Office: SC 245Â Â |Â Â Phone: (859) 572-5300Â Â |Â Â E-mail:Â acostac@nku.edu
Dr. Acosta studies community ecology and populations of key species in aquatic ecosystems. His students have focused their research on applications to conservation science and resource sustainability. Dr. Acosta is currently studying invasive dynamics of crayfish, modeling fishing impacts on Caribbean lobsters, and documenting biodiversity patterns on coral reefs.
Office: SL 412Â Â |Â Â Phone: (859) 572-5415Â Â |Â Â E-mail: bowlingb2@nku.edu
Dr. Bowling's research interests focus on effective practices in genetics education, student misconceptions in genetics, and the incorporation of bioinformatics into genetics curricula. Some of her recent work has broadened into student success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs and initiatives to increase retention such as peer mentors and early undergraduate research opportunities.
Office: SC 150Â Â |Â Â Phone: (859) 572-1407Â Â |Â Â E-mail:Â boycer@nku.edu
A main area of Dr. Boyce's research centers around the effects of invasive woody plants, especially Amur honeysuckle. He's been examining how native plant communities recover after honeysuckle has been removed. He is also looking at how honeysuckle is responding to outbreaks of a native pathogen, honeysuckle leaf blight. Recently, Dr. Boyce extended his work to a recent invader, Callery (Bradford) pears, which has moved from yards to the wild. Another area of research centers around photosynthesis and water use by eastern red cedar, our only native evergreen tree. Measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence and sap flow show that carbon uptake is substantial outside of the growing season, which may explain why it can thrive in our region.
Office: SC 346Â Â |Â Â Phone: (859) 572-1965Â Â |Â Â E-mail:Â cooperjo@nku.edu
Dr. Cooper's research interests are centered around understanding the diversity, evolution, and physiological ecology of eukaryotic algae and their neighboring microbes in freshwater ecosystems. Additional projects include documenting and describing the diatom diversity of our local and regional watersheds. Dr. Cooper is in the process of curating and describing species from Ecuador housed in the ÁÔÓ¥ÌåÓýÖ±²¥ Diatom Herbarium collection.
Office: SC 344Â Â |Â Â Phone: (859) 572-6914Â Â |Â Â E-mail:Â curranc1@nku.edu
Dr. Curran's research is in understanding how environmental toxicants affect the brain, leading to deficits in learning and memory and altered behavior. Understanding how genetic differences (polymorphisms) affect susceptibility or resistance to environmental toxicants such as polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Office: SC 248Â Â |Â Â Phone: (859) 572-5733Â Â |Â Â E-mail: dahlem@nku.edu
Dr. Dahlem's research involves the discovery of new structural features of flesh flies to allow species level identifications of New World flesh flies and blow flies (Sarcophagidae & Calliphoridae) by morphological features. He has been exploring the use of stacked digital photography and 3-D scanning to render high quality photos or (potentially) 3-D models of key morphological features to help non-specialists accurately identify specimens of these flies. He provides identifications for researchers in other disciplines. For example, he is currently working to identify a group of flies reared as predators of turtle egg clutches in Wisconsin. Dr. Dahlem also provide identifications and information on flesh flies reared from human corpses at crime scenes for crime labs around the United States. He writes a column on new and interesting entomological research for the magazine American Entomologist, and has given numerous forensic entomology demonstrations for school groups, libraries, and museums.
Office: SC 148 Â |Â Â Phone: (859) 572-6637Â Â |Â Â E-mail: durtsche@nku.edu
Understanding how ectotherms (fish, amphibians, and reptiles) respond (physiologically) to varying ecological conditions, both biotic (invasive species) and abiotic (climate change), are drivers of the research questions addressed in Dr. Durtsche's lab. All of his research activities involve undergraduates collaborators. Current research topics include: 1) testing potential climate change impacts on the metabolism of Kentucky stream fishes; 2) monitoring the effects of invasive plant control on native amphibian and reptile populations; and 3) developing digital imaging tools to determine the nutritional quality of macroinvertebrates for use in ecological models of drift foraging by fish.
Office: SC 253Â Â | Â Phone: (859) 572-1542 Â | Â E-mail: ghoshroys1@nku.edu
Dr. Ghosh Roy’s research interest is in understanding the impacts of human-induced stresses on aquatic ecosystems using bioindicators. Some of the stress factors she has investigated are - nutrients from agricultural pollutants, metals from industrial contaminations, or antibiotics from human consumption. Currently, Dr. Ghosh Roy is working on a research project aimed at identifying potential bioindicators or bio remediators (specifically for metals and antibiotics) in a waste-water treatment plant in Kentucky.
Office: SC 247Â Â | Â Phone: (859) 572-5305Â Â |Â Â E-mail: hopfenspek1@nku.edu
Dr. Hopfensperger began her career focused on using science to better understand our ecosystems and manage our environment for multiple stakeholder needs. This work focused on investigating feedbacks between plant communities and ecosystem processes, such as nutrient cycling, and how these dynamics change with human influences. Her current work also includes invasive species and terrestrial habitats. Her research hinges on working with many partners and disciplines to make our region more sustainable, equitable, and healthy for all. For her, the icing on the cake is getting to share all of this with ÁÔÓ¥ÌåÓýÖ±²¥ students - to get them in the trenches working on real environmental issues with real organizations in the space we all live, work, and play.
Office: SC 244 Â | Â Phone: (859) 572-5277Â Â |Â Â E-mail: mesterj1@nku.edu
Dr. Mester's research interests are in stopping disease causing microbes in their tracks by developing novel vaccines and antimicrobial treatments. Creating healthy foods and beverages via microbial fermentation.
Office: SC 343 Â |Â Â Phone: (859) 572-6929Â |Â Â E-mail: oluochs1@nku.edu
Dr. Oluoch's research interests pivot around applying quantitative methods such as stated preferences, revealed preferences, econometrics, and modelling to answer key environmental concerns spanning both urban and rural societies, in both developing and developed world contexts. His research focus strives to integrate practical environmental science and management approaches to key research questions on energy transition, renewable energy, energy security, and environmental justice. Dr. Oluoch is specifically interested in exploring how to integrate public perspective in the development of environmental policies. His main emphasis is to develop linkages in academic and research endeavors in the subject areas of sustainability science with a strong emphasis on human-environmental interactions, climate risks and responses, species conservation and natural resource management.
Office: SC 254 Â | Â Phone: (859) 572-6674Â Â |Â Â E-mail: parkera10@nku.edu
Dr. Parker is an eco-epidemiologist, which means she studies the intersection between ecology and disease. Her research focuses on mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit in human-dominated landscapes. Since we do not have vaccines for many of the viruses spread by mosquitoes, controlling mosquito populations is the best way to prevent diseases transmission. She looks at how mosquito species distribution and abundance varies based on how humans have altered the environment and how humans knowledge, attitudes, and mosquito control practices affect potential for mosquito-borne diseases to spread. Dr. Parker then uses this information to create outreach tools to work to reduce mosquito populations. Her research allows her to work with her community partners and the public.
Office: FH 359D Â |Â Â Phone: (859) 572-5188 Â |Â Â E-mail: robertsonde@nku.edu
Dr. Robertson's research interests are broad. She has worked in both a marine environment on spiny lobster populations, and now on milkweed population recovery and management. The underlying theme is research at the population level regardless of the environment. she has and continues to explore the success of populations by better understanding population size over time, reproduction, growth and success of a population in the context of the greater environment in which they live. Her current research focuses on understanding the success of milkweed as this species of flowering plant is tied to the success of Monarch butterfly populations. Dr. Robertson is working with colleagues and students to better understand restoration and management impacts on the success of milkweed. They are also working to develop a sampling system using drone photography and GIS to map milkweed in restored areas over time and keep better track of population sizes and densities. Their goal is to promote better restoration and management of milkweed in hopes of positively impacting Monarch butterfly populations.
Office: SC 354Â Â |Â Â Phone: (859) 572-5303Â Â |Â Â E-mail: sarchetb1@nku.edu
Dr. Sarchet researches water balance: aquatic vs. terrestrial environments; thermoregulation and energetics: ectotherms vs. endotherms; applications of logic in the scientific method: the roles of inductive and deductive logic; metaphysics and epistemology: how knowledge of the physical world is acquired, understood and applied; and the crossroads of ethics and science.
Office: FH 359GÂ Â |Â Â Phone: (859) 572-5933Â Â |Â Â E-mail: schultheisp@nku.edu
Dr. Schultheis uses molecular biology tools to study the function of P-type transport ATPase proteins. Most recently, using a mouse model, he has shown that mutations in ATP13A2 (PARK9) are associated with Kufor-Rakeb Syndrome, a rare genetic form of Parkinson’s disease, and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, a lysosomal storage disorder.
Office: SC 347Â Â |Â Â Phone: (859) 572-1409Â Â |Â Â E-mail: shifleye1@nku.edu
As a developmental biologist, Dr. Shifley is interested in understanding how organs develop in the early vertebrate embryo and she uses the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, as a model organism. Her research is focused on discovering and understanding the genetic signals that coordinate proper development. Even during early stages of development, embryonic tissues become differentiated from one another and eventually undergo morphogenesis to form the organs of the adult body. These tissues are guided by different molecular signals instructing them to differentiate into the various organs. Dr. Shifley's research is focused on discovering and understanding how these genetic signals coordinate proper embryonic development. This research is important because it can help explain why certain birth defects occur and it can help inform research aimed at directing stem cells into specific lineages for therapeutic purposes.
Office: SC 204EÂ Â |Â Â Phone: (859) 572-6635Â Â |Â Â E-mail: stromee1@nku.edu
Dr. Strome's research is in studying genes involved in regulating genome
stability. Her lab works to utilize the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae and create gene mutations to identify roles in instability. Aneuploidy assays, looking for abnormal chromosome numbers, allows them to view mutations and their roles in this cancer-associated phenotype. Their goal is to discover genes whose human homologs might be studied for their roles in cancer incidence.
Office: SC 246Â Â | Â Phone: (859) 572-5301Â Â |Â Â E-mail: thompsone1@nku.edu
