MUSEUM STAFF

CHARLES DARDIA

Collections Manager
cmd7@cornell.edu
(607) 254-2161

MARY MARGARET FERRARO

Collections Manager
mmferraro@cornell.edu
​(607) 254-1110

CASEY DILLMAN

Curator of Fishes and Herps
cbd63@cornell.edu
​(607) 254-2162

VANYA ROHWER

Curator of Birds and Mammals
vgr7@cornell.edu
​(607) 254-1148​

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

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Kai Victor

Matthew Lin

Allyson Evans

I'm studying the occurrence and function of bird eyelashes, with the goal of learning why some species have them and others don't.

I surgically remove the face bones of cleared and stained stickleback fish specimens to examine cranial variation.

I assist in the management of the fish, herp, and teaching collections and investigate patterns of sexual dimorphism in Gymnotiform fish.

Christopher Zobek

Samantha Hagler

Augie Kramer

I'm comparing the dentition of kingsnakes to identify adaptations for a skink-heavy diet.

I am using specimens of grosbeaks and towhees collected from transects in the Great Plains to study how selection may be acting on hybrids.

I'm helping to collect and prepare specimens from the Great Plains region of North America to better our understanding of hybridization and speciation as a whole.

FACULTY CURATORS

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Amy McCune

Harry Greene

Willy Bemis

Faculty Curator of Ichthyology

Faculty Curator of Herpetology

Faculty Curator of Ichthyology

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Jeremy Searle

Irby Lovette

Kelly Zamudio

Faculty Curator of Mammalogy

Museum of Vertebrates Director, and Faculty Curator of Ornithology

Faculty Curator of Herpetology

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CUMV AFFILIATES

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        Paulo C. Alves

Paulo is an Associate Professor at the University of Porto, Portugal, and a senior researcher at CIBIO, Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources. His research interests are conservation genetics, and ecology and evolution of mammalian species, in particular lagomorphs (rabbits and hares). Recent research focuses on: i) evaluating the level of fragmentation and/or connectivity among populations of endangered or cryptic species ii) assessing the degree of natural or anthropogenic hybridization between a variety of species iii) developing and using non-invasive genetic methods for studying rare and elusive animals, and iv) studying the population dynamics and ecology of managed and threatened species, like hares, rabbits, voles, and wildcats. 

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Carl D. Hopkins

We are interested in the biology of mormyrid electric fishes from Africa (Mormyridae, Osteoglossomorpha) and the role of their electric discharges in behavior, evolution, and systematics. Our current research is to untangle the complex systematics of these fishes that live in freshwater streams and rivers of Gabon in West Central Africa. By examining their species-specific electric organ discharges we have uncovered a “species flock” of mormyrids with more than 15 undescribed species. We call them the ‘Darwin’s Finches’ of the electric fish world. Currently we are working to describe, diagnose, illustrate, and give them scientific names. Students with a strong interest in systematics, evolution, and behavior, who are fascinated by species with unusual senses are encouraged to apply to be research assistants in this venture.
Carl's Webpage: http://pages.nbb.cornell.edu/neurobio/hopkins/hopkins.html
More info on mormyrids: http://mormyrids.myspecies.info/en
Publication: https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article/180/3/613/3798757

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