The Abbott Lab
Insect Biodiversity and Systematics

Kimberly Hubbard: Undergraduate Researcher

Research Interest: Studying wing color polymorphism in Hetaerina titia (Smoky Rubyspot).

Will Kuhn: Undergraduate Researcher

Research Interests: Lepidoptera! Also looking at whether Dyar's Law is a good model for the growth of Culex tarsalis.

Marie Medina: Volunteer

Alex Shepherd: Undergraduate Researcher

Research Interest: Studying the natural history of two coenagrionid damselfly species, Argia leonorae (Leonora's Dancer) and A. barretti (Comanche Dancer) in the Texas Hill Country.

Travis Tidwell: Undergraduate Researcher, Lab Scapegoat

Research Interest: Rearing the undescribed larvae of Odonata species including Argia barretti (Comanche Dancer), A. leonorae (Leonora's Dancer) and the Blue-faced Ringtail (Erpetogomphus eutainia).

In addition, I also sort and curate the insects collected from our National Guard base sites. My other interests, besides insects, are fly fishing, taking orders from Sara, and hiking. I have three bosses (that’s right Bob, three), so when I make a mistake I have to hear about it from three different people. Oh yeah, and like Sara, I completely depend on Dr Pepper for sustenance.

Phebe VanDerMeer: Undergraduate Researcher

My current research involves describing Erpetogomphis eutainea.

In my free time I enjoy crossdressing with an emphasis on old women's clothing, oh, and collecting and learning about insects. My favorite colors include all of those residing on the infra red or ultra violet portions of the spectrum, and as a hidden superpower, I can spit crickets 9+ meters (on a good day, when the wind is at my back)

Britt Dean: Volunteer

Research interests: Arthropods rock my world. I enjoy studying insects, zooplankton, and larger crustaceans like crabs. I want an exoskeleton too. My present interests lie in rocky intertidal ecology: community structure, competition interactions, and physiological adaptations of intertidal organisms.
I enjoy hiking, camping, swimming, being a Texan, the ocean, and procrastinating. I am also jealous of Sara's sweet chupacabra picture.

Alexis McKendall: Undergraduate Researcher
Emily Maloney: Undergraduate Researcher

Research interests: Trapping, sorting, and curating insects from two EcoLab properties, as well as from our National Guard base sites. When I'm not busy with those projects, I help out in Dr. Wood's lab doing hypoxia selection on Manduca sexta eggs.

Besides insects, I like to do crossword puzzles (Go Team Lexicon), hike, read, go to happy hour, and daydream about my summer trip to Australia/Fiji.