Rob Denton
Rob is a scientist and teacher. He was born and raised in central Indiana, but has worked at Eastern Kentucky University (MS), Ohio State University (PhD), the University of Connecticut (Postdoctoral Researcher), and the University of Minnesota Morris (Assistant Professor). He is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Marian University Indianapolis. He enjoys being outside, playing/watching ice hockey, and chasing around his two sons.
Mike Itgen (2022-)
Mike is a postdoctoral researcher working on mitonuclear evolution in the unisexual polyploid salamanders. Mike received his PhD in 2022 from Colorado State University working on genome and cell size evolution in Plethodon salamanders. In 2023, he was awarded a prestigious NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to focus on how polyploidy influences salamander development. Outside of work, he enjoys biking and watching ice hockey. If we are lucky, he brings the lab homemade candy.
Jessie Castetter (2024-)
Jessie began working in the lab at the end of her freshman year and is set on entering medical school to pursue internal medicine. Jessie has contributed to almost every project in the lab, from conducting treadmill experiments to molecular lab work to working in collaborators’ labs elsewhere. Outside of work, she enjoys playing guitar, reading, and painting.
Gabi Bilbrey (2024-)
Gabi showed interest in working in the lab during the first week of student orientation and hasn’t looked back. She is the lead animal care technician in the lab, helping with numerous projects on campus and at collaborating labs across the country. Gabi has a lifelong passion for herpetology and is pursuing her dream of becoming a professional herpetologist.
Isaac Masquelier(2024-)
Isaac started after his freshman year at Marian, jumping right into a summer of laboratory and computational work, including developing new projects in the lab in collaboration with scientists at Colorado State University. After his undergrad, he plans on pursuing a PhD-MD and specializing in pathology. Outside of the classroom and lab, Isaac enjoys playing basketball and video games.
Bethanie Majewski (2023-)
Bethanie joined the lab as a junior Biology major with a minor in Pastoral Leadership. Previously, Bethanie participated in environmental research with birds as part of an NSF REU. She earned a Marian Summer Scholars award in 2024 and developed her own project measuring locomotor performance in salamanders . She enjoys reading, crafts, and hiking in her free time.
Xochitl Martin Geronimo (2023-)
Xochi is a double major in Biology and Chemistry with a minor in Computer Science. She loves coffee, plants, and spending time with family. Xochi plans on going to graduate school and becoming a research scientist. Right now, she is using her skills to contribute to both laboratory and bioinformatics projects. Xochi has been influential at Marian by being a vocal advocate for Latinos in science.
Hailey Ready (2023-)
Hailey joined us as a sophomore biology major, with minors in both math and creative writing. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running, and all things theatre! She currently helps out with many projects, but she’s particularly interested in those relating to zoology and conservation. Hailey loves Hellbender salamanders– if you’re not familiar, she will encourage you to check them out!
Tamyra Hunt (2022-)
Tamyra joined the lab as a sophomore biology major, also minoring in Public Health. She has worked on a variety of projects, including measuring salamander metabolic rates at Iowa State University and contributing towards the analysis of RNAseq data. She was a Marian Summer Scholar in 2024. In her free time, Tamyra enjoys painting.
Linet Rivas-Moreno (2022-)
Linet joined the lab as a sophomore majoring in biology and minoring in global studies, and she is a 2022 Summer Scholar. She plans to go to medical school after graduating from Marian University to pursue a career goal of being a Diagnostic Radiologist. Currently, she works on the Chiricahua leopard frog conservation project and helps with salamander projects. She enjoys reading, baking, and being outdoors.
Parker Woodward (21-23)
Parker joined the lab as a junior biology major at MU, and he worked on a variety of salamander projects in the lab. Parker was also involved in long term monitoring of box turtles at Marian’s Nina Mason Pulliam EcoLab. He was clearly the best angler on the team.
Lynn Tan (22-23)
Lynn started in the lab as a junior biology and chemistry major at Marian University. Lynn worked on our activities related to the NSF salamander grant. When not feeding salamanders, she enjoys travelling and video games. Lynn graduated in winter 2023 and is preparing for medical school.
Caleb Beimfohr (22-23)
Caleb was a senior biology and chemistry major and worked on the Chiricahua Leopard Frog Project. Caleb enjoyed learning how to use computers to answer biology questions and was an important part of working out molecular lab protocols in our lab. He held the title of “unofficial lab photographer” due to his photog skills. Caleb worked as a researcher at Eli Lilly here in Indianapolis and recently began his PhD at the Indiana University.
Bridget Stratman (21-22)
Bridget is a biology major planning on Veterinary School after graduation. She’s worked on salamander projects in the lab an learned new molecular techniques. She is a member of the MU Women’s Soccer team and enjoying baking and hiking with her dogs (Winnie pictured here).
Formerly at the University of Minnesota Morris:
Regan Anderson (21)
Regan is a senior biology major at UMN Morris planning to get a masters degree in genetic counseling. Regan was funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and working on research about conservation of the Chiricahua Leopard Frog.
Raina Cardwell (21)
Raina was a Biochemistry Major at the UMN Morris who is heavily interested in genetics. She was funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to work on frog conservation genetics project during the summer of 2021. In her free time, Raina can be found on a walk around town with her dog, Ari, or at a bonfire with friends. After graduation, Raina became an Environmental Scientist for the North Dakota Division of Air Quality.
Emily Olson (19-21)
Emily was a senior Bio major who worked on genotyping all-female salamanders from across the country. Emily was funded by the LSAMP initiative, and somehow survived working in the lab while also taking summer Chemistry. Emily was the undisputed team leader in pop culture trivia and a future medical doctor.
Fiona Herbert (20-21)
Fiona was a senior biology major who conducted a UMN UROP-funded study characterizing the skin microbiomes of polyploid and diploid salamanders. Fiona is interested in continuing her studies in microbiology during graduate school and is currently working as a research technician at the UMN Twin Cities campus.
Ryan Spry (20-21)
Ryan was a senior biology major who conducted a UMN UROP-funded study on estimating the usefulness of combining microsatellite loci with next generation sequencing. Ryan holds the current record for “most physically distant Zoom participant” (Florida).
Asia Kollie (20-21)
Asia joined the lab as a junior Biochemistry major with honors planning for medical school. Asia was supported by the LSAMP initiative during summer 2020 to work on bioinformatics training. Asia was one of the primary caretakers for our salamander collection, helped with microbiome lab work, and conducted her own study investigating the locomotor endurance of Ambystoma salamanders.
Mitakamizi Liberty (20-21)
Mit was a senior biology major who took part in the summer 2020 bioinformatics workshop sponsored by an NSF I-USE grant. Mit was one of the primary caretakers for the salamander collection and participated in conservation genetics work with Chiricahua Leopard Frogs. Mit also contributed to one of Morris’ coolest programs: the Anishinaabe language table.
Lena Preugschas (20-21)
Lena was a senior bio major with honors who took part in the summer 2020 bioinformatics workshop funded by a UMN Grant-In-Aid. Lena was one of the primary salamander caretakers and helping with salamander microbiome lab work. She also tackled her own independent study on the locomotor endurance of Ambystoma salamanders.
Catherine Drake (20-21)
Catherine worked in the lab during summer 2020 on various computational projects and was funded by a UMN Grant-In-Aid. She returned in spring 2021 to streamline our bioinformatics pipeline for assembling mitochondrial genomes. She is currently getting ready for medical school.
Tyler Kelly (20)
Tyler was a senior double major in biology and psychology who worked in the lab over the summer for our bioinformatics workshop. Tyler was funded by the LSAMP program and has returned to his research project in chemistry for fall 2020.
Bailey Kemp (19-20)
Bailey was a Larson Innovation in Science Scholar who worked on mitochondrial evolution in all-female salamanders. Bailey was a double major in Biology and English and former winner of the Mayo Clinic’s IMPACT Program. She went on to become a researcher in Anna Selmecki’s lab at UMN Twin Cities and is now a PhD student at UC-Davis.
McKenna Vininski (19-20)
McKenna developed gray treefrog species in MN as a system to ask questions about differences between polyploid and diploid animals. She was funded by a UMN UROP grant and as a Morris Academic Partner. When not working in the lab, McKenna was in the pool, calling into question whether she is indeed a terrestrial organism. McKenna went on to receive a Masters degree at the University of Nebraska Kearney.
Zach Seeman (19-20)
Zach was a senior Bio major interested in learning more about genetics and bioinformatics. He ran the wet lab work for our project on conservation genetics of Chiricahua Leopard Frogs. Zach now puts all that experience to work as a lab technician in the Twin Cities.
Katherine Novak (18-19)
Katherine was the inaugural member of the lab and the primary driver for transforming an unorganized mess into a functioning lab space. Katherine was funded by the UMN University Research Opportunities Program to work on the assembly of mitochondrial genomes from salamanders. She now works at the UMN Blood and Marrow Transplant Stem Cell lab. She holds the title for fastest human in the lab.