Faculty

Core, Associate and Adjunct Faculty

Core Faculty are members of the Graduate Faculty at Texas A&M University. Core faculty teach EEB module courses and also serve as committee chairs for EEB students. A list of faculty research themes can be found here and are also listed under each core faculty member’s interest in the list below. Other information about Core Faculty can be found in the bylaws.

Associate Faculty

Associate Faculty are members of the Graduate Faculty at Texas A&M University, but they cannot serve as committee chairs for EEB students. Other information about Associate Faculty can be found in the bylaws.

Name	Title	Dept	Interest
Alvard, Michael S.	Associate Professor	Anthropology	Evolution of human behavior
Andersson, Leif	Professor	Veterinary Integrative Biosciences	Genome biology and evolutionary biology
Cairns, David	Professor	Geography	Landscape ecology and ecosystem modeling
Coulson, Robert	Professor	Entomology	Activities and impacts of insects and other taxa in forest, prairie, and savanna landscapes
Criscitiello, Michael	Professor	Veterinary Pathobiology	Evolutionary genetics of immune function
de Figueiredo, Paul	Associate Professor	Microbial Pathogenesis & Immunology, College of Medicine	Microbiology, cell biology, and genetics to develop novel biotechnologies and elucidate the molecular dynamics of living systems.
Lafon, Charles W.	Professor	Geography	Assessment and monitoring of patterns and trends in biodiversity
Lockless, Steve	Associate Professor	Biology	Information processing in biological systems
Lockless, Steve	Associate Professor	Biology	Information processing in biological systems
Oswald, John D.	Professor	Entomology	Systematics and evolution of insects
Sansom, Roger	Associate Professor	Philosophy	Integrating evolution and development
Schartl, Manfred	Visiting Professor	Biology	Evolutionary genomics and evolution of sex determination and sex chromosomes in fish; cancer genetics and genomics
Selig, Keegan (Lab Website)	Assistant Professor	Anthropology	Evolutionary ecology, phylogenetics & comparative biology
Thakar, Heather	Assistant Professor	Anthropology	Evolutionary and Ecological Theory, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Environmental Archaeology, Foraging and Proto-agricultural Societies
Thornton, Daniel	Professor	Oceanography	Ecology of nutrient cycling in coastal systems
Tice, Michael	Associate Professor	Geology & Geophysics	Early evolution of microorganisms and metabolisms
Walton, Jay	Professor Emeritus	Mathematics	Modeling spatial ecology and structured populations
Wilkinson, Heather H.	Professor	Plant Pathology & Microbiology	Evolution of microbial genes, genomes and communities
Williams, Tiffani	Associate Professor	Computer Science & Engineering	Computational biology and phylogenetic inference
Winking, Jeffrey	Associate Professor	Anthropology	Evolutionary ecology of human behavior

Adjunct Faculty

Adjunct Faculty may co-advise students and serve on student committees, provided they are appointed to the TAMU graduate faculty. Other information about Adjunct Faculty can be found in the bylaws.

Name	Title	Institution	Interest
Delmore, Kira	Associate Professor	Columbia University	Adaptation, speciation, behavior
Meik, Jesse	Assistant Professor	Tarleton State University	Ecology, comparative evolution biology
Moran, Rachel	Assistant Professor	University of Chicago	Behavioral research with genomic technologies to understand the adaptive and mechanistic underpinnings of species diversification
Rosenthal, Gil	Professor	University of Padova, Italy CICHAZ, Co-Director	Mate choice and evolutionary genetics in fish hybrid zones
Song, Hojun	Director of Biocollections & Professor	Arizona State University	Insect systematics; phylogenetics of orthopteran insects; phenotypic plasticity; character evolution

	Jaime Alvarado-Bremer Professor Marine Biology Dept Profile RECRUITING STUDENTS	Conservation and population genetics of large pelagic fishes conservation biology/restoration ecology evolutionary genomics phylogenetics & comparative biology population & quantitative genetics
	Sanjay Antony-Babu Assistant Professor Plant Pathology & Microbiology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Plant-microbe interactions community ecology
	Anna Armitage Professor & Interim Dept Head Marine Biology Dept Profile Lab Website	Coastal ecosystem ecology and management of restored and impacted habitats conservation biol/restoration ecology ecosystems/landscape ecology community ecology
	Giri Athrey Associate Professor Associate Dept Head for Undergraduate Education, Avian Genetics & Functional Genomics Poultry Science Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Quantitative genetics and functional genomics, birds and disease vectors evolutionary genomics population & quantitative genetics population ecology ecosystems/landscape ecology
	Ian Ausprey Assistant Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Functional & demographic mechanisms underlying biodiversity change across environmental and Anthropogenic disturbance gradients community ecology conservation biol/restoration ecology ecosystems/landscape ecology phylogenetics & comparative biology physiological ecology population ecology
	David Bapst Instructional Assistant Professor Geology & Geophysics Dept Profile RECRUITING STUDENTS	Paleobiology, morphological systematics, macroevolution, fossil record of marine invertebrates phylogenetics & comparative biology community ecology evolutionary ecology
	Perry Barboza Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website	Consequences of life history and environmental change on the nutrition of wild mammals; policies for conservation of wildlife physiological ecology
	Spencer Behmer Professor Entomology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Insect physiology and behavior, including their ecological and evolutionary bases behavioral ecology physiological ecology
	Christina Belanger Assistant Professor Geology & Geophysics Dept Profile RECRUITING STUDENTS	Biotic responses to environmental change; paleoecology; paleoenvironments community ecology ecosystems/landscape ecology conservation biology/restoration ecology evolutionary ecology
	Heath Blackmon Associate Professor & Associate Dept Head of Graduate Studies Biology Dept Profile Lab Website	Evolutionary genomics, quantitative genetics, character evolution, and applied phylogenetics evolutionary genomics phylogenetics & comparative biology population & quantitative genetics
	Donald Brightsmith Professor Veterinary Pathobiology Dept Profile Website TAMU Experts RECRUITING STUDENTS	Ecology and conservation of macaws and parrots behavioral ecology community ecology conservation biology/restoration ecology population ecology
	Chris Butler Instructional Associate Professor Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Effects of climate change on the phenology and distribution of organisms community ecology conservation biology/restoration ecology population ecology
	James Cai Associate Professor Veterinary Integrative Biosciences Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Evolutionary biology and physiology, with emphasis on evolution of complex phenotypes evolutionary genomics population & quantitative genetics
	Claudio Casola Associate Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Evolutionary genomics of genes and transposable elements in conifers evolutionary genomics
	Thomas Chappell Assistant Professor Plant Pathology & Microbiology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Epidemiology, ecology, and coevolution of plant-enemy systems evolutionary ecology community ecology population ecology
	Kevin Conway Associate Professor & Curator of Fishes Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Systematic ichthyology; phylogenetic and comparative anatomy of ray-finned fishes phylogenetics & comparative biology
	Charles Criscione Professor & Associate Dean, Graduate and Professional School Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Population genetics of metazoan parasites evolutionary ecology evolutionary genomics population & quantitative genetics
	Brian Davis Assistant Professor & Director Veterinary Integrative Biosciences Veterinary Pathobiology Dept Profile RECRUITING STUDENTS	Genomic variation in post-domestication/wild populations and heritable disease implications; heritable disease in domestic and wild mammals, post-domestication genome structural evolution, X chromosome inactivation, evolutionary pressures on neoplastic transformation. Founder, Exotic Genome Repository evolutionary genomics population & quantitative genetics
	Darryl de Ruiter Professor & Dept Head Anthropology Dept Profile TAMU Experts RECRUITING STUDENTS	Ecology and evolution of the human lineage, with a particular focus on origin of genus Homo phylogenetics & comparative biology
	Eric Duell Assistant Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile RECRUITING STUDENTS	Plant-soil-microbial interactions, plant ecology, community ecology, grassland ecology, phylogenetic patterns of mutualistic relationships community ecology conservation biology/restoration ecology ecosystems/landscape ecology phylogenetics & comparative biology
	Rusty Feagin Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Responses of beach, dune, and wetland ecosystems to global change conservation biology/restoration ecology ecosystems/landscape ecology
	Lee Fitzgerald Professor & Curator Ecology & Conservation Biology Co-director, ABS Dept Profile Lab Website	Mechanisms underlying persistence and disappearance of species and communities community ecology conservation biology/restoration ecology ecosystems/landscape ecology evolutionary ecology population ecology
	Courtney Fitzpatrick Assistant Professor Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Influence of social environments on trait evolution evolutionary ecology population ecology
	Vivienne Foroughirad Assistant Professor Marine Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Behavioral ecology and genetics of cetaceans behavioral ecology population ecology population & quantitative genetics
	Masami Fujiwara Associate Professor Associate Deptment Head, Graduate & Undergraduate Programs Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Effects of life history variation on population and community dynamics; statistical ecology; theoretical ecology population ecology
	Katy Gonder Professor & Dept Head Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile RECRUITING STUDENTS	Spatial biodiversity patterns, conservation strategies, evolutionary and ecological mechanisms contributing to diversity. population ecology evolutionary ecology
	Jacquelyn Grace Assistant Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Ecophysiology and behavior of birds behavioral ecology physiological ecology
	Sharon Gursky Professor Biology Anthropology Program Coordinator Anthropology Dept Profile	Behavioral ecology and conservation of non-human primates behavioral ecology evolutionary ecology population ecology
	Gabriel Hamer Professor Entomology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Ecology of infectious diseases of humans, wild animals, and domestic animals community ecology ecosystems/landscape ecology population ecology
	Sarah Hamer Professor Director, Schubot Center Richard Schubot Endowed Chair & Associate Wildlife Biologist® Veterinary Integrative Biosciences Dept Profile Lab Website TAMU Experts RECRUITING STUDENTS	Ecology and epidemiology of wildlife disease community ecology ecosystems/landscape ecology
	Anjel Helms Assistant Professor Entomology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Chemical ecology, tritrophic and plant-herbivore interactions behavioral ecology evolutionary ecology physiological ecology
	Luis Hurtado-Clavijo Associate Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Evolutionary origins, patterns and maintenance of biodiversity conservation biology/restoration ecology evolutionary ecology evolutionary genomics phylogenetics & comparative biology population & quantitative genetics
	Wenzhe Jiao Assistant Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile RECRUITING STUDENTS	Ecosystem functioning response to natural disturbances ecosystems/landscape ecology
	Phillip Kaufman Professor & Dept Head Entomology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Veterinary and livestock entomology, insecticide resistance, biological control, integrated pest management community ecology population ecology
	Alex Keene Professor & Dept Head Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Neurogenetics and behavior, genetic and evolutionary basis of sleep regulation in invertebrates and fish evolutionary genomics phylogenetics & comparative biology behavioral ecology
	Sheila Kitchen Assistant Professor Marine Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Host-microbe interactions, comparative and functional genomics, coral reef conservation evolutionary ecology evolutionary genomics physiological ecology
	Michelle Lawing Associate Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website	Evolutionary responses of species and communites to environmental change community ecology conservation biology/restoration ecology ecosystems/landscape ecology phylogenetics & comparative biology
	Jessica Light Professor Curator of Mammals Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website	Evolutionary and ecological assessments of host-parasite associations evolutionary ecology phylogenetics & comparative biology population & quantitative genetics
	Christopher Marshall Professor Marine Biology Dept Profile Lab Website TAMU Experts RECRUITING STUDENTS	Comparative functional organismal biology and evolutionary adaptation evolutionary ecology physiological ecology
	Mariana Mateos Associate Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Evolution of host-symbiont associations and phylogeography of freshwater organisms evolutionary ecology evolutionary genomics phylogenetics & comparative biology population & quantitative genetics
	Raul Medina Professor Entomology Dept Profile Lab Website	Population genetic aspects of pest species and their natural enemies conservation biology evolutionary genomics phylogenetics & comparative biology population & quantitative genetics
	Christine Merlin Associate Professor & Presidential Impact Fellow Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Circadian biology behavioral ecology
	Maria Pia Miglietta Associate Professor Marine Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Evolution, genetics, and ecology of Hydrozoa (Cnidaria) evolutionary genomics phylogenetics & comparative biology
	Erick Motta Assistant Professor Entomology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Ecology and evolution of insect-microbiome interactions, impact of environmental stressors on insect-associated microbiomes, honey bee microbiome community ecology evolutionary ecology physiological ecology population ecology
	William Murphy Professor & Asst Dean for Research and Graduate Studies Veterinary Integrative Biosciences Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Mammalian phylogenetics and evolutionary genomics evolutionary genomics phylogenetics & comparative biology
	Alan Pepper Professor Biology Dept Profile	Phenotypic plasticity and adaptive evolution in terrestrial plants conservation biology/restoration ecology evolutionary ecology evolutionary genomics phylogenetics & comparative biology physiological ecology population & quantitative genetics
	Josh Perkin Associate Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Ecology and conservation of freshwater fishes; riverine landscape ecology community ecology conservation biology/restoration ecology ecosystems/landscape ecology
	Antonietta Quigg Sr. Assoc. VP Research & Grad. Studies, TAMUG Regents Professor Marine Biology Dept Profile Lab Website TAMU Experts RECRUITING STUDENTS	Elemental dynamics, physiology, and community ecology in coastal ecosystems community ecology ecosystems/landscape ecology physiological ecology
	Juliana Rangel Professor Entomology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Apiculture; population, disease and reproductive biology of honey bees behavioral ecology (integrative animal behavior) physiological ecology population & quantitative genetics population ecology
	Anne Raymond Professor Geology & Geophysics Dept Profile RECRUITING STUDENTS	Plant paleoecology, paleobiogeography and evolutionary history community ecology conservation biology/restoration ecology evolutionary ecology phylogenetics & comparative biology
	Antonio M.M. Rodrigues Assistant Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Social evolution and altruism, demography and life history evolution, multilevel selection and intergroup cooperation, host-symbiont interactions, behavioral ecology and conservation behavioral ecology evolutionary ecology population ecology
	Daniel Roelke Professor Marine Biology Dept Profile RECRUITING STUDENTS	Lower foodweb dynamics of aquatic ecosystems; interactions between biota and physicochemical environment community ecology population ecology
	William Rogers Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Plant-animal interactions, population dynamics, community assembly rules, and ecological restoration community ecology conservation biology/restoration ecology ecosystems/landscape ecology
	Anja Schulze Professor & Asst Dept Head Marine Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Species distributions, dispersal and local adaptation of marine invertebrates evolutionary genomics phylogenetics & comparative biology
	Michael Smotherman Professor Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Physiology and evolution of vocal motor pathway in mammals behavioral ecology physiological ecology
	Daniel Spalink Assistant Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Director, S.M. Tracy Herbarium Dept Profile Lab Website	Plant systematics and biogeography evolutionary ecology phylogenetics & comparative biology population & quantitative genetics
	Marie Strader Assistant Professor Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Marine molecular ecology focused on mechanisms of organismal responses to the environment evolutionary ecology evolutionary genomics physiological ecology
	Amanda Stronza Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Co-director, ABS Dept Profile Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Community-based conservation, human-wildlife conflict, sustainable development conservation biology/restoration ecology population ecology
	Gregory Sword Regents Professor Charles R. Parencia Chair Entomology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Insect, plant & microbial ecology behavioral ecology physiological ecology population & quantitative genetics population ecology
	Aaron Tarone Professor Associate Dept Head, Undergraduate Education Director, Forensic & Investigative Sciences Program Entomology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Genomic studies of development and population biology in flies evolutionary genomics physiological ecology population & quantitative genetics
	Jeffery Tomberlin Professor AgriLife Research Fellow Presidential Impact Fellow Director, NSF Center for Environmental Sustainability Through Insect Farming Entomology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Ecology and biology of flies associated with decomposing matter behavioral ecology community ecology physiological ecology
	Ed Vargo Professor & Endowed Chair Entomology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Urban and structural entomology behavioral ecology population & quantitative genetics population ecology
	Joseph Veldman Associate Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website	Ecology of savannas and forests, fire ecology, tropical biology and conservation community ecology conservation biology/ restoration ecology ecosystems/landscape ecology
	Gary Voelker Professor & Faculty Curator of Birds Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Systematics and biogeography of birds evolutionary ecology phylogenetics & comparative biology population & quantitative genetics
	Jason West Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Terrestrial ecosystem ecology, plant-environment interactions, and global environmental change ecosystems/landscape ecology physiological ecology
	Mary Wicksten Professor Biology Dept Profile	Behavior, classification and ecology of decapod Crustacea, plus adaptive coloration in marine organisms behavioral ecology phylogenetics & comparative biology
	Brad Wilcox Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Understanding hydrologic processes on shrublands community ecology ecosystems/landscape ecology
	Kirk Winemiller University Distinguished Professor, Regents Professor, Faculty Fellow Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Ecology and evolution of fishes, community ecology, and aquatic ecosystems community ecology evolutionary ecology population ecology
	X. Ben Wu Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Landscape ecology and undergraduate ecology education ecosystems/landscape ecology
	Jessica Yorzinski Associate Professor Ecology & Conservation Biology Dept Profile Lab Website RECRUITING STUDENTS	Animal behavior, sensory ecology, animal communication, conservation behavioral ecology (integrative animal behavior) evolutionary ecology

Core, Associate and Adjunct Faculty

Jaime Alvarado-Bremer

Sanjay Antony-Babu

Anna Armitage

Giri Athrey

Ian Ausprey

David Bapst

Perry Barboza

Spence Behmer

Christina Belanger

Heath Blackmon

Donald Brightsmith

Chris Butler

James Cai

Claudio Casola

Thomas Chappell

Kevin Conway

Charles Criscione

Brian Davis

Darryl de Ruiter

Eric Duell

Rusty Feagin

Lee Fitzgerald

Courtney Fitzpatrick

Vivienne Foroughirad

Masami Fujiwara

Katy Gonder

Jacquelyn Grace

Sharon Gursky

Gabriel Hamer

Sarah Hamer

Anjel Helms

Luis Hurtado-Clavijo

Wenzhe Jiao

Phillip Kaufman

Alex Keene

Sheila Kitchen

Michelle Lawing

Jessica Light

Christopher Marshall

Mariana Mateos

Raul Medina

Christine Merlin

Maria Pia Miglietta

Erick Motta

William Murphy

Alan Pepper

Josh Perkin

Antonietta Quigg

Julia Rangel