Alessandra Pandolfi
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She received her M.S. in Experimental and Applied Biology from the University of Pavia in Italy, where she studied ecological traits and dispersal vectors of non-indigenous species. After graduation, she worked as a collection assistant at Kosmos – Natural History Museum (Pavia, Italy) before moving to Orlando. She is now pursuing her Ph.D. in Integrative and Conservation Biology, studying ecological processes in human-dominated ecosystems and how insects (mainly beetles) respond to this pressure. In particular, her research will focus on fragmented landscapes and species ecological traits to understand the mechanisms that drive responses to urbanization and fragmentation and how these factors shape the biodiversity in urban habitats. She also works for the UCFC (aka Bug Closet) as a part-time collection assistant, and she is active in various side projects. Fellowships/Scholarships: Awarded with Doctoral Trustees Fellowship 2021-2025 |
Mykayla Hagaman
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My name is Mykayla Hagaman. I grew up in Ohio and graduated from the University of Maine with a degree in wildlife ecology in 2019. I am very passionate about habitat restoration and wildlife conservation which is what led me to this research program. For my Master’s research, I am looking at how incorporating native plants into suburban landscaping affects pollinator communities. I hope that my research will inspire more people to grow native plants in their own yards and will help us better understand different aspects of pollinator conservation. |
