Christopher Austin, CFO & Principal Investigator

Office: B9 Foster Hall

Phone: 225-578-2841

E-mail: ccaustin@lsu.edu

Research Interests: Click Here

Alison Hamilton, PhD student

Office: B19 Foster Hall

Phone: 225-578-3082

E-mail: ajenni2@lsu.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.

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.

Christopher "CJ" Hayden, PhD student

Office: 210 Foster Hall

Phone: 225-578-5393

E-mail: chayde3@lsu.edu

Research Interests: Systematics, population genetics, ecology, and evolution of New Guinea and Southeast Asian reptiles and amphibians.

John McVay, Laboratory Technician

Office: B6 Foster Hall

E-mail: jmcvay1@lsu.edu

Research Interests: Molecular systematics and population genetics of reptiles

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.

Stacy Peterson, undergraduate

Office: B10 Foster Hall

E-mail: spete11@lsu.edu

Research Interests: Molecular systematics of New Guinea reptiles, animal medicine and husbandry.

Joshua Jordan, undergraduate

Office: B10 Foster Hall

E-mail: jjord24@lsu.edu

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

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.