Team

Graduate Student Matriculation

• Alex P. Rooney graduated with a Ph.D. in Genetics in December 1998. His dissertation title is Assessment of
  Recent Bottlenecks: A Case Study of the Bering-Chukchi Beaufort Seas Stock of Bowhead Whales”. He completed
  post doctoral studies with Dr. Masatoshi Nei, Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics; Pennsylvania State
  University worked as an Assistant Professor at Mississippi State University for two years and now is employed by
  the USDA National Center for Agriculture Utilization Research in Peoria, IL.
• Todd J. Ward began graduate work in September of 1995. His dissertation title is An Evaluation of the Outcome of
  Interspecific Hybridization Events Coincident with Dramatic Demographic Decline in North American Bison”. Dr.
  Ward graduated in May of 2000, and he is employed at the USDA National Center for Agriculture Utilization
  Research in Peoria, IL.
• Robert D. Schnabel joined the laboratory in the fall of 1997 and graduated in August of 2001. His dissertation title
  is Developing DNA Based Technologies in North American Bison: Parentage Testing, Linkage Mapping and QTL
  Scans”. He worked for 18 months for the USDA in Beltsville, MD as a research scientist and is now a Research
  Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Missouri.
• Jose Miguel Arriaga completed his degree requirements for a Master s of Science in genetics in August of 2002.
  His thesis title is Detection of Rhodococcus equi by Polymerase Chain Reaction Using Species Specific, Non
  Proprietary Primers”. He is currently employed at a biotech company in the Woodlands, TX.
• Greg Peters complete his degree requirements for a Master s of Science in genetics in August of 2002. He
  completed the MBA program at Texas A&M University in 2003 and owns a private company in Austin, Texas that
  provides genetic testing services for livestock. He currently is employed at National Beef in Kansas City, Missouri.
  Scott Dindot graduated in August of 2003 and was a post doctoral researcher at the Baylor College of Medicine in
  Houston, Texas. Currently, he is a Professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at Texas A&M
  University.
• Natalie D. Halbert joined the laboratory in September 1999 as a Ph.D. student in Genetics. Her dissertation title
  was The Utilization of Genetic Markers to Resolve Modern Management Issues in Historic Bison Populations:
  Implications for Species Conservation”. She graduated in December of 2003. She was employed as an Assistant
  Research Professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at Texas A&M until June 2010.
• Timothy Novak graduated in August of 2003 with a Masters in Biotechnology. He was employed with Sigma
  Genosys in Denver, Colorado until he was promoted and transferred to Houston, Texas in 2005.
• Chris M. Seabury joined the laboratory in the fall of 2001 and graduated in December of 2004 with a Ph.D. in
  Genetics. His dissertation title was Genetic Evaluation of The Ovine and Bovine Prion Protein Genes (PRNP)”. Chris
  is currently employed as a Professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at Texas A&M.
• Lauren Dobson graduated in May of 2015. Her dissertation was entitled: Sequencing the Genome of American
  Bison”. She is employed in the Department of Small Animal at Texas A&M University as a Post-Doctoral Researcher
  working with Dr. Brian Saunders.
• Caitlin Curry joined the lab in 2013 to do research on lions. She defended her dissertation A Century of
  Conservation Genetics of the Lion (Panthera leo)” in June 2019. She is currently a Post Doctoral Scientist of
  Conservation Genetics at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska.

Former Students

In 2018, Dr. Derr agreed to participate on the graduate committee of his 100th graduate student. Below are the graduate students for which he was chair or co chair.

PhD

• Sam Stroupe – BIMS – Chair (graduated Dec. 2023)
• David Forgacs – VTPB (Genetics) – Chair (graduated Dec. 2019)
• Caitlin J. Curry – VTPB (Genetics) – Chair (graduated Dec. 2019)
• Joseph Modarelli BIMS (Genetics) Co-Chair (graduated Dec. 2018)
• Lauren Dobson – VTPB (Genetics) – Chair (graduated Aug. 2015)
• Christopher M. Seabury – VTPB (Genetics) – Chair (graduated Dec. 2004)
• Natalie D. Halbert – VTPB (Genetics) – Chair (graduated Dec. 2003)
• Gretchen Zaunbrecher VAPH (Genetics) Co-Chair (graduated Dec. 2003)
• Scott Dindot VAPH (Genetics) Co-Chair (graduated Aug. 2003)
• Robert D. Schnabel – VTPB (Genetics) – Chair (graduated Aug. 2001)
• Todd J. Ward – VTPB (Genetics) – Chair (graduated, May 2000)
• Alex P. Rooney – VTPB (Genetics) – Chair (graduated, Aug. 1998)

MS

• Sierra Kay – BIMS – Chair
• Ernest Fon BIOT Co-Chair (graduated Dec. 2017)
• Kristen E. Streeter BIMS Co-Chair (graduated Dec. 2016)
• Joseph Modarelli BIMS (Genetics) Co-Chair (transferred to Ph.D.)
• Michelle Luster – BIOT – Chair (graduated Aug. 2016)
• Ryan Fountain – COFD – Chair (departed for nursing school)
• Jerad Dabney – BIMS – Chair (graduated May 2012)
• Nathan Dewsbury – BIOT – Chair (graduated Aug. 2010)
• Lacy Caulk – COFD – Chair (graduated Aug. 2006)
• Timothy Novak – COFD – Chair (graduated Aug. 2003)
• Greg Peters – ANSC (Genetics) – Chair (graduated Aug. 2002)
• Jose Miguel Arriaga – VTPB – Chair (graduated May 2002)
• Alice E. Keller – VTPB (Genetics) – Chair (graduated May 1996)

Student Workers

• Elise Grimland, 2022-2024
• Michaela Hummell, 2021-2023
• Taylor Woodall, 2020-2021
• April Rosales, 2020-2020
• Trevor Cook, 2019-2019
• Cole Bernstein, 2019-2019
• Lena Aryari, 2015-2019
• Daniella Julian, 2017-2018
• Kaylee Dixon, 2016-2017
• Micaela Johnson, 2015-2017
• Patrick Loundemilk, 2015-2016
• Kearns, Kristina, 2014-2015
• Connor McCurdy, 2014-2015
• Katherine Mull, 2014-2015
• Danielle Vaden, 2014-2015
• Alex Freeman, 2013-2014
• Colin Braden, 2012-2014
• Mason Bates, 2012-2014
• Jake Simpson, 2012-2013
• Ryan Fountain, 2012-2013
• Floyd Barns, 2009-2011
• Kristen Muller, 2009-2011
• Ashley Marshall, 2009-2010
• Tracey Angadicheril, 2009-2010
• Manju Mohan, 2007-2009
• Kavila Krishnan, 2007-2009
• Mellisa Hain, 2009 summer
• Laura Cox, 2009 summer
• Teryin Wixson, 2009 summer
• Jennifer Churchill, 2005-2008
• Kelly Orr, 2007-2008
• Amanda Gaither, 2006-2007
• Lance Shaffer, 2006-2007
• Kimberly Jeunen, 2006-2007