The Lab | My Site

Norms, expectations, & resources

Norm

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Photo note: A wetland in central Minnesota we surveyed for turtles in Summer 2023. On the left you can see a floating, wooden basking platform with a trail camera facing it. On the right you can see a hoop net with an orange float in it. The floating vegetation in the center is largely a species of arrowhead (Sagittaria sp.).

Lab Members

Lab Membes

Jennifer Y. Lamb (P.I., Associate Professor)

Pronouns: She/Her (why pronouns matter)

I joined the St. Cloud State University Dept. of Biology in August 2018. I enjoy asking questions about the ecology, natural history, behavior, and conservation of amphibians and reptiles. I also like using a variety of tools or different approaches to answer those questions.

E-mail: jylamb [at] stcloudstate.edu

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2677-1490

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5zWk8gcAAAAJ&hl=en

Photo note: Jen in her office at SCSU.

Current Graduate Students

Sam Skinner (M.S. Student)

Sam began their Masters in Biology in Fall 2024. For their thesis research they will be using eDNA to detect Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) in Minnesota.

Email: samantha.skinner.2 [at] go.stcloudstate.edu

Photo note: Sam holds two toad friends during a night survey in Summer 2024.

Kerri Beers (M.S. Student)

Kerri began her Masters in Biology at SCSU in Spring 2024. Her thesis research focuses on how an amphibian's ecological niche affects the prevalence of chytrid fungi in populations in Minnesota.

Email: kmbeers [at] go.stcloudstate.edu

Photo note: Kerri holding a ranid caught during fieldwork in Summer 2024.

Morgan Miedema (M.S. Student - thesis track)

Morgan began her Masters in Biology at SCSU in Fall 2023. Her thesis research asks whether biofluorescence in larval amphibians could be ecologically significant.

Email: morgan.miedema [at] go.stcloudstate.edu

Photo note: Morgan holding a toad.

Jack Kosloske (M.S. Student)

Jack is pursuing a Masters in Biology (non-thesis track) at SCSU while also working full-time. He's worked on our rare-turtle project, and helped with other fieldwork, including catching and swabbing amphibians for chytrids.

Email: jkosloske [at] go.stcloudstate.edu

Photo note: Jack swabs a frog for chytrid fungi while in the field.

Current Undergraduate Students

Dayton Johnson (B.S. Student)

Dayton is an undergraduate in the SCSU Biodiversity, Ecology, & Evolution Bachelors program. Dayton began working with the lab in Spring 2023 and has been working on our rare-turtle project.

Photo note: Dayton holding a Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina ) caught during the Midwest PARC conference in 2023.

Curious about joining?

Are you an undergraduate interested in our research and looking for experience in a field or laboratory setting? Reach out to me (Dr. Lamb; jylamb [at] stcloudstate.edu) to introduce yourself and your career goals (they can be broad!). There may be positions available to contribute to or pursue independent, parallel research topics!

I typically take on one or two new thesis-based Masters students each year.

If you are interested in graduate school, please check out the Masters of Science offered by our Department. Contact me via email and be sure to include the following information:

an overview of your research interests and how they might fit within our group,
your broader career goal(s), and
your Curriculum Vitae or Resume

Important!: Masters students can apply for graduate Teaching Assistantships (TAs) or Graduate Assistantships (GAs). I am also happy to help you build applications for external funding and scholarships.

Photo note: Andy is holding an Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii).

Joining

Photo note: Alyssa holding a blue-spotted salamander (Ambystoma laterale) while working on the Chippewa National Forest.

Lab Alumni

Alyssa Roberts (M.S. Student)
Andy Fondren (M.S. Student)
Bailey Richards (M.S. & B.S. Student)
Alex Seymour (M.S. Student)
Abbie Halvorson (B.S. Student)
Savanna Droher (B.S. Student)
Nicole Gruwell (B.S. Student)
Ashley Kobernusz (B.S. Student)
Michael Lee (B.S. Student)
Taylor Idland (B.S. Student)
Maxim Kroll (B.S. Student)
Carly Portinen (B.S. Student)

Lab alumni

Bailey holds a large snapping turtle while smiling at the edge of a lake

Photo note: Bailey and a Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) captured during her Masters thesis research. Handled with appropriate permits.

Michale using a hanging scale to weigh a turtle.