Rebecca Callaway, M.S. program in Biological Sciences.  Topic: Environmental determinants of manatee distribution in Lake Pontchartrain.

     Austin Culotta, M.S. program in Biological Sciences.  I have been working with Dr. Howard since my days as an undergraduate. I started off working on a grasshopper species, Melanoplus differentialis, which Dr. Howard uses as a lab species for animal behavior along with his own experiments. I worked on both diet and photoperiod experiments involving this species.  My current interests involve both my undergrad work on Melanoplus and present attempts to work on a cricket species, Eunemobius carolinus, involving its calling song, mating behavior, and mate choice.


     Gina Profetto, Ph.D. program in Integrative Biology.  I am currently a PhD candidate in the Integrative Biology Program. I earned my B.A. in Biology and Environmental Science and Policy from Hartwick College. As a part of Dr. Howard’s lab, my research focuses on Kudzu, an invasive plant species growing in northern Mississippi. My focus is in the biological impacts of this system on the surrounding environment. My other interests include conservation and landscape management.


     Elliott Weidow, M.S. program in Biological Sciences.  Topic: Local adaptation of clonal populations of water hyacinth, Eichornia crassippes, in North America.  I am interested in the invasive plant Eichhornia crassipes, Water Hyacinth, and the relationship between its clonal reproduction and genetic diversity. I became obsessed with hyacinth when I saw firsthand the intense clonal growth in the bayous and swamps of Louisiana. My research combines field sampling, herbarium collections, and genetics techniques to better understand this system. Aside from my research, my interests include restoration, reforestation, water quality issues, and all things plants. 

     Henry Woolley, Ph.D. program in Integrative Biology.  We are working to quantify the effects that different factors of habitat quality have on the recruitment success of the endangered Mississippi sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pulla). My research interests lie in understanding the mechanisms and conservation implications of habitat-level ecosystem processes.