David R. Maddison
David became fascinated with the diversity of ground beetles when he was 15 years old, and has been discovering and documenting their species, and inferring their phylogeny and evolutionary patterns, ever since. His love is the genus Bembidion. He also is interested in theory of phylogenetic biology, and is coauthor of two widely-used phylogenetic software packages, MacClade and Mesquite. He was once a scientific illustrator, and hopes to be one again sometime. David’s blog and website is The Subulate Palpomere.
Graduate Students
Olivia F. Boyd
Olivia’s research focuses on understanding the evolution of a species-diverse tribe of tiny predatory ground beetles using DNA sequence data and morphology. Her broader research interests include microscopy, 3D image data, scientific illustration, and informal education/biodiversity outreach. Olivia is most inspired by the power of visual observation as a means to gain scientific insight, and she believes that the key to increasing public awareness and enthusiasm for science lies in its intersection with art.
LUCAS MORIMOTO
Lucas originally grew a love for Biology as a result of his childhood fascination with art and scientific illustrations. Fittingly, he is currently working on a graphic novel on the long history of research behind genus Lionepha and the prominent figures responsible for its development; a history beginning in the 1850s and spanning to modern day. While in the lab, he works on mounting beetles for the purposes of collection and display. He is pursuing a BS in Biology with an emphasis on Genetics. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games, Dungeons & Dragons, climbing, and watching cooking videos online.
Arden Smith
Arden has enjoyed a lifelong love of the natural world, insects, and other animals, and is working towards a BS in Zoology with a focus on entomology. Her passion for art has also led to an interest in scientific illustration, and she is currently working on a graphic novel about the exploration of subgenus Trepanedoris and the OSU course that led to the discovery of multiple new species. In the lab, she also assists in mounting beetle specimens for observation and display. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, hiking, and hanging out with her cat.
Undergraduate students
Lucy Martin
Lucy is an undergraduate student studying environmental science and ecology. She is thrilled to be a member of the Maddison Lab and to have the opportunity to explore fascinating topics related to insect biology. Currently, Lucy assists with PCR reactions and beetle mounting. Lucy is passionate about the outdoors, language learning and art. She also enjoys collecting funny-looking rocks, pine cones, sticks, etc while hiking and using them as decorations in her room.
Megan Hansen
More information about Megan coming soon!
Curtis Reeves
More information about Curtis coming soon!