structure across generations of I. scapularis (Completed).

Summer 2009 - 2012: Cynthia T. Chan (Biology Master thesis project) - Comparative analysis of microstaellite and mitochondrial genetic variation in Ixodes scapularis (Completed).

Fall 2010 - Spring 2013: Jenny L. Dickson (Biology Master thesis project) - Assortative mating in Ixodes scapularis? (Completed).

Fall 2010 - Spring 2013: Omobolanle Kushimo (Biology Master thesis project) - Phylogeny of African Amblyomma species. co-mentored with Dr Lance Durden.(Completed)

Fall 2012-Spring 2013: Danielle Hibbs (Biology Master, non-thesis student)

Fall 2013-now: John Ludwig (Biology Master thesis student)

Fall 2014-Summer 2015: Paula Lado (Biology Master Thesis student) - Helping to resolve taxonomic conflicts within the genus Amblyomma (Acari: Ixodidae) from a molecular perspective

Spring 2014 - 2016: Hunter Seabolt (Biology Master Thesis student) - Amblyomma phylogeography.

Spring 2019 - now: Guy Hobbs (Biology Master Thesis student) - Spiders of Georgia.

Spring 2020: Mario Keko (Public Health Master student capstone project) - Identification of ticks carried by migratory birds.

Fall 2020 - now: Ashleigh Riggs (Biology Master Thesis student) - Tick taxonomy: morphological and molecular studies.

FAll 2020 - now: Bailee Dorsey (Biology Master Thesis student) - Population genetics of Amblyomma maculatum (microsatellites)

FAll 2021 - now: Henrey Deese (Biology Master Thesis student) - Population genetics of Amblyomma maculatum (SNPs)

PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

I welcome undergraduate and graduate students interested in learning the practical and theoretical aspects of molecular systematics and evolution.

Students can become involved in any of my research projects. These include field work, curatorial activities, study of systematics based on morphology and molecular analyses.
In my molecular laboratory a motivated student can learn how to handle DNA (DNA extractions, purifications, PCR, SSCP, sequencing, microsatellite genotyping). Graduate students can also learn how to analyze the data collected in the laboratory for phylogenetic, phylogeographical, or population genetic studies.

In our field the ultimate goal of research is often to increase our chances of controlling disease transmitted by vectors – goal that can only be achieved if all biotic elements (arthropod vectors, hosts, and pathogens) involved in a disease transmission cycle are correctly characterized, identified, and classified according to the most advanced taxonomic methods. This is what I consider to be the main objective of my research.

If you are a GSU student interested in any of these aspects of research on vectors and vector-borne diseases, please contact me at the following number: (912) 478 0553 (or 5564) or send me an e-mail message at Email.