Lab Members
Karin T. Burghardt, Principal Investigator
I am an ecologist broadly interested in how plant defenses shape communities and ecosystems. I've looked at this question through the lens of multiple trophic levels (plants, insects, birds, microbes) and am now working to extend this understanding to fluxes and flows of nutrients as well. I primarily work in ecosystems that are actively managed or impacted by human activity (managed forests, suburban yards, and old field habitats) and view this active management as an opportunity for understanding how ecological theory can be utilized to maximize biodiversity and ecosystem processes in human-dominated landscapes.
In Fall 2018, I began building a lab as an assistant professor at the University of Maryland- College Park Department of Entomology. I am a proud alumna of the labs of Dr. Douglas Tallamy (University of Delaware Entomology and Wildlife Ecology), Dr. Os Schmitz (Yale University), and Dr. John Parker (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center- SERC).
Contact: kburghar@umd.edu twitter/x: @karinburghardt address: Dept of Entomology, PLS office 4120A College Park MD 20742
(I've got a twin sister (Dr. Liana T. Burghardt) who looks like me and works on plant life cycle evolution and microbial symbionts. If you are really trying to find her, try her website instead.)
Staff
Kelsey McGurrin, Lab Manager
I earned my Bachelor's degree in Biology and Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences from Kansas State University in 2012 and have since worked in grasslands, greenhouses, farms, and forests. I joined the Burghardt Lab in February 2019. Aside from my work coordinating long-term research projects for the lab, I also help maintain and display the Entomology Department’s “Insect Zoo” for outreach events.
Contact: kmcgurri@umd.edu
Graduate Students
Max Ferlauto, PhD student
I started the Entomology PhD program in 2021. I am interested in urban ecology, novel ecosystems, and plant-insect interactions. Specifically, I study how suburban leaf litter removal affects insect communities and nutrient cycling. Litter removal is a surprisingly understudied topic, and the practice may have negative consequences to biodiversity and ecosystem processes.
Contact: Twitter/X @maxferlauto | ferlauto@umd.edu | Personal website
Eva Perry, Master’s Student
I am interested in the trophic relationships between native plants, their insect herbivores, and the arthropod predators that prey on these herbivores; in particular, how these interactions are altered by the anthropogenic introduction of exotic host plants. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2019, where I was able to begin investigating these plant-insect relationship dynamics; I am very excited to continue exploring them with the Burghardt lab!
Contact: evaperry@umd.edu
Brendan Randall, PhD Student
I am very interested in how ecological diversity and abiotic stress shapes communities and plant-insect interactions in farms. In particular, I will be focusing on the BeanDIP project, where I will study rhizobial strain diversity in soybean plants, and its impacts on trophic level responses to drought. In 2021 I received my Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies & Sustainability from Michigan State University. As an undergraduate, I studied the impacts of plant chemical defense diversity in tomatoes on caterpillar herbivory, foraging, and their interactions with predators.
Contact: brandall@umd.edu
Maggie Schaefer, Master’s Student
I am studying urban tree ecology, looking at the health of street trees and the communities of insects that live on them. I am interested in the relationship between these trees and their insect populations using them as hosts. I initially graduated from Kalamazoo College, Michigan with degrees in Biology and English. I studied butterfly eclosion in captivity, and have since worked in native butterfly rearing, prairie restoration, and algae production.
Contact: mschaef9@umd.edu
Undergraduate Students
Nicole Rieger-Erwin
I am currently a junior working towards my undergraduate degree in Biology: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. I recently separated from the Navy after 7 years, but I got to live in some cool states like Colorado and Hawaii. My wife and I are proud parents of three delightfully annoying cats: Gene, Louise, and Shamrock; and one escape-artist crested gecko: Pierre. I like spending my free time doing lots of things like hiking, gardening, watching movies, cooking, and listening to K-pop. I am excited to be working with Brendan on his research project, and I can't wait to watch some soybeans grow.
Maggie Lin
I’m currently earning my Bachelor’s in Environmental Science and Technology with a focus on Ecology Tech Design and a minor in GIS. On top of my degree, I’m also exploring possible career paths involving scientific illustration — which led me to producing graphics for the Burghardt Lab (despite knowing very little about bugs). In my free time I’m either painting, tending to the family greenhouse, weightlifting, or forcing my friends to hike with me. I’m very excited to be a part of the team and looking forward to what the future holds!
Sophie McCloskey
Working toward my undergraduate degree in Agricultural Science & Technology, with a concentration in Environmental Horticulture and a minor in Entomology, my interests are in the different types of relationships between plants and insects, as well as their importance in integrated pest management. I am looking forward to a career working in nursery and greenhouse management, and I am gratefully excited to be working with Eva and the rest of the Burghardt Lab team!
