Who we are

Current Members

Zac Cheviron, PI

Zac sends emails.

Google Scholar

Jon Velotta, Postdoc

Jon is working on the systems biology and evolution of thermoregulatory performance in deer mice.

Personal webpage

Nathan Senner, Postdoc

Nate is studying how extreme environments mold trait evolution in high-elevation populations of deer mice. This work combines laboratory experiments with intensive tracking studies in the field to determine how the targets and strength of selection vary along elevational gradients.

Personal webpage

Rena Schweizer, Postdoc

Rena is working on the adaptive evolution of metabolic pathways that contribute to high altitude adaptation in deer mice. Rena is supported by an NSF postdoctoral research fellowship.

Personal Webpage

Keely Corder, PhD Student, OBEE

Keely is interested in the role of mito-nuclear coadaptation in aerobic performance in high-elevation deer mice

Nick Sly, PhD Student, UM OBE

Nick has broad interests the evolution and development of adaptive plumage traits in birds. He has been supported by NSF Graduate Research, University of Illinois Graduate College and NSF IGERT Fellowships.

Personal webpage

Maria Stager, PhD Student, UM OBE

Maria is working on mechanisms of seasonal phenotypic flexibility and environmental adaptation in Dark-eyed Juncos. She is supported on an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.

Personal webpage

Cole Wolf, PhD Student, UM OBE

Cole is working on the mechanisms and evolutionary consequences of variation in body composition among Peromyscus species that differ in their elevational range limits.

Collaborators And Affiliated Labs

Carling Lab - University of Wyoming

Lovette Lab - Cornell University

McClelland Lab - McMaster University

Qutub Lab - Rice University

Scott Lab - McMaster University

Storz Lab - University of Nebraska

Swanson Lab - University of South Dakota

Taylor Lab - University of Colorado, Boulder

vonHoldt Lab - Princeton University

Gone but not forgotten...

Shane Campbell-Staton (postdoc 2015 - 2018, now assistant professor, UCLA)

Phred Benham (PhD 2018, now postdoc, UC Berkeley)

Henry Pollock (PhD 2015, now postdoc, Colorado State University)

Doug Eddy (Undergraduate Researcher, now MS student, Carling Lab, University of Wyoming)

Ariel Gafney (Undergraduate Researcher, now MS student, Witt Lab, University of New Mexico)

Elizabeth Hogan (Undergraduate Researcher, now MS student, Meat Sciences Lab, University of Illinois)

Jennifer Jones (Lab Manager, now lab manager at Governors State University)

Chelsea Maguire (Undergraduate Researcher)

Anna Bare (Undergraduate Researcher, now MS student at Northwestern University)

Annika Clementi (Undergraduate Researcher)

Skyeler Henderson (Undergraduate Researcher, now IB major at UIUC)

Patricia Kalinichenko (Undergraduate Researcher, now IB major at UIUC)

Rachael Baits (Undergraduate Researcher, now IB major at UIUC)

Danish Qazi (Undergraduate Researcher, now IB major at UIUC)

Greg Toreev (Undergraduate Researcher, now IB major at UIUC)