Dr. Paola López-Duarte

B.S. Marine Biology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL (2003)
Ph.D. Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL (2008) 
Postdoctoral Researcher,  UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, CA (2008-2010) 
Postdoctoral Researcher, Rutgers University Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory in Port Norris, NJ. (2010-2012)
Assistant Research Professor, Rutgers University Marine Field Station in Tuckerton, NJ (2012-2018)
Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC (2018-2023)
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences and Management, Portland State University, Portland, OR (2023-

UNC CHARLOTTE STUDENTS

  • Caitlin BrabbleRose

    PHD PROGRAM

    Caitlin graduated from North Carolina Wesleyan College in 2018, having majored in Biology and Environmental Science. After graduation she worked in the scientific industry in the field of genomics and toxicology. Her dissertation focuses on embryo/female communication and developmental synchrony in crabs. Teaching: TA for BIOL 2140L General Biology Lab.

  • Ruth Wright

    MS PROGRAM ‘23

    Ruth graduated cum laude from Coastal Carolina University with a BS in Biology and a concentration in Cellular, Molecular, and Genetics Biology. She joined the lab in fall 2021. Her thesis focused on the effects of thermal stress on embryo crab development. Teaching: TA for BIOL 3144L Ecology Lab

  • Kayli Jablonski

    MS PROGRAM

    Kayli graduated from THE Ohio State University with a major in Biology and a minor in Evolution, Ecology, Organismal Biology. After working several years for a fish biology laboratory at OSU, she joined the lab in fall 2022. Her thesis focuses on the effects of environmental stressors on early life histories of fish. Teaching: TA for BIOL 3000 Introduction to Marine Science and BIOL 3144 Ecology

  • Kathryn Brinegar

    BIOLOGY HONORS PROGRAM ‘23

    Fish habitat use patterns and diets of marsh residents and coastal fish. Tools: Dietary stable isotopes and otolith microchemistry.

  • Yuleny Gomez Rodriguez

    BIOLOGY HONORS PROGRAM ‘23

    Biodiversity and food web structure of macroinvertebrate communities. Tool: Dietary stable isotopes.

  • Kenzie McNamara

    UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER ‘23

    Biodiversity of macroinvertebrate communities in restored saltmarshes, as well as fish habitat use and diets.

  • Winnie Yao

    UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

    Saltmarsh restoration and biodiversity of macroinvertebrate communities. Biology Honors Program 2023-2024

  • Amanda Blaufuss

    UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER ‘23

    Saltmarsh restoration and biodiversity of macroinvertebrate communities.

Alumni

Aashiana Patel

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Rachel Magallon

BIOLOGY HONORS PROGRAM

Rachel will graduate in May 2023 with a B.S. in Biology. She completed her honors thesis in 2022 on the effects of freshwater diversions marsh macroinvertebrate communities.

Alumni

Casey Gatrell

BIOLOGY HONORS PROGRAM

Casey graduated in May 2022 with a BS in Biology. His honors thesis examined the use of macroinvertebrates as bioindicators of habitat health in newly-created marshes.

Sherry Dijkstra

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

Sherry graduated from UNCC in fall 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. She worked in the lab as an undergraduate research and a lab technician. He goal is to dedicate herself to veterinary research in geriatrics and orthopedics. She is attending veterinary school at the Western University of Health Sciences.

Christopher Garcia

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

Chris graduated with a BS in Biology in Fall 2020. He joined the lab in fall 2019 as an completing BIOL 3900 (undergraduate research) and then received a Charlotte Research Scholar internship.

Candis Hoskins

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

Candis graduated from UNC Charlotte as double major in Biology and Spanish as well as a minor in Urban Youth and Communities. She has a passion for animal medicine and is attending veterinary school at Purdue University.

Leyna Pence

BIOLOGY HONORS PROGRAM

Leyna graduated in May 2020 with a major in Biology. She joined our lab through the Charlotte Research Scholar Program in summer 2019 and completed her Honors Thesis on fiddler crab behavior.

Megan Mitchem

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

Megan majored in Biology at UNC Charlotte and is currently in the PhD Program (working with Dr. Andy Truman). Megan joined our lab through the Charlotte research Scholar Program in summer 2020.

Jack Morin

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

Jack graduated in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. Jack joined the lab in summer 2019.

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Julia Nelson

BIOLOGY HONORS PROGRAM

Julia graduated on May 2020 with a B.S. in Biology from UNCC. She joined the lab in spring 2019 working on otolith microchemistry analysis for native salt marsh fish and also mapping our study sites in ArcGIS. 

Ryan Sacchere

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

Ryan graduated in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. Ryan joined the lab in fall 2019 working as a volunteer and then continued his studies as by taking undergraduate research course Bio 3900.

Hanielle Joseph

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER

Hannielle graduated from UNCC in fall 2019 with a major in Biology and minor in Bioinformatics. She joined the lab in summer 2019 working as a research technician and applied various computational approaches for analyzing biological data.