Dr. Felisa A. Smith
Department of Biology
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131

fasmith@unm.edu
(505) 277-6725 (office)
(505) 277-3859 (lab)
(505) 277-0304 (fax)

John has a broad background in ecology and evolution, with specific training and expertise in phenotypic plasticity. As a postdoctoral fellow at Pittsburgh, he carried out a large project examining phenotypic plasticity from a phylogenetic perspective in anurans (frogs and toads). During his training, he has become skilled at ecotoxicology and has been exposed to disease and climate change research programs.

Meghan's specific research interests include assessing which evolutionary factors have the greatest influence on morphology. She is particularly drawn to questions concerning how anthropogenic perturbations have directed morphological changes in non-domesticated mammals. She plans to relate these questions to modern systems for use in conservation.

John is broadly interested in macroecology and macroevolution, as viewed through the lens of energetics and life histories. Current research projects concern the universal patterns in vertebrate growth rates, the paleoenergetics of dinosaurs, the evolution of large brain size in mammals and birds, and the biogeography and foraging energetics of marine predators.
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Aspects of biology that get Jessica excited include: evolutionary ecology, plant-animal interactions, disease ecology, environmental gradients, conservation, and ecotoxicology. Her current research aims to examine the relationship between plant defenses and the spatial distribution of desert woodrats in Death Valley, California.

Ian considers himself a physiological ecologist and herpetologist. His research focuses on understanding how the physiology and ecology of organisms are interconnected and how such connections influence performance. Some particular areas of research in which he works include using stable isotope analyses to better understand desert tortoise diet and growth across a precipitation gradient, as well as modeling how desert woodrat activity is affected by temperature in the extreme environment of Death Valley, California.

Melissa is an interdisciplinary researcher who is interested in communities from across a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Specifically, she looks at Pleistocene non-analog communities and individualistic responses of mammals to climate perturbations. Her focus is on paleoecology; however, her goal is to use the fossil record as one of several tools to develop salubrious conservation policies.

Clare started her graduate career with biogeography and genetics and has since switched to the wonderful world of paleoecology. She is currently using plant fossils from the Smith lab woodrat midden record to dissect the historical vegetation record of Death Valley, as well as developing some ideas about the ecology and evolution of parthenogenetic whiptail lizards in the southwest.

Catalina is interested in pursuing research in animal physiology and behavioral ecology, specifically of terrestrial and marine mammals. At this time she is working to help identify plant fossils from the woodrat midden record of Death Valley held by the Smith lab.

Marie's research interests focus on ecology and evolutionary biology. In the past she studied the ecology of freshwater mussels as well as desert and riparian ecosystems through enthusiastic fieldwork. She hopes to investigate how climate change impacts a population's evolutionary ecology, and to use the results of her investigation to aid in conservation planning.

Shawn "Fred" Whiteman is a Ph.D. candidate whose research interests include paleobiology, macroecology, and biogeography. She is currently working on two major research projects: one on the ecological factors contributing to differential success in the Great American Biotic Interchange, and one using geometric morphometrics to study packrat (Neotoma) morphology and phylogeny. She enjoys interdisciplinary and international collaboration, knitting, and fine wine; and she won't be offended if her name misleads you into thinking she's a guy.