Kusum grew up in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India. She completed a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Isabella Thoburn College (University of Lucknow), a master’s degree in Environmental Science from the G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, and a doctoral degree in Ecology from the University of Wyoming. She worked as a postdoctoral associate and research faculty at Penn State before joining UofA. In her spare time, she enjoys watching movies, taking pictures, reading literature from different countries, visiting new places, and learning about different cultures.   

Alexis is a Hudson County, NJ native where she graduated from Saint Peter's University with a B.S. in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Philosophy in 2019. She completed her Honors thesis on the philosophy of conservation biology and worked as a naturalist in Liberty State Park before joining the ENDY Program and Naithani Lab in 2020. She loves concerts (favorite being The Strokes on NYE 2019), snowboarding (favorite mountain is Wildcat in NH), photography (film and digital), and museums (favorites being the AMNH and the MOMA).

Hailing from East Tennessee, Eston graduated from Brigham Young University - Hawai'i with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Math in 2020. With a passion and interest for Environmental Justice and Peace Ecology, Eston conducted his primary undergraduate research investigating the effects of Hawai'ian ecotourism. Before joining the Naithani lab in 2021, Eston spent a year on the Bering Sea working as a Fisheries Observer. When he's not playing the latest board game or collecting public land stamps around the country, he's helping his wife with her bakery and planning his next backpacking adventure. He loves storytelling, watching international cinema, and exploring. 

Robert is a native Arkansan, hailing from a little town called Mountainburg. He graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Interdisciplinary Studies via the Honors College where his Honors thesis delt with the bioethics of invasive species management. He then attended the University of Arkansas for a couple years working on a Master’s degree prior to putting that on hold to join the Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer. While active duty he belatedly obtained an M.S. in Biology from Western Kentucky University, where he continued previous work on the impacts of land use on ecological communities in streams (specifically meiofauna). Now out of the military and back home in Arkansas, he is a full-time staff member at the University working as the Associate Director of Digital Strategy in the University Relation department and currently working towards his Ph.D. in Biology. Outside of work and school, Robert spends time with his wife and four children, and tries his best to read the occasional book or play the occasional game when he can (luckily his family tends to be amenable to those pursuits as well). 

Abaranjitha is co-advised by Kusum Naithani and Neelendra Joshi  and currently studying the role of land use in bee microbiome. Before joining biology doctoral program, she received M.Tech in Industrial Biotechnology from Sastra University, India. Beyond academia, Abaranjitha enjoys hiking, cooking Indian food, and learning Carnatic vocals.

Chris is a naturalized Arkansan, born in Memphis, and raised in the Twin Lakes. He began his bachelor’s in biology at Arkansas State University in 2011, before stepping away to then transfer to University of Arkansas to complete it. Chris graduated in Fall of 2019 with a B.S. in Biology. Chris joined the Naithani lab in 2022, working towards a M.S. in Biology and GIS Certificate. He is expressly passionate about plant ecology at multiple scales, conservation, and regularly volunteers with organizations to aid in plant surveying, GIS consulting, invasive removal, and as an educator. When he isn’t working on his academic pursuits, Chris can be found tabletop gaming, working to learn/ use some new artisanal skill or exploring the local natural areas and cuisine.

Ayanna was born in St. Lucia and grew up on the Nature Isle of the Caribbean, Dominica. She graduated with her Associates Degree in Biology and Physics in 2014. She then enrolled in the UofA in the Fall of 15, where she obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Biology in 2018. Before embarking on her PhD journey, she worked with the Plant Pathology department, investigating the inhibition of various plant pathogens. She enjoys dancing, socializing, hiking, and playing football (soccer :). She loves children and volunteers with the After-School Program at LifeSource weekly. 

Yang Kai was born and raised in Malaysia. He graduated from U of A in 2020 with a BS in Environmental, Soil, and Water Science (ESWS).  He likes to explore the mangrove forests whenever he visits his grandmother, who lives at the tip of Malaysia Peninsula (next to Singapore). He enjoys reading, cooking and eating spicy food, hiking, and playing video games.

Ayanna was born in St. Lucia and grew up on the Nature Isle of the Caribbean, Dominica. She graduated with her Associates Degree in Biology and Physics in 2014. She then enrolled in the UofA in the Fall of 15, where she obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Biology in 2018. Before embarking on her PhD journey, she worked with the Plant Pathology department, investigating the inhibition of various plant pathogens. She enjoys dancing, socializing, hiking, and playing football (soccer :). She loves children and volunteers with the After-School Program at LifeSource weekly. 

Megan was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. She graduated from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC with a BS in Animal Science. She worked for a short time at the USDA-ARS Plant Science Research Unit in Raleigh before moving to Fayetteville, AR for grad school. She earned her MS in Crop, Soil, & Environmental Science and PhD in Biological Sciences from the UofA. She loves hanging out in coffee shops with friends, exploring thrift stores, and, on a warm day, eating good food on a patio. She and her husband were married in 2016 and have adopted a 3 month old Pyrenees puppy named Percy, whom they adore. 

As a native of Arkansas, Renee spent her childhood exploring the rivers and forests of the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains. She completed a bachelor's degree in Biology at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina. During her summers in undergraduate and in the 7 years that followed, Renee worked as a seasonal Biological Science and Forestry Technician for the National Park Service at park units in Colorado, Tennessee, and Alaska. During her winters, she traveled to 13 countries in Central and South America and Southeast Asia. Renee graduated with a M.S. degree in Biology from the UofA. In her spare time she enjoys backpacking, mountain biking, canoeing, photography, cooking, gardening, and going on camper-van adventures with her husband.

Postdoctoral Associate 2015-2018

Current Position: Assistant Professor at Murray State University, Murray, KY. 

Graduate Research Assistant 2017

Current Position: Postdoc at FDA, NCTR, Jefferson, AR

Postdoctoral Associate 2014-2016

Current Position: Postdoc at TAMU, College Station, TX

Kenicia Godinet

NSF-REU Participant (EcoREU, summer 2023)

Project: NEON

Emma Kellogg

NSF-REU Participant (EcoREU, summer 2023)

Project: NEON

Brian Jose Martinez-Soler

NSF-REU Participant (EcoREU, summer 2022)

Project: NEON

NSF-REU Participant (EcoREU, summer 2021)

Project: NEON

Undergraduate Student (2020 - 2021)

Senior Thesis

Leiah, an Arkansas native is interested in understanding sustainable land management. She graduated with a B.S. in Biology from the University of Arkansas.

Undergraduate Student (2020-2021)

Project: Rice, Senior Thesis

Ashley, a Missouri native, is interested in exploring spatial distribution and correlation between income inequality and public health in Arkansas. She graduated with a B.S. in Biology from the University of Arkansas. Apart from academia, Ashley enjoys working in the medical clinical setting, baking cookies, and hanging out with her dogs. 

Undergraduate Student (2020 - 2021)

Project: Fractals

Bonnie is from Houston, Texas. She graduated with a B. S. in Biology with a minor in theatrical drama from the University of Arkansas - Fayetteville. Prior to attending the UofA, she studied mandarin at East China Normal University in Shanghai. Outside of academics, she enjoys learning about other cultures, going on hikes, playing with animals, and hitting the gym. 

Undergraduate Student (2019-2020)

Project: Rice

Ashley is the native of Forrest City in “The Jewel of the Delta” region of Arkansas. She graduated with a B.A. in African and African American Studies and a B.A. in Biology from the UofA. She is passionate about providing nurturing environment to children and has worked in childcare and children’s behavioral therapy. In her spare time she loves watching crime or historical documentaries, and nature walking with her son Harper, boyfriend, and  two dogs.

Undergraduate Student, 2019

Project: R Skills

Cody was born and raised in Oakland, Iowa. He got an associates degree from Iowa Western community college and graduated with a B.S. degree in biology from the UofA. In his spare time he enjoys helping his wife with her 1st grade classroom prep, riding dirt bikes, traveling, relaxing at home watching TV, and spending time with his wife and dog.

Honors Student (2018 - 2019)

Graduated cum laude

Thesis: Comparison of a Commercial and a Custom-made Soil Respiration Measurement System 

Current Position: 

Honors Student (2017 - 2019)

Graduated cum laude

Thesis: Phenotyping Rice Genotypes Using Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Gas Exchange

Current Position: Student at OSU Medical School, Tulsa, OK

NSF-IRES Student (summer 2018)

Current Position: Graduate student at Texas Tech University (NSF-GRF 2021)

Undergraduate Student (2017 - 2018)

Current Position: 

Honors Student (2015 - 2017)

Graduated summa cum laude 

Thesis: Screening Rice Genotypes for Drought Tolerance Using Response Curves

Current Position: Student at UA Medical School

Research Assistant (fall 2016)

Current Position: 

NSF-REU Student (summer 2016)

Current Position: Graduate Student at University of Connecticut (NSF-GRF 2019)

Honors Student (2015 - 2016)

Graduated magna cum laude

Thesis: Exploring the Buruli Ulcer Incidence in Ghana in Response to Ecological and Social Factors

Current Position: Student at The Baylor College of Dentistry

NSF-REU Student (summer 2015)

Current Position: Senior Associate Scientist at Pfizer, Woburn, MA