Dr. Kirsten M. Prior
​Associate Professor

B.Sc., Western University
Ph.D., University of Notre Dame
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Toronto
Postdoctoral Associate, University of Florida

Co-Director NATCHANGE 
SUNY Research Leadership Academy Fellow
Provost Award for Faculty Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring
Subject-Matter Editor, Ecology
Associate Editor, Biological Invasions
National Geographic Explorer
BU Presidential Diversity Grant 

Kirsten's research spans the questions described throughout the website - species interactions, biodiversity, and global change. Outside the lab, she hikes, bakes, knits, reads science fiction, skis, and watches kids' sports.
​
kprior(at)binghamton.edu

google scholar
researchgate

Aly K. Milks
​Ph.D. Candidate

B.S. Ohio Northern University
Provost Doctoral Fellow
Graduate School Award for Excellence in Service & Outreach


Aly's research asks how multi-trophic plant-insect interactions shift under poleward range expansions, using oak gall wasps and their parasitoids as her focal system. She uses molecular approaches to test whether parasitoids can shift to novel, range-expanding hosts, and examines how intraspecific variation in host plants affects their interactions with herbivorous insects and parasitoids. 

Outside the lab Aly enjoys creating ceramics, hiking, drawing, and exploring new places.

amilks1(at)binghamton.edu

Rosebelle A. Ines 
​Ph.D. Candidate

B.S. Humboldt State University
Clark Doctoral Fellow
Phipps Conservatory Botany in Action Fellow


Rosebelle research asks how intraspecific-to-interspecific variation in traits and behavior within a mutualist species complex shapes mutualistic outcomes, focusing on Aphaenogaster seed-dispersing ants. Her work examines variation in thermal tolerance and colony structure, and how variation in traits and behavior affects the spatial dynamics of plant communities. She is also collaborating with New York State Parks to restore and expand ant-dispersed understory forest plant populations. 

​Outside the lab, Rosebelle enjoys hiking, eating, playing ukulele, yoga, and spending time with family and friends.

Website
Herbs-in-action video

rines1(at) binghamton.edu

Christopher A. DeAngelis
​Ph.D. Candidate

B.S. Binghamton University
M.A.T. SUNY New Paltz
Provost Doctoral Fellow
Co-advised with the Powell lab

Chris' research asks how functionally important traits vary along intraspecific-to-interspecific and biogeographic gradients within a species complex of ants (Aphaenogaster). His work focuses on traits that link climate adaptation to behavior, such as body color and insect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), to understand how climate change may alter the behaviors underlying seed dispersal.

Outside the lab, Chris enjoys golfing, hiking, listening to music, writing, stargazing, and spending time with his family.

cdeange3(at)binghamton.edu

Charlie Fridrich
Ph.D. Student

B.S. Binghamton University

Charlie's research asks how insect host-parasitoid interactions change across latitudinal gradients and poleward range expansions, focusing on a community of oak-gall wasps and their parasitoids collected along the range of the North American western oak, Quercus garryana. Using molecular approaches, Charlie is uncovering cryptic diversity within this community and examining population-level variation, in specialist to generalist parasitoids, across native and expanded-range populations to determine how parasitoids track or colonize a novel, range-expanding host. 

kfridri1(at)binghamton.edu


​

Zachary Prete
Ph.D. Student

B.S. Binghamton University

Zac's research asks how insect gall morphology varies across environmental and geographical gradients, and how that variation shapes the community composition of natural enemies, parasitoid wasps, and inquilines associated with North American oak gall wasps.

Outside the lab, Zac enjoys hiking, painting, reading, playing board games, and iNatting.

[email protected] 

Kelsey Horn
Ph.D. Student

B.S. Binghamton University

Kelsey's research asks how native, ant-dispersed wildflowers can be repopulated in temperate secondary forests of eastern North America. While still developing her research questions, she is interested in how biotic interactions shape repopulation success - from mutualisms with ants to antagonistic pressures from herbivores like deer and rodents to the effects of invasive species such as the Asian jumping worm.

Outside of the lab, Kelsey enjoys reading, baking, learning new languages, and hiking. 

khorn4(at)binghamton.edu

Anna Liu
M.A. Student

B.S. Binghamton University

Anna's research asks how populations of ants in the Aphaenogaster species complex map onto environmental and geographic space. Using morphometric analysis of diagnostic traits across hundreds of ant colonies spanning a continuous gradient between two named species, including intermediates, she is working to determine how environmental factors shape the distribution of the species complex.

aliu131(at)binghamton.edu 

Rachel Dominkowtiz
M.A. Student

B.S. Binghamton University

Rachel is working with Zac to measure traits of parasitoid wasps, including body size and ovipositor size, across hundreds of oak gall species in eastern North America, testing whether traits predict their degree of specialization on galls with particular traits.

rdomink1(at) binghamton.edu

​Current Undergraduate Students

Oak gall wasp & parasitoid team 

Christopher Sorensen,
Environmental Studies

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Anthony Bianco
Biological Sciences

Eva Chang
Biological Sciences

Cassidy O'Shea
Biological Sciences

Ant team

Jose Manzanares
Biological Sciences

Kayla Karabay
Biological Sciences

Emeli Yanaez
Biological Sciences 

Former Graduate Students

Catherine Farrell, M.S., 2025 
Finger Lakes Prism, Aquatic Invasive Species Program Manager 

Land-use change impacts on myrmecochory and ground-dwelling arthropod communities in northeast temperate deciduous forests of North America 
​

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Dr. Carmela Buono, Ph.D., 2024
Ecological Supplies 
Are ecological systems resilient to anthropogenic change? Understanding the potential for recovery of ecological systems from invasive species and land use impacts 
​Google Scholar, ResearchGate
Graduate Student Excellence Award in Outreach & Service
​Simberloff Award, Ecological Society of America

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Dr. Dylan Jones, Ph.D., 2023 
Environmental Protection Agency
Latitudinal gradients in diversity & interactions create high niche opportunities under anthropogenic range expansions
ResearchGate
Short-listed for Early Career Research Elton Prize for Article in Journal of Animal Ecology
Graduate Student Excellence Research Award 

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Rachel Chen, M.S., 2022
Research Technician, Ichan School of Medicine
Release from antagonistic interactions: biogeographical patterns in competitors-enemy interactions for a range-expanding insect across latitude
McNair Scholar,​​ Research award in Environmental Studies

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Susan Lee, M.S., 2021
Salt Lake City Public Lands
Altered interactions for species on the move: a biogeographical comparison of host-parasitoid interactions between a species' native and expanded range

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Former Undergraduate Students

Sarah Groh, 2026, Beckman Scholar
Seasonal timing and nutritional influences on cuticular hydrocarbon (CHCs) profiles in seed-dispersing Aphaenogaster ants.
Americorps

Andrew Desso, 2025, Honors Thesis
Effects of previous and persistent land use change disturbances on spider abundance in temperate forest ecosystems
Creator of video game - Myrmecochory Quest

Zachary Prete, 2024, Honors Thesis
Ph.D. Student, Binghamton University
Detecting cryptic host-parasitoid interactions using molecular approaches: investigating apparent competition between co-existing oak gall wasp species

Mary Regelski, 2024, Honors Thesis
Ph.D. Student, University of Arizona
Colony cooperation and seed dispersal: foraging strategies and cooperation in the Aphaenogaster species complex.

Julian Marshall, 2024, Honors Thesis 
Field technician, National Park Service
Uncovering handling and nest benefits in an ant-mediated seed dispersal mutualism

Tim Kurpiewski, 2024, Honors Thesis
Ph.D. Student, Binghamton University
How communities of ground beetles (Carabidae) in eastern North American forests are affected by land use change 

John Burns, 2024, Honor's thesis
The effect of Pterois volitans on the grazing behavior of Caribbean Reef Fish

Hunter Akins (Honor's thesis) (2024), PhD student UCLA Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
"Molecular delination of parasitoid community interacting with a range-expanding host to reveal altered interactions under range expansions" ​
McNair Scholar
Provosts Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research

Allie Radin (Honor's thesis) (2022)
"Beetle Communities in regenerated forests are partly resilient to historic land use change, with higher a, but lower b-diversity than remnant forests"
Provost Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research

​Wyatt Parker (Honor's thesis) (2021)
"Antagonistic and mutualistic interactions alter seed dispersal at forest edges." - published in Ecosphere

Former research and field technicians: Shannon Meadly Dunphy, Lauren Unterrenier, Quinn Evans

Former Summer Scholars & NSF REU Students, BUPNUR Students: Mimmi Mye, Sabastian Senior, Jose Manzaneres, Tim Morris, Wyatt Parker, Will Smisko, Kristy Tan, Julian Marshall, Kyle Skiver, Lexie Greiber

Additional undergraduates: Taylor Allen, Gabriella Bayshtock; Sabina Bayshtock; Julia Berliner (Univ. of Georgia, MSc student); Megan Blance (Washington State University, MSc); Dudley Britton; Sage Daughton; Brett Dobert; Lena Eder; Jacob DiBiase, Chris Johnston (SUNY ESF, MSc); ​Haley Hurst; Carly Gerth; Serena Feldman; Roni Friedman (Columbia University, MSc student; Leslie Huang (PA school); Abby Hullihen (PhD student SUNY ESF); Jesse Lofaso (Seran BioScience) Sarah Martin (University of Buffalo, Master's of Urban Planning); Tim Morris (SUNY ESF, MSc student); Shayma Naryan; Melissa Noboa, Brandon Rinkavage (Medical School); Kassidy Robinson; Catherine Ruis (Stevens Institute of Technology, MS); Jenna Ross (South Dakota State University, MSc student); John Santare; Justin Santiago (One Plant NGO); Sophie Tatar, Emily Tozer; Isabelle Tozer; Tim Wong (Fordham Univ., MSc), Cole Deatrick, Selene Lin, Kelly Medina, Malia Everett, Dayana Lucero, Krystal Maharaj