Current Graduate Students

Brandon Beddingfield, B.S., The University of Texas at Tyler 
Office: BEP 103
Advisor: Dr. Cliff Boucher
Research Interests: Host-pathogen interactions with Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Email address: bbeddingfield@patriots.uttyler.edu

Jamie L. Cantrell, B.S., University of Southern Mississippi
Office: BEP 120 Telephone: 903-566-7280
Advisor: Dr. John Playck & Dr. Darrell Pogue
Research Interests: Winter site fidelity of Chipping Sparrows
Email: jcantrell@patriots.uttyler.edu

Jeremy Chamberlain, B.S., in Biology from Iowa State University
Office: BEP 116
Advisor: Dr. Neil Ford
Research Interests: Evolution and ecology of reptiles and amphibians, specifically life history, aging, and conservation
Email: jchamberlain@patriots.uttyler.edu

Rebekah Chapman, B.S., Northern Michigan University
Office: BEP 103
Advisor: Dr. Blake Bextine
Research Interests: population genetics
Email: rchapman5@patriots.uttyler.edu

Chase Hively, B.A., Carson-Newman College
Office: SCI 133
Telephone: 903-565-5664
Advisor: Dr. Jim Koukl
Research Interests: Ecology, life history, and population dynamics of turtles within the Old Sabine River system, particularly the Sabine River Map Turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis sabinensis).
Email: chively@patriots.uttyler.edu

Kourtney Neal, B.S., Southern Arkansas University
Office: BEP 135
Advisor: Dr. Ali Azghani
Research Interests: Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastas's role in pulmonary inflammation and infection, particularly lung fibroblasts
Email: kneal2@patriots.uttyler.edu

Christopher S. Samuelson, B.A., Liberal Arts New School for Social Research N.Y. N.Y.
Office: BEP 133
Advisor: Dr. James F. Koukl
Research interests: Systematics, physiology, ecology and conservation of Neotropical colubrids specifically xenodontine snakes. Rainforest conservation. Biology of insects and spiders.
Email: csamuelson@patriots.uttyler.edu, cssamuelson@earthlink.net
Additional Information: My master's thesis is directly focused on the Evaluation of Acclimation for Translocated and Resident Three-Toed Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina triunguis).

Sheri A. Sanders, B.S., in Environmental Science & Management and Zoology, Michigan State University
Office: BEP 135
Advisor: Dr. John Playck
Research Interests: I am currently studying the divergence of the Sabine map turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis sabinensis) and the Ouachita map turtle (G. o. ouachitensis) as well as, more generally, the phylogenetics of the pseudogeographica complex of map turtles.
Email: sande197@msu.edu
Additional Information: I am always looking for field help, for trips to the Sabine River and Red River drainages. Feel free to email me if you are interested.

Henry L. Schreiber IV, B.S., in Cell and Molecular Biology from Tulane University
Office: BEP 103
Advisor: Dr. Blake R. Bextine Research Interests: I am currently investigating the Zonular occludens toxing (Zot) of the phytopathogen Xylella fastidiosa and it's effect on pathogenicity as well as its phylogenetic history. I am also working on heat shock proteins of the insect pest Homalodisca vitripennis
Email: hschreiber2@patriots.uttyler.edu, henrylschreiber@gmail.com
Additional: I am always looking for more student who are interested in learning some molecular techniques like gene sequencing, expression assays, and qRT-PCR's.

Julia Sonn, B.S., The University of Arkansas
Office: BEP 106C
Advisor: Dr. Troy Anderson & Dr. John Playck
Research Interests: effect of agricultural ecosystems and N runoff on mosquito populations and pathogen transfer to amphibians.
Email: jsonn@patriots.uttyler.edu

Matthew J. Troia, B.S., University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Office: BEP 118
Advisor: Dr. Lance Williams Research Interests: I am generally interested in community and landscape ecology of aquatic systems. I am specifically interested in how abiotic conditions at multiple spatial scales (e.g. river network attributes, stream section and reach scale geomorphology, and hydrology) interact to determine the structure of fish, macroinvertebrate and Unionid mussel assemblages in the Upper Neches River.
Email: mtroia@patriots.uttyler.edu

Former Graduate Students

Iqbal Ahmed, B.S., University of Texas at Arlington
Advisor: Dr. Cliff Boucher
Research Interests: Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Email: iqbal2002@hotmail.com

Abraham Arhin, B.S., University of Cincinnati
Advisor: Dr. Cliff Boucher
Research Interests: Host pathogen interactions with Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Email: abrahamarhin@gmail.com

Andree Clark, B.S., The University of Texas at Tyler; M.S., The University of Texas at Tyler Advisor: Dr. Cliff Boucher
Research Interests: Microbiology, Virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Email: aclark2@patriots.uttyler.edu

Curtis A. Clark, B.S., The University of Texas at Tyler
Advisor: Dr. Ali Azghani
Research Interests: Currently I am interested in molecular aspects of infectious diseases as they pertain to medicine and the human condition; pathology and signal transduction pathways involved in pathogenesis. Other research interests include environmental microbiology and conservation genetics.
Email: cclark4@patriots.uttyler.edu
Additional Information: My master's thesis is directly focused on the molecular mechanism(s) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase-induced tight junction disruption in relation to paracellular permeability and barrier function during pulmonary infection, inflammation, and injury.

Elizabeth Farley, B.S., University of Florida
Advisor: Dr. Darrell Pogue and Dr. Lance Williams
Research Interests: Breeding biology of Bachman's Sparrows; avian community ecology; invasive species
Email: efarley@patriots.uttyler.edu

Brian Jackson, B.S., University of California, Riverside; M.S., The University of Texas at Tyler
Advisor: Dr. Blake Bextine
Research Interests: Molecular quantification of Xylella fastidiosa cells transmitted by Homalodisca coagulata
Email: jackson.brian.c@gmail.com
www.briancjackson.com

Jesse James, B.S., University of Texas at Tyler
MSIS-Biology (non-thesis)
Email: jjames@patriots.uttyler.edu

David Kimberly, B.A., Otterbein College; M.S., The University of Texas at Tyler
Advisor: Dr. Neil Ford
Research Interests: Ecotoxicology of reptiles and amphibians, Community Ecology, Freshwater bivalve natural history
Email: dkimberly@patriots.uttyler.edu

Denise Lin, B.S., University of California, Davis; M.S., The University of Texas
Advisor: Dr. Blake Bextine
Research Interests:
Email: dlin@patriots.uttylere.edu

Fred Mashburn, B.S., Southeast Missouri State University
Dr. Neil Ford
Research Interests: Reproductive biology in amphibian specialist snakes
Email:frederickemashburn@stemail.uttyler.edu

Jake A. Pruett, B.S., Middle Tennessee State University
Advisor: Dr. Neil Ford
Research Interests: Movement patters, predatory behavior and thermal ecology of snakes, particularly pit vipers.
Email: jpruett2@patriots.uttyler.edu