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Kristin E. Brzeski, Assistant Professor
Principle Investigator Kristin is a wildlife biologist interested in research at the intersection of applied conservation and evolutionary theory. Her work utilizes a wide range of tools including genomic sequencing, epigenetic sequencing, camera traps, and a multitude of field based techniques. Kristin's past research has focused on wild canid genetics and she remains a contributor to the Canine Ancestry Project. Kristin integrates her research into teaching during her Mammalogy and Conservation Genetic courses at MTU. CV email: kbrzeski 'at' mtu.edu |
Current Lab members
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Tanner Barnes
Forest Ecology and Management MSc student in CFRES. Fall 2019-current. MS project: Red wolf ancestry assessments of canids in SE TX Project collaborators: Dr. Melissa Karlin, the Canine Ancestry Project Tanner is a MSc student in the Brzeski Lab studying canids in southeast Texas. He is assessing red wolf ancestry and associated phenotypes in coyotes on Galveston Island, Texas. Tanner was also a past Earn and Learn student in the Lab where he conducted an independent urban camera trap study. |
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Tiffany DeGroot
Forest Science PhD student in CFRES. Spring 2019-current. PhD project: Biodiversity conservation in Equatorial Guinea Project collaborators: Biodiversity Initiative Tiff is a PhD student in the Brzeski Lab studying biodiversity and conservation applications in tropical forests. Her research project uses DNA metabarcoding and large camera trap arrays to survey wildlife in Equatorial Guinea, Central Africa. |
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Sam Hervey
Forest Science PhD student in CFRES. Spring 2020-current. PhD project: Monitoring Genetic Health of Isle Royale Wolves Project collaborators: National Park Service Sam is a PhD student in the Brzeski lab studying the newly introduced Isle Royale gray wolves. He is developing noninvasive molecular tools to monitor genetic variation of the Isle Royale wolf population and evaluating the genomic composition of the new Isle Royale wolf founders. |
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Claudia Zinser
Undergraduate student in CFRES. Spring 2019-current. SURF project: Do birds of a feather flock together? Testing flock relatedness in Blue Jays. Project collaborators: Dr. Jared Wolfe Claudia is an undergraduate Wildlife Ecology and Management and has been working in the Brzeski Lab since her freshman year. Claudia was awarded a SURF fellowship to study Blue Jay flock relatedness in Summer 2021. |
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International Student Mentees
Silvestre Esteban: Undergraduate intern with Biodiversity Initiative. Equatorial Guinea. 2015-current. Project collaborators: Biodiversity Initiative Ernest Fotsing: BRLI-Biomonitoring Technical Assistant Mpem and Djim National Park, I assist Ernest with grant writing and research design. Cameroon. 2019-current. Project collaborators: Biodiversity Initiative |
Past Lab Members
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Rachel Christensen
Undergraduate student in CFRES, Spring 2019-Spring 2020. Senior project: Avian Malaria Presence in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Project collaborators: Dr. Jared Wolfe Rachel graduated with a degree in Wildlife Ecology and Management in spring 2020 and conducted her senior project in the Brzeski Lab. She evaluated the prevalence of avian malaria in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. |
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Shallen Gurtler
Forest Ecology and Management MSc student in CFRES. Fall 2018-Summer 2020. MS project: Comparison of noninvasive iDNA and camera trap methods in detecting mammalian community change. Project collaborators: Dr. Carsten Külheim Shallen was a MSc student in the Brzeski Lab evaluating how different siliviculture treatments impacted the composition of mammal communities. |
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Kath Schneider
Undergraduate student in CFRES. Spring 2019-Spring 2020. SURF project: Silphid beetles as novel iDNA tool for measuring small mammal community biodiversity Project collaborators: Dr. Tara Bal Kath was an undergraduate in Applied Ecology and Environmental Science and a SURF student in the Brzeski Lab. Kath collected silphid beetles to test iDNA as a method to measure small mammal communities. She will start her PhD Fall 2020 and study the impact of ground beetles on forest health. |
Undergraduate volunteers and Earn & Learn students
Academic year 2019-2020: Sarah Arnold, Megan Baird, Jenna Brewer, Heidi Feliczak, Natalie Howard, Claudia Zinser. Students assisted with sorting African camera trap images and genetic lab management.
Academic year 2018-2019: Kadie Gehrke, Claudia Zinser, Teal Sackett, Mason Steele. Students assisted with sorting African camera trap images and genetic lab management.
Academic year 2019-2020: Sarah Arnold, Megan Baird, Jenna Brewer, Heidi Feliczak, Natalie Howard, Claudia Zinser. Students assisted with sorting African camera trap images and genetic lab management.
Academic year 2018-2019: Kadie Gehrke, Claudia Zinser, Teal Sackett, Mason Steele. Students assisted with sorting African camera trap images and genetic lab management.