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Khawlah Saleh Alkhalifah

Khawlah is an international student from Saudi Arabia who joined the Department of Biology at Fresno State University and the TREE lab in August 2020. She completed her undergraduate degree 10 years ago at King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia. She then worked for three years as a high school teacher in one of the education sectors in Saudi Arabia. During this time, Khawlah was nominated for teaching mawhibah and creativity students affiliated with the King Abdelaziz Companions, and she was nominated for best-distinguished teacher in 2015. After teaching, Khawlah traveled to India as a volunteer to help the poor in 2018 and worked in a laboratory in India to study the effect of environmental pollution on living organisms. In the TREE Lab, Khawlah is collaborating with Tyler Combs to characterize the physiological state of lizards recovering from exposure to stressful stimuli known to impact metabolic performance. She eventually hopes to earn a Ph.D. and work as a professor at one of the Saudi universities.

Email khawlah@mail.fresnostate.edu

An Lyu

An (Ann) is an international student from China who joined the TREE lab at Fresno State to pursue a M.S. degree in Biology. She completed her B.A. in Biology at Lehigh University in 2019. Her primary interests are investigating the behavior and ecology of reptiles. For her M.S. research, An is examining the effects of the incubation environment and maternal nest-site choice on leopard lizard development. She is primarily working with Long-nosed Leopard Lizards as a proxy for their endangered cousins, the Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard. Her goal is to become a research scientist and work in the field of herpetology.

Email annnluuu@mail.fresnostate.edu

Tyler Combs

Tyler began pursuing an MS in Biotechnology with the TREE laboratory in Fall 2021. He initially joined the lab as an undergraduate student in the spring of 2020 and worked with D. Leibold to estimate temperature-oxygen performance surfaces (TOPS) in two species of alligator lizard prior to graduating with his BS in Spring 2021. For his MS research, Tyler is collaborating with Khawlah Alkalifah to understand the role of Corticosterone (a “stress hormone”) in mediating metabolic responses to stressful stimuli. On his days outside of class, he works as a medical scribe at a local animal clinic. He aspires to one day have a career in forensics.

Email tcombs92@mail.fresnostate.edu

Stephanie Doria

Stephanie holds multiple Associate degrees from College of the Sequoias and a B.S. of Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity from the University of California, Davis. Prior to beginning her M.S. program in the TREE lab in 2021, she worked in a variety of field ecology and agricultural entomology positions. Her current research is focused on understanding the spatial ecology, survivorship, and life history of the Blunt-nosed leopard lizard population in the Panoche Hills region in western Fresno County. Specifically, she hopes to develop home range maps that can be layered with ecological information about the region and develop life tables for the population. Her research aims to inform repatriation efforts and management strategies for the species.

Email sldoriakelly@mail.fresnostate.edu

Keyanna Pinto

Keyanna is a second-year student pursuing her B.S. degree in Biology at California State University, Fresno. She joined the TREE Lab in the fall of 2020 and is collaborating with her peers to monitor the population of Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizards (Gambelia sila). She also volunteers as a peer mentor for the Mentorship Alliance for Student Success (MASS) Program at Fresno State. She is interested in a career in ecology, environmental biology, and zoology. Through this experience, she hopes to expand her skill set and narrow down potential career paths.

Email jalebi@mail.fresnostate.edu

Dalton Leibold

Dalton completed his MS in the TREE laboratory in 2021. He joined the TREE Lab at Fresno State in 2018 after completing his BS degree at the University of Central Oklahoma that same year.  For his MS research, Dalton quanitfied temperature-oxygen performance surfaces (TOPS) in two closely-related species of alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata group) to assess recent divergence in their metabolic and thermal physiology. Dalton is also interested in the selective pressures that drive the evolution of behavior and cognition.  He would like to pursue a career in academia, potentially with a focus in physiological ecology, behavioral ecology and neuroethology. Dalton will be starting a PhD program in Dan Noble’s laboratory at Australian National University in 2022.

Email dleibold@mail.fresnostate.edu

Cha Thao

Cha completed his M.S. in the TREE laboratory in 2022. He joined the TREE lab in 2019 after completing his B.S. in Animal Science at Chico State University in 2017. For his MS research, Cha helped initiate our collaborative research on Blunt-Nosed Leopard Lizards (Gambelia sila) with the U.S.B.L.M. and Fresno Chaffee Zoo. Cha examined the thermal ecology of G sila in the Panoche Hills, and in the process documented the collapse of a unique population on federal land. His observations were instrumental in initiating a captive propagation program to save the population. Cha is currently pursuing a degree in Veterinary Medicine at Ross University.

Email: thaocha13@mail.fresnostate.edu

Andrea Aparicio (BIOLOGY Honors student)

Andrea (Andy) is an international student from Ecuador that completed a Biology Honors degree at Fresno State, graduating in May 2019.  For her thesis, Andy examined thermal preference and performance of Crested Geckos (Correlophus ciliatus) in collaboration with Karina Perez, and she was co-first author on a paper describing these results in the Journal of Experimental Zoology. Andy also worked as the Supplemental Instruction Leader for Biochemistry at Fresno State. When not researching or teaching, she likes to take pictures of animals, and loves working in direct contact with animals. In the future, she would like to focus on a research conservation program and wildlife rehabilitation. Andy is currently working as a wildlife interpreter at a year-round camp in Ohio. #gecko

Kathryn Ramirez (Biology honors student, RISE Fellow)

Kathryn (KD) was an Honors Biology student, RISE Fellow, and main contributor to the “Wildlife of the Panoche Hills” blog page that graduated in May 2022. She has a passion for entomology and wildlife biology which inspired her to join the TREE lab in January of 2020. While in the lab, she worked with C. Thao to monitor the population of endangered Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizards (Gambelia sila) in the Panoche Hills. For her Honors thesis, she led a study on the predation ecology of G. sila using clay lizard models. 

Email k_rami07@mail.fresnostate.edu

Zinab Attia

Zinab is pursuing her B.S. in Biology at California State University, Fresno. She joined the TREE Lab at Fresno State in 2020 and is working with D. Leibold and T. Combs exploring the physiology of alligator lizards exposed to high and low oxygen environments. Zinab also works as a Microbiology Supplemental Instruction Leader for nursing and non-nursing students. On her days off, Zinab likes to utilize her free time by volunteering and giving back to the community. After she graduates, Zinab would like to pursue a career as a physician’s assistant.

Jasmine Connolly

Jasmine (Jazzy) worked with Crested Geckos (Correlophus ciliatus) in the TREE lab with Andrea Aparicio and Karina Perez, primarily on their care and maintenance. Jasmine is interested in Veterinary Medicine, and aspires to a career in Veterinary Medicine or Veterinary Research. Jasmine is also a JCAST Ambassador for CSU Fresno, and Veterinary Intern for a local Pet Hospital.  #gecko

Kira Gangbin

Kira graduated from Fresno State with a B.S. in Biology in 2022 and was named the Outstanding Graduate from the Biology Department. While working in the TREE lab, Kira studied the endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila) in the Panoche Hills of the San Joaquin Desert. Her work helped inform studies on thermal capacity, reproductive outputs, assurance colony development, and predation pressures. Kira also worked for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) as a Scientific Aid, where she monitored the populations of special-status species. Kira is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Texas Christian University and is working with a captive propagation program for Texas Horned Lizards!

Email kigangbin@mail.fresnostate.edu

Devon Mitchell

Devon graduated with a B.S. degree in Biology from Fresno State in May 2022. She is considering pursuing a career in Veterinary Medicine, Marine Biology, or Conservation Biology. She joined the TREE Lab in 2020 and collaborated with C. Thao and K. Ramirez to monitor Blunt Nosed Leopard Lizards (Gambelia sila) in the Panoche Hills west of Fresno.

Email devdev94@mail.fresnostate.edu

Nicholas Putnam

Nicholas (Nick) joined the TREE lab as a junior at Fresno State majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry. His interests lie in understanding the interactions between gut microflora and their hosts, and how those interactions influence the health and productivity of individuals as well as the environment. While working in the TREE Lab, Nick collaborated with Daisy Underhill and Nadya Pirogova to study the potential for vertical transfer of microbes from adults to young in Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis). Nick graduated with his B.S. in December 2019 and is currently an M.S. student at Fresno State in the laboratory of Dr. Karine Gousset #poopgroup

Nadya Pirogova

Nadya graduated with a B.S. in Biology in May 2019. Her enthusiasm for science is largely influenced by a combination of studying wildlife biology and zoology, and respecting environmental preservation and species conservation. In the TREE lab, Nadya collaborated with Daisy Underhill and Nick Putnam to explore the reproductive behavior of Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis), and the effects of parental microbiota transfer via fecal matter on offspring survival and phenotype. #poopgroup

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.” - The Lorax

Sydney Puente

Sydney is a member of the Smittcamp Family Honors College and has studied at Fresno State University since fall of 2018. She is pursuing a B.S. degree in Environmental Science with a Minor in Music. She joined the TREE Lab in March 2020 and is currently working with C. Thao to study the remnant Blunt-nosed leopard lizard population in the Panoche Hills region in collaboration with the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and the Bureau of Land Management.

Email sydneypuente001@mail.fresnostate.edu

Sandor Menyhay

Sandor (Sean) completed his B.S. in Biology with a minor in Computer Science in December 2018. He was an active student and social advocate on campus. He was a member of many organizations including American Medical Student Association, Magkaisia, Nexus eSports, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Alpha Sigma Phi as well as playing Trumpet in the Bulldog Marching Band and the Fresno State Basketball Band. He aspires to one day advance things such as deep machine learning methods for cancer subtype classification and develop new, standardized algorithms for identifying genomic variation between samples.  He worked in the TREE lab on a collaborative project with the Schwartz Lab (Auburn University) to investigate evolution of the glucocorticoid receptor in vertebrates.  Sandor is currently an M.S. student in Computer Science at Fresno State.

Jacob Gastelum

Jacob completed his B.S. in Biology at Fresno State in May 2019.  In the TREE Lab, he collaborated with Genesis Trejo Aceves, Carolina Gomez, and Sandor Menyhay to test predictions of the Hierarchal Mechanisms of Thermal Limitation (HMTL) hypothesis with Western Fence lizards. Jacob's career aspirations involve further animal research and conservation biology in either marine or terrestrial environments. #hmtl

Karina Perez

Karina completed her B.S. in Biology at Fresno State in December 2019. She aspires to be a clinical or research pharmacist. While in the TREE Lab, she worked with Andrea Aparicio on a project examining thermal behavior and performance in crested geckos (Correlophus ciliatus). Karina and Andrea published their findings as co-first authors in the Journal of Experimental Zoology. #gecko

Genesis Trejo Aceves

Genesis completed her B.S. in Biology at Fresno State in May 2019. In the TREE Lab, she collaborated with Jacob Gastelum, Carolina Gomez, and Sandor Menyhay to test predictions of the Hierarchical Mechanisms of Thermal Limitation (HMTL) hypothesis.  They constructed chambers that allowed them to simultaneously manipulate the oxygen environment and metabolic state of lizards, and measure their thermal preference. Genesis' career aspirations involve enrolling in medical school and becoming a pediatrician. #hmtl

Vanessa Valencia

Vanessa completed her B.S. with a major in Biology and minor in Chemistry at Fresno State in May 2020. She then entered the M.S. program at Fresno State in Dr. Tricia Van Laar’s laboratory. She eventually intends to pursue an MD/PhD. In the TREE lab, Vanessa collaborated with N. Putnam and D. Underhill to investigate the source and effects of the gut microbiome in Western Fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis). She also collaborated with D. Leibold comparing methods for measuring standard and maximum metabolic rates in Western Fence lizards. She is currently assisting writing the results from both of these studies for publication.

Daisy Underhill

Daisy completed her BS in May 2020, double majoring in Philosophy and Biology at Fresno State. Upon graduating, she was awarded the Outstanding Graduating Biology Student Award and Student of Distinction in Philosophy. She is now a Ph.D. student in Philosophy at U.C. Davis working within the science and values literature. In her tenure with the TREE lab, she completed over 700 hours of work in the lab assisting multiple projects. She was team-lead for a project examining the influence of exposure to fecal matter or natural substrate on the survivorship and gut microbiome formation of S. occidentalis hatchlings, collaborating with Nick Putnam, Vanessa Valencia, and Nadya Pirogova. She was awarded an Undergraduate Research Award (UGRA) to fund the project and she will be first author on a manuscript describing this work that is currently in preparation. #poopgroup.