UGA Department of Entomology

Lab Members

Sonia Altizer

Distinguished Research Professor and Department Head of UGA Entomology

Research interests: insect ecology, evolution and behavior; ecology of infectious diseases in natural populations; evolution of host resistance and parasite virulence; role of infectious diseases in wildlife conservation

Emilee Story

Research Professional - B.S. in Biology

Research interests: insect ecology, pathology, environmental health, science communication

Contact

Anna Willoughby

Graduate Student - Doctoral (IDEAS)

Research Interests: human-wildlife interactions, wildlife behavior in anthropogenic sites, multi-species and zoonotic pathogens

Contact

Charlotte Hovland

Graduate Student- M.S. (Ecology)

Research interests: insect ecology, wintering behavior, mechanistic modeling and disease ecology, science communication

Contact

processed-387BB2E1-CC38-4C15-97F4-049697688B72-42E7E549-C096-409F-A24F-05A77CADB50B.jpeg

Alexa Watson

Graduate Student Assistant - M.N.R. (Environmental Education)

Interests: Environmental outreach and education, science communication

Contact

Alumni

Juliana Hoyos

PhD 2025

Research interests: vector-borne disease, host-parasite interactions, transmission cycles at the human-animal interface.

Isabella Ragonese

PhD 2024

Research Interests: infectious disease ecology in wild populations; spatial ecology; impacts of climate change on animal-pathogen interactions, animal behavior/migration; biodiversity conservation

Cali Wilson

PhD 2024

Research Interests: infectious disease ecology; behavioral and community components of pathogen transmission, urban ecology and animal health

Philip (Mike) Newberry

PhD 2025

Research interests: disease ecology, spatial ecology, microclimate, arboviruses, vector-borne disease

TJ Odom

PhD 2025

Research Interests: range edge dynamics, host/parasite spatial heterogeneity, and climate change mediated range shifts

Julia Berliner

2023-24

Research interests: food webs, animal migration

Ashley Ballew

MS 2021

Research interests: movement ecology, disease ecology, conservation ecology, climate change

Caroline Aikins

MS 2022

Research interests: effects of social cues on monarch butterfly host plant selection during oviposition and orientation during migration.

Cody Prouty

MS 2021

Research interests: disease ecology, insect ecology and conservation, pesticide impacts on monarch butterflies

Claire Teitelbaum

PhD 2021

Research Interests: wildlife and animal ecology; behavioral and movement responses to landscape changes; animal movement and infectious disease; spatial datasets and modeling.

Paola Barriga

Post-doctoral Researcher & Teaching Associate

Research interests: Monarchs and closely related butterflies, disease transmission, citizen science. In addition, education research in faculty development, classroom space, active learning, and underrepresented minorities.

9446a7_6caafb1eede24dc1b4bb0a58feed7cb2_

Cecilia Sánchez

PhD 2019

Research interests: human-driven impacts on infectious disease ecology in wildlife; emerging infectious diseases; nutrition and infection; ecology and behavior of fruit bats

Hayley Schroeder

Research technician 2018-2019

Research interests: Monarch-OE transmission dynamics, pollinator ecology, plant-pollinator interactions, butterfly conservation

Ania Majewska

PhD 2019

Research interests: transmission heterogeneity, environmental persistence, monarch butterfly, pollinator-friendly gardens

Dan Becker

PhD 2017

Research interests: supplemental resources and wildlife disease dynamics; vampire bat - rabies virus interactions; land use change and the ecology of infectious disease

Leone (Lee) Brown

NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 2016-2017

Research interests: population ecology, conservation biology, animal movement and migration, urban ecology, anthropogenic change, disease ecology, landscape ecology

Contact

Alexa McKay

PhD 2016

Research interests: animal behavior and infectious disease processes; investment in behavioral and immune defenses

Dara Satterfield

PhD 2016

Research interests: human-driven impacts on infectious disease ecology and evolution in wildlife; parasite virulence evolution; role of host migration in infectious disease dynamics

Julie Rushmore

PhD 2013

Research interests: behavioral ecology and infectious diseases in wild primate populations; social and mating behavior, sexually transmitted diseases

Emily Cornelius

MS 2013

Contact

Daniel Streicker

PhD 2011; Postdoctoral Research Associate 2012-2013

Research interests: viral evolution; cross-species transmission; behavioral determinants of pathogen spread; anthropogenic impacts on wildlife diseases

Jamie Winternitz

PhD 2012

Research interests: sexual selection and pathogen transmission; host-pathogen coevolution; animal behavior; montane voles

Becky Bartel

NIH Postdoctoral fellow 2008-2011

Research interests: Inventory and Monitoring
Species-Habitat Relationships; Landscape Ecology
Disease Ecology; Pollinator Conservation

Barbara Han

NSF Postdoctoral Fellow 2009-2011

Research interests: animal behavior and infectious disease processes; emerging infectious diseases in human and natural systems

Becky Bartel

NIH Postdoctoral fellow 2008-2011

Research interests: Inventory and Monitoring
Species-Habitat Relationships; Landscape Ecology
Disease Ecology; Pollinator Conservation

Shan Huang

PhD 2012

Research interests: macroecology and macroevolution; mammal biodiversity conservation; parasite diversity in wild carnivores

Becky Bartel

NIH Postdoctoral Fellow 2008-2011

Research interests: inventory and modeling species-habitat relationships, landscape ecology, disease ecology, pollinator conservation

Amy Pedersen

Postdoctoral researcher, 2005-2006

Research interests: community ecology of infectious diseases, host shifts and cross-species transmission, role of parasites in wildlife population dynamics

Jaap De Roode

Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow, 2005-2007

Research interests: virulence evolution, within-host dynamics; behavioral self-medication, evolution of resistance and tolerance, community interactions and infectious disease

Coriander McGreevy

Alexa Schultz

Bailey Smith

Ruhi Tusnial

Christopher Brandon, CURO research fellow, Honors Thesis

Catherine Kearney

Amitesh Anero

Susannah Grant

Paige Robinson

Alexa Robles

Logan Owens - CURO Credit, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Ecology Credit

Skyler Dewitt - CURO Credit, Undergraduate Research Assistant,

CJ Jones - CURO Credit, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Ecology Course Credit

Mackenzie Ward - Undergraduate Research Assistant

Sydney Speir - CURO Credit, Ecology Course Credit

Zoe Alexander - CURO Credit

Caroline Aikins - CURO Credit, Ecology Course Credit

John Mark Simmons - CURO Credit

Zoe Boyles - CURO Credit

Katie Yan - REU Program, Summer 2021

Kendall Alsup - Undergraduate Research Assistant, 2017-

Cecilia Nachtmann

Ashley Ballew - Undergraduate Research Assistant, Project Monarch Health, 2018-

Cody Prouty - Undergraduate Research Assistant, Intended Dual BS/MS, 2017-

Hayley Schroeder - CURO Research Credits, Project Monarch Health Program Coordinator 2015-2016

Ian Yeager - Project Monarch Health Program Coordinator 2015-2016

Stuart Sims - Undergraduate Research Credits, Project Monarch Health 2014-2016

Michael Holden - Project Monarch Health 2014-2015

Emilie Morris - CURO Research Credits, Project Monarch Health - 2014-2015

Sherayar Orakzai - Undergraduate Research, Project Monarch Health - 2014-2015

Henry Adams - Database Maintenance and graphic design 2014-2015

Jennifer Kukharchuk - Undergraduate assistant - 2012-14

Hannah Blakeslee - Undergraduate assistant - 2012-14

Han Nguyen - Undergraduate assistant 2012-14

Malvika Duphare - Undergraduate assistant 2010

Meagan Weathers - Undergraduate Assistant 2010-12

Amy Wright - Undergraduate assistant 2010-12

Adam Haviland - Undergraduate assistant 2009-10

Malavika Rajeev - Undergraduate assistant and CURO fellow 2010-11

Ernie Osburn - Undergraduate assistant 2007-09

Samantha Burton - Research assistant and Monarch Health coordinator 2007-2010

Cecilia Nix - Undergraduate assistant 2008-2010

Melissa Brody - Undergraduate assistant 2009

Margeaux Maerz - Research credits 2009

Jeff Shapiro - Undergraduate assistant 2009

JR McMillan - Undergraduate Asst '07-08

Jean Chi - Honors research; BS 2009

Rachel Rarick - Research credits; BS 2007

Natalie Koleda - Research credits; BS 2007

Ben Stoner-Duncan - Research Assistant '06-'07

Maggie Horne - Research credits '06

Carmel Norman - Research Assistant '06

Jane Stout - Student Volunteer '04-'05

Laura Gold - Research Credits '04-'05

Mudresh Mehta -Research Credits '04-'05

Erin Hotchkiss - Research Credits '03-'04

Emily Markesteyn - Research Credits '03

Julia Bowen - Research Credits '02-'03

Debbie Ladner - Honors Student '02-'03

Katy Cook - Lab Technician '02-'03

Alexis Morris- Research Credits '04

Mindy Edelson - Research Credits '04-'05

Bethany Farrey - Honors Student '03-'04

Molly Cobbs - Research Credits '01-'02

Nerlyne Jimenez - Lab Technician '03-'04

Zach Baumann - Research Technician '03-'05

Kai Kincheloe - Research Credits '04-'05

Hugo Valin - Visiting Student '03

Lab Members

Sonia Altizer

Emilee Story

Anna Willoughby

Charlotte Hovland

Alexa Watson

Alumni

Juliana Hoyos

Isabella Ragonese

Cali Wilson

Philip (Mike) Newberry

TJ Odom

Julia Berliner

Ashley Ballew

Caroline Aikins

Cody Prouty

Claire Teitelbaum

Paola Barriga

Cecilia Sánchez

Hayley Schroeder

Ania Majewska

Dan Becker

Leone (Lee) Brown

Alexa McKay

Dara Satterfield

Julie Rushmore

Emily Cornelius

Daniel Streicker

Jamie Winternitz

Becky Bartel

Barbara Han

Becky Bartel

Shan Huang

Becky Bartel

Amy Pedersen

Jaap De Roode

Undergraduate Researchers