Lab Members

Steven K. Schmidt

Principal Investigator

Steve is a microbial ecologist with a passion for soil, microbes, and mountains. He also imagines himself to be an explorer of remote and extreme places and is never happier than when he is far from the maddening crowd (or working in the garden).

email: steve.schmidt@colorado.edu

Pacifica Sommers

Postdoctoral Researcher

Pacifica's research interests are how predation, competition, and other species interactions determine biodiversity under different environmental conditions. Learn more about her work at Biodiversity: The Blog.

email: Pacifica.Sommers@colorado.edu
website: https://pacificasommers.com/

Cliff Bueno de Mesquita

Postdoctoral Researcher

Cliff conducted his doctoral research on plant-microbe interactions in alpine tundra and subnival environments. Specifically, he studies how microbes may facilitate plant colonization of unvegetated soils as climate warms and snow melts earlier. He is working in the Suding and Schmidt labs on the Moving Uphill project.

email: cliff.buenodemesquita@colorado.edu
website: http://cliffbueno.weebly.com/

Ruth E. Quispe Pilco

Visiting Graduate Student

Ruth is a M.S. student in the lab of Dr. Haydeé Montoya Terreros at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Peru. Her focus is on the study of cyanobacteria, particularly Nostoc sp., in High Andean ecosystems. She is investigating the strategies Nostoc may use to persist through global warming and climate change. Her research includes metagenomic analyses, experiments with UV radiation, and analyses of survival and pigment expression in Nostoc colonies.

email: ruthestefany.quispe@unmsm.edu.pe

Eli Gendron

PhD Candidate

Eli's current research focuses on gaining a broader understanding of high elevation aquatic microbial communities in the Colorado Rockies, and how they are structured by both abiotic and biotic interactions. His future goals are to improve our understanding of the interaction between the dispersal of microbial communities and the local selection pressures those communities are exposed to through their dispersal.

email: eli.gendron@colorado.edu

Lara Vimercati

PhD Candidate

Lara has a strong interest in astrobiology and her current research focus is on microbial diversity and adaptation to extreme environments considered to be potential analogs for habitable zones on extraterrestrial bodies, in particular high altitude and low latitude. She received both her Bachelor's and Master's degree in Biology at the University of Milano, Italy. Her research experience includes time spent at the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute and NASA Ames Research Center where she focused on radiation and desiccation resistant microorganisms. She has conducted fieldwork in a variety of different extreme environments, including the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Andes, Death Valley, and Antarctica.

CV: download
email: Lara.Vimercati@colorado.edu

Kim Vincent

PhD Student

Kim’s interest in the ecology of high-elevation aquatic organisms dates back to a career as a wildlife biologist with a variety of Federal agencies, specializing in research of special status, high-elevation toad species (e.g. the Yosemite toad, Wyoming toad, and boreal toad). She conducted her Master’s research at San Francisco State University demonstrating the substantial increase in toxicity of glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) to western toad tadpoles when “inert ingredients” are added to the herbicide formulation, but curiosity remained on how the herbicides were affecting other non-target organisms. Returning to CU Boulder for her doctoral research, Kim is currently researching how run-off from the terrestrial environment affects aquatic microbial communities, including herbicides and plant based organic matter. Are you curious who thrives and who is pushed out by the increased hydrocarbons to the system? Stay tuned to find out.

email: kimevincent@gmail.com

Adam J. Solon

PhD Student

Adam investigates microbial community assembly and succession across a spectrum of environments, including some of Earth’s coldest and driest extremes. Currently, he is exploring the impact of herbicides on the composition and structure of soil microbial communities, as well as the effects of water and nutrient availability on extremophile communities of glacial valleys and arid volcanoes. His studies utilize observational and experimental work with soils from grasslands of the United States, glacial watersheds of the Peruvian Andes, mountains in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica and volcanoes along the Atacama Andes.

email: adam.solon@colorado.edu

Amy Barfield

M.S. Student

Amy is a master's student in ecology and evolutionary biology. She is interested in soil biogeochemistry and environmental responses to disturbances. She joined the Schmidt lab because she thought microbes seemed pretty cool and wanted to learn more about them.

email: Amy.Barfield@colorado.edu

Michelle Hollenkamp

Undergraduate Researcher

Michelle is an undergraduate majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology. Her current research projects include studying the effects of herbicide use on soil microbial communities. She hopes to apply the knowledge and skills she learns from this position to future work researching microbial communities in marine environments. She is excited to combine her love of nature with her love of learning.

email: Michelle.Hollenkamp@colorado.edu

Claire Mastrangelo

Undergraduate Researcher

Claire is in undergraduate studying ecology and evolutionary biology and public health. She is fascinated by the microbial world and hopes to learn as much as she can in the Schmidt lab. She is particularly interested in using bioinformatics to study populations and track evolutionary relationships.

email: claire.mastrangelo@colorado.edu

Abby Tubman

Undergraduate Researcher

Abby is an undergraduate studying integrative physiology and public health. In addition to learning about the human body, she wants to learn more about microbes. She is interested in applying to medical school where she can apply her knowledge about microbes from the Schmidt lab.

email: abigail.tubman@colorado.edu

Lab Alumni

Dorota Porazinska

Dorota is an Assistant Professor of Nematode Ecology and and Soil Microbiomes at the University of Florida. She is a soil microbial ecologist interested in patterns of biodiversity, plant-soil biotic interactions, and linkages between biodiversity and ecosystem function. By training, nematodes are her first love, but microbes and fungi keep catching up. In other words, she loves to play with dirt, wherever her research takes her.

Porazinska Lab
email: dorotalp@ufl.edu

Dorota Porazinska (Research Associate 2018) Assistant Professor, University of Florida
            http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/people-directory/dorota-porazinska/

John L. Darcy (PhD 2017) Post Doc, University of Hawaii
            http://amo.colorado.edu/jld/index.html

Adam Solon (honors 2016) Grad student at CU Boulder
            Adam.Solon@colorado.edu

Zack Schubert (honors 2014) Working in private industry
            schuberz@colorado.edu

Nuttapon Pombubpa (honors 2014) Grad Student, fungal genomics, UC Riverside
            ab.stajich.org/home/people/nuttapon-pombubpa/

Bryan Todd (honors 2013) Working in private industry
            tryanbodd@gmail.com

Ken Wilson (M.S. 2013) Fellow, Western Resources Advocates
            http://westernresourceadvocates.org/staff/ken-wilson/

Margaret Mitter (MS 2012) PhD student, University of Colorado
            Margaret.Mitter@Colorado.EDU

Robert L. Wagner (honors 2012) PhD student, UC Davis
            robertleafwagner@gmail.com

Michael S. Robeson (PhD 2011) Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
            https://microbeson.wordpress.com

Moshe Rhodes (postdoc 2011) UCHSC, Denver
            moshe.rhodes@gmail.com

Andrew Wuu (honors 2011) MD, University of New England
            andrew.wuu@colorado.edu

Andrew J. King (PhD 2010) Oak Ridge National Lab
            drewmicro@gmail.com

Sarah R. Frankel (honors 2010) Registered Nurse, Seattle
            Sarah.Frankel@Colorado.EDU

Elizabeth K. Costello (PhD 2009) Stanford University
            https://profiles.stanford.edu/elizabeth-costello

Barbara-Lynn Concienne (MS 2009) Denali National Park
            barbaralynn.concienne@gmail.com

Kristen R. Freeman (PhD 2009) US Forest Service, Hawaii
            KFreeman02@fs.fed.us

Sasha C. Reed (PhD 2008) Director, USGS Lab Moab, Utah
            https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/dr-sasha-reed-1

Marcus Carr (Honors 2009) MD (address unknown)
            Marcus.carr@colorado.edu

Katherine F. McCormick (Honors 2008) (address unknown)
            katherine.f.mccormick@colorado.edu

Meghan M. Gebauer (Honors 2007) (address unknown)
            Meghan.M.Gebauer@colorado.edu

Michael N. Weintraub (postdoc 2004-2006) Professor, University of Toledo
            www.eeescience.utoledo.edu/Faculty/weintraub

Cheyenne L. Wiseman (honors 2005) MD, Columbia St. Mary's
            http://physicians.columbia-stmarys.org/details/65696/cheyenne-wiseman-emergency_medicine-milwaukee

Monte Pescador (M.A. 2005), High School teacher, Denver Colorado)
            http://www.colorado.edu/eeb/EEBprojects/schmidtlab/personnel/pescadormy.htm

Diana R. Nemergut (PhD 2004) Professor, Duke University
            http://sites.biology.duke.edu/nemergutlab/

Allen F. Meyer (PhD 2004) Retired MD
            allen.meyer@colorado.edu

Chris W. Schadt (PhD 2002) Senior Scientist, Oak Ridge National Lab
            https://schadtlab.wordpress.com

Ruth E. Ley (PhD 2002) Director, Max Planck Institute, Tübingen, Germany
            www.leylab.com/

David A. Lipson (postdoc 2000-2001) Professor, San Diego State University
            http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~dlipson/

David K. Oline (postdoc 2001) Professor, Southern Oregon University
            https://inside.sou.edu/biology/faculty/oline.html

Ann E. West (PhD 1999) Missouri University of Science and Technology
            westa@mst.edu

Greg M. Colores (PhD 1998) Professor, Central Michigan University
            http://people.cst.cmich.edu/color1gm/?_ga=1.162824249.484347203.1477948768

Kimberly Wickland (M.S. 1998) (Lead Scientist, USGS, Colorado)
             http://www.colorado.edu/cwest/kim-wickland

Melanie C. Fisk (PhD 1997) Professor, Miami University (Ohio)
            http://www.units.miamioh.edu/melanyfisklab/

Reneé B. Mullen (PhD 1997) Professor, Eureka College
            https://www.eureka.edu/academics/rmullen/

Paul D. Brooks (PhD 1996) Professor, University of Utah
            https://faculty.utah.edu/u0982409-PAUL_D_BROOKS/biography/index.hml

Petra Radehaus (Ph.D. 1995) Professor, Mittweida University, Germany
            petra.radehaus@hs-mittweida.de