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Kaitlin M. Baudier, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor
I am a comparative physiologist and behavioral ecologist interested in studying how abundant and ecologically important social insects interface with variable environments. I am from New Orleans, Louisiana, and received my B.S. in Biological Sciences from Louisiana State University in 2008. I received my PhD in Biological Sciences from the Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science (BEES) at Drexel University in 2017, advised by Dr. Sean O'Donnell, where my dissertation research focused on army ant thermal ecology. From 2017 to 2020, I did postdoctoral research on cooperative defense behaviors of a wide variety of social insects in the labs of Dr. Jennifer Fewell, Dr. Ted Pavlic, and Dr. Stephen Pratt, within the Social Insect Research Group at Arizona State University. In January of 2021, I was hired as an Assistant Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi in the School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences (BEES again!), where I founded the USM Lab of Social Insect Science. Since then, I have continued to enjoy the great privilege and honor of working with a terrific crew of lab members who share my research interests. In Spring 2026, I received tenure. I will be promoted to the position of Associate Professor of Biology starting Fall 2026. |
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Karen Y. Robles López - PhD Candidate, Biological Sciences (2021-present) Dissertation project: Climatic adaptations and non-prey interactions of army ants (Eciton spp.) I was born and raised in Colombia. I studied biology in the University of Cauca and did my masters in the National University of Colombia, campus Medellín. I have worked with insects in different places of Colombia and I am very interested in Ecology, plant-insect interactions, and effects of climate change. I also loved to run, swim and travel. |
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Ashley Pell - MS Student, Biological Sciences (2026-present)
Thesis project: The effect of invasive species management practices on native ant fauna in long-leaf pine ecosystems I was born in Gulfport Mississippi and spent half my life living in Saucier Mississippi before moving to Silver Creek Mississippi. I attended and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Biology from USM in May of 2025 and have come back for a Masters. I grew up on a farm, which heavily influenced my love for nature and animals. Herpetology and Entomology are my two favorite biological subjects to work with, and I hope to work with conservation and field research in the future. In my free time, I’m writing down any thought that lingers in my head for too long. 🐜
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Dr. Kristin M. Robinson 🐝🐜🪲- PhD Biological Sciences (2021-2026)
Dissertation: Eusocial caste specialization under abiotic and biotic stress in a stingless bee, Tetragonisca angustula - successfully defended in April 2026 Google Scholar - ORCID - Personal Website |
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Vinny Halsey 🐜- 2025-present (Honors / Beckman)
Juno Fulgham 🐝- 2024-present Jacob Barnes 🐜- 2025-26 Aaron Morgan 🐜- 2024-26 (Honors) co-advised by Dr. Shahid Karim Noah Williamson 🐜- 2024-26 (Honors / Beckman) co-advised by Dr. Kayla Stan Caroline (Apollo) Marley 🐜- 2022-26 Joseph Serio 🐜🐝- 2023-25 (Honors / Goldwater) co-advised by Dr. Alex Flynt Leila Pasalo-Pichon 🐝 - 2025 Maddie Fernandez 🐝- 2025 Lila Blackburn 🐜- 2024-25 Haley Schonekas 🪲- 2023-24 |
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