Graduate Students in the Hanks Lab

August 2011 (l to r): Pete (Lab Technician), Joe, Christina, Judy (Lab Manager), Linnea

Current Students

Joe Wong (PhD) [website]

  • Feeding ecology of longhorned beetles
  • wong62@life.illinois.edu

Linnea Meier (MS)

  • Effects of habitat fragmentation on longhorned beetle community ecology
  • lrmeier2@life.illinois.edu

Christina Silliman (MS)

  • Effects of nutrition on early life development of longhorned beetles
  • sillima2@illinois.edu

Lab Alumni

Rob Mitchell (PhD) [website]

  • Molecular olfaction and chemical ecology of longhorned beetles
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Arizona, Tucson
  • rmitche3@life.illinois.edu

Ken Robinson

  • MS 2011: "Avoidance of cross-attraction among sympatric and synchronic species of cerambycid beetles that share pheromone components."

Becca Striman

  • MS 2010: "Seasonal and diel periodicity of Cerambycid beetles in east-central Illinois: the potential for cross attraction."

Liz Graham

  • PhD 2010: "Host plant relationships and chemical communication in the cerambycidae."
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
  • graha139@msu.edu

Matthew Richardson

  • PhD 2009: "Species composition and genetic structure of grassland plant communities and their influence on spiders and herbivorous insects."
  • Research Entomologist, U.S. Horticultural Research Lab, Fort Pierce, FL
  • Matthew.Richardson@ars.usda.gov

Annie Ray

Pete Reagel

  • MS, PhD 2009: "Effects of natural enemies and host condition on populations of insect pests of trees."
  • Visiting Instructor of Biology, Centre College, Danville, Kentucky
  • preagel@gmail.com

Dominic Philpott

  • MS 2007: "Molecular validation of a morphological character for distinguishing between the armored scale insects Chionaspis pinifoliae and C. heterophyllae (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)."
  • Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine, Edwardsville, IL

Emerson Lacey

  • MS, PhD 2007: "Chemical ecology of the Clytini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)."
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, UC Riverside, Riverside, CA
  • emerson.lacey@ucr.edu

Em Kluger

  • MS 2007: "Effects of habitat fragmentation and host plant community composition on genetic structure and population dynamics of the prairie-endemic weevil Haplorhynchites aeneus (Boehman)."
  • Corporate Account Manager, Smithereen Pest Management Services, Chicago, IL
  • ekluger@smithereen.com

Ashley Bennett

  • MS 2003: "Conservation biological control of pine needle scale (Homoptera: Diaspididae) in ornamental landscapes."
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
  • abennett@illinois.edu

Erin Grossman

  • MS 2003: "Impact of tree water stress on herbivorous insects in urban ecosystems."
  • PPQ Officer/Instructor, USDA-APHIS-PPQ, Frederick, MD
  • Erin.M.Otto@aphis.usda.gov

John Tooker

  • MS, PhD 2003: "Multitrophic interactions in a prairie insect community: Ecology, behavior, and conservation."
  • Assistant Professor, Penn State University, State College, PA
  • tooker@psu.edu
  • http://ento.psu.edu/research/labs/john-tooker

Matt Ginzel

  • MS, PhD 2003: "Chemically-mediated mate location and recognition in longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)."
  • Assistant Professor, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
  • mginzel@purdue.edu
  • http://www.entm.purdue.edu/forest/

Jodie Ellis

  • MS 2001: "An evaluation of conservation biological control of evergreen bagworm (Lepidoptera: Psychidae)."
  • Agricultural Programs Manager, Idaho Department of Agriculture, Boise, ID
  • jodie.ellis@agri.idaho.gov

Rob Moore

  • MS 2001: "Dispersal and population regulation of the evergreen bagworm, Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (Haworth) (Lepidoptera: Psychidae)"
  • Medical Entomologist, US Army (retired)