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Nicole Castaneda
Nicole Castaneda is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Biology at Indiana State University and is under the advisement of Dr. Diana Hews. Her research is focused on the parasite communities in the bats of Northeast Missouri, including the endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). She holds a B.S. in Organismal Biology from Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia, and an M.S. in Natural Resources from Auburn University. Her Master’s focused on the ecology of West Nile virus prevalence in Atlanta, Georgia. She has previously worked for the Audubon Society as a wildlife rehabilitator, and a veterinarian assistant at local small animal clinic in her hometown of Vienna, Virginia. Since coming to ISU, she has been very excited about learning and working with bats. She hopes to eventually work as a wildlife disease ecologist after her Ph.D. Outside of school and research, Nicole can be found hiking or exploring the outdoors with her dog Koda or playing inside with her three-legged black cat Yana.

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Jorgensen Marcus Jorgensen
Marcus Jorgensen is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Biology under the advisement of Dr. Diana Hews at Indiana State University. His research is focused on behavioral ecology and stress hormones of bats. He holds an M.S. in Biology from the University of Nebraska - Kearney and previously worked in the biopharmaceutical industry. Much of his previous industry experience concentrated on microbiology of small- and large-scale drug substance/drug product processes, environmental monitoring of classified cleanrooms, and high-throughput molecular assays for genetic-based consumables and platform machinery. The cause-and-effect anomalies in the world of animal behavior have motivated him to pursue a PhD, and he is eager to explore the world of bats. He is typically found outdoors on his small farm, where he raises honeybees, goats, and chickens with his wife and children.
Tousley Frankie Tousley
Frankie Tousley is a 2nd year M.S. student under the advisement of Dr. William Mitchell at Indiana State University’s Department of Biology. Frankie is wrapping up research on the conservation of synanthropic bats that roost in transportation structures (bridges and culverts). He spent approximately six years between his B.S. and M.S. degrees working as a seasonal bird and bat field researcher for a number of (mostly nonprofit-research) organizations. His broad research experience includes predictive species modeling (multi-scale), urban and fire ecologies, foraging ecology and movement studies, population monitoring, habitat use and activity monitoring, bird banding, mitigation projects, and 3D-printing applications in field biology. His specific interests moving forward involve ecoimmunology, anthropogenic effects on wildlife, and species sociality and networking - any combination of which he hopes to pursue in the future as a PhD student.
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Former Graduate Students

Elizabeth Beilke. Ph.D. 2022 Instagram
Meredith Hoggatt, MS transfered
Timothy Divoll, Ph.D. 2020
Francis Tillman, Jr., MS 2019
James Cox, III, MS 2019
Vanessa Rojas, Ph.D 2018
Robert Arndt, Ph.D. 2018
Scott Bergeson, Ph.D. 2017
Julia Hoeh, M.S. 2017
Caroline Byrne, M.S. 2015
Joey Pettit, Ph.D. 2015
Joey Weber, M.S. 2015
Lily Arias, Ph.D. 2014
Zach Kaiser, M.S. 2014
Kristina Hammond, M.S. 2013
Tara Thomson, M.S. 2013
Jenny Bodwell, M.S. 2012
Megan Caylor, M.S. 2012
Jason Damm, M.S. 2011
Nick Gikas, M.S. 2011
Nichole Oehler, M.S. 2011
Jared Helms, M.S. 2010
Jeremy Sheets, M.S. 2010
Justin Boyles, Ph.D. 2009
Christina Booher M.S. 2007
Daniel Judy, M.S. 2007
Amy (Fairbairn) Halsall, M.S. 2006
Brianne (Everson) Walters, M.S. 2005