Students, Interns, RAs
Research Associate 2020-Present
Allison Bogisich (B.A. Whitman College; M.S. University of San Francisco) is a Research Technician at the Memphis Zoo. She has broad interests in genetics and heredity and has conducted phylogenetic work on puddle frogs from Myanmar. Her research at the zoo primarily focuses on amphibian reproduction, captive-breeding, conservation translocations and post-release monitoring for dusky gopher frogs. Her overall research goal is to find differences between captive-bred and naturally breeding amphibian populations in order to better optimize conservation efforts that aim to protect species from going extinct in the wild.
Jenn Terry
Ph.D. Student 2021-Present
Jen Terry (B.A. Bucknell University; M.S. Arkansas State University, 2021) is a Ph.D. student at Arkansas State University and is co-advised by Dr. Neuman-Lee and Dr. Virginie Rolland. Jen's Master's thesis examined physiological tradeoffs in red-eared sliders and part of her Ph.D. project will be examining the turtle population at the Memphis Zoo.
See Jen's website for more information on her work.
Jamie Bolan
Research Intern 2023-Present
Jamie graduated from Macalester College in 2023 with a major in Biology and a minor in Music. She is particularly interested in studying frogs, and also has a background in genetics. Jamie eventually plans to return to graduate school to further her research in herpetology.
Madelyn Albritton
Research Intern 2023-Present
Madelyn graduated in 2023 from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Environmental Science and minors in Biology and Wildlife Habitat Management. Her particular interests are in studying the ecology and behavior of amphibians and reptiles. Madelyn plans on attending graduate school to pursue a masters degree.
Rylie Strasbaugh
Research Intern 2022
Rylie (B.S. The Pennsylvania State University, 2022) is a recent graduate of Penn State, with a degree in Wildlife & Fisheries Science and a minor in Biology. Her primary interests are herpetology and ornithology. Rylie hopes to gain valuable research experience and then head to graduate school to pursue a masters and, eventually, a PhD!
Tracey Malter
Research Intern 2022
Tracey is a recent graduate from Colorado State University (2021) with a major in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. She is particularly interested in captive breeding and release as a population management technique, and the long term effects it has on wild populations of endangered species.
Karen Candia
Research Assistant 2019-2022
Karen Candia (B.S. Rhodes College, 2020) has assisted on various ex situ and in situ projects in Dr. Poo's lab, including predator-prey behavior of frogs, pre-mature hatching behavior of frog eggs, captive-breeding of amphibians, and field monitoring of captive-released/reintroduced populations. She is primarily interested in animal behavior.
Tyler Tobias
Research Intern 2021
Tyler is currently a senior at Central Michigan University working on a double major in Environmental studies and Philosophy. Ty is originally from the southern region and is an outstanding student with a particular interest in amphibian and reptiles.
Tyler Pina
Research Intern 2021
Tyler graduated from University of Massachusetts Amherst (2022) with a major in Natural Resource Conservation. Tyler has a particular interest in aquatic systems and recognizes the importance of environmental stewardship, particularly in the light of inequalities between different communities.
Erin Monroe
Research Intern (High School) 2021
Erin graduated from St. Mary's Episcopal School in 2022. Erin’s summer internship at the Zoo is part of her senior year Honors Independent Research Study (HIRS) project, which pairs Memphis students with local organizations for summer internships. Erin is heading to University of Georgia for college.
Alyssa Hartzheim
Master's Student 2020-2022
Alyssa Hartzheim (B.S. North Carolina State University) is a Master's student in Dr. Lori Neuman-Lee's lab at Arkansas State University. Alyssa's thesis project examines the "Effect of Stress on the Innate Immune Response of Various Chelonian Species," part of which is conducted at the Memphis Zoo.
See Alyssa's website for more informaton on her work.
Catherine Carney
Student Intern (Middle School) 2022
Cat is a senior at Grace-St. Luke Episcopal School and did her senior internship at with Dr. Poo learning about zoo conservation programs and getting hands-on experience measuring and taking data for the critically endangered dusky gopher frog.
Past Lab Members
Kristin Hinkson
Research Technician
2016-2019
Rachel Snyder
Summer Research Intern
2018
Mariah Mack
Summer Research Intern
2020
Brittany Nunn
Summer Research Intern
2018
Maryella Cohn
Student Volunteer
2018-2021
Sankar Ananthanarayanan
Summer Research Intern
2017
Kameron Hall
Summer Research Intern
2019
Connor Leggett
Summer Research Intern
2017
Collaborators
Collaborating Institutions
USA
Biodiversity Collections Network (BCoN)
Arkansas State University
Rhodes College
Zoo Miami
Yale Peabody Museum
Zoo Atlanta
Duke Lemur Center
Oklahoma City Zoo
Science Museum of Minnesota
Brookfield Zoo
The Amphibian Foundation
The Nature Conservancy
Leadville National Fish Hatchery
CANADA
University of Windsor
MALAYSIA
Project Pterapus, Rimba
TAIWAN
Tunghai University
THAILAND
Sakaerat Environmental Research Station
ECUADOR
Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios
Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Field Assistants in Thailand 2010-2013
Upper dam pond
Upper dam pond
2013
Francesca Erickson
- M.S. student, Auborn University
Sara Mason
- Policy Associate, Duke University Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
Brad Nissen
- Fish & Wildlife Biologist at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Mike Collins
Mary-Ruth Low
- Senior Conservation Scientist, Rimba
End of field season photo shoot!
End of field season photo shoot!
2012
Joe Sherrock
- Assistant Preserve Manager, Center for Natural Lands Management
Jonathan Reinig
- Natural Resource Specialist, Riverside County Parks
Adair McNear
- MS student, North Carolina State University
(Watch Adair's awesome video of our field site in Thailand!)
Night out together.
Relaxing after a long field season
Night out together.
2011
Ashley Ragsdale
Hanna Jenkins
- Nature Reserve Warden at Thames Water
Tisha Jacques
- Wildlife Biologist/Vet Assistant
Picnic on the dam.
Picnic on the dam.
2010 (Bickford Lab Field Crew)
Samantha Fischer
- Resource Management Officer, Parks Canada
Anne Devan-Song
- Ph.D. Oregon State University
Rachel Cadwallader-Staub
- Board Manager & Senior Associate,
Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance
Charlene Yeong
- Conservation Veterinarian, Singapore Zoo