Dr. Dorset W. Trapnell 706-542-6506 dorset@uga.edu Link to CV Department of Plant Biology University of Georgia Athens, Georgia 30602 706-542-6506 Graduate Students Patrick A. Smallwood patrick.smallwood25@uga.edu I am interested in orchids. Specifically the seemingly paradoxical observation of individuals being able to produce 10,000s - 100,000s of wind dispersed seeds in a single fruit, yet many terrestrial populations are often small and highly fragmented across the landscape. Focal questions include what limits recruitment within populations, what limits the ranges of orchid species, to what degree are populations connected through geneflow, and what are the historic patterns of migration. On a more broad level I am interested in how environmental factors limit migration and ranges within plant species. Piotr T. Tuczapski piotr.tuczapski25@uga.edu My research interests comprise fields of Molecular Ecology, Phylogenetics, and Population Genetics. It is known that orchids rely on mycorrhizal fungi for growth, especially at the early stage of life, i.e. seed germination. However, how specific is this interaction? Do different orchids have different sets of fungal partners? Is it possible that related orchids partner with distinct fungal communities? Finally, could it allow orchids to co-occur? In my dissertation research I am interested in mycorrhizal associations of the sympatric epiphytic miniature orchids of genus Lepanthes in Costa Rica. More precisely, my work involves estimating specificity of orchid-fungal interaction and its potential role in orchid co-occurrence and niche partitioning. Undergraduates Former Graduate Students Dr. Tyler R. Kartzinel tyler_kartzinel@brown.edu Tyler is as Assistant Professor of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at Brown University. Research in the Kartzinel lab focuses on conservation biology and is enriched by perspectives ranging from community ecology to genomics. The lab’s research combines ecological field experiments and surveys with molecular laboratory approaches to better understand where species live, who they interact with, and what conservation challenges they face. The overarching goal of this research is to identify policy relevant solutions for the protection of biodiversity and the environment in a changing. Dr. Graham E. Wyatt wyattge@gmail.com Graham is currently an Assistant Professor of Biology at Oglethorpe University. Graham's research was focused on understanding how genetic diversity of pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is partitioned within and among natural populations throughout its range in North America. It has long been thought that pawpaw, which is valued for its flavorful fruit, was dispersed long distances by indigenous humans long before the arrival of Europeans. Graham used microsatellite markers and chloroplast sequencing to understand the phylogeography and population genetics of this charismatic species and to test hypotheses regarding anthropogenic post glacial maximum range expansion. Graham is currently an Assistant Professor Of Biology at Oglethorpe University.
