UNM Logo

Department of Biology
167 Castetter Hall
MSC03 2020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
Phone: (505) 277-3411

Main Page Photo Credits


UNM Biology Research Faculty

Research Faculty

Research Professors

  • Michael A. Bogan—Ph.D. (Biology), The University of New Mexico, 1973. Research Professor and Curator Emeritus of U.S.G.S. Biological Surveys Collection, Arid Lands Field Station. Vertebrate systematics and ecology, particularly as they relate to research and management needs of federal agencies. mbogan@unm.edu
  • Donald W. Duszynski—Ph.D. (Biology), Colorado State University, 1970. Parasitology, specifically the taxonomy and systematics of the coccidia of wild animals; see http://biology.unm.edu/biology/coccidia/home.html. eimeria@unm.edu
  • Mahmood Kassam  akassam@unm.edu
  • Michael E. Seidel—Ph.D. (Biology), The Universiity of New Mexico, 1971. Systematics and ecology of turtles. Department of Biological Sciences, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25701. Phone: (304) 696-2427.  m043021@marshall.wvnet.edu
  • Peter B. Stacey—Ph.D., University of Colorado, 1978. Conservation biology, restoration ecology, behavioral ecology and ornithology. Current projects include metapopulation dynamics and genetic population structure of the Mexican Spotted Owl and the Flammulated Owl, habitat preferences and dispersal in the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, and the restoration of riparian ecosystems.  pstacey@unm.edu

Research Associate Professors

  • Sandra L. Brantley—Ph.D. (Biology), The University of New Mexico, 1997. Arthropod ecology and taxonomy, particularly ground‑dwelling spiders, in arid systems. sbrantle@unm.edu
  • Robert W. Dickerman—Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1961. Avian alpha taxonomist; geographic, age and sexual variation; documentation of subspecific variation in New Mexico avifauna. Sculptur in clay, portraits and torsos. Hedonist.  bobdickm@unm.edu
  • William S. Hlavacek—Ph.D. (Chemical Engineering), University of Michigan, 1996. Member of UNM Department of Biology’s CETI (Center for Evolutionary & Theoretical Immunology) Program. Research interests: models of signal-transduction systems, biophysics of ligand-receptor interactions, design principles of biological regulatory systems, modeling and reconstruction of genetic regulatory and metabolic networks in bacteria, and computational methods and software/database tools relevant for modeling biological systems (BioNetGen).  wish@lanl.gov
  • Deborah M. Finch—Ornithology, bird migration, threatened and endangered species, and restoration ecology. Project Leader for the Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 2205 Columbia SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106. Phone: 505-766-1048. Fax 505-766-1046.  dfinch/rmrs_albq@fs.fed.us
  • Ellen Goldberg  ellen@santafe.edu
  • Kristine Johnson—Ph.D., The University of New Mexico, 1986. Senior Research Associate, New Mexico Natural Heritage Program. Avian conservation biology and behavioral ecology.  kjohnson@unm.edu
  • David Lightfoot  dlightfo@unm.edu
  • Esteban H. Muldavin—Ph.D. (Biology) New Mexico State University, 1988. Ecology Group Coordinator for the New Mexico Natural Heritage Program. Conservation biology, vegetation classification and mapping, vegetation dynamics and ecological history.  muldavin@sevilleta.unm.edu
  • Robert R. Parmenter—Ph.D. (Biology/Ecology), Utah State University, 1982. Associate Professor of Research; Executive Director, Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research Program; Director, Sevilleta Field Research Station. Research interests include biological responses to ecosystem disturbances, patterns and controls of biodiversity, predator-prey interactions, and processes of ecosystem nutrient cycling. Current research projects concern the fire ecology of desert grasslands, long-term vegetation changes resulting from patterns of human land use, and ecological factors influencing human disease epidemiology.  parmentr@sevilleta.unm.edu
  • Paul Polechla—Ph.D. ppolechla@sevilleta.unm.edu
  • J. Mark Rowland—Ph.D. (Zoology), Texas Tech University, 1976. Behavioral ecology and the expression of alternative tactics in male polyphenic mating systems.  rowland@unm.edu
  • Carleton White—Ecology; nutrient cycling; nitrogen cycling; water quality.  cswhite@sevilleta.unm.edu
  • Si-Ming Zhang—PhD. The Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1998. Molecular biology of immune defense in molluscs, mechanisms of invertebrate immunity. zhangsm@unm.edu

Research Assistant Professors

  • Becky Bixby—Ph.D. (Biology), University of Michigan, 2001. Periphyton ecology and biodiversity research. bbixby@unm.edu
  • Sara V. Brant—Ph.D. (Biology), University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 2002. Parasitology, host–parasite interactions and coevolution, parasite systematics. sbrant@unm.edu
  • Jean-Luc E. Cartron—Ph.D. The University of New Mexico, 1995. Research interests: raptor ecology and conservation, conservation issues in northern Mexico, macroecology, life history theory.  jlec@unm.edu
  • Pauline M. Cupit—Ph.D. (Molecular Immunology), University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK, 1996. Molecular biology, immunology and proteomics. Activity-based protein profiling to identify the binding partner of the anti-schistosomal drug, praziquantel. Genetic variation in the Schistosoma mansoni tetraspanin-2 gene. cupitcu@unm.edu
  • Jerry Dragoo—Mammalian systematics and ecology.  jdragoo@mail.unm.edu
  • Corey L. Fincher—PhD (Biology), University of New Mexico, 2008. Behavioral immunology; cultural ecology; life-history evolution; evolution and ecology of social life; antipredator evolution; behavioral ecology, cross-cultural psychology; evolutionary psychology. fincher@unm.edu
  • Edwina Fuge  efuge@unm.edu
  • Michael M. Fuller—Ph.D. (Biology), The University of New Mexico, 2004. Forest ecology and management; urban forestry; pest species population ecology, impacts, and control; spatial ecology; computational ecology and mathematical modeling. mmfuller@unm.edu
  • William Gannon—Ph.D. (Biology), The University of New Mexico, 1997. Currently, Special Assistant, Research Ethics and Integrity Program, VPR Office; Research Curator, Division of Mammals, Museum of Southwestern Biology. Research/teaching focuses on scientific ethics, integrity, and responsible conduct of research. He has several federally funded grants and serves as an editor for Journal of Mammalogy. Of his publications, ~20 are about bats. In the last five years, Bill has been working on projects assessing how bats adjust and use abandoned mines in the Great Basin. He also is involved in projects with prairie dogs and other squirrel species, and has three little hominids of his own.  wgannon@unm.edu
  • Charles J. Gwo—Ph.D. (Ecology), University of Georgia, 1995. Population ecology. Current research includes the development of the thermodynamic theory of population growth based on integration of biochemistry, physiology, and thermodynamics, and the development of the thermodynamic niche theory, a kinetic and energetic elaboration of the effects of environment on growth. chuckgwo@unm.edu
  • Robert Harrison—Conservation biology, ecology of carnivores, design of residential development, and effects of development on wildlife.  rharison@unm.edu
  • Ben Hanelt—Ph.D. (Biology), University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 2002. Parasitology: host–parasite interactions, evolution, and compatibility. bhanelt@unm.edu
  • Juanita A. R. Ladyman—Ph.D. (Botany & Plant Pathology), Michigan State University, 1982. Plant reproductive biology; cryptogams (particularly terricolous cryptogams); physiological plant ecology; conservation of rare, threatened and endangered plant species. Senior Research Associate, New Mexico Natural Heritage Program. ladyman@unm.edu
  • Leah Larkin—Ph.D. (Botany), University of Texas at Austin, 2002. Phylogeny and taxonomy of bees; the evolution of specialization in floral use by bees; plant phylogeny; biogeography. llarkin@unm.edu
  • Gary Miller—Behavioral ecology; seabirds and marine mammals; population genetics; conservation biology. Antarctic research.  gdmiller@unm.edu
  • Megan J. Osborne—Ph.D. (Biology), La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia, 2002. Population genetics, evolution, immunogenetics and conservation biology of fishes. mosborne@unm.edu
  • Vickie Peck—Ph.D. (Microbiology/Immunology), University of Arizona, 1992. Fungal molecular genetics, specifically cell growth control of stationary phase yeast; genomics and microarray analysis.  vpeck@unm.edu
  • Sonia Santa Anna—Ph.D. (Genetics), University of California–Berkeley, 1991. Fungal molecular genetics, specifically cell growth control of yeast; genomics and microarray analysis. 205 Castetter Hall, Department of Biology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, 505/277-9339. soniasa@unm.edu
  • John P. Wares—PhD (Zoology), Duke University, 2000. Population genetics and phylogeography. Applications of coalescent theory to applied conservation and studies of changing population size and/or distribution.  jpwares@unm.edu
  • Paul J. Watson—PhD (Biology), Cornell University, 1988. Behavioral ecology and sexual selection; courtship energetics; tradeoffs between sexual competitiveness and rate of aging; impacts of mate choice on the metabolic, developmental and immunological competence of offspring, and rates of aging. Human evolutionary psychology and implications for psychotherapeutic methods. The evolution of unipolar depresssion. Evolutionary perspectives on religion and spiritual practice. Summer field courses in animal behavior and plant-animal interactions.  pwatson@unm.edu