Postdoctoral Researchers

Dr. Kevin Leempoel PhD Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Environmental Engineering Institute, SFSU postdoc. Stanford postdoc. Kew Gardens Bioinformatics developer.

Dr. Brian Ort, PhD UCSC, SFSU postdoc, UCB research associate, environmental consulting firm / Invasive Spartina Project. Senior Geneticist, Olafson Environmental, Inc.

Dr. Sheh May Tam, PhD Cambridge University, SFSU postdoc, Associate Professor, Taylor's University in Malaysia. Consultant Plant Breeder, Green World Genetics.
Dr. Kirsten Copren, PhD UC Davis, SFSU postdoc, UCSF genetics core manager, Director, Nucleic Acid Technology | Gene Therapy Program | University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Kelly Lee, PhD Princeton University, SFSU postdoc, UCDavis researcher, animal rescue.

 

SFSU Undergraduate Researchers

Cecilia Hernandez, B.S. SFSU 2017, BIOL 699 researcher, CSU STAR intern 2017.

Ryan Fergusson B.S. 2017, SFSU. NSF REU 2015-2016. Botryllid phylogenetics focused on the extraordinary diversity of the Philippines. Tunicate larval behavior experiments. SFSU Master's candidate, Pennings lab.

Stella Park, BS, SFSU 2016. Leptasterias field censusing, wet lab, and database assistant. Biotech industry.

Alice Dore, Exchange student from the U.K. 2014-2015. Mole crab parasite surveys, CSU COAST undergraduate fellowship. UK Graduate student.

Justin Reyes, B.S., SFSU. 2014-2015. Biol 555 course assistance, Herring and tunicate interactions. Technician in zooplankton ecology, consulting company, Master's candidate, USF.

Heather Milton, B.S., SFSU. 2015. Herring and tunicate interactions.

Thomas Abbott, B.S. Candidate, SFSU. 2014-2015. Herring and tunicate interactions. Williams College Mystic Marine program participant.

Christopher Thomson, B.S., SFSU. 2014-2015. BIOL 555 course assistance.

Riley Smith, B.S., SFSU, 2013. NSF Climate Change fellow, NIH MARC/RISE fellow. MS candidate, Northern Arizona University.

Erica Perry, B.S. SFSU, 2013. NSF REU supplements 2012 - 2013.

Nyri Scanlon, B.S. 2014, SFSU. NERR, Research intern.

Barbie Villines, RTC, SFSU B.S., California Academy of Sciences Staff Aquarist.

Ellen Kosman, B.S. SFSU, NSF UMEB, REU; MS CSULB; PhD candidate Florida State University
Patrick Lee, SFSU undergrad, NSF REU; Exploratorium, UCB, California Academy of Sciences Staff Aquarist.
Jessica Donald, B.S. SFSU, NSF REU; MS candidate at SFSU, RTC. technician USGS.
Valerie Greene, B.S. SFSU, NSF REU; SFSU MS; research technician at USGS, RTC. Secondary school science teacher Urban School, San Francisco. Diablo Valley Community College instructor.

Richard Coleman, B.S. SFSU, NSF REU, UMB; PhD candidate at University of Hawaii, NOAA Nancy Foster fellowship award.

Julie Day, B.S., SFSU, NSF UMEB; MS University of Central Arkansas; contractor to NOAA, NGO; dive instructor; PhD candidate ZMT Bremen, working on resilience of coral reef communities and global change in the South Pacific. CA DFW.

Rita Wilke, B.S. SFSU; environmental consulting firm.

Laura Heidenreich, B.S. SFSU, 2013. UC Davis, Bodega Marine Lab research assistant.

Scott Gablenz, B.S., SFSU. 2013. Complete Genomics, intern.

Gabriel Peixoto, B.S. Candidate, Cell and Molecular Biology, SFSU. NIH RISE fellow. Botryllid population genetics. MS candidate, SFSU.

Giulia Gargiulo. B.S. 2014, SFSU. MS Candidate, University of Nottingham, UK. Didemnum growth experiments, Leptasterias phylogeography.

Jason Helvey, B.S. 2014, SFSU. Leptasterias nuclear loci. Biotech industry.

Taylor Gillis, B.S. Candidate, SFSU. Didemnum vexillum growth experiments.

Briana Branche, B.S. 2015, SFSU. Herring and tunicate interactions.

Peter Drell. B.S. 2014, SFSU. Herring and Didemnum vexillum interactions.

Gabrielle Reta. B.S. Candidate, SFSU. Leptasterias field censusing, wet lab, and database assistant.

Jiaqi (Tony) Huo, BS Candidate, BIOL 699 researcher.

Randy Fisher B.S. 2017, SFSU, NSF REU 2016-2017. Leptasterias wet lab challenge experiment. Biotech industry.

Andrea Alexander, BS Biology 2018, BIOL 699 researcher, Fall 2017. Leptasterias attachment. Monterey Bay aquarium volunteer.

Laura Herrera, BS Candidate, BIOL 699 researcher. Leptasterias attachment.

Lauren Jackson, BS Candidate. Leptasterias culture, microscopy, taxonomy.

Adrielle Cailipan, BS Biology, 2018, BIOL 699 researcher, Anemone/symbiont characterization. SERC.

AJ Nicolai, BS Candidate, BIOL 699 researcher, Leptasterias predator/prey interactions.

Amanda Casby, BS Biology, 2018, BIOL 699 researcher.

Glenda Niven, BS Biology, 2018. BIOL 699 researcher. Master's candidate SFSU. Class WordPress master: https://marineinverts.wordpress.com, https://marineecologysfsu.wordpress.com

Kaitlyn Sapkos, BS, Biology, Physiology. Leptasterias and Didemnum vexillum genetics. Hensill scholarship awardee (2018), CSU COAST awardee (2019). Master's program at University of Southern California.

John Hui, BS, BIOL 699 researcher--sea star culturing.

Makena Guthrie, Environmental Science major.

Natalie Avila, BS SFSU. COAST undergraduate research funding award. Invasive bryozoan ecology. Spring 2020. Veterinary Assistant.

Natassja Punak, BS SFSU, BIOL 699 researcher, REU intern 2017. Botryllid behavior. Vince Anicetti Scholarship awardee (2019 - 2020). SFSU Master's student, Cal Academy.

Ernestina Ramirez, BS 2020. COAST undergraduate research funding award, Wasting disease in Leptasterias. Fall 2019 - Spring 2020.

Emma Morgan, BS 2020, BIOL 699.

Naseebh Gill, BS SFSU, UC Davis Vet School

Viviana Rios

Victor Gutierrez, BS SFSU 2024, UC Davis Vet School

Deannakayte Marucut

 

Visiting Undergraduate Researchers

Stephanie Humphrey. Santa Rosa Junior College. Spring 2017-Spring 2018.

Paco Villegas. Santa Rosa Junior College. Leptasterias field work, wet lab challenge experiments, behavior. Spring 2016.

Leah Gray. Macalester College. HHMI research intern. Summer 2017. Leptasterias disease genetics.

Erin Hollander. UCLA. Leptasterias culture.

Summer Rosa-Barnette. Santa Rosa Junior College, UC Berkeley. Leptasterias field ecology, behavior, databases. Spring/Summer 2016.

Carl Braun. Santa Rosa Junior College. Leptasterias wet lab challenge experiments, behavior, databases. 2016-2017. Mills College.

Marina Lecoeuche. Santa Rosa Junior College, UC Berkeley. Spring/Summer 2016.

Ze (Laura) Gong. UC Berkeley. Summer/Fall 2016.

Jamie Bucholz. University of Wisconsin-River Falls. REU intern, Summer 2016. SERC intern 2017. Graduate student, Central Michigan University.

Maddy Salesky. Brown University. Summer 2016.

Berta Colom, NSF EDEN fellow from the University of Barcelona, Spain. Fusion outcomes and genetics in botryllid ascidians. Graduate student.

Monica Elizondo, summer NSF REU 2015, Diablo Valley Community College, UC Berkeley.

Kelly Donahoe, summer researcher 2015, Tufts University.

David Franklin, summer NSF REU 2014, B.S., Georgia Southern University. MPH Candidate.

Charlotte Marx, summer researcher 2014, UCSD.

Shana Gallagher, summer researcher 2014, Tufts University, NOAA Hollings Scholarship awardee 2015.

Margot White, HHMI 2013, Macalester College. PhD candidate at Scripps Institute of Oceanography.

Alejandro Bellon, winter extern, summer researcher 2013, Swarthmore College. PhD candidate, Univ of Arizona.

Edgar Garcia, NSF REU 2013, Brown University, Medical School.

Noah Jaffe, summer researcher 2013, Pitzer College. Master's candidate at SFSU.

Meredyth Duncan, NSF REU 2011, Swarthmore College. Master's student SFSU, RIPTIDEs program.

Kate Bertko, 2X summer undergrad intern (2004-5), NSF REU supplement (2005), Princeton University, senior thesis at RTC. Olympic rowing.

Eric Dexter, NSF REU and McNair fellow 2010, Portland State University, fall intern Bermuda Biological Station, Master's degree from WSU Vancouver. Fulbright fellowship and PhD candidate, WSU Vancouver and Switzerland.

Leah Hyee Run Lee, winter extern, summer researcher 2012, Swarthmore College 2014. PhD candidate.
Abby Vander Linden, NSF REU 2012, B.S., University of Washington, PhD candidate UMass, Amherst.
Catie Alves, NSF REU supplement 2012, Connecticut College. REEF intern, Mystic/Williams College Maritime Studies lab coordinator, PhD candidate UNC, Chapel Hill. NSF GSRF awardee.

Natasha Kozlowski, 2013, Alaska Pacific University

Juliana Wu, UC Berkeley, Molecular Environmental Biology major.

Christina Lew, UC Berkeley, Molecular Environmental Biology major.

Gerardo Aguilar, City College of SF and SFSU.

Aiden Greer, Swarthmore College. January extern week.

Lily Fornof, Swarthmore College. January extern week.

Charlotte David, University of Plymouth, UK. Molecular ecology. 2020.

 

Other Researchers

Dr. Kelly Agnew, PhD University of Texas, Austin; SFSU sabbatical visitor from Hendrix College, Arkansas; NSF ROA, UCBerkeley instructor.
Karen Alroy, RTC laboratory technician, SFSU postbac;  DVM Tufts Vet School, Fogarty Fellow in Peru; AAAS NSF fellow, CDC researcher.

Ashley Smith, B.S. Biology, SFSU. USGS technician, San Francisco Water District technician. Leptasterias population biology. 

Alyssa Lai, B.S. UC Irvine. Gavilan College, laboratory coordinator. Use of genetics to resolve phylogenetic relationships for the conservation of endemic Bermuda killifish, Fundulus bermudae/relictus.

Ann Holmes, B.S. Cornell University. Acartia spp. morphological and molecular systematics in SF Bay. MS SFSU. PhD candidate, UCD.

Jon Lew, Marin high school teacher.

Alli Craig. B.A., Instructor at Marin Dive Center. Subtidal sea star surveys. Dive center in Hawaii.

Janet Bair, B.A. Humboldt State, M.S. Arizona State University. Leptasterias field ecology and behavior, sample curation and databases. Bodega Marine lab volunteer.

Sandy Chang. PhD, Stanford University. University of Calgary, visiting professor. Spring-Summer 2017.

Lisa Kotowski. SFSU Physics graduate student.

George Czeck M.S. Candidate, RIPTIDEs program. Fall 2017.

Rebecca Gies B.S. CSU Monterey Bay, A.S. Santa Rosa Junior College, UC Berkeley Extension, Paralegal. Pursuing social work degree at City College. Fall 2017.

Joseph Spaulding, Marine Biology, B.S. Marine Biology SFSU

Madison Bullock, M.S. Candidate, Biology, B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife, University of Missouri-Colombia, 2018