Current Members
Robin Paulman, CASIF Lab Manager
Robin keeps things running smoothly in the isotope lab.
Sarah is studying barred owl population expansion dynamics using stable isotopes to inform management and recovery strategies for the threatened spotted owl. Before beginning graduate school, Sarah earned her B.S. in environmental science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Nicole is using stable isotopes to understand bird migration in western North America and Kazakhstan. She earned a B.S. in wildlife ecology from the University of Wisconsin Madison in 2021.
Jonathan Johnson, Ph.D. Student
Jonathan is using paleoecological tools, including carbon isotope analyses of fossil pollen grains, to investigate factor(s) controlling abrupt shifts in forest tree community composition during the Holocene in the Great Lakes region of North America. He participates in the U.S. Geological Survey’s Pathways Program where he studies forensic palynology and geomorphology. Before beginning graduate school, he served in the U.S. Air Force for 6 years and later completed his B.S. in geology at West Virginia University. During his off time he enjoys spending time with his wife, friends, exercising, and hockey.
Grace earned a B.S. in environmental science from Union College in 2022. She is investigating the effect of “green” stormwater infrastructure on nitrogen cycling in a rapidly urbanizing Chesapeake Bay watershed. She is co-advised by Dr. Keith Eshleman.
Alumni
Mick Lynch, Summer 2023
Mick Lynch, a Frostburg State University student studying wildlife and fisheries, helped Jonathan by counting fossil charcoal from a sediment core.
Max Summerfield, Summer 2023
Max Summerfield, a Frostburg State University student studying molecular biology and biochemistry, contributed to the research of Sarah and Nicole by conducting genetic and stable hydrogen isotope analyses.
Logan Tokle, Summer 2023
Logan Tokle, a Frostburg State University student studying interpretive biology, assisted Grace with field work in Ellicott City and with measuring nitrate concentrations and isotopes in water samples and soil extracts.
Juliet Nagel, 2016-2022
Juliet earned a Ph.D. in 2022 from the MEES program. Juliet studied the population dynamics of migratory tree-roosting bats using acoustic and genomic data. She worked with Drs. Nelson, Gates, and Gugger. Juliet received a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Management from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point and a M.S. in Zoology from the University of Western Ontario. She currently works for WEST as a quantitative bat biologist.
Chris Bailey, Summer 2022
Chris, a U.S. Air Force veteran, worked on reconstructing Holocene fire regimes in Michigan using lake-sediment cores. His work contributed to Jonathan’s dissertation.
Joel Bostic
Joel earned a Ph.D. in 2021 from the MEES program, and was co-advised by Dr. Keith Eshleman. Joel’s dissertation investigated the effect of land use patterns on the export of nutrients in streams within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Joel received a B.S. in science education from Western Carolina University and a M.S. in marine science from the University of South Carolina. He is currently a scientist in the lab in the summers and assistant professor at nearby Potomac State College during the academic year. When he’s not doing research or teaching, Joel enjoys hanging out with his wife and sons, biking and trail running in the mountains, and whitewater kayaking.
Jasmine Smiley, Undergraduate Intern
Jasmine was a Frostburg State University student who graduated with a degree in Health Sciences in 2022. She used genetic analyses to identify the sex of bats killed at wind-energy facilities in North America.
Abigail Hunker, Undergraduate Intern
Abigail was a Frostburg State University student who graduated with a degree in Health Sciences in 2022. She used genetic analyses to identify the sex of bats killed at wind-energy facilities in North America.
Richard Johnson, Summer 2021
Richard, a veteran of the U.S. Army, completed a research-focused internship in the lab in summer 2021. Learn more about the internship here.
Robert Sabo, 2013-2018
Robert worked closely with us while pursuing his M.S. and Ph.D. research with Dr. Eshleman. Robert currently works for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Caitlin Campbell, 2015-2018
Caitlin earned her M.S. degree in the Wildlife and Fisheries program in 2018 from the Department of Biology at Frostburg State University. She studied the movements of migratory tree-roosting bats using stable isotope data and geospatial modeling. She is currently a Ph.D. student in Hannah’s lab in the Department of Biology at the University of Florida.
Hannah Vander Zanden
, Postdoctoral researcher, 2016-2017
Hannah was affiliated with the lab as a postdoctoral researcher using stable isotope analyses to identify the geographic extent of wildlife fatalities at renewable-energy facilities in California in collaboration with Drs. Nelson and Katzner. She’s currently an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Florida.
Vanessa Cunningham, 2014-2016
Vanessa earned her M.S. degree in 2016 through the MEES program and was co-advised by Dr. Andrew Elmore. Vanessa used a combination of remote sensing and isotopic techniques to investigate factors controlling the stability of growing-season canopy greenness in the eastern deciduous forest.
Cortney Pylant, 2012-2014
Cortney earned her M.S. degree in the Wildlife and Fisheries program in 2014 from the Department of Biology at Frostburg State University and was co-advised by Dr. Stephen Keller. Her research investigating the impacts of wind-turbine mortality on bat populations using stable isotopes and molecular techniques was awarded an EPA STAR Fellowship.
John Howard, summer 2013
John teaches Environmental Science at a local high school. Along with Je
nnifer (below) he used C, N, and H isotopes to determine diets and geographic origins of golden eagles in collaboration with Dr. Todd Katzner.
Jennifer Knots, summer 2013
Jennifer teaches life science at a local middle school. She used C, N, and H isotopes to determine diets and geographic origins of golden eagles in collaboration with Dr. Todd Katzner.
Bill Landesman, 2009-2011
Bill was a post doc in the lab. His r
esearch used next-generation DNA sequencing to investigate factors controlling spatial and temporal variation in the composition of soil microbial communities. He’s currently an associate professor at Northern Vermont University.
Jason Kaczor, 2010-2011
Jason worked at
CASIF as undergrad intern while pursuing a degree in the Department of Biology at Frostburg State University.
George Case, summer 2010
George worked at CASIF as undergrad intern while pursuing a degree in Geology from West Virginia University.