About Us
Hello world…here we are!
Stacy Boatright
Howdy! I’m a Master’s student studying the development of Cochliomyia macellaria, & I will graduate in August of 2009. In addition to my research, I am also the lab instructor for Veterinary Entomology (ENTO208) here at TExas A&M. When I’m not collecting maggots from decomposing carcasses/cadavers, I enjoy eventing (show jumping, x-country, & dressage) with my horse Beowulf, playing basketball, and spoiling my Doxies!
email: AggieStace07@tamu.edu or Boatright@forensicentomologist.com
Adrienne Brundage
I am a first year PhD student here in the FLIES lab. I completed my BS in 1999 in Plant Protection Sciences at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a double minor in music and theater. I completed my Masters in 2007 in Entomology at San Jose State University, where I studened forensic entomology.
I spent this past spring semester as faculty here at TAMU, teaching Forensic Entomology (Ento 431 and 432), and I’m now embarking on my research: insect-bacteria associations in forensically important species. Best subject ever!
As for my free time (what there is of it…don’t worry Jeff, I’m in the lab ALL THE TIME!) I’m a professional harpist, playing weddings and shows. I have recently been playing at retirement homes–my agent works with music therapists, you see.
email: brundage@forensicentomologist.com
Jonathan Cammack
Howdy! I completed my B.S. in Entomology at Texas A&M University in 2007, with a minor in Anthropology. I am an adjunct member of the FLIES lab as I am a Master’s student in the Department of Entomology, Soils, and Plant Sciences at Clemson University. My advisor is Dr. Peter Adler, whom Dr. Jeff Tomberlin worked under while doing his Master’s, and I am co-advised by Jeff. My research focuses on the interaction between the green bottle fly, Lucilia sericata and the hymenopteran parasitoid, Nasonia vitripennis, and the effect this parasitoid has on pupation behavior of the blow fly. Also, I am investigating the effect of soil compaction on both the pupation behavior of the blow fly and the interaction between the parasitoid and blow fly.
email: TheSeed@forensicentomologist.com
Jonathan’s page on the BioMIA website
Micah Flores
I am a Master’s student and I work on Chrysomya rufifacies, the hairy maggot blow fly. I am looking at rate of development and odors. I plan to get my PhD and teach at a university. Forensic entomology is a fascinating subject, and I am glad that my lab mates enjoy it as much as I do.
Rachel Mohr
I am interested in how adult blow flies are attracted to a body that is very freshly deceased. While it’s relatively straightforward to tell how long maggots have been on a cadaver, it’s much harder to say how long after actual death that the flies began to lay eggs. I suspect that temperature and age of carrion and the reproductive status of female flies plays an important role in how the flies interact with a cadaver.
Tim O’Brien
Jennifer Pechal
I finished my Master’s degree in Ento as of Aug 2008. The first objective of my research determined gene flow among Periplaneta americana. The second objective determined the potential vector competence of P. americana populations in an urban environment, by comparing the spatial distribution and prevalence of various bacterial pathogens harbored by the population.
I am going to continue my eduation at TAMU and pursue my Ph. D. in entomology with a forensics emphasis. I am going to study bactericidal properties of maggots and analyze the microbial fuana of cadavers. If you have any questions please e-mail me and I will be happy to respond.
Jennifer’s CV (PDF format)
E-mail: Pechal@forensicentomologist.com
Carlos Tamez
Dr. Jeff Tomberlin
I am a native of Georgia. I received my B.S. in Biology from the University of Georgia in 1993 and my M.S. in Entomology from Clemson University in 1996. After attaining my M.S., I worked for two years in the laboratory of the forensic entomologist Dr. Lee Goff, University of Hawaii. I returned to Georgia in 1998 and received my doctorate in 2001 from the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia.
Active in the forensic entomology community since 1994, I have examined insect evidence from several investigations in Georgia prior to accepting a faculty position in the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University in 2002. Since moving to Texas, I have played a major role with the development of the North American Forensic Entomology Conference and the North American forensic Entomology Association of which I have served as president. Additionally, I am certified by the American Board of Forensic Entomology.
My research interests primarily focus on understanding the role of arthropods in decomposition ecology and nutrient recycling. I have published 20+ research articles in international journals, given 50+ presentations at professional meetings, and conducted forensic entomology workshops for training law enforcement agents in Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina.
email: Tomberlin@forensicentomologist.com
Rachel Wynalda