People

Principal Investigator

Dr. Aimee Sue Dunlap

Associate Professor
Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, University of Minnesota, 2009
M.S. in Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, 2002
B.S., B.A. in Biology, History, & English, University of Memphis, 2000
Partial B.S. studies, University of Helsinki, 1996-98

Office: 204 Stadler
Email: aimee.dunlap@umsl.edu
Twitter: @msaimeesue

Graduate Students

Matt Austin

Ph.D. Candidate
B.S. in Biological Sciences, University of Missouri – Columbia, 2014

Research Interests: Behavioral responses to environmental change; phenotypic plasticity; bumble bee ecology & conservation

Office: 202 Stadler
Email: mwacpb@mail.umsl.edu

Michael Austin

M.S. Student
B.S. in Biology, University of Missouri, St. Louis, 2017

Research Interests:  evolution of learning and the economics of decision making

Office: 111 Stadler

Rachel Brant

Ph.D. Student
B.S. in Biology, Saint Louis University, 2016, M.S. in Biology, Saint Louis University, 2018

Research Interests: urban ecology, bee behavior, bee taxonomy, social insects, pollination biology

Office: 202 Stadler
Email: rabdxd@mail.umsl.edu

Website: beeurbology.wordpress.com

Andreia Figueiredo

Ph.D. Candidate
B.S. in Biology, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Brazil, 2014
M.B.A. in Project Management – Escola de Negocios Excellence, Brazil

Research Interests: cognitive ecology, social behavior, orchid bee biology, pollination biology, social information, conservation

Office: 202 Stadler
Email: aqtpb@mail.umsl.edu

Jill Lee

M.S. student
B.S. in Animal Science, Missouri State University, 2017

Research Interests: learning and immune function

Office: 111 Stadler

Undergraduate Students & Collaborating Graduates

  • Dannice Alexander, learning in bumble bees
  • Moses Alshimary, floral preference of sweat bees
  • Sharvitti Broussard, sweat bee behavior
  • Katelyn Hanners, floral color and preference in sweat bees
  • Jacob Kottmier, social information use in bumble bees
  • Tian Manning, variation in learning in bumble bees
  • Brittany Minor, learning in bumble bees
  • Logan Philpott, fly learning and spider predation
  • Sahil Vaid, learning in bumble bees

Lab Alumni: Grad Students and Post Doc

Ben Abts

M.S. in 2016
B.S. in Biology, Culver-Stockton College, 2010
Thesis: Forgetting and the value of information

Ben is now working in science education.

Pablo Iturralde

M.S. in 2018, co-advised with Wendy Olivas
Bachelor in interdisciplinary studies (Chemistry, Management & Anthropology), University of Missouri, St. Louis, 2013
A.A. in business management, Miami Dade College, 2004
Thesis: Transcriptomics of learning

Pablo is now a PhD student at Brown University.

Dr. Priya Maharaj

Ph.D. in 2016, co-advised with Godfrey Bourne
M.S. in Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Warwick, 2011
B.Sc. in Biology, University of Guyana, 2005
Dissertation: Color-mediated foraging by pollinators: A comparative study of two passionflower butterflies at Lantana camara

Priya is now the Director, Centre for Study of Biological Diversity, University of Guyana.

Mellissa Marcus

M.S. in 2016
B.S. in Biochemistry/Biotechnology, University of Missouri- St. Louis, 2012
Thesis: Experimental evolution of color preference in Drosophila melanogaster

Mellissa is now working in the St. Louis area.

Itachi Mills

M.S. in 2017
B.S. in Fisheries & Wildlife, University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, 2012
Thesis: The ecology of fear: a fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) perspective

Itachi is now working in the St. Louis area at a lab tech while continuing research on flies.

Isabel Rojas-Ferrer

M.S. in 2016
Thesis: Predicting choices in bumblebees (Bombus impatiens): learning rules and the two-armed bandit

Isabel is now a PhD student at University of Ottawa.

Mladen Senicar

M.S. in 2019
B.S. in Biology, University of Missouri, St. Louis, 2017

Research: brain gene expression in experimentally evolved Drosophila

Dr. Nancy Kohn

Postdoc, 2012-2014
Nancy is now an Assistant Professor at Cottey College, Nevada, MO.

Undergraduate Alumni

Independent Research Credit Students and Research Assistants (Students working on thesis or extensive capstone projects denoted with *)

Jean Adkins (2013-2014), May Allgire (2014-2015), Keeandra Archambault (2017), Michael Austin* (2015-2017), Randall Beck (2016), Charles Blanton (2018), Sharvitti Broussard (2019), Emanda Brown (2013), Michaela Browne (2019), Evan Carlen (2019), Binisha Chhetri (2018), Amanda Corrado* (2013-2015), Jennifer Cosgrove (2012-2015), Magnus Creed (2016), Emily Cuttle (2017), Matthew Czarnecki (2012), Jessica Dean* (2012-2013), Rebecca Dickerson (2012), Misbah Faniad (2018), Sydnee Feldmann (2018), Hannah Franko* (2014-2016), Jenna Freund (2015), Lilli Goldman (2018), Abigail Green (2012), Alexandra Haselman (2017), Noreen Heyari (2017), Joshua Higgins (2013-2014), Victoria Hines (2017), Christina Hoffman* (2015-2016), Patricia Horack* (2013-2015), Hassan Hossayrami (2015), Kevin Huck (2016), Lynn Huffman (2016), Rula Ibraheem (2018), Maria Irving (2016), Kathryn Janssen (2014-2015), William Kannady (2014-2015), Sukvir Kaur (2017), Zachary Lindsay (2017), Safia Madani (2014-2016), Robyn Mahoney (2013-2015), Hilmo Malkic (2017-2018), Mellissa Marcus (2012-2013), Sierra McAlister (2018), Brooke McGlasson (2017), Rachel Milliot (2018), Kristin Moseley (2014), Jake Mullen (2013), Melisa Muminovic (2018), Maria Nguyen (2016), Ki Baek Park (2017), Darshan Patel (2015), Raj Patel (2014), Sheilamae Paytocan (2013), Randall Perkins II (2017), Olivia Ransin (2019), Melia Reeves-Long (2019), Joseph Rund (2015-2017), Alaa Saffaf (2017), Youngsoo Shin (2019), Kunal Singh (2018), Caitlyn Smith (2015), Emina Spahic (2018), Lynnsey Street* (2016-2017), Lauren Szyhowski (2016), Merhawit Teame (2017), Adam Thompson (2015-2017), Dana Townsend (2013-2014), Tyler Wagner (2017), Katherine West* (2015-2017), Stephanie Wooten (2014), Sarah Wyne (2015), Marisa Yoder (2013-2014)

Summer High School Student Alumni

From Jennings High School

Nikita Allen (2018), Shivaunye Ivy (2015), Mya McClain (2017), Marniesha Perry (2016), Kyrnn Peoples (2017), Cameron Stith (2016), Kaylan Waters (2018), Amoni White (2018)

From the Students and Teachers as Research Scientists (STARS) Program

Della Cox (2017, University City HS, University of Missouri, Columbia), Amanda Crawford (2014, Parkway North HS, Carleton College), Alexander Donovan (2017, Mary Institute & St. Louis County Day School, Stanford University), Bolatito Fatoki (2015, Whitfield School, Georgia Tech), Christopher Halen (2014, Whitfield School, Washington University), Laurie Lee (2017, Francis Howell HS, Washington & Lee University), Yushin Lee (2015-2016, Zumwalt North HS, Washington University), Alexandra Rice (2016-2017, Ladue High School, Princeton University), Lucas Shanker (2015, Parkway Central HS, Purdue University), Lily Sheets (2018, John Burroughs School), Adam Urish (2018, St. Louis Priory School)