Lab Members

Principal Investigator

Graduate students

Joseph Bingham

M.S. Student (2023-)

B.S. Utah State University, 2022

Joseph grew up in Bountiful, Utah and attended Utah State University in Logan, Utah for his Bachelor's Degree in Geology with a minor in Biology. He has wanted to be a paleontologist since he was three years old due to a combination of reading, playing with dinosaur toys, and watching The Land Before Time series. He did undergraduate research involving analyzing the radioactivity of turtle fossils, the chemical composition of shale, and identifying different fossils from the Ute Formation in Utah. He also spent several months learning how to clean fossil specimens at Brigham Young University. His current research interests include the early evolution of eurypterids, their ecology, and their extinction. Joseph enjoys hiking, camping, reading, and playing nearly all varieties of games.

Alexander Bradley

Ph.D. Student (2022-)

M.S. University of Iowa, 2020
B.S. Virginia Tech, 2018

Alex is from from Iowa most recently but has lived all over the country. After high school, Alex attended Virginia Western Community College and then received a bachelor’s in geology from Virginia Tech in 2018. While there, he conducted two undergraduate research projects, one on an obscure Triassic parareptile and the other on a poorly documented aspect of dinosaur anatomy. Alex then crossed over to invertebrate studies and completed a master’s thesis on trilobite systematics and biostratigraphy at the University of Iowa in 2020. Alex’s interests are now in how the fossil record can be employed to study the developmental paleobiology of extinct taxa as well as broader trends in evolutionary history and is starting a PhD at West Virginia University to pursue a career in this research. His hobbies outside of paleobiology include flint knapping, element collecting, and geology education.

April Cerami

M.S. Student (2023-)

B.S. University of Tampa (2023)

April Cerami was born and raised in Long Island, New York where she developed a love for the ocean and environment. This passion led her to the University of Tampa, where she received her B.S. in marine science with a concentration in biology in May of 2023. There, she had the opportunity to perform and present two research projects, one on the effects of micropollutants on macroalgae and the other calculating a Q10 temperature coefficient for the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus. Through her classes and personal experiences, April found that she was most interested in interdisciplinary biology, particularly relating to evolution and adaptation. This led her to the University of West Virginia, where she will have the opportunity to explore these passions while investigating geological concepts. She plans to study the paleoecology of xiphosurans, comparing past and present to understand where extant species came from and where they are going as the world changes around them.

Emily Hughes

Ph.D. Student,
Ruby Distinguished Doctoral Fellow (2019-)

M.S. Student (2017-2019)

M.S. West Virginia University, 2019
B.S. Keystone College, 2017

Emily is from northeastern Pennsylvania, and attended Keystone College where she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in geology and environmental resource management in 2017. Emily began her studies at Keystone with the intention of pursuing a career in industry, but soon developed a serious interest in Earth history and paleontology, and decided to go on to graduate school at West Virginia University in order to pursue a career in academia. Emily completed her M.S. with Dr. Lamsdell in 2019, and received a West Virginia University Ruby Doctoral Fellowship to stay and pursue her Ph.D. Emily's general research interests involve fossil aquatic arthropods. Besides geology and paleontology, Emily's other hobbies include drawing, running, star gazing, and reading.

M.S. Thesis title: Discerning the Diets of Sweep-Feeding Eurypterids through Analysis of Mesh-Modified Appendage Armature.

Samantha ‘Sam’ Ocon

Ph.D. Student (2023-)

M.S. Student (2020-2022)

M.S. West Virginia University, 2022
B.S. University of Florida, 2020

Sam hails from the swamps of Gainesville, FL, where they received their B.S. in Geology from the University of Florida. Sam has known that they wanted to study paleontology from the young age of two, and as a result, has a diverse paleontological background in foraminifera, ancient cats & dogs, arthropods, and science communication. Sam’s research interests include Paleozoic chelicerates and their evolutionary response to environmental perturbations. When they are not thinking about fossils, Sam enjoys hiking, knitting, and playing video games.

M.S. Thesis title: Examining evolutionary rate in Xiphosura.

Alexander ‘Alex’ Favaro

M.S. Student (2021-)

B.S. University of South Florida, 2020

Alexander Favaro is a first-generation student who graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.S. in Geology. He has had a life-long passion for paleontology, and was involved as an undergraduate researcher focusing on Paleozoic echinoderms. His interests now lie broadly in Paleozoic chelicerates and their interactions with the biota of their respective ecosystems. His other hobbies and interests include drawing, video games, hiking, and exercising. 

Riley Sanford

M.S. Student (2022-)

B.S. Fort Hays State University, 2022

Riley is originally from Topeka, Kansas but attended Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas for her Bachelor's Degrees in Geology and Spanish and a certificate in Museum Studies. She has wanted to be a paleontologist since she was a child, when her grandmother took her to the natural history museum every summer. She has experience with fauna from the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway and in fossil preparation from her undergraduate career. Her current research interests include the morphology of Paleozoic arthropods and the causes of its change over time as well as science communication. Outside of paleontology, Riley's interests include hiking, camping, playing DnD, and practicing aikido.

B.D. Voss

M.S. student (2021-)

B.S. University of Wyoming, 2020

Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, B.D. graduated from the University of Wyoming with a B.S. in Geology and a minor in Museum Studies in 2020. B.D.'s lifelong passions in arachnids and evolution combined with geology at the beginning of their undergraduate career at the University of Rochester, with field and research experience focusing on Cenozoic mammals and museum collections in North America. B.D.'s research interests include understanding early chelicerate and arachnid evolution, 3D modeling fossil anatomy, and expanding earth science outreach to underprivileged groups. In his spare time, B.D. enjoys singing, photography, drawing, yarncrafts, video games, worrying about their tarantulas, and absurd internet memery.

Undergraduate Research Students

Payton Deleva

Undergrad Researcher (2022-)

Payton is from Havre de Grace, Maryland and is pursuing her bachelor's at WVU in Biology and Geology with an emphasis in evolutionary biology. She is interested in paleobiology, phylogenetics, ecology, and science communication. Payton's current research includes morphological and phylogenetic work with Eurypterus. When she is not in the lab, you can find Payton collecting funky rocks, trying new coffee shops, reading a good book, swimming, or petting a dog.

Lily Grace

Undergrad Researcher (2022-)

Lily is from Harpers Ferry, WV, and is currently attending West Virginia University. She intends to graduate in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Geology. Her interests include: geology, environmental science, paleontology, climate change, and mass extinction events. Outside of academics she likes hiking, camping, rollerblading, swimming, and spending time with her dog Trooper.

eLIZABETH ‘bETH’ oRNDORFF

Undergrad Researcher (2024-)

Beth is from Charleston, West Virginia, and is a first-generation student pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology at West Virginia University. She is very interested in Paleobiology, Paleoecology, and the earth sciences. Beth has been interested in paleontology ever since she was a child, first being introduced to the idea through books, movies, and her family's hobby of collecting shark teeth and other fossils. She devotes a lot of time to reading research papers and keeping mostly up to date with new findings. Outside of her academic life, she enjoys drawing, watching/discussing films, cooking, and playing video games.

Past lab members

Dr. Brendan Anderson

Postdoctoral Research Associate (2019-2020)

Subsequently: Postdoctoral Associate, Baylor University

Ph.D. Cornell University, 2018
M.S. University of Kansas, 2013
B.A. Dartmouth College, 2009

Brendan is a paleobiologist interested in the interplay between geologic processes and macroevolution. He is particularly interested in the evolutionary origin of unusual features of mollusks. His doctoral research focused on Neogene gastropods, specifically the evolution of the uncoiled Vermicularia within the Turritellidae. Brendan makes use of a wide range of techniques available in modern paleontology including genetic sequencing, 3-D printing, geochemical techniques (e.g. stable isotope sclerochronology, Raman spectroscopy, XRD), SEM and nano-CT imaging, and traditional paleoecological techniques to answer a variety of paleobiological questions. His outside interests include reading, collectible card games, and philosophy.

Namiko Machida

Ph.D. Student (2019-2021)

M.S. University of Tsukuba, 2018
B.S. University of Tsukuba, 2016

Namiko attended the University of Tsukuba where she studied stratigraphy and micropaleontology. She did fieldwork in Permian limestone in Japan for her bachelor's degree, and the Devonian sequence in Thailand for her Master's degree. Her background also includes assisting the collections manager in the vertebrate lab. Having obtained geological skills, she decided to switch her focus to paleontology, especially trilobites and other Paleozoic arthropods. Her interests are quantitative evaluation of morphological change, ontogeny, and phylogeny. Her hobbies are folding papers, hiking, and swimming.

James Beech

M.S. Student (2017-2019)

Subsequently: Ph.D. student, University of Southern California

M.S. West Virginia University, 2019
B.A. Oberlin College, 2017

James attended Oberlin College, where he majored in Geology and Creative Writing. His background includes work with vertebrate collections and fieldwork with sediments in New Zealand, as well as teaching an experimental course on speculative evolution. His interest is in evolutionary paleobiology and paleontology, particularly the relationship between morphospace and ecospace occupation through time. His hobbies include writing, community radio, and tabletop gaming.

M.S. Thesis title: Death-defying Morphologies: Mass Extinction and Disparity in the Order Harpetida.

Shadya El-ashkar

M.S. Student (2018-2020)

Subsequently: West Virginia Geologic and Economic Survey

M.S. West Virginia University, 2020
B.S. Salem State University, 2018

Shadya is from Salem, Massachusetts, and graduated with a B.S in Geological Sciences from Salem State University. Her previous work involves studying sediment cores from a New England salt marsh to reconstruct past high energy events, and how they may have impacted carbon sequestration. Her research interests include using invertebrate marine fossils to understand ecological, evolutionary, and climatic change. Other activities aside from geology include hiking, running, games, music and juggling.

M.S. Thesis title: Paleoecological Successions from Shallow-marine Depositional Environments in Upper Silurian Carbonate Rocks of Blair County, Pennsylvania.

Sam Tybout

M.S. Student (2018-2020)

M.S. West Virginia University, 2020
B.S. University of Rochester, 2015

Sam attended the University of Rochester, where he graduated with a degree in Geology. He has participated in several fossil digs in Montana, Wyoming, and Utah, and produced a thesis on late Pleistocene lizards. Sam's interests include phylogenetics, evolutionary dynamics, and teaching. He spends his free time playing tabletop games and singing loudly.

M.S. Thesis title: Estimating Evolutionary Volatility in a Maximum Likelihood Framework.

Jacob George

Undergraduate Researcher (2019-2020)

Subsequently: M.S. student, Oklahoma State University

B.S. West Virginia University, 2020

Jacob is from Clarksburg, West Virginia and studied biology with a minor in geology at WVU. Jacob’s interests lie primarily in paleobiology, particularly phylogenetics and morphology, and changes in biodiversity through time. In previous research he studied the environmental preferences of freshwater drum in the upper Mississippi River. While at WVU he is currently cataloged fossils that had been donated to the lab’s collection. When not working on his studies or in the lab, Jacob enjoys spending his time watching sports (especially football and basketball), fishing, and reading.

Nicolette Rich

Research Assistant (2022-2023)
Undergrad Researcher (2020-2022)

Nicolette is from Morgantown, WV. She intends on graduating West Virginia University with a bachelor’s in Geology and a minor in English May of 2022. Her area of emphasis has always been paleontology as she plans to get her master’s degree at Ohio State. She has had an interest in paleontology ever since she first laid her eyes on the movie, Jurassic Park. Her other interests include evolution and historical geology. Her favorite pastimes outside of the lab includes sewing, hiking, fossil hunting, and taking care of her pet bunny, Sugar.

Margaret Rubin

Undergraduate Researcher (2016)

Subsequently: M.S. student, University of Iowa

M.S. University of Iowa, 2020
B.A. Oberlin College, 2018

Maggie attended Oberlin College, where she majored in Biology and Geology. Her background includes a variety of museum work and research including work with Dr. Lamsdell on the cuticular structure of extinct and extant chelicerates. After doing arthropod research as an undergraduate, Maggie applied to graduate schools to pursue a career in museum work and collections management with research interests in vertebrate paleontology, particularly comparative morphology and phylogeny. Her hobbies include sewing, baking, and tabletop gaming.

Jessica Shulman

Undergraduate Researcher (2018-2019)

Subsequently: M.S. student, Western Washington University

B.S. West Virginia University, 2019

Jess is from Columbia, Maryland and studied math and geology at West Virginia University as an undergraduate. Jess is interested in how climate and species have changed over geological time and worked on a project involving localities of eurypterids. When Jess isn’t pondering the geological past she likes to draw and pet dogs.

Kaylee Walty

Undergraduate Researcher (2020-2022)

Subsequently: M.S. student, Bowling Green State University

Kaylee is from Falling Waters, WV, and attending WVU with the intention of graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Geology in 2022. She enjoys learning about geology and paleontology. When she’s not in the classroom, you can probably find her either napping or playing DnD or Magic: The Gathering. She enjoys exploring, learning new things, and playing video games.

Currently accepting graduate students

Interested in joining the lab in the future? Contact me!

Department Teaching Assistantships available for MS and PhD students.

Completed applications due January 15th.
Check the Department of Geology and Geography's admission guidelines here.