Long Term Research scientists, Postdocs, and technicians

Research Technician Kathy Hill 2004-2012 (above) and Postdoc David Marshall 2000-2018 (below), Former Postdoc and Current Collaborator, John Cooley (right)

 

Postdoctoral fellows

Elizabeth Wade (2014-2015) 

Now: Associate Professor & Chair of Biology, Curry College 

Ben Price (2011-2013)

Now: Curator, Natural History Museum, London, UK

Young June Lee (2007-2009) 

Now: Entomologist in CT

Francesco Frati (1995)

Now: Professor and former Chancellor U. Siena, Italy

https://www.dsv.unisi.it/en/research/research-areas/biodiversity-conservation-and-environmental-quality/evolutionary-and

Antonio Carapelli (1996)

Now: Professor U. Siena, Italy

https://docenti.unisi.it/it/carapelli

Eric Gordon 2018-2021

Now: Insect Agricultural Genomics Research Scientist

 Hong Liu (1994)

Marta Wells, Lab Manager (1992-1993)

 

Graduate students

Mark Stukel

PhD 2022

Now: Postdoc UC Davis, UC Riverside and California Department of Agriculture

https://markstukel.github.io/

Kate Nazario

MS 2017

NOW: Middleschool Teacher Waterbury, Connecticut

Diler Haji

MS 2019

Now: PhD Student UC Berkeleyt

https://whitemanlab.org/people/

Elizabeth Wade

PhD 2014

Now: Associate Professor and Department Head, Curry College.

https://www.curry.edu/directory/wade-elizabeth

Chris Owen

PhD 2013

NOW: Entomologist
Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA-ARS
& National Museum of Natural History

https://chris-owen.github.io/markdown-cv/

Geert Goemans

PhD 2016

After Simon Lab: Postdoc U. Connecticut Biodiversity Collections.

Steve Jordan

PhD 2001

NOW: Professor of Biology, Bucknell University

https://www.bucknell.edu/fac-staff/steve-jordan

Kathy Hill Victoria University Wellington,

MS 2004

Research Technician Simon Lab (see above)

Dan Vanderpool

2004

After Simon Lab: PhD U. Montana, McCutcheon Lab. Now: Researcher, Forest Service
National Genomics   Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservationhttps://research.fs.usda.gov/rmrs/centers/ngc

Jack Sullivan PhD 1995

Now: Professor, University of Idaho

https://www.uidaho.edu/people/j/a/jacks

Peter Arensburger PhD 1996-2001

Now: Professor of Biological Sciences, Cal Poly, Pomona. https://www.cpp.edu/faculty/parensburger/index.shtml

Thomas Buckley, Victoria University Wellington, PhD 1996-2000

Now: Principal Researcher and former Department Head, Entomology, Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand

https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/about-us/our-people/thomas-buckley

Maxi Polihronakis PhD 2008, Visiting from Henry Lab

After UCONN: Postdoctoral Associate, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Postdoctoral Project Scientist, University of California, San Diego Now: Sailing around the world.

Jadranka Rota PhD 2007, Visiting from Wagner Lab

Now: Museum Curator, Biologial Museum, U. Lund, Sweden.

https://portal.research.lu.se/en/persons/jadranka-rota/

MS 2019

NOW: Connecticut Department of Energy, and Environmental Protection, Land and Water Resources Division.

Karen Slon MS 2001

After UCONN: Taught Biology at a Private School in Washington State.

Undergratuates

Jefrin Thomas (REU)

As a 3rd year Biological Sciences Major I started working in the Simon lab during the spring 2018. My research focused on investigating the gut microbiomes of cicadas and the role of bacterial symbionts within them. I am specifically interested how bacterial symbionts change across hybrid zones and different habitats. I worked with New Zealand Kikihia species examining their gut microbiomes.

Alexandra Porczak

I am interested in the field of bioinformatics and its applications in phylogenetic research. By combining computer science, engineering, and systematic biology, I used mitochondrial DNA from the New Zealand Cicada species Maoricicada, along with recombinant DNA, to assemble, analyze, and compare cicada genomes.

Allegra Bargnesi

My research focused on the species Kikihia angusta and K. murihikua. My goal was to create a phylogeographical genealogy to study their relatedness and their geographical distribution throughout the South island of New Zealand and how this relates to past climate and geological changes.

Spencer Bennett

I started working in the Simon Lab as a third-year Environmental Science Major. I am interested in the intersection of science and policy, specifically climate policy. In 2021 I helped to map the emergence of Brood X periodical cicadas in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and performed educational outreach along the way. I became interested in Magicicada species because they are bioindicators of changing climates. Their juvenile growth cycle depends on, but not limited to, growing-season length, which we hypothesize can trigger an earlier emergence given significant climate warming.

Jason Vallionis (REU)

Honors Scholar

I investigated the gut microbiomes of closely related cicada species and their hybrids. Specifically, used metagenomic methods to characterize differences in gut microbiomes and to see if these differences correlate with habitat shifts in the hybrids. After graduating from UConn, I attended graduate school at the Universtiy of Rhode Island studying marine microbial ecology.

Diler Haji (REU)

Honors Thesis: “Developmental timing in the evolution of periodical cicada life cycles” (See MS thesis above.)

Diane Hassanieh

Diane Hassanieh aided in DNA extraction and amplification as well as sequence editing for samples discussed in “The periodical cicada four-year acceleration hypothesis revisited: Evidence for life cycle decelerations and an updated map for Brood V” by John Cooley et. al. 2018. She presented this research at a student competition for the CT Entomological Society as well as UConn’s annual Frontiers Undergraduate Research Poster Exhibition. She further aided in work such as DNA extraction and PCR for the continuation of a previous undergraduate’s thesis as well as other projects under the mentorship of Simon Lab graduate student Diler Haji.

Fajar Alam

As a Molecular and Cell Biology student I worked in The Simon Lab throughout the Spring 2018 semester. In collaboration with other Simon Lab researchers, I assisted in the extraction, sequencing and mounting of cicada species from Argentina. My interests revolve around the health applications of insects and many of the techniques I have learned in the Simon Lab will greatly benefit my future research endeavors in the health professions.

You can view all other former undergraduate students on our old website.