Dr. Tracy Langkilde
Principle Investigator
Professor and Head
Department of Biology
208 Mueller Lab, University Park, PA
814-867-2251
tll30(at)psu(dot)edu
Curriculum Vitae
Tracy is a Professor and Head of the Department of Biology. She received her PhD from the University of Sydney (Dr. Rick Shine, advisor), and did her postdoctoral work at Yale as a Donnelley Environmental Fellow (Dr. David Skelly, postdoc mentor). Tracy is interested how interactions between organisms shape their ecology, and in understanding the mechanisms and consequences of of population-level responses to global environmental change.
Research Associates
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Dr. Tom Adams
Tom has a background in aquatic ecology and a recent research focus on root ecology. He has recently joined the Langkilde Lab. We are excited about having his fresh perspective, and using his strong background in field ecology to strengthen our diverse research portfolio. |
Postdoctoral Fellows
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Dr. Kirsty MacLeod
Kirsty completed a PhD under the supervision of Professor Tim Clutton-Brock at the University of Cambridge, looking at helper investment in offspring through allonursing in the Kalahari meerkat. More recently, she held a post-doctoral research associate position also at the University of Cambridge, working with Dr Rose Thorogood to investigate how dietary supplementation might influence maternal reproductive strategies. Kirsty is currently a postdoctoral scholar, investigating effects of maternal stress in fence lizards on maternal and offspring behavior and survival. |
Graduate Students
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Catharine Pritchard Cate is interested in how physiological condition influences population dynamics, habitat selection, and behavioral time budgets in wild mammals. She completed a MSc in Biology from the University of Oregon, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology under Dr. Alan Shanks before starting a PhD examining the functional role of glucocorticoids in influencing habitat use and behavior in a heterogeneous landscape of risk, forage availability and forage quality in vicuñas in San Guillermo National Park, Argentina. |
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Cameron Venable Cam has conducted research on scent preferences of large mammals, ecology of Ameiva lizards across eco-regions in Puerto Rico, effects of decomposition of woody materials on small mammals, and ecological effects of large seabird colonies. He is examining how lizards deal with fire ants as novel toxic prey. He is completing his final field seasons examining why lizards eat toxic invasive fire ants given the fact that, well... they are toxic. |
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Caty Tylan Caty completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at Purdue. Caty is interested in comparative biology, immunology, and using science to inform the treatment of laboratory animals. For her PhD, Caty is applying her expertise gained at Vet School to addressing questions of basic and applied significance, including validating and optimizing immune assays for use in understanding the consequences of stress, among other things. |
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Dustin Owen
Dustin completed a MSc at Austin Peay State University, on the impacts of prescribed fire on the stress physiology of two sympatric snakes. His undergraduate work was on the physiological impacts of roads on copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix). For his PhD, Dustin is continuing research on stress physiology and its ecological implications, including the potential of females to match their offspring to prevailing environmental stress. He just completed his final field season examining metabolic consequences of maternal stress. |
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Braulio Assis Braulio completed a MSc at Adelphi University, investigating factors that determine sperm transfer in a highly sexually-dimorphic orb web spider. His PhD research examines the causes and consequences of male secondary traits in female lizards ("bearded ladies"). He is currently completing a large study to examine the hormonal causes and correlations of the development of female ornamentation, and test consequences of female ornamentation for offspring fitness. |
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David Ensminger David is interested in how challenges in the environment integrate into a physiological response in an organism, and how that response alters how the organism interacts with it's environment. He completed his MSc in Biology at Sonoma State University with Dr. Daniel Crocker studying stress physiology of elephant seals. He is currently working towards his PhD examining effects of maternal stress on the mother, eggs and resulting offspring in physiology, morphology, and behavior. |
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Michaleia Mead Michaleia joined the lab as an undergraduate researcher on projects to examine the effects of maternal stress in lizards, and of fire on rattlesnakes. She is currently working towards her MSc examining effects of fire on vernal pond communities. |
Undergraduate and Other Researchers
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Kristen Sprayberry Kristen joined the lab in fall 2016. She has assisted Caty Tylan with projects assessing immune function of lizards. Kristen has just completed an independent project investigating the effect of maternal stress on immune function using a PHA assay. |
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Richard Novak Richard joined the lab in fall 2016. He assisted on a project looking at rattlesnake gestation site use with Chris Howey. Richard is currently working on an independent research project on how macroinvertebrate communities in vernal pools are impacted by prescribed fire. Find out more about his research by reading his Blog post. |
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Heather Engler Heather joined the lab in summer 2016. She has been providing our lizards excellent care, and assisted on many projects including those testing the consequences of male-typical ornamentation in females, with Braulio Assis, and effects of maternal stress with Dustin Owen. Heather is currently undertaking an independent research project on whether the size of male post-anal scales are associated with other fitness-relevant traits. Find out about Heather's transition from accounting to biology by reading her Blog post. |
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Jennifer Heppner Jennifer is an undergraduate researcher. She spent the summer of 2016 assisting on a project examining effects of maternal stress, and is currently undertaking an independent research project for her Schreyer Honors Thesis assessing the effects of maternal stress on offspring performance (sprint speed and righting ability). |
Lab Alumni
Postdoctoral Fellows
Dr. Chris Howey - Assistant Professor, Scranton University
Dr. Gail McCormick - Communication Strategist, Eberly College of Science Communications Office, Penn State
Dr. Sean Graham - Assistant Professor, Sul Ross State University
Dr. Travis Robbins - Instructor, University of Nebraska, Omaha
Graduate Students
Dr. Chris Thawley - NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Rhode Island
Dr. Jennifer Tennessen - NOAA Postdoctoral Researcher (contractor)
Dr. Lindsey Swierk - Donnelley Fellow, Yale University
Dr. Brad Carlson - Assistant Professor, Wabash College
Dr. Renee Rosier - Assistant Professor, Penn State Wilkes Barre
Mrs. Kelly (Brossman) Malloy (MSc) - Biologist, PA Fish and Boat Commission
Lab Manager
Nicole Freidenfelds - high school teacher
Undergraduate Researchers
We have had over 40 undergraduates contribute to the research in the Langkilde lab. Without them, the lab would not be as productive, energetic, and inspired. Find out more about undergraduate research in the Langkilde Lab.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed, including Elexa Baron, Katie Boronow, Courtney Brenner, Alan Centi, Tommy Cerri, Dana Davis, Grace Dewitt, Jennifer Gerhart, Erica Green, Ashley Hallowell, Mark Herr, Hannah Herriott, Mike Hook, Lauren Horne, Steve Howarth, Aaron Jacobs, Dan Knapp, Andrew Watts, Jason Langshaw, Nisha Ligon, Justin Malloy, Nick Mayer, Shannen McGinley, Max Morgan, Abigail Myers, Lucas Nell, Marie Noah, Courtney Norjen, Jill Newman, Edward Owen, Alex Pianovich, Jett Peng, Matt Ridgway, Erik Schlaich, Brent Storm, Devin Tierney, Jasmyn Trent, Whitney Trompeter, Dayna Ukwuoma, Maria Urtecho, Jennie Williams, Boon Wong, and Cecilia Zemanek.
Dr. Chris Howey - Assistant Professor, Scranton University
Dr. Gail McCormick - Communication Strategist, Eberly College of Science Communications Office, Penn State
Dr. Sean Graham - Assistant Professor, Sul Ross State University
Dr. Travis Robbins - Instructor, University of Nebraska, Omaha
Graduate Students
Dr. Chris Thawley - NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Rhode Island
Dr. Jennifer Tennessen - NOAA Postdoctoral Researcher (contractor)
Dr. Lindsey Swierk - Donnelley Fellow, Yale University
Dr. Brad Carlson - Assistant Professor, Wabash College
Dr. Renee Rosier - Assistant Professor, Penn State Wilkes Barre
Mrs. Kelly (Brossman) Malloy (MSc) - Biologist, PA Fish and Boat Commission
Lab Manager
Nicole Freidenfelds - high school teacher
Undergraduate Researchers
We have had over 40 undergraduates contribute to the research in the Langkilde lab. Without them, the lab would not be as productive, energetic, and inspired. Find out more about undergraduate research in the Langkilde Lab.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed, including Elexa Baron, Katie Boronow, Courtney Brenner, Alan Centi, Tommy Cerri, Dana Davis, Grace Dewitt, Jennifer Gerhart, Erica Green, Ashley Hallowell, Mark Herr, Hannah Herriott, Mike Hook, Lauren Horne, Steve Howarth, Aaron Jacobs, Dan Knapp, Andrew Watts, Jason Langshaw, Nisha Ligon, Justin Malloy, Nick Mayer, Shannen McGinley, Max Morgan, Abigail Myers, Lucas Nell, Marie Noah, Courtney Norjen, Jill Newman, Edward Owen, Alex Pianovich, Jett Peng, Matt Ridgway, Erik Schlaich, Brent Storm, Devin Tierney, Jasmyn Trent, Whitney Trompeter, Dayna Ukwuoma, Maria Urtecho, Jennie Williams, Boon Wong, and Cecilia Zemanek.
