People

Principal investigator

Max C. N. Castorani

Education:
2014 Ph.D. Ecology, University of California, Davis and San Diego State University
2008 B.S. Evolution & Ecology, Ohio State University

Appointments:
2023–Present. Associate Professor, University of Virginia
2017–2023. Assistant Professor, University of Virginia
2014–2017. Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California, Santa Barbara

Co-director, Specialization in Environmental and Biological Conservation at UVA

Curriculum vitae

Email: castorani@virginia.edu

Lab manager and lead research technician

Wil Atencio

Education:
2024 M.S. Biology, Georgia Southern University
2020 B.S. Zoology, University of Wyoming

Research interests: oyster reef ecology, host-parasite dynamics, ecosystem function, restoration, coastal conservation

Curriculum vitae

Email: watencio@virginia.edu

Graduate students

Billie Beckley

Ph.D. candidate (at UC Santa Barbara; primary advisor: Robert Miller)

Education:
2020 M.S. Ecology, San Diego State University
2014 B.S. Environmental Science, Dickinson College

Research interests: marine ecology, conservation, disturbance ecology, kelp forests, primary producers

Email: billiebeckley@ucsb.edu

Lauren E. Brideau

Ph.D. candidate
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow

Education:
2020 B.S. Environmental Systems & Sustainability Studies, Southern Connecticut State Univ.

Research interests: community ecology, restoration, ecosystem function, seagrass meadows, coastal dynamics

Email: lbrideau@virginia.edu

Ethan Kadiyala

Ph.D. candidate
Jefferson Scholars Foundation Fellow

Education:
2020 B.S. Environmental Studies & Physical Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara

Research interests: conservation science, coastal ecology, biogeography, biological oceanography, marine community ecology

Email: ekadiyala@virginia.edu

Eleanor McGrath 

Ph.D. student

Education:
2024 B.A. Environmental Science, Colby College 

Research interests: marine community ecology, foundation species, disturbance ecology, conservation

Chris Oxley

Ph.D. student
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow; UVA Presidential Fellow

Education:
2022 B.S. Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston

Research interests: coastal ecology, community ecology, conservation, restoration, invertebrate zoology

Shirah Strock

Ph.D. student

Education:
2025 M.S. Biology, Sonoma State University
2022 B.S. Marine Biology and Environmental Science, Roger Williams University

Research interests: kelp, foundation species, biodiversity, marine ecology, restoration ecology, conservation

Caitlin Zimmer

Ph.D. student

Education:
2025 M.S. Biology, University of New Mexico
2021 B.S. Environmental Biology, Tulane University

Research interests: coastal ecology, restoration, food web structure, species interactions, science communication

Undergraduate students

Sam Cupka

Research Technician (2025)
Education: 2027 B.S. Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
Research interests: coastal ecology, marine biology, conservation

Tori Dickerson

Tori Dickerson

Research Technician (2025)
Education: 2027 B.S. Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
Research interests: marine ecology, global sustainability, traditional knowledge, environmental justice

EmmaEllsworthHeadshot

Emma Ellsworth

Research Technician (2025)
Education: 2027 B.S. Biology and Minor Data Science, University of Virginia
Research interests: marine ecology, coastal ecosystems, restoration, biodiversity conservation

Caroline Just

Research Technician (2025)
Education: 2028 B.S. Environmental Sciences and B.A. Economics, University of Virginia
Research interests: wetland ecology, forest ecology

Sophia Korte

Research Technician (2025)
Education: 2028 B.A. Environmental Thought and Practice, University of Virginia
Research interests: conservation, restoration, environemental justice, coastal ecology

Sophia Kuzminski

Sophia Kuzminski

Research Technician (2023–2025)
Education: 2026 B.S. Biology and Minor French, University of Virginia
Research interests: animal behavior, coastal ecology, conservation

Sophie May

Research Technician (2025)
Education: 2028 B.A. Environmental Thought and Practice and B.A. Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
Research interests: conservation, coastal ecology, restoration, biodiversity

Elizabeth_Shiker

Elizabeth Shiker

Research Technician (2024–2025)
Education: 2027 B.A. Economics and Minor Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
Research interests: marine ecology, conservation, ecosystem restoration

Tara Udani

Tara Udani

Research Technician (2025)
Education: 2027 B.S. Data Science and B.A. Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
Research interests: coastal ecology, biodiversity, conservation

 

Lab alumni

  • Emily M. Goetz (2022–2024).
  • Amanda C. Lohmann (2023–2024).
    • Subsequent position: Data Scientist at Global Fishing Watch.
  • Maowei Liang (2021–2022).
    • Subsequent position: Research Scientist at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve and LTER, University of Minnesota.
  • Rachel S. Smith (2019–2022). TNC NatureNet Science Fellow.
    • Subsequent position: Assistant Researcher at University of California, Santa Barbara (SONGS Mitigation Monitoring Program).
  • Michael R. Cornish, Ph.D. (2019–2025). Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow.
    • Subsequent position: Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California, Santa Barbara.
  • Sean B. Hardison, Ph.D. (2019–2024). Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow.
    • Subsequent position: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Alaska Fairbanks and NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center.
  • Kinsey N. Tedford, Ph.D. (2018–2023). Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellow; Jefferson Scholars Foundation Fellow. 
    • Subsequent position: Fisheries Program Manager, Oyster Recovery Partnership.
  • Emily Barker. Lead Undergraduate Research Technician (2024–2025); Research Technician (2022–2025). 
  • Maya Tatel-McMillen. Research Technician (2023–2025). 
  • Ella Mortimer. Research Technician (2023–2025).
  • Rachel Bohannon. Research Technician (2021–2025).
  • Annie Wolsborn. Research Technician (2024–2025).
  • Aleyna Loughran-Pierce. Research Technician (2024–2025); Distinguished Majors Program (2025). “The effects of winter wave disturbance on kelp forest functional groups.”
  • Maddi Crowe. Research Technician (2025).
  • Kendle Schooler. Research Technician (2025).
  • Jenny Hunsinger. Research Technician (2025).
  • Fernando Miguelena. Coastal-Heartland Marine Biology Summer Research Exchange Program (2024).  
  • Sela Raisl. Coastal-Heartland Marine Biology Summer Research Exchange Program (2024). 
  • Sam Solomon. Research Technician (2022–2024).
  • Luciana Codella. Distinguished Majors Program (2023). “The response of eastern bluebird clutch size and first egg date to environmental factors.”
  • Alex Marshall. Research Technician (2023). 
  • Hayley Marshall. Research Technician (2023). 
  • Phillip Reeves. Research Technician (2023).
  • Parker Sims. Research Technician (2023).
  • Caroline Speidel. Research Technician (2023).
  • Mandy Unterhalter. Research Technician (2023).
  • Lillibet Woodward. Research Technician (2023). 
  • James Davis. Research Technician (2022–2023); Virginia Coast Reserve LTER REU (2022).
  • Chloe Wetzler. Research Technician (2022–2023).
  • Connor Dooren. Research Technician (2021–2023).
  • Miriam Wanner. Senior Thesis (2021–2023); Distinguished Majors Program (2023). “Dispersal synchronizes giant kelp forests.”
  • Katharine Schlachter. Research Technician (2020–2023); Virginia Coast Reserve LTER REU (2021); Distinguished Majors Program (2022). “Suspended algal dynamics across a seagrass meadow landscape.”
  • Olivia Redding. Research Technician (2019–2023); Distinguished Majors Program (2023). “The effect of plant roots on loggerhead turtle nest success.”
  • Renee Hebert. Research Technician (2022).
  • Mattie Anderton. Research Technician (2022).
  • Jesus Neyra. Research Technician (2021–2022).
  • Selina Cheng. Research Technician (2020–2021); Virginia Coast Reserve LTER REU (2019); Distinguished Majors Program (2020–2021). “Blue crab spatial patterns across a seagrass landscape.”
  • Camille Wilson. Research Technician (2019–2021); Distinguished Majors Program (2022). “Comparing scale and otolith age estimates to understand the potential bias of long-term American shad age data in the Penobscot River.”
  • Maddy Ross. Research Technician (2019–2021).
  • Elizabeth Eareckson. Research Technician (2019–2020). 
  • Shivani Lakshman. Research Technician (2019–2020).
  • Jun DeBus. Research Technician (2018–2020).
  • Carrie Wentzel. Research Technician (2018–2020); Senior Thesis (2019–2020). “Spatial variation in seagrass recovery following habitat restoration.”
  • Sophia Rosenberg. Research Technician (2018–2020); Distinguished Majors Program (2020). “Biodiversity of oyster reef invertebrates at the Virginia Coast Reserve.”
  • Sarah Lang. Virginia Space Grant Consortium REU (2019); Distinguished Majors Program (2020–2021). “Modeling coastal water clarity using Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2.”
  • Elizabeth Daly. Research Technician (2018–2019); Virginia Coast Reserve LTER REU (2018). “Spatial distributions of large invertebrate consumers across a seagrass landscape.”
  • Samantha Townsend. Research Technician (2018–2019).
  • Elizabeth Bieri. Virginia Coast Reserve LTER REU (2018). “Effects of seagrass landscape structure on the growth of hard clams, Mercenaria mercenaria.”
  • Emily Riley. Research Technician (2018). 
  • Taylor Traxler. Honors Thesis (2015-2017). Santa Barbara Coastal LTER, University of California, Santa Barbara. “Disturbance frequency structures ecologicial communities in Santa Barbara kelp forests.”
  • Taylor Simpkins. Research Technician (2012–2013). Coastal and Marine Institute, San Diego State University. “The effects of the exotic Asian mussel on the resilience of eelgrass to disturbance.”
  • Elizabeth Travis. Honors Thesis (2012–2013). Coastal and Marine Institute, San Diego State University. “Stable isotopes as a tool to trace California spiny lobster food webs.”
  • Cristina Lever. Research Technician (2011–2012). Coastal and Marine Institute, San Diego State University. “Effects of native predator chemical cues on anti-predation behaviors in an invasive marine bivalve.”
  • Olivia Turnross. Research Technician (2010). Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis. “Interactions between eelgrass Zostera marina and ghost shrimp Neotrypaea californiensis.