Christopher Austin

CFO & Principal Investigator

Office: B9 Foster Hall

Phone: 225-578-2841

E-mail: ccaustin@lsu.edu

Research Interests: Click Here

Nathan Jackson, PhD student

Office: 210 Foster Hall

Phone: 225-578-5393

E-mail: njacks4@lsu.edu

Research Interests: I am interesting in utilizing gene trees and the distribution of these trees across a landscape to explore the history and nature of adaptation, divergence, and dispersal experienced by natural populations.

Eric Rittmeyer, PhD student

Office: 210 Foster Hall

E-mail: erittm1@lsu.edu

Research Interests: I'm interested in using molecular markers to examine the evolutionary relationships among populations of closely related species of amphibians and reptiles, particularly lizards. I want to examine how phylogenetic and phylogeographic patterns may have been structured by geography and habitat availability. I'm also interested in the evolution of habitat specialization and its impact on the relationships among taxa. Geographically, I'm most interested in the Papuan region, particularly the islands of Northern Melanesian (the Solomon and Bismarck Archipelagos).

Chris Dahl, Honours Student, University of Papua New Guinea

E-mail: cdahl@wcs.org

Research Interests: Ecology, systematics, and diversity of New Guinea frogs. Chris is an honours student at the University of Papua New Guinea and is being supported by Conservationl International and our NSF grant. He is based at the Wildlife Conservation Society camp in Goroka, PNG. He has been working closely with Steve Richards (Conservation International) over the last several years examining beta diversity of New Guinea frogs.

Joshua Jordan, undergraduate, Honor's School

Office: B10 Foster Hall

E-mail: jjord24@lsu.edu

Research Interests: Molecular systematics of New Guinea reptiles, human medicine and management.

Honor's Thesis: Conservation genetics of Boelen’s python (Morelia boeleni) from New Guinea: genetic uniformity of captive and wild animals. His research resulted in a scientific peer-reviewed paper that is currently in press in Conservation Genetics. Joshua graduated with honors in May 2009 and received the Black Scholars Award for his scholastic and research work at LSU.

John Anderman, undergraduate

Research: Currently working on population genetics of invasive species, specifically Carlia from various Pacific islands.

Lauren Oliver, undergraduate

Research: Currently working on population genetics of invasive species, specifically Carlia from various Pacific islands.

Alison Hamilton, PhD student (2000-2008). Now a postdoc at UCLA

E-mail: ahamilton@ucla.edu

Research Interests: I am interested in the evolution of island faunas, both in the processes responsible for differentiation, and in the resulting diversity- especially of reptiles and amphibians. My research focuses on several species of lizards from two families (Scincidae and Gekkonidae) in the relatively young group of oceanic islands that make up the Vanuatu Archipelago in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. To understand how populations differentiate early in a radiation, I am using a combination of phylogenetic and population genetic approaches to uncover population and species history in a group of closely related skinks endemic to the islands of Vanuatu (Emoia). I am also studying sympatric populations of bisexual and unisexual (parthenogenetic) geckos (Nactus) in Vanuatu and elsewhere in the Pacific to elucidate the origin and evolutionary history of this species complex.

Stacy Peterson, undergraduate 20005-2008. Now MSc student at Kent State University.

Research: Conservation genetics of Boelen’s python (Morelia boeleni) from New Guinea: genetic uniformity of captive and wild animals. Her research resulted in a scientific peer-reviewed paper that is currently in press in Conservation Genetics.

John McVay, Laboratory Technician, 2007-2008. Now a PhD student at LSU in Bryan Carsten's lab

E-mail: jmcvay1@lsu.edu

Greg Fuerst, 2001-2003 (MSc student)

Fuerst, G.S. and C.C. Austin. (2004). Population genetic structure of the Prairie Skink (Eumeces septentrionalis): nested clade analysis of post Pleistocene populations. Journal of Herpetology, 38:257-268.

Andrea Widdel (Honors Program), 2001-2002 (undergraduate)

Thesis: Species concepts and boundaries of the lizard Lipinia noctua: molecular and morphological approaches.