People - Boone Lab

For Prospective Graduate Students:

I am looking for graduate students who have 1) a passion for science that has implications for conservation using amphibians; 2) enjoy the whole process of science from the hard work of designing and conducting research, analyzing the data, and writing scientific manuscripts; and 3) the desire to take their science to the public through outreach efforts. Scientists who are independent, enthusiastic, self-motivated, and work well in a group are those that do the best in my lab. I evaluate applications of students based on their research experiences, letters of recommendation, research potential (based on letters, experience, GRE & GPA), and research match for my lab. If you're interested in more information, send a copy of your CV and research interests to my email address. Also, feel free to contact former and current students regarding the program and their experience in my lab.

Current Graduate Students:

Courtney Dvorsky
(email)
Ph.D. Candidate

Courtney is examining the influence of human residential land management in rural, exurban landscapes on regional amphibian biodiversity.

Jessica McQuigg (email)
Ph.D. Candidate

Jess is exploring the effect of a disease pathogen (the amphibian chytrid fungus) on hosts in varying environments.

Mason Murphy
(email)
Ph.D. Candidate

Mason is exploring life history traits that influence movement and dispersal of amphibians.

Miranda Strasburg (email)
Ph.D. Candidate

Miranda is evaluating the effects of trematode parasites on amphibian communities.

Olivia Wetsch (email)
M.S. Student

Olivia is examining how management and land use change impacts salamander populations.

Graduate Alumni:

Christopher Distel, Ph.D.
(email)

Associate Professor
Shreiner University

2010 Effects of an insecticide on competition in anurans: Could pesticide-induced competitive exclusion be a mechanism for amphibian declines?

Tyler Hoskins, Ph.D.
(email)

Postdoc
Purdue University

2019 Ty studied the impact of the herbicide atrazine in development of amphibians across environmental gradients.

Holly Puglis, M.S.
(email)

Ecologist, Ph.D.
US Geological Survey

2010 Effects of terrestrial buffer zones on amphibians in managed green spaces

Jennifer Purrenhage Ph.D.
(email)

Lecturer
University of NH

2009 Importance of habitat structure for pond-breeding amphibians in multiple life stages

Samantha Rumschlag, Ph.D.
(email)

Postdoc

University of Notre Dame

2016 The influence of environmental factors on responses on amphibian hosts across life stages to an infectious fungal pathogen

Melissa Youngquist Ph.D.(email)

Researcher
Shedd Aquarium

2015 How local and landscape factors affect anuran species distributions in agricultural landscapes

Undergraduate Student Researchers:

	2019
Tyler Cooley Miami University	Ty examined the impact of macroinvertebrates on zoospores of the amphibian chytrid fungus, and was part of the NSF REU program. (Grad Mentor: Jess McQuigg)
Kambrie Riddle Miami University	Kambrie's work focused on evaluating the impact of pond dyes on amphibian metamorphosis and she was part of the Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Program. (Grad Mentor: Courtney Dvorsky)
Emma Svatos Miami University	Emma's research focused on the impact of pesticides on trematode parasite host infection status and growth. Emma was part of the Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Program. (Grad Mentor: Miranda Strasburg)

	2018
Kristie Cordeiro Miami University	Kristie examined the impact of the amphibian chytrid fungus on amphibians reared across an environmental gradient. She was part of the Undergraduate Summer Scholars Program. (Grad mentor: Jess McQuigg)
Reece Milton Miami University	Reece examined how the distribution of trematode parasites and their snail hosts varied across the heterogeneous landscape in southwest Ohio. She was part of the NSF REU Program. (Grad mentor: Miranda Strasburg)
Eva Rasche Miami University	Eva examined the ability of juvenile treefrogs to respond to conspecific and heterospecific chorus as part of the Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Program. (Grad mentor: Mason Murphy)

	Spring & Summer 2017
Katie Kissner Miami University	Katie examined the impact of the amphibian chytrid fungus on feeding behavior on juvenile amphibian to examine the negative effects of growth associated with this pathogen. Katie was part of our Howard Hughes Program at Miami. (Grad mentor: Jess McQuigg)
Faythe Lopez Central State University	Faye studied the role of vegetative aquatic mats to remove nutrients from aquatic environments to examine the effect on larval amphibians. Faye was part of the NSF REU program at Miami University. (Grad mentor: Courtney Dvorsky & Jess McQuigg)
Olivia Wetsch Miami University	Olivia evaluated the effect of parasites and pathogens in the aquatic and terrestrial environment on amphibian growth and development. (Grad mentor: Miranda Strasburg & Jess McQuigg & Ty Hoskins)

Spring & Summer 2016
Aura Muniz Torres University of Puerto Rico	Aura conducted an amphibian call survey to examine which local and landscape level features are associated with presence and abundance of amphibians in the exurban (rural) landscape. Aura was part of the NSF REU program at Miami University.
Olivia Wetsch Miami University	Olivia collected cricket frogs from Ohio to Missouri to examine parasite loads in amphibians in agricultural areas. (Grad mentor: Ty Hoskins)

Spring & Summer 2015
Maria Dellapina Miami University	Maria examined the effect of an herbicide on breeding behavior in cricket frogs through the Howard Hughes Summer Scholarship Program at Miami University. More info about Maria's research here. (Grad mentor: Ty Hoskins)
Braiam Rosado Universidad del Turabo	Braiam evaluated the effects of estradiol on cricket frog development to examine how this hormone might affect reproductive and morphological development. Braiam was part of the NSF REU program at Miami University. (Grad mentor: Ty Hoskins)

Spring & Summer 2014
Angela Burrow Georgia Gwinnette College	Angela studied the effect of the amphibian chytrid fungus on American toads reared that were reared in low- and high-density environments. Angela was part of the NSF REU program at Miami University. (Grad mentor: Samantha Rumschlag)
Ashley Gordon Miami University	Ashley examined the genetic structure in populations of bullfrogs in Ohio. (Grad mentor: Melissa Youngquist)
Summer 2013
Ashley Gordon Miami University	Ashley's work examined the effects of predators and pond drying on Blanchard's cricket frog, a species of concern in parts of its range. She was part of the Howard Hughes Program at Miami. (Grad mentor: Melissa Youngquist)
Summer 2012
Jeremy Caseltine Miami University	Jeremy examined the effects of the amphibian chytrid fungus on American toad tadpoles that were exposed to predators in larval environments to determine if larval stress influences susceptibility to a pathogen. (Grad mentor: Samantha Rumschlag)
Kevin Downard Miami University	Kevin was an Undergraduate Summer Scholar exploring the interactions between cricket frog tadpoles and their common larval competitors. (Grad mentor: Melissa Youngquist)
Lashay Robbins Northwestern State University	Lashay was part of the NSF REU program at Miami and examined the variation within populations to different pesticides to determine if resistance to pesticide is associated with resistance to other chemical classes. (Grad mentor: Ty Hoskins)
Rayona Wise Miami University	Rayona was an Undergraduate Summer Scholar exploring the effects of the amphibian chytrid fungus that were exposed or not to a common insecticide to determine if the impact on American toad growth and survival is affected. (Grad mentor: Samantha Rumschlag)
Summer 2011
Kristina Gaietto Miami University	Kristina examined the effects of different isolates of the amphibian chytrid fungus from areas of decline and non-decline on gray treefrog metamorphosis in the presence or absence of pesticides. Kristina was awarded a Howard Hughes Summer Scholarship. (Grad mentor: Samantha Rumschlag)
Alyssa Lopez, Miami University	Alyssa examined how timing of exposure to insecticide during larval development influences terrestrial performance of northern leopard frogs. Additionally, she is also examining the effects of leaf litter input and the insecticide malathion on cricket frog metamorphosis. Alyssa is part of our REU program.
Matthew Mitchkash, Miami University	Matt examined how spotted salamander juveniles are affected by exposure to an insecticide in terms of endurance and speed. Matthew was awarded a Howard Hughes Summer Scholarship. (Grad mentor: Tammy McPeek)
Bradley Skelton Miami University	Brad examined how cricket frogs are affected by ammonium nitrate during larval development in mesocosm ponds. Brad is part of the Miami University Undergraduate Summer Scholars Program. (Grad mentor: Melissa Youngquist)
Summer 2010
Andy McDermott Pacific Lutheran University	Andy examined how canopy cover via shading can influence the performance of cricket frogs (which are declining in parts of the Midwest) and bullfrogs (which are expanding their range) in the presence of leaf litter or grass. This study is an attempt to understand if regeneration of forests could be contribute to the disappearance of cricket frogs. We are thrilled to have Andy out here from the west coast. (Grad mentor: Melissa Youngquist)
Larissa Spreng Miami University	Larissa was a Miami University Undergraduate Summer Scholar who examined how two common pesticides affect larval development and the aquatic community of larval streamside salamanders, Ambystoma barbouri, in mesocosm ponds. (Grad mentor: Tammy McPeek)
Spring 2010
Peter Kleinhenz Miami University	Peter examined how contaminants may influence the susceptibility of Pacific treefrogs to the disease pathogen Bd (the amphibian chytrid fungus). The contaminants used are commonly found in wetlands in the western United States. This research is being conducted in collaboration with Gary Fellers at the USGS.
Summer 2009
Benjamin Bulen Miami University	Ben examined how changes in an insecticide's concentration impacts competitive interactions between American toads and northern leopard frogs. His project is part of NSF-funded research project to understand how insectidesalters community interactions. (Grad mentor: Chris Distel)
Edward Ramirez University of Puerto Rico	Eddie is examining how terrestrial habitat impacts movement of northern cricket frogs on golf courses by following frogs dipped in fluorescent powder inunmown, mown, or edge habitat on a golf course. This research is part of a National Fish and Wildlife funded project to examine how golf course management could bolster amphibian populations. Eddie is part of the ecology program's REU program. (Grad mentor: Holly Puglis)
Alicia Ritzenthaler University of Evansville	Alicia is evaluating how canopy cover influences performance of tadpoles of the northern cricket frogs, which are declining in parts of their range. This research is part of a National Fish and Wildlife funded project to examine how golf course management could bolster amphibian populations. (Grad mentor: Holly Puglis)
Nicholas Webber Miami University	Nick is studying thryroid hormone expression in tissues of green frogs as part of the MU Undergraduate Summer Scholars Program. He's working with our collaborator Caren Helbing at the University of Victoria and will bringing some of their molecular techniques back to the lab. This research is part of a NIH funded project to examine how an insecticide can impact the thryoid hormone axis during larval development.
Spring 2009
Melanie Davis Miami University	Melanie worked with Peter on a study evaluating how timing of insecticide exposure can impact the thyroid hormone axis by evaluating the effect on feeding performance of green frogs exposed during larval development. This research is part of a NIH funded project.
Peter Kleinhenz Miami University	Peter worked with Melanie on a study evaluating how timing of insecticide exposure can impact the thyroid hormone axis by evaluating the effect on feeding performance of green frogs exposed during larval development. This research is part of a NIH funded project.
Summer 2008
Catherine Ade Miami University	Catherine examined how tadpoles of the northern cricket frog respond to environmental levels of contaminants used on golf courses and to predators that might be present in golf course ponds, including grass carp, crayfish, and bluegill. This research was part of a National Fish and Wildlife funded project to examine how golf course management could bolster amphibian populations. She was a MU Howard Hughes Summer Scholar.
Coral Navedo University of Puerto Rico	Coral studied growth and survival of individual cricket frog tadpoles reared in water from six ponds with and without terrestrial buffer zones on three different golf courses that were or were not exposed to an insecticide. Coral was part of the ecology program's REU program.
Louisa Phillips Miami University	Louisa worked on a study to examine how the insecticidecarbaryl can influence life history decisions and the thyroid hormone related to metamorphosis using green frog tadpoles, a collaboration with our lab and Caren Helbing's at the University of Victoria. This research is funded by the NIH.
Brian Ulrich Miami University	Brian worked on a study to examine how amount of nutrients, canopy cover, and insecticide exposure impacted populations of green frogs with grad student Jen Purrenhage. (Grad mentor: Jen Purrenhage)
Nicholas Webber Miami University	Nick examined how aquatic and/or terrestrial exposure to insecticide carbaryl impacted American toad growth and survival. Nick also worked with graduate student Chris Distel on competitive interactions among anurans exposed to pesticides. This research was funded by an NSF project examining the ecological consequences of insecticide exposure in amphibian communities.Webber, N , MD Boone, and CA Distel. 2010. Effects of aquatic and terrestrial carbaryl exposure on feeding ability, growth, and survival of American toads. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 29:591-600. (Grad mentor: Chris Distel)
Summer 2007
Melanie Davis Miami University	Melanie was part of the MU Undergraduate Summer Scholar's program. She conducted a study to examine the singular and interactive effects of atrazine, predators, and habitat structure. (Grad mentor: Jen Purrenhage)
Mark Mackey Miami University	Mark was part of the MU ecology program's REU program. He joined the lab to work on a study examining the effects of the insecticide malathion, cyanobacteria, and overwintered green frog tadpoles in an outdoor mesocosm experiment.
Holly Puglis Miami University	Holly returned to the lab to examine the effects of ultraviolet radiation on the lethal concentration of technical and commercial formulations of pesticides. Holly was a MU's Howard Hughes Summer Scholar.
Summer 2006
Melissa Kohrman Miami University	Melissa worked on a project to examine if the presence of a pathogen Saprolegnia ferax had an impact on gray treefrogs in the presence or absence of an insecticide and bluegill sunfish.
Stacy Provenzano Miami University	Stacy examined whether or not bullfrog tadpoles could reach metamorphosis in a single season in Ohio when reared in low to high densities.
Erin Sams Hiram College	Erin was part of the MU's REU program. She conducted research to understand the impact of size at metamorphosis on interactions among juveniles in the terrestrial environment using green frogs (Rana clamitans) and American toads (Bufo americanus).
Summer 2005
Holly Puglis Miami University	Holly examined how bullfrog eggs were impacted by single and multiple stressors of Saprolegnia, the insecticide carbaryl, and ammonium nitrate fertilizer.
Gretchen Roman University of Puerto Rico	Gretchen examined the relationship between metamorph size and jumping ability of American toads, gray treefrogs, and northern leopard frogs with Jen Purrenhage. Gretchen was part of the REU program.


Michelle D. Boone - email Education & Employment Associate Professor, Miami University (2010-present) Assistant Professor, Miami University (2004-2010) Postdoc: US Geological Survey with Ed Little, Columbia Environmental Research Center (2001-2004) Ph.D. in Biological Sciences with Ray Semlitsch University of Missouri-Columbia (1995-2000) B.S. & B.A. in Biology & English (1990-1994) Downloadable CV (pdf; 245 kb)

Michelle D. Boone - email