AT THE INTERSECTION OF ECOLOGY AND GENOMICS
Principal Investigator
Charlyn Partridge, PhD
she/her/hers
Email: partridc@gvsu.edu
Phone: 616-331-3989
Address: 740 W. Shoreline Dr., Muskegon, MI 49441
Beige flag: Leaves gloves around the lab
Meet the Partridge Lab
Graduate Student
Grace Forthaus
they/them
Thesis: Population genomics of invasive hemlock woolly adelgid throughout eastern North America.
Beige Flag: Eats cold beans for lunch in the field
Graduate Student
Renee Tardani
she/her/they
Thesis: Cyanobacterial community dynamics in response to treatment and temporal variation along inland public beaches.
Beige Flag: Eats gas station sushi
Research Associate
Kathryn Geller
she/her
GVSU
Beige Flag: Needs music for any/all lab work
Undergraduate Student
Jim Switzer-Moe
he/him
GVSU
Beige Flag: Was a mechanic, is now a scientist
Lab Pets
Honey
Occupation:
Ornithologist
Gypsum, Phlox, Leo
Occupation:
Unemployed x3
Lego
Occupation:
Manager of Meijer Bakery
Chowder, Scrimp Sclampi, Volvagia
Lab Alumni - Graduate Students
Thesis: Evaluating the impacts of hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) on native biodiversity in Michigan’s hardwood forests.
Completed July 2024
Where is she now: American Forest Foundation
Meg Sanders, MSc
Thesis: Developing novel molecular detection techniques for Hemlock Woolly Adeglid (Adelges tsugae)
Completed December 2021
Where is she now: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection
Hailee Leimbach-Maus, MSc
Thesis: Genetic analysis of invasive baby’s breath populations in the northwest Michigan dunes system.
Completed July 2018.
Where is she now: Dept. of Biology – Eastern Washington University
Maggie Petersen, MSc
Thesis: Examining the impact of microplastic pollution on the health of aquatic wildlife
Completed July 2022
Where is she now: Great Lakes Environmental Center
Master's Thesis: Invasive history of baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata) throughout North America.
Completed July 2019
Where is she now: Senior Science Advisor in Animal Health and Welfare for the New Zealand government and Visiting Scholar at Te Herenga Waka- Victoria University of Wellington
Lab Alumni - Undergraduate Students
Elliot Fair (GVSU): Exploring the genetic structure of wild rice populations throughout Michigan. Population assessment of lake sturgeon
Colleen McClure (GVSU): Monitoring hemlock woolly adelgid throughout Michigan’s coastal hemlock forests.
Gabriella Loisch (GVSU): Monitoring hemlock woolly adelgid throughout Michigan’s coastal hemlocks. Assessing eDNA degradation rates
Carly Thayer (MCC): Monitoring hemlock woolly adelgid throughout Michigan’s coastal hemlocks. Assessing eDNA degradation rates
Cianna Quattrin (GVSU Summer Student): Monitoring hemlock woolly adelgid throughout Michigan’s coastal hemlock forests.
Carlin Moore (GVSU Research Student): Exploring the genetic structure of wild rice populations throughout Michigan.
Leona Addie (GVSU-AWRI Summer Student Intern): Identification of fungal infections in western US G. paniculata populations.
Alex Florian (GVSU-S3 scholar): Influence of alternative reproductive tactics on population growth estimates of invasive round gobies.
Steve Smit (CIGLR Summer Research Fellow): Relationship between genetic diversity and presence of alternative reproductive tactics in round gobies.
Alexis Hoskins (AWRI-GVSU Student Intern, 2018): Population genetics of wild lupin across Michigan.
Marisa Yang (REU Student, 2017): Genetic characterization of different G. paniculata color morphs in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (check out Marisa’s recently accepted paper on the publications tab).
Emily Dusicska (AWRI-GVSU Student Intern, 2017): Development of Microcystis spp. standards for qPCR targeting the 16S, mycD, and PC operon.
McKenna Burns (REU Student, 2016): Characterization of seed development of G. paniculata in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Matt Kienitz (AWRI-GVSU Student Intern, 2016): Assessment of G. paniculata in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore .