{"id":365,"date":"2020-12-10T16:40:37","date_gmt":"2020-12-10T16:40:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/hoverman\/?page_id=365"},"modified":"2025-07-07T14:21:32","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T14:21:32","slug":"lab-alumni","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/hoverman\/lab-alumni\/","title":{"rendered":"Lab Alumni"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lab Alumni<\/h1>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Previous Graduate Students<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n \n\n
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Haiden McCurry<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Haiden earned her M.S. in 2025. Her research examined the interactive effects of fungicides and herbicides on aquatic communities and the influence of fungicides on predator-prey interactions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Paul Chambon<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Paul earned his M.S. in 2025. His research examined whether macrophytes and their biodiversity can influence the toxicity of fungicides.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Andrew Hopkins<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Andrew earned his PhD in 2023. His research examined the effects of fungicides on amphibians and community interactions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Riley Rackliffe<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Riley earned his PhD in 2021. His research examined the effects of neonicotinoids on stream macroinvertebrates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Sarah Abercrombie<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Sarah received her M.S. in 2018. Her research investigated the sub-lethal effects of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances on amphibians.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Logan Billet<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Logan earned his M.S. in 2020. His research focused on landscape patterns of pesticide tolerance in aquatic organisms and how evolved pesticide tolerance affects host-parasite interactions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Turner DeBlieux<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Turner received his M.S. in 2018. His research examined natural enemy ecology and contrasted the effects of predators vs. pathogens on amphibians communities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Samantha Gallagher<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Sam received her M.S. in 2017. Her research examined the effects of pesticides and pathogens on respiration rates of larval amphibians.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Jesse Miles<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jesse received his M.S. in 2015. He conducted ecotoxicological research examining the lethal, sub-lethal, and trophic effects of the neonicotinoid clothianadin on aquatic communities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Kate Pochini<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Kate received her M.S. in 2016. She examined the interactive effects of pathogens and pesticides on amphibians.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Vanessa Wuerthner<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Vanessa received her M.S. in 2015. Her research interest was disease ecology of amphibians with a focus on coinfection and priority effects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Previous Post-doctoral Scholars<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n \n\n
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David Lee Haskins, Post-doctoral scholar<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

David Lee received his B.S. at Maryville College and earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Georgia. His research experience varies, with his most recent work focused on the accumulation and physiological effects of contaminants (e.g., heavy metals, radionuclides) in herpetofauna. David Lee is particularly interested in how anthropogenic contaminants may negatively impact the health (e.g., the immune response) of amphibian and reptiles. He has used a variety of experimental techniques to examine the effects of contaminants in wildlife, including field and lab-based approaches, in vivo and in vitro techniques, and genomic sequence data manipulation and analysis. His current research evaluates both acute and chronic toxic effects of per-\/polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) and PFAS-free aquatic film forming foams on a variety of freshwater organisms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Devin Jones, Post-doctoral scholar<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Devin received his B.S. at the University of Pittsburgh and his Ph.D. at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His research examined the effects of anthropogenic contaminants (road salts, pesticides, nutrients) on freshwater organisms, populations, and communities using laboratory toxicity tests and outdoor mesocosm experiments. This work also incorporated tools from ecotoxicology with evolutionary theory to investigate how evolved responses to synthetic chemicals arose within amphibians and provides a pathway for inducible chemical tolerance. His current research examines the acute and lasting toxic effects of per-\/polyfluorinated alkyl substances on freshwater organisms to identify safer alternatives to aquatic film forming foams.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Michael Chislock<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Michael received his M.S and PhD from Auburn University. His research lies at the interface of population, community, and ecosystem ecology, and he is particularly interested in the role of adaptation and evolution in mediating the response of communities and ecosystems to global change. His current research interests include developing and field-testing models of predator-prey interactions that incorporate the role of predator and prey evolution in the context of eutrophication; biogeography; and evaluating the causes of success or failure of invasive species as well as the consequences caused by successful introductions. He is currently an assistant professor at SUNY Brockport.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Wes Flynn, Post-doctoral scholar<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Wes received his Ph.D. through the Odum School of Ecology and Savannah River Ecology Lab at the University of Georgia. His research examined the consequences of long-term environmental contamination on phenotypic and genetic variation in amphibians. This work also incorporated the roles of maternal effects, physiology, and gut microbial responses associated with environmental exposure to contaminants understand the immediate and long-term consequences of degraded environments. His current research examines how per-\/polyfluorinated alkyl substance exposure risk varies with land use and life stage to inform effective ecological risk assessment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Jessica Hua<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jess investigated a broad range of questions related to the biology and conservation of aquatic systems. She was particularly interested in understanding how anthropogenic chemicals, such as pesticides, alter aquatic systems. She was also interested in understanding how diseases contribute to the ecology, evolution, and conservation of aquatic organisms. She is currently an assistant professor at Binghamton University.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Previous Technicians<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n \n\n
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Grace Coogan<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Grace earned her bachelor\u2019s degree in Biology from Occidental College in 2017. She focused on marine biology in her studies and held positions in fisheries biology before coming to Purdue to work on amphibian exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). She hopes her experiences at Purdue will help inform her decisions in choosing a Master\u2019s program in the next few years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Katie Quinlin<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Katie earned her bachelor\u2019s degree in Environment and Natural Resources from Ohio State University in 2020. While at OSU, she worked in an aquaculture lab where she focused on finding more sustainable feeds and understanding the effect of temperature on sex determination in Yellow Perch. She is excited to join the Hoverman Lab and learn more about the effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Maggie Wigren, Research Technician<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Maggie earned both her Bachelor\u2019s and Master\u2019s degrees from Purdue University in 2016 and 2020, respectively. Her research during her undergrad focused on how competition between a native and invasive Daphnia mediated the effects of a fungal disease, while her graduate research focused on the effects of weathered oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill on the gut microbiome and foraging behavior of the sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus). She is interested in continuing to be involved in projects related to aquatic ecotoxicology and disease ecology and is planning to pursue a career in fisheries, environmental consulting, or public outreach<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Melissa Lech, Research Technician<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Melissa earned her MS in 2022. Her research examined the influence of PFAS on host-parasite interactions in amphibians.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Mike Iacchetta<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Mike is currently a researcher at the USGS in Oregon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Brian Tornabene<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Brian is currently at the University of Montana working towards his PhD.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Past Team<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n \n\n
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Shelby Royal-Roberts, WERF Lab Manager<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As lab manager, Shelby oversaw the ecotoxicology research conducted at WERF; as well as hellbender conservation research. She assisted with experimental design, undergraduate and graduate mentoring, and teaching undergraduate habitat management and techniques.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Abby Valachovic, WERF Lab Manager<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As lab manager Abby did oversee the ecotoxicology research conducted at WERF; as well as hellbender conservation research.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Matt Hamilton, Laboratory Manager<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Matt earned his bachelor\u2019s degree in Wildlife Science from Purdue University in 2012 and his M.S. degree in Wildlife and Forest Resources from the University of Georgia. Matt\u2019s thesis research focused on the effects of long-term stressors, such as contaminants, on the stress response, immune function, and population status of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) on the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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