Professor of Biology, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, 1970 (1994).

Research interests:

My research centers on the application of modern and traditional techniques to issues in conservation biology and to systematic and evolutionary questions. Current interests center on the taxonomic treatments several genera of the tribe Physaleae of the family Solanaceae.


Species of several Central American and Asian genera in this group are curiously rare. Along with basic biological information, it is important to describe the range and ecological requirements for the species and determine why they are rare. Interesting disjunctions also exist in the tribe. See Home Page.

Associate Professor of Biology and Curator of the US National Tick Collection, M.D., Ph.D., Université de Lausanne, Switzerland 1987 (2007).

Research interests:

I am particularly interested in studying systematic relationships among arthropod groups that are responsible for the transmission of diseases to animals and man (ticks and sand flies). Most of my work is based on molecular analyses. Ongoing projects in my laboratory include: (a) the study of the evolutionary history and phylogeography of Neotropical Amblyomma species, (b) the analysis of the genetic structure of Amblyomma cajennense, (c) the development of molecular tools for linking immature and adult tick specimens, (d) the study of population genetic of Ixodes scapularis, the vector of Lyme disease in the U.S., and (e) a revision of the phylogeny of Lutzomyia sand flies, vectors of Leishmania in South America. Ultimately, by providing tools for a finer identification and classification of arthropod vectors, my research contributes to a better understanding of the association between vectors/vertebrate hosts/pathogens – an essential step towards the development of adequate disease prevention strategies. See Home Page.

Associate Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Bowling Green State University, 1989 (2006).

Research interests:

My research interests are the ecology and behavior of small mammals (such as shrews and harvest mice), as well as the physiological ecology of vertebrates. I am particularly interested in the natural history of little known mammals that are often difficult to capture and work with.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Bowling Green State University, 1989 (1995).

Research interests:

Research in my lab focuses on the behavior, ecology, and conservation of birds and other terrestrial vertebrates. Major themes in my projects and those of my students include habitat selection and management (e.g., use of managed pine savannas by grassland birds in the southeast), morphological and behavioral strategies associated with migration (e.g., evolution of wing shape in migrant birds, stopover ecology of migrants), hormones and behavior (e.g., effects of testosterone on alternative reproductive strategies in male birds), and conservation biology (e.g., management of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers). See Home Page.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Univ. of Miami, 1981 (1983).

Research interests:

We study the physiological systems involved with the regulation of salts, water and pH in aquatic organisms. We do our research on a variety of bony fish and sharks, both at GSU and during the summer at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, a marine laboratory near Bar Harbor, Maine. In a fashion analogous to the mammalian kidney, fish use their gills to transfer ions between their blood and the surrounding water. Our experiments examine these systems both in vivo and at the molecular level.

Our current NSF project focuses on the molecular and immunological detection of the RNA and protein(s) which allow these fish to excrete hydrogen in exchange for external sodium across the gills. Our laboratory was the first to demonstrate the presence of this Na+/H+ antiporter in the fish gill and we are now in the process of determining the distribution and regulation of this protein during physiological challenges to the animal. See Home Page.

Assistant Professor of Biology, Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, 2003 (2006).

Research interests:

My research interests include nutrient dynamics and water quality, wetland restoration ecology, disturbance ecology, and wetland community structure. In particular, the aim of my work is to examine how changes in aquatic environments (freshwater, estuarine, marine and wetland) affect organisms, communities, and ecosystems, and how I could use information about these ecosystems to address applied issues, including monitoring, conservation and restoration. See Home Page.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., State University of New York at Stony Brook, 1975 (1991).

Research interests:


Neurobiology and Toxicology

My research involves field and laboratory studies of the way the nervous system controls behavior and how behavior can be modulated by environmental influences. Field studies take place in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, on the coast of Georgia and its barrier islands, in Jamaica, and in Southeast Asia. Laboratory research takes place on Georgia Southern's Statesboro and Skidaway Island campuses.

Recent bioluminescence work focuses on the physiological and behavioral control of synchronic flashing in North American fireflies. Recent toxicological work focuses on behavioral toxicology of grass shrimp and mud snails in response to focal environment pollutants.

Assistant Professor of Biology, Ph.D., University of St Andrews, UK, 1990 (2003).

Research interests:

Ion and water transport and osmoregulation in fish. My research encompasses mostly molecular biological/physiological aspects of the above and I have mainly specialized in research on the euryhaline European Eel. I have also worked on other teleost fish (Atlantic Salmon, Brown/Rainbow Trout, European Flounder, Sea Bass and Turbot, as well as some elasmobranch fishes including the European Spotted Dogfish, Spiny Dogfish and the BullShark. See Home Page.

Associate Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Duke University, 1994 (2004).

Research interests:

My students and I work together in exploring the ecology of fishes. We generally use nested spatial scales in field sampling programs, supplemented by laboratory-based analyses, to explore the dispersal of ichthyoplankton (eggs and larvae of fish), and the consequences of this dispersal on the ecology of fish populations and assemblages. Field-based programs include collections and surveys using a combination of diving, and sampling from small and large vessels. Our laboratory-based analyses include otoliths increment analyses (for growth and age estimates), otolith composition, and enumeration of ichthyoplankton samples. Generally, my students and I use multivariate analytical and statistical techniques to infer the movement of fish, and to place their findings into the context of metapopulation biology. See Home Page.

Associate Professor, Member IAP, Ph.D., University of London, 1981 (1992).

Research interests:

Systematics, ecology, and vector competence of ectoparasites of vertebrates; general entomology; emerging diseases. See Home Page.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Kansas State University, 1993 (1996).

Research interests:

Molecular evolution and molecular systematics (insects, ticks, and other arthropods), molecular vector biology, molecular population genetics, phylogenetic analysis using molecular and morphological data. See Home Page.

Professor Emeritus of Biology, Member IAP, Ph.D., Iowa State Univ., 1962 (1969).

Research interests:

Med-Vet Entomology: especially horse fly (Tabanidae) populations and their symbiotic bacteria, Spiroplasma. Holistic laboratory and field studies including ecology, morphology, and relationships to disease.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Univ. of Paris, 1990 (1995).

Research interests:


My main focus has been, studing population differences in egg size, egg numbers, egg content and larval development of various echinoderms. I am interested in studying not only how food availability affects the reproductive output but also how salinity affects the distribution and abundance of echinoderms

I Colloborate with scientists at Georgia Southern University, University of South Florida, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography and Friday Harbor Labs, University of Washington on various research projects ranging from growth of echinoderm larvae to metamorphic competence on mixed algal diets, phenotypic plasticity of sea star larvae, studies on artificial diets for edible sea urchins, to development of a mathematical model for marine invertebrates with planktotrophic and lecithotropic larval development.

Students in my laboratory are involved in projects such as a) behavioural and morphological changes of echinoderm larvae exposed to different salinity gradients in static and flow systems

b) field and laboratory studies on population dynamics and reproductive output of sand dollars on different barrier islands along the Georgia coast. See Home Page.

Gleason, Daniel F.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., University of Houston, 1992 (1996).

Research interests:

My students and I combine manipulative experiments with laboratory techniques, such as HPLC, DNA fingerprinting, and allozyme electrophoresis, to address questions related to the ecology of marine invertebrates. Combining these approaches allows us to address problems at multiple scales of organization ranging from physiological to population level processes.
My research is directed into three major areas currently:
1) the role of environmental stresses, especially ultraviolet radiation, in the ecology of marine invertebrates.
2) the evolutionary and ecological importance of various reproductive modes in enhancing fertilization success and maintaining local populations in Caribbean corals and other benthic invertebrates.
3) recruitment processes of benthic marine invertebrates.
While much of my field work takes place in tropical marine systems, I am also involved in research projects along the the Georgia coast. One current local project involves studies of the benthic invertebrate fauna and recruitment processes at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. See Home Page.

Harrison, J. Scott

Assistant Professor of Biology (2006).

Research interests:

Ecological and evolutionary genetics of marine invertebrates. Topics of interest include: speciation and the genetic mechanisms involved in hybrid breakdown, patterns of genetic variation within and among natural populations, and the genetic basis of ecological tolerances or limits.

Harvey, Alan W.

Assistant Professor of Biology, Ph.D., University of Arizona, 1988 (1998).

Research interests:

Evolutionary history and ecological consequences of shell use in hermit crabs
Biogeography and ecology of dragonflies
Evolutionary ecology of invasive species
See Home Page.

Lecturer, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University (2003). See Home Page.

Associate Professor, Member IAP, Ph.D., North Carolina State University, 1987 (1988).

Research interests:

Arthropod vector-host-pathogen interactions. Dynamics of blood digestion in mosquitoes.

Associate Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1997 (1998).

Research interests:

Plant population and community ecology, ecology and management of rare plants and non-native plant invasions, sand dune ecology, plant defense against herbivores. See Home Page.

Assistant Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Ohio University. 2002 (2005).

Research interests:

My research interests lie in organismal ecology which encompasses behavior, functional morphology, and evolution. I primarily use small reptiles as a model system and have done studies on feeding behavior, foraging ecology, and space use in various lizard species.

I am also the curator of the Savannah Science Museum’s herpetology collection. This collection contains ~36,000 specimens of amphibians and reptiles and as such provides a rich source of natural history data to this region. If you are interested in visiting the herpetology collection, visit my home page for more information. See Home Page.

Professor of Biology, Member IAP, Ph.D., Emory Univ., 1982 (1987).

Research interests:

The influence of sexual selection on the behavioral ecology and genetic structure on populations, especially with regard to the economics of mate choice and speciation.

Assistant Professor of Biology (2006).

Research interests:

In the most general sense, my research attempts to understand how inter- and intra-specific variation (i.e., genotypic and phenotypic diversity) allows organisms to persist in novel environments, and the resulting effects on community and ecosystem functioning.

I currently conduct research on the following topics: chemical ecology, global climate change, insect behaviour, insect ecology, invasive species, mutualistic interactions, phenotypic plasticity See Home Page.

Temporary Assistant Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Reading University England, UK, 1999 (2002).

Research interests:

Plant pathology; fungal root disease of wheat (Gaumanomyces graminis)

Assistant Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Clemson University, 2001 (2004).

Research interests:

In a broad sense, I am interested in symbiotic associations between arthropods and microbes (bacteria, protozoa). My research examines the symbiosis between houseflies and bacteria for which they serve as mechanical vectors. The ultimate goal will be to elucidate factors (genetic, physiological, physical) that either promote, or deter, fly/bacteria symbioses and thereby affect overall vector potential. Current projects in my laboratory include surveys of wild-caught houseflies for pathogenic bacteria, and evaluating the role of the housefly immune system in microbial symbioses.
Please go to my home page to read more about my research interests, current lab members, and lab openings. See Home Page.

Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Biology, and Director Institute of Arthropodology & Parasitology. Ph.D., Univ. of Kansas 1962 (1969).

Research interests:

Reproductive physiology, ecology, host-parasite relationships and Lyme disease, and genetic studies on ticks and mites. See Home Page.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Bowling Green State Univ., 1974 (1988).

Research interests:

Avian ecology and physiology. Raptor biology, avian and mammalian visual mechanisms, avian bioenergetics, nutrition, and UV mechanisms in birds and insects. For the past decade we have been looking at the demographics and genetics of the threatened, Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco sparverius paulus) along the Coastal Plain of the southeastern U.S. We recently discovered the largest Southereastern Kestrel population in the state of Georgia (more than 275 breeding pairs), which is breeding in tubular 230kV transmission towers in central and, south-central Georgia. We also have been looking at the wintering ecology of American Kestrels, Baltimore & Bullock's Orioles, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Hermit Trushes, and Painted Buntings in the Coastal Plain.

last modified: 4/29/08
See Home Page.

Professor of Biology and Associate Dean of Faculty and Research, Ph.D., University of Miami, 1995 (2008).

Research interests:

My research looks at questions in plant population and community ecology, including 1) the application of stochastic matrix models in conservation management of rare and endangered species in GA and FL; 2) successional dynamics of forests subject to hurricane disturbance in the SE and Caribbean; 3) evolutionary ecology of sympatric species pairs in the SE; and 4) plant-pollinator interactions, from the individual to the community.
See Home Page.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Univ. of Florida, 1986. (1987).

Research interests:

Ecology, behavior and morphology of fiddler crabs; ecology of tropical reef fish. See Home Page.

Professor of Biology, Member IAP, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1984. (1991).

Research interests:

Parasites!
Effect of infection on host fitness and behavior
In vitro cultivation of digenetic trematodes
How environment and parasite behavior influence disease transmission
Blood parasites of wild mammals and birds
See Home Page.

Assistant Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Ph.D., University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1993. (1999).

Research interests:



Bacteriology and Molecular Biology
Molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis
Molecular systematics
Biology education research

Bacterial pathogenesis: We are working to elucidate regulatory pathways in the swine pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. A. pleuropneumoniae causes a severe form of swine pleuropneumonia that has a major impact on the pork production industry.


Molecular systematics: We are examining the biodiversity and biogeography of spiroplasma bacteria. Spiroplasmas are ubiquitous organisms that are often found in association with insects or plants, where they can cause diseases such as citrus stubborn or corn stunt.


Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: The Biology education research component of my program focuses on student learning in molecular biology.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 1991 (1993).

Research interests:

Reproductive biology, ecology and conservation biology of reptiles and amphibians. See Home Page.

Schulte, Bruce A.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., State University of New York - College of Environmental Science & Forestry, 1993 (1999).

Research interests:

Behavioral, chemical and foraging ecology of mammals especially beavers, elephants and manatees (communication & signal theory, reproductive behavior & sexual selection, forage selection & social dynamics, conservation biology). See Home Page.

Temporary Assistant Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 2008 (2008).

Research interests:

My personal research is focused on the behavior, ecology, and conservation of marine mammals, with expertise in the Order Sirenia. More generally, I am interested in the use of Marine Protected Areas, and other conservation strategies to protect coastal marine vertebrates and their habitats in developing countries. I work collaboratively with stakeholders and scientists around the world, most often in Belize, Ghana, and the Dominican Republic. See Home Page.

Department Chair, Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Univ. of Wisconsin, 1988 (1990).

Research interests:

My research is primarily targeted at the behavior, ecology and conservation of fishes. However, I have broad interests in interspecific interactions not targeted at a specific taxonomic group. Currently, I am studying the reproductive behavior of certain species of U.S. minnows. I am particularly interested in how species-specific behavior contributes to community patterns and to our understanding of problems in conservation biology. See Home Page.

Professor of Biology, Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1990. (1994).

Research interests:

Plant evolutionary ecology. The relative importance of genetic and ecological factors in biological invasions. The role of mutualistic and antagonistic forces in shaping reproductive strategies in plants.

Faculty advisor to SAGE (Student Alliance for a Green Earth).

See Home Page.

Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University

last modified: 10/29/08