Associate Curator
Negaunee Integrative Research Center
Main Research Interest:
Evolutionary Biology; biodiversity, phylogeny, biogeography and systematics of Arthropoda, especially Arachnida and Myriapoda; morphological evolution, museum collections analyses
Research: Collections-based biodiversity research in Arachnida and Myriapoda, contributing to species discovery and higher level phylogenies, and to the analysis of complex and new morphological characters suites for phylogenetic research as well as to the development of taxonomic tools. Research strategies address the vastly different knowledge-base in Arachnida on one hand and Myriapoda on the other, with nearly all research in integrative and collaborative arrangements (e.g., millipede phylogenomics research grant). Curation and Education:
Specimen and tissue collection building, improvement of collection accessibility (e.g., NSF TCN grant) and stewardship of data, specifically building the first global and fully referenced millipede species database. Research and biodiversity-centered training at various levels (e.g., REU site grants), advising US-based and international graduate students, and outside grant-funded postdoctoral training are important components of my professional portfolio.
Education and Work
**Degrees held: **Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.) in Zoology, University of Hamburg; 1985.
M.Sc. (Staatsexamen) in Biology, Geography and Biology-Education; University of Hamburg; 1982.
Accomplishments
See attached publication list
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