Current Graduate Students

• Katherine Drotos PhD (2015 - ). A genomic perspective on the lichenisation of fungal species. Co-supervised with T. Ryan Gregory
• Alexandre Loureiro PhD (2019 - ) Rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) diversity, thermal tolerance, and thermoregulating adaptations along a neotropical elevational gradient
• Amanda Semenuk MSc (2020 - ) Consumption of Yellow Salamanders by Pitcher plants in Algonquin Park. 
• Anibal Castillo PhD (2022 - ) Evaluating leaf litter arthropod communities via the leaf litter (co-supervised with Dirk Steinke)
• Natalie Houde MSc (2020 - ) Estimating frog diets via fecal DNA metabarcoding (co-supervised with Dirk Steinke)

Completed Graduate Students

• Ariel Levitsky MSc (2010 - 2013). Melissotarsus insularis: cryptic species and co-diversification in Madagascar.  Thesis. 
• Connor Warne MSc (2010 - 2013). Neotropical Ant Community Structure and Diversity along an Elevation Gradient Thesis.
  • ​Warne, CW, Hallwachs W, Janzen DW and Smith M. Alex. Functional and genetic diversity changes through time in a cloud forest ant assemblage. Biotropica https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12882​
• Fiona Tsoi MSc (2011 - 2013). Breeding system, dispersal and mtDNA within Malagasy Formicidae. Thesis.
• Thanushi Eagalle MSc (2012 - 2014). Latitudinal diversity and morphometric gradients in parasitoid wasps. Thesis.
  • ​Thanushi Eagalle, M. Alex Smith,. Diversity of parasitoid and parasitic wasps across a latitudinal gradient: Using public DNA records to work within a taxonomic impediment. FACETS. 2(2): 937-954. https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2016-0061
• Kate Pare MSc (2013 - 2015). Collembola diversity on a neotropical elevational gradient. Thesis. 
• Aaron Fairweather MSc (2014 - 2016). How is Ant Diversity Impacted by Anthropogenic Disturbance? Thesis. 
  • Aaron D. Fairweather, Jake H. Lewis, Laura Hunt, Donald F. McAlpine, M. Alex Smith "Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Rockwood Park, New Brunswick: An Assessment of Species Richness and Habitat," Northeastern Naturalist, 27(3), 576-584, (27 August 2020)
• Sarah Dolson MSc (2016 - 2018) Staphylinid community structure across a neotropical elevation gradient. Thesis.
• Chris Ho MSc (2014 - 2019). Impacts of forestry on spider (Araneae) diversity, abundance, and community structure. Thesis. 

Undergraduate Students

2021/23

• ​Emily Thouless (BIOL*4500). Thermal tolerance of ant species in old field/forest ecotone

2020/21

• ​Almeera Ahmed (BIOL*4500). Thermal tolerance of ant species in old field/forest ecotone

2019/20

• ​Taya Venart Johnson (IBIO*4510). Thermal tolerance and activity for five sympatric ant species in Ontario.
• Amanda Semenuk (IBIO*4510) Carnivorous plants, arthropods and salamanders: space and stable isotopes.
• Ida Ostovar (IBIO*4510). Thermal tolerance of Staphylinidae across a forest/field ecotone.
• Josh Molengraff (IBIO*4510). Thermal tolerance of Araneae across a forest/field ecotone.
• Mohamed Elmankabady (BIOL*3660). SEM analysis of elytral microstructure of neotropical Staphylinidae.

2018/19

• Julianna Alaimo - (IBIO*4510, work study) How does abundance and diversity of staphylinids differ among three neotropical stratovolcanoes in Northwestern Costa Rica?
• Peter Gec (IBIO*4510) Comparing and contrasting arthropod biodiversity among remediated gravel quarries: What relationship is there to topsoil chemical characteristics?
• Francesco Scanga (IBIO*4500). How does temperature influence the foraging behavior of the winter ant (Prenolepis imparis)
• Danny McIsaac (IBIO*4510, work study) Tapinoma sessile cryptic species
• Mohamed Elmankabady (CBS summer internship – merit based scholarship) - SEM analysis of elytral micro-structure of neotropical Staphylinidae

2017/18

• Lauren Janke - Testing the thermal melanism hypothesis with Neotropical Staphylinidae along an elevation gradient
• Rebecca Smith - Pheidole spinesence along a neotropical elevational gradient. 
• Bailey Bingham - Does the thermal melanism hypothesis explain Collembola colour along a neotropical elevation gradient
• Tommy Do - Work Study
• Julianna Alaimo - Work Study

2016/17

• Elyssa Loewen (ENVS*4300). Functional diversity of Neotropical Staphylinidae along an elevation gradient
• Lauren Stitt (IBIO*4510). Diversity of Isopoda across an elevational gradient

2015/16

• Sarah Dolson (IBIO*4500/4510). Diversity of Neotropical spiders along an elevation gradient
• Kelsey Jones (ENVS*4300). Diversity of Staphylinidae across an elevational gradient
• Ellen Richard (IBIO*4510) Millipede diversity in Algonquin Park
• Natasha Welch (IBIO*4510) Ant diversity in New Brunswick protected areas.
• Rachel Trigatti (volunteer)
• Ellen Richard (work study)
• Natasha Welch (volunteer)
• Chelsie Xavier-Blower (work study)
• Cristina Garrido Cortes (work study)
• Simonne Clout (volunteer)
• Izzy Deutsch - volunteer
• Eryk Matczak (volunteer)
• Erin McKlusky (volunteer)
• Scott Rieder (volunteer)
• Ceilidh Brennan (volunteer)
• Alana Tallman (volunteer)
• Charlotte Burke (volunteer)
• Gabriel Levac (volunteer)
• Madeline Edmonds (volunteer)
• Marcel Van Heijst (volunteer)
• Michael Livingston (volunteer)
• Morgan Martin (volunteer)

2014/15

• Alannah Biega – (IBIO*4500/4510).  Salt limitation on an elevational gradient in ACG
• Cassie Russell – (IBIO*4500/4510).  How forestry in Algonquin Park affects beetle phylogenetic diversity
• Alice Pintaric – (IBIO*4500/4510).  Cryptic species of Camponotus in Madagascar.
• Chelsie Xavier-Blower (volunteer)
• Sarah Dolson (volunteer)
• Cristina Garrido Cortes (volunteer)
• Natasha Welsh (volunteer)
• Ellen Richard (volunteer)
• Simonne Clout (volunteer)
• Crysta Stubbs (volunteer)
• Rachel Trigatti (volunteer)
• Rachel Wood (volunteer)
• Elyssa Loewen (volunteer)
• Kayla MacNeil (volunteer)
• Kathleen Lalor (volunteer)
• Jesse Wolf (volunteer)
• Gabriel Levac (volunteer)
• Carolyn Trombley (volunteer)
• Izzy Deutsch (volunteer)

2013/14

• Hayley Cahill – (IBIO*4521/4522). Adelomyrmex diversity within ACG cloud forest.
• Jessmyn Niergarth – (IBIO*4521/4522). The Effect of Larval Type on Molecular Evolutionary Rates
• Sydney Frank – (IBIO*4500/4510).  Algonquin park Lepidopteran diversity
• Aaron Fairweather – (IBIO*4500/4510). Algonquin park Formicidae diversity
• Kelsie Paris – (IBIO*4510). Algonquin park parasitoid diversity
• Amelia Chan – (IBIO*4510). Algonquin park spider diversity
• Meike Corriveau – (IBIO*4510). Bergmann's and Allen's rule along a neotropical elevational gradient
• Daniel Gibson – IBIO*4510). Aphid:plant specificity in Churchill
• Tim Dance (volunteer)
• Thomas Morgan (volunteer)
• Mieke Corriveau  (volunteer)
• Amelia Chan (volunteer)
• Kelsie Paris (volunteer)
• Allison Sawyer (volunteer)
• Alice Pintaric (volunteer)
• Eric Jolin (volunteer)
• Chelsie Xavier-Blower (volunteer)
• Sarah Doloson (volunteer)
• Morgan Piczak (volunteer)
• Cassie Russell (volunteer)
• Kristina Deenik (volunteer)
• Michaela Cruz (volunteer)

2012/13

• Megan McPhee – (IBIO*4521/4522). ACG spider diversity with elevation.
• Tyler Schmitt – (IBIO*4521/4522).  Algonquin park Hemipteran diversity
• Morgan Roblin – (IBIO*4521/4522). Algonquin park Coleopteran diversity
• Kate Pare – (IBIO*4521/4522). Algonquin park arthropod diversity with cut age
• Sean Espinola: work study
• Sydney Frank (volunteer)
• Beverly McClenaghan (volunteer)
• Tim Dance (volunteer)
• Idean Golzari (volunteer)
• Thomas Morgan (volunteer)
• Nick Koss (volunteer)
• Cole Anderson (volunteer)
• Mieke Corriveau  (volunteer)
• Ester Suen (volunteer)
• Amelia Chan (volunteer)
• Candice Jahani Aval (volunteer)

2011/2012

• Paulson des Brisay: (IBIO*4521/4522). Paulson investigated the phylogeographic structure of the transcontential ant, Tapinoma sessile. (Supervisor)
• Heather Coatsworth: Undergraduate Research project (IBIO*4501).  Heather tested whether host tissue could be amplified and identified from the guts of Eucharitidae parasitoids. (Supervisor)
• Devin Fischer: Undergraduate Research project (IBIO*4501). Devin tested how the ant fauna changed within a full year between the Dairy Bush field and forest habitats.
• Heather Coatsworth : work study
• Sean Espinola: work study
• Megan McPhee: work study
• Morgan Roblin: work study
• Sara Kuiper: work study
• Jon Spero: work study
• Thanushi Eagalle (volunteer)
• Alex Sutton (volunteer)
• Tyler Schmitt (volunteer)
• Megan McPhee:  Summer 2012. Megan received one of the CBS Summer Undergraduate Research Scholarships and is working on the Costa Rican ant community and climate change project funded by NSERC.
• Tyler Schmitt: worked on the Algonquin terrestrial arthropod diversity project.
• Thanushi Eagalle: worked on the Algonquin terrestrial arthropod diversity project.
• Amanda Boyd: worked on the Algonquin terrestrial arthropod diversity project.
• Morgan Roblin : worked on the Algonquin terrestrial arthropod diversity project.
• Sean Espinola worked on the Costa Rican ant community and climate change project.
• Kate Pare volunteered on the Costa Rican ant community and climate change project

2010/2011

• Kayleb Smith: (IBIO4521/4522). Kayleb documented the effects of Wolbachia on the cryptic diversity of parasitoid wasps in Costa Rica and Canada.
• Vincent Belluz: ( IBIO4521/4522). Vincent tested whether host insects can be determined by amplifying the gut-contents of the adult parasitoid wasps.
• Rebecca Morton: (MCB4510). Rebecca tested the efficacy of a COI-only phylogeny when compared to other multi-gene phylogenies from the literature.
• Fiona Tsoi (work study student). Imaging and measuring ants of Area de Conservacion de Guanacaste - Costa Rica.  Fiona is now one of my graduate students.
• Jennifer Rouselle (undergraduate work study student). Imaging ants of Area de Conservacion de Guanacaste - Costa Rica
• Lauren van Patter: Undergraduate Research assistant.  Summer 2009, Fall/Winter 2009/10, Summer 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2011.  Lauren works on the Costa Rican ant community and climate change project.
• Heather Coatsworth: NSERC USRA, Summer 2011.  Heather works on the Costa Rican ant community and climate change project.
• Lauren Van Patter: Lauren works on the Costa Rican ant community and climate change project.
• Caitlin van der Meer: Summer 2011. Caitlin is working on the Algonquin Park and Dairy Bush biodiversity projects funded by GEL2.
• Sandra McCubbin:  Summer 2011. Sandra received one of the CBS Summer Undergraduate Research Scholarships and is working on the Algonquin Park and Dairy Bush biodiversity projects funded by GEL2.
• Chris Fruetel: Summer 2011.  Chris worked on the Dairy Bush and Algonquin Park arthropod biodiversity projects (Neil Rooney SES co-supervisor)
• James Hall: Summer 2011.  James worked on the Dairy Bush and Algonquin Park arthropod biodiversity projects.(Neil Rooney SES co-supervisor