The Team

Current members:

  • R. Alexander Pyron, PhD

    Alex is the Robert F. Griggs Professor of Biology at GW, and a Research Associate in the Division of Amphibians & Reptiles at the NMNH. He studies diversification from speciation to global biodiversity, and the moral philosophy of conservation ethics. Google Scholar Profile

    Email Alex

  • Ian Wilenzik, PhD student

    Ian is a paleontologist studying historical biogeography in squamate reptiles. His dissertation focuses on the Pangeaen origins and subsequent Gondwanan and Laurasian radiations, and turnover in paleo-communities.

    Email Ian
  • Man flipping log

    Max Seldes, PhD student

    Max is a salamander systematics studying phylogeography and speciation genomics in plethodontid salamanders. His dissertation focuses on lineage divergence in Desmognathus and the Plethodon glutinosus complex, with a museum-based taxonomic component focused on natural-history collections.

    Email Max

  • You

    Join us for a variety of projects ranging from salamander speciation to environmental ethics. The Weintraub Program at GW partners with the Smithsonian NMNH for world-class training in evolutionary biology.

    Apply Now

Previous Postdocs:

 

  • Kyle was a postdoc from 2019 - 2020, working on speciation genomics in Desmognathus. He now works at Deloitte.

  • Vijay was a postdoc from 2018-2019, working on systematics and biogeography of Indian frogs. Check out his publications.

  • Tim was a postdoc from 2017-2018, working on the VertLife project. He’s now an Assistant Professor at UPR - Mayagüez.

  • Lilian was a postdoc (visiting Asst. Prof.) from Universidade de Brasilia in 2013, studying diversification in Brazilian lizards (Teiidae).

 

Previous students:

 

  • Catriona R. Hendry (2011-2019)

    João F. R. Tonini (PhD, 2017) - now a postdoc at the University of Richmond

    Sarah E. Green (2013-2015)

    Sarah K. Rhodig (2016-2017)

  • Renan Janke Bosque (UnB, 2012)

    Jéssica Fenker Antunes (UnB, 2012)

    Rogério Benevides de Miranda (UnB, 2019-2020)

  • Taylor Hains (2017-2018)

  • Ariel M. Stein (2011-2013), Sheri Reid (2011-2012), Amanda C. Horne (2012-2013), Vincent Chou (2012-2014), Felisa W. Hsieh (2012-2015), Mehak Chawla (2014), Arcadia Trvalik (2014), Alexis Elliott (2015-2017), Alexa Lowe (2016-2018), Shreyansh Budhia (2018-2019), Rachel Ornstein (2019), Benjamin Barger (2019-2020), Tyler Cholankeril (2020), Christian Pecoraro (2021), Chloe Shaw (2021-2022)

  • Pallavi Kulkarni (Herndon High School, 2018) - now at UVA

    Sophie C. Duncan (Holton-Arms School, 2021) - now at Stanford