Lab Alumni

Past lab members, what they did, and where did they go next?

UWYO Lab 2015-2022

L-R clockwise, Megan, Maggie, Laura, Will, Adrienne, Bruce, Jenn, Melanie and Nicole

Douglas Jack (DJ) Sandidge, 2021-2022, Lab Manager, Technician, Asst Research Scientist. Next with Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory.

Kyle Gustafson, PhD, Lab Affiliate, next Asst Prof at Arkansas State Univ, and working with us on mountain lion genomics, bear genetics, and other projects in the lab. Completed 2-year postdoc in our lab, 2016-2018; affiliated researcher 2018-2022.

Josh Jahner, PhD, Bighorn Sheep Genomics, affiliated researcher 2021-2022. Postdoctoral Research at University of Wyoming

Laura Johnson, 2018-2021, Lab Manager, Lead Technician, and Associate Research Scientist. Next with Wyoming Department of Game and Fish, Wildlife Forensic Scientist

Megan Dudenhoeffer, 2020-2021, Technician and Assistant Research Scientist. Next in Wildlife Ecology PhD program at University of Wisconsin

Melanie LaCava, PHD, 2015-2021, Lab Affiliate, PhD work: Pronghorn and Mule Deer Population Genomics and Disease Ecology. Next Postdoctoral Researcher, Genomic Variation Lab, UC Davis focused on conservation genomics of Delta Smelt.

Adrienne Mackenzie, Undergraduate researchers (2018-2020) and Post-graduate Lab Affiliate (2020-2021), Rocky Mountain Hummingbird Hemoparasite prevalence using genetic and microscopic detection methods. Next in Public Health graduate program at George Washington University.

Will Swain – Lab affiliate, Jan 2020-June 2021

Nicole Carter, MS (Graduated May 2020), Lab affiliate, Southern Sea Otter Genetics and Disease Ecology

Erick Gagne, PHD, Lab Affiliate, next Assistant Professor of Wildlife Disease Ecology, University of Pennsylvania, and continuing work on Mountain lion and Sea Otter projects with our lab. Completed 2-year postdoc in our lab, 2015-2017.

Sierra Love Stowell PhD; Lab Affiliate, next Research Genomicist, next based in Boulder; bighorn sheep and Cutthroat Trout genetics. Completed 2-year postdoc in our lab, 2016-2018.

Braden Godwin – 2015-2019 Graduate student, graduated December 2019 with MS with dual majors Veterinary Science and Environmental and Natural Resources /Haub School. Brady focused on hummingbird ecology, population genomics, and population health.

Maggie Johnson – 2018-2019 Wildlife Genetics Undergraduate Paid Intern. Ungulate genetics project. graduated with BS from Univ Wyoming May 2019. Next step – MS in ungulate pathobiology with Dr. Jenn Malmberg, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Univ. Wyoming.

Lab members in 2018: L to R, Kyle, Bruce*, Erin, Brady, Melanie, Holly, Beth with baby Quin, Emily, Millie, Adrienne, Maggie

Emily Winward – 2018-2019 Wildlife Genetics Undergraduate Paid Intern. Ungulate genetics project. Graduated with BS from Univ Wyoming May 2019.

Beth Mendelsohn – 2016-2018 MS Student, Great Gray Owl Genomics, Graduated MS December 2018 with MS with dual majors Veterinary Science and Environmental and Natural Resources /Haub School. Next step – raptor biologist with the Owl Research Institute and Teton Raptor Center.

Millie (Vazquez) Gustafson – 2016-2018 Wildlife Genetics Lab Technician. Instructor, Biology, Arkansas State University.

Sierra Stellern – 2017 Wildlife Genetics Undergraduate Intern.

Erin Bentley – 2015-2017 Wildlife Genetics Undergraduate Paid Intern and NSF REU grant recipient for the NSF EEID mountain lion project. Then MS in Conservation Genomics of Plants in Alex Buerkle’s UWyo lab. She graduated with an undergrad degree from UWyo in December of 2017.

Lab photo from 2016: L to R, Melanie, Brady, Sierra, Erick, Beth, Kyle, Holly, Erin, Bruce

Giulia Vernati – 2015 Lab Manager/Research Scientist, next with Wyoming Department of Agriculture

UC Davis Lab 2002-2016

Lauren Ayala – Veterinary student STAR research program next veterinarian in California.
Sarah Bahan – Veterinary Student STAR summer 2013 intern (Hummingbird Disease Ecology project). Hemoparasite study; Veterinarian as of June 2016.
Sarah Brown – Laboratory Manager/technician; graduate student researcher; next postdoc at UC Merced
Kelsey Brust – Wildlife Genetics Undergraduate Intern; next veterinarian and Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging Resident at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Michael Buchalski – Postdoctoral Scholar: landscape genetics, bighorn sheep projects; Following postdoc after our lab, at New Mexico State Univ. and Oregon State Univ and next Wildlife Geneticist for Calif. Dept of Fish and Wildlife.
Megan Caulder– Forensic Science Graduate Student (with VGL Forensic Unit) – Deer Genetics; next forensic geneticist with California Dept of Justice and California Association of Criminalists
Julia Collins – Master’s Degree 2004, Forensic Science Graduate Group; next geneticist at Veterinary Genetics Lab
Scott Crosbie PhD – PhD in Animal Biology – Yellow-billed Magpie Project, Western Scrub Jays
Lisa Dalbeck – Laboratory Manager & Technician; next geneticist at Veterinary Genetics Lab
Caitlin Dalby – Wildlife Genetics Undergraduate Intern, next teacher in California
Yoshinori Endo – Wildlife Genetics Undergraduate Intern; next PhD student in Australia
Nuradilla Mohamad Fauzi – Wildlife Genetics Undergraduate Intern; finished PhD in genetics and next scientist in Malaysia
Daphne Gille – 2016 completed PhD in Integrative Genomics and Genetics Graduate Group – desert bighorn sheep genetics at our UC Davis lab) and sturgeon genetics at UC Davis Genomic Variation Lab. Next at California Department of Fish and Wildlife Genetics Lab
Loreto Godoy – Veterinarian, MPVM and PhD in Ecology in our lab; hummingbird conservation genetics
Elinor Granzow – Veterinary student STAR research program, next veterinarian in California
Kelly Hagadorn – undergraduate Wildlife Genetics intern and BUSP program; next employed San Diego Zoo.
Ben Harmeling – Veterinary student STAR research program; Yellow-billed Magpie Project, next veterinarian in Washington
Elizabeth Heeg – Master’s Degree Genetics Graduate Group; finished PhD in New Zealand, was a postdoctoral researcher, next employed in Ministry for Primary Industries (Forestry issues) in New Zealand
Jasna Hodzic – Wildlife Genetics Undergraduate Intern, next employed as Restoration Technician at Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, California
Joshua Hull – PhD, in Ecology and Post-doctoral research; next Branch Chief in US Fish and Wildlife Service & Adjunct Asst Prof, UCD
Amanda Irish – Veterinary student STAR research program; Undergraduate Wildlife Genetics Intern; next veterinarian completed Masters of Public Health, UC Berkeley, next working on PhD in Epidemiology at UC San Francisco with One Health interests. https://epibiostat.ucsf.edu/content/amanda-irish-dvm-mph
Megan Jennings – PhD , Joint Doctoral Program in Ecology: Lewison lab San Diego State University & our lab; Post-doctoral Research Scholar and then Research Associate at San Diego State’s Institute for Ecological Monitoring and Management
Eric Jepsen – MS student in Avian Science – Great Gray Owl Project; became a wildlife biologist
Jennifer Kurushima – Technician, Genetics graduate student rotation; completed genetics PhD, next employed as Adjunct Faculty at Gavilan College, California
Lydia Lam – Veterinary student STAR research program; Sea Otter Project; next veterinarian, Reno, NV
Janet Landa – Undergraduate Wildlife Genetics Intern; next veterinarian Los Angeles
Elizabeth Long – Graduate Student Researcher; PhD student in Ecology, next postdoc, UCLA California
Joe Medley – completed MS in Avian Science – Great Gray Owl Project, next became wildlife biologist for an NGO
Christopher Micheletti – Vet Student STAR 2012 intern & Undergrad Wildlife Genetics Intern; next veterinarian
Priya Motupalli – Magpie Monitor Undergraduate Intern and volunteer coordinator; completed MS and PhD, next Animal Welfare Specialist at World Animal Protection US
Elizabeth Mullaney – Undergraduate Wildlife Genetics Intern
Anne Pelligrini – MS student in Avian Science – House Finch/West Nile virus project; next ornithologist in Arizona
Sarah Pitzer – Master’s Degree Avian Science Graduate Group; Lake Tahoe Conservation Center, then Naturalist, Missouri Dept. Conservation
Brian Ramming – Informatics Undergraduate Intern to build wildlife database; next Software Engineer at Intel Corporation.
Kalyn Records – Undergraduate Wildlife Genetics Intern; became a Lab Manager
Ben Sacks – Post-doctoral Researcher & Asst Project Ecologist; next Adjunct Associate Professor, UC Davis
Jamie Sherman – Graduate student. Next veterinarian.
Levi Souza – MS in Ecology; Next Upland Game Envir. Specialist, Calif. Dept. Fish and Wildlife
Mary Stice – Veterinary student STAR research program; Hummingbird Project; next Veterinarian and Epidemiology PhD student
Tara Thiemann – visiting post-doc, from laboratory of Dr. William Reisen; next Asst Professor at University of the Pacific
Jacob Tupper – Veterinary Student STAR summer 2013 intern (Bear Disease Ecology project)
Danielle Tufts – Undergraduate Wildlife Genetics Intern
Leanne Taylor – Veterinary student STAR research program; next veterinarian
Jay Well – Laboratory Manager/technician; next Oregon State Univ. SMILE program
Crystal Williams – Undergraduate Wildlife Genetics Intern; next veterinarian

*Loreto Godoy DVM – PhD Candidate in Ecology & Conservation Management Program; MPVM (Masters in Preventive Veterinary Medicine) – Sea otter project; Hummingbird Health and Genetics Project in our lab.
A bright ray of sunshine, a treasured scientist and colleague, very sorely missed.
Loreto Godoy Memorial Scholarship

*Scott Crosbie PhD – PhD in Animal Biology – Yellow-billed Magpie Project, Western Scrub Jays.
A friend wrote this in Scott’s honor: “There will be brilliantly feathered birds where you are going who will sing their lovely and welcoming songs and you’ll call them by name”.