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

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. Candidate

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

Rachel’s Website

Dr. Andreia Figueiredo Dexheimer

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

Andreia’s Website

Becky Hansis-O’Neill

Ph.D. Student

B.S. in Psychology, Idaho State University
M.S. in Biological Sciences, Idaho State University

Research interests: animal cognition and welfare, science communication and outreach, employing digital museum specimens for education and outreach using digital interactives, augmented reality, and virtual reality

Office: 323B Research
Email: bhc35@umsl.edu

Jeremy Howard

Ph.D. Student

B.S. in Biology, Juniata College, 2015
M.S. in Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 2019

Research interests: spatial behavior, spatial cognition, memory, navigation, learning, science and media

Office:
Email: jh5ym@umsystem.edu

Jill Lee

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

Research Interests: interactions between innate bias and learning

Office: 111 Stadler

George Todd

Ph.D. student
B.S. in Biology, Purdue University, 2014
M.S. in Biology, Georgia Southern University 2016

Research Interests: urban ecology, behavioral plasticity, pollination, ecological tradeoffs

Office: 323B Research
Email: 

Office: 323B Research
Email: gt6gr@umsl.edu

Undergraduate Students & Post-Bacc Researchers

  • Taylor Bayless, orchid bee color learning
  • Rasheena Clarke, producer-scrounger games in bees and orchid bee color learning
  • Tiffany Dinh, bee memory
  • Owen Ireton, competition between native bees and honey bees
  • Lucas Lauter, bee memory
  • Stephanie McDonald, producer-scrounger games in 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.

Dr. Matthew Austin

Ph.D. in 2020
B.S. in Biological Sciences, University of Missouri – Columbia, 2014

Dissertation: The role of plasticity in bumble bee responses to environmental variability

Matt is now a postdoctoral fellow with the Living Earth Collaborative, working with the Missouri Botanic Gardens and Washington University.

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 candidate 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 as a lab tech 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 as a lab tech while continuing research on flies.

Dr. Isabel Rojas-Ferrer

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

Isabel has recently received her PhD at University of Ottawa.

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), Dannice Alexander* (2019-2020), May Allgire (2014-2015), Moses Alshimary (2019-2020), Marissa Antrainer (2020-2021), 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), Harmeet Ghai (2020), Lilli Goldman (2018), Abigail Green (2012), Katelyn Hanners* (2019-2020), 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), Jacob Kottmier (2019), Candice Krull (2019-2020), Ezra Kruzich* (2020), Zachary Lindsay (2017), Safia Madani (2014-2016), Robyn Mahoney (2013-2015), Hilmo Malkic (2017-2018), Tian Manning* (2018-2020), Mellissa Marcus (2012-2013), Sierra McAlister (2018), Brooke McGlasson (2017), Rachel Milliot (2018), Brittany Minor* (2019-2020), 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), Logan Philpott (2019), Olivia Ransin (2019), Melia Reeves-Long (2019), Joseph Rund (2015-2017), Jacob Ryno (2019-2020), Alaa Saffaf (2017), Youngsoo Shin (2019), Kunal Singh (2018), Caitlyn Smith (2015), Emina Spahic (2018), Carly Spielberg (2019-2020), Lynnsey Street* (2016-2017), Lauren Szyhowski (2016), Merhawit Teame (2017), Adam Thompson (2015-2017), Dana Townsend (2013-2014), Sahil Vaid (2019), 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), Sindhu Bala (2019, Lindbergh HS), 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), Ellie Gira (2021, Mary Institute & St. Louis County Day School), Christopher Halen (2014, Whitfield School, Washington University), Deena Iqbal (2021, Lafayette HS), Laurie Lee (2017, Francis Howell HS, Washington & Lee University), Yushin Lee (2015-2016, Zumwalt North HS, Washington University), Kamau MuseMorris (2019-2020, Maplewood Richmond Heights HS), Alexandra Rice (2016-2017, Ladue High School, Princeton University), Lucas Shanker (2015, Parkway Central HS, Purdue University), Lily Sheets (2018, John Burroughs School), Surya Sompalli (2021, Fort Zumwalt West HS), Adam Urish (2018, St. Louis Priory School, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), Danielle Zhang (2021, Ladue Horton Watkins HS)