Thomas E. Miller

Professor, Biological Science
Florida State University

BS Ecology and Evol., University of Arizona 1978

Ph.D. Zoology, Michigan Sate University (Kellogg Biological Station, 1985)

miller@bio.fsu.edu

850-644-9823

I am interested in a variety of questions that deal with the ecology and evolution of diversity. What determines how many species are in a given habitat -- why aren't there more, or fewer? I take a very broad view of questions in this area, including field, lab, and theoretical approaches. I am currently most interested in multispecies patterns of evolution among competitors and what this might tell us about extant patterns of diversity. My lab has been using the protozoa communities inside the water-filled leaves of carnivorous pitcher plants to explore these questions. However, I also have a very different set of projects investigating the forces that structure plant communities on barrier islands.

Current Graduate Students Current Graduate Students Current Graduate Students


	Abigail Pastore apastore@bio.fsu.edu	Abigail is interested in the evolutionary and ecological outcomes of species interactions. Using protozoa as a model system, she is currently investigating how species may evolve to coexist with competitors through either changes in their resource use or reproductive strategy, and what is the role of phylogenetic constraint in the evolutionary response to competition? She also chronically and coincidently finds herself thinking about competition between fungi, be they lichens or mycorrhiza. In her free time, Abigail enjoys employing ecological principles in her vegetable garden.
	Margaret Vogel mvogel@bio.fsu.edu	In a broad context, Margaret is interested in the community dynamics and ecological processes that are occurring on a micro-scale. Her current work blends her love of the microbial and marine worlds by investigating the relationship between epiphytic microbial communities and their seagrass host and how that relationship is modified by changes in the dynamics and composition of the microbial community. Margaret is most happy when doing field work and spends her free time exploring the waters off of the Florida Gulf Coast.
	Will Ryan wryan@bio.fsu.edu	Will reconciles his conflicting loves of marine and terrestrial systems by keeping his feet firmly planted in the intertidal. His master’s project at Cal State University, Northridge measured the heritability of colony form plasticity in the hermit crab encrusting hydrozoan, Hydractinia. He has recently become interested in how the environmentally-dependent switch between asexual and sexual life histories varies across the geographic range of a widespread, invasive sea anemone. Despite a history of flings with and lingering curiosity about groups ranging from bryophytes to lizards to lichens, he always seems to come back to studying cnidarians – possibly because they are the most interesting group ever. Ever!
	Marina Lauck mlauck@bio.fsu.edu	An avid naturalist and casual Leopold sympathizer, Marina sees the world as an interconnected web of interactions – a worldview which inspires her passion for community ecology. She is interested in understanding how direct and indirect effects of species interactions affect community composition and dynamics. Her current work is investigating how microbial mats affect coastal dune biogeochemistry and interact with plant species to drive community composition.

Other Lab Members Other Lab Members Other Lab Members

	Deniece Wade-- Deniece is a UROP student studying the evolution of protozoa consuming bacteria in different competition scenarios		Henry Gwynn -- Henry is a research assistant on a grant to study "evolution in a community context". We are following the evolution of protozoa when in competition with different suites and types of competing microorganisms. Henry gets to count lots of protozoa and wash lots of dishes! Yea!
	Amber Sherrard -- Amber is working on a DIS project on the types and distribution of algal mats on the sand dunes of St. George Island. She is helping Marina Lauck to understand the role of algal crusts in coastal ecosystems.		Amanda Sang -- Amanda is helping with several facets of a savannah restoration project being conducted in the Apalachicola National Forest, including identifying plants, preparing herbarium specimens, and analyzing 5 years of census data.
	Matthew Green -- Matthew is finishing a DIS project determining which species colonize the earliest dunes forming on St. George Island and why		Kennedy Wohlgemuth -- Kennedy is a research assistant on a grant to study "evolution in a community context". We are following the evolution of protozoa when in competition with different suites and types of competing microorganisms. Kennedy takes care of pitcher plants in the greenhouse and counts a ton of protozoa. Really.

Recent Lab Members Recent Lab Members Recent Lab Members

Elise Gornish egornish@ucdavis.edu

Elise has just moved on to a postdoc and is now at the University of California Davis. She is interested in identifying mechanisms that drive range shifts as a result of climate change. She continues to think about the evolution of climate change response, Allee effects in invasion speed, and competitive hierarchies. Elise firmly believes that punning is the highest form of humor. You can visit Elise's website at: http://elisegornish.webs.com/

Casey terHorst will start as an Assistant Professor at Cal State Northridge in the summer of 2013! More when he sends me his webpage!

Emma Moran. Lab Queen has gone to start a new kingdom at Washington University. But not forgotten . . .

Chelse Prather's ecological interests lie in the interface of ecosystem and population ecology. She is interested in how particular species and trophic interactions affect ecosystem processes. She is also interested in the value of philosophy for the science of ecology and worked with the NSF funded Interdisciplinary Program in history, philosophy, and evolutionary ecology at FSU. She has now moved on to a postdoc with Steve Pennings at the University of Houston.

Erin Simmons' research is in fisheries conservation and management methods, especially marine reserve dynamics and the conditions under which they are effective. Erin created an Individual Based Model for gag grouper in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, while also serving as a Florida Gubernatorial Fellow. She finished her Masters in the spring of 2011 and has now moved on to an internship with the Navy in Pensacola.