Leigha is a 3rd year Animal Biology major who joined the lab in 2019. She is interested in animal cognition and perception. Currently, she is working with PhD student Jenny Yi-Ting Sung in developing behavioral trials to investigate facial discrimination in Habronattus jumping spiders. She has also worked on creating a Siler genus photo database as well as collecting irradiance measurements for the behavioral trials above. She hopes to continue her education by attending graduate school and furthering her career in research. When not in the lab, she enjoys watching crime documentaries and painting.  

Jala is a 2nd year pre-Pharmacy major who joined the lab in 2020. She is currently working on a project with PhD student Olivia Harris to study color vision in jumping spiders. She hopes to attend pharmacy school in the fall of 2022, while getting her degree in interdisciplinary studies. When not in the lab, she enjoys playing in the University of Cincinnati Bearcat Bands, as well as working as a pharmacy technician at CVS.

Maria is a 4th year Biology and Environmental Studies major who joined the lab in fall of 2019. She works with PhD student Olivia Harris on sensory exploitation in the male courtship displays in the jumping spider genus Maratus (peacock jumping spiders). In February 2020, she was awarded a STEM Fellowship from the College of Arts and Sciences to develop a Support Vector Machine Classifier to process color images using a Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) method of extraction. Maria expects to graduate in spring 2021 but will continue to work with Olivia and the lab to complete this project. Outside of the lab, Maria is dedicated to her schoolwork and can be seen doing numerous craft projects, tending to her many houseplants, and exploring nature.

Halli is a 3rd year Neuroscience major who joined the lab in 2019. She is currently working with postdoctoral researcher David Outomuro to study female responses to male courtship displays in the jumping spider genus Habronattus. Halli plans to go to graduate school and to pursue a career in neuroscience research. When outside of the lab, she enjoys playing piano, roller-skating, and rock climbing. 

Jack is a 3rd year Biology and Neuroscience major. First joining the lab in May of 2019, he originally worked on projects dealing with myrmecomorphy in jumping spiders, as well as helping to analyze the courtship displays of Habronattus pyrrithrix. In February 2020, he earned a STEM Fellowship through the college of Arts and Sciences, allowing him to work on his own (ongoing) project in conjunction with his mentor, Jenny Yi-Ting Sung, dealing with the ability of Habronattus coecatus to perform facial discrimination. Jack hopes to attend graduate school in biology and pursue a career in research. 

Outside of the lab, Jack is heavily involved with the Darwin T. Turner Program as the Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion committee, as well as engaging in hobbies such as competitive Super Smash Bros (as an unapologetic Dr. Mario main), and recreational sports such as basketball, volleyball, and frisbee golf. 

Sarah is a 4th year Biology and Biomedical Studies major who first joined the lab in the fall of 2019. Her current research interests include visual signaling and species biodiversity. She is currently working with PhD student David Morris to study discriminability of color signaling in male courtship displays of the jumping spider genus Habronattus. This project includes implementing a new method of measuring colored landmarks on the spider’s body using hyperspectral camera imaging. Sarah hopes to continue her education by attending graduate school and participating in further research during her career. When outside the lab, she enjoys hiking, exercising, and playing with her two cats.   

Haylie is a 4th year Animal Biology major who joined the lab in 2019. She has interests in animal behavior and animal cognition.  Currently, she is working with PhD student David Outomuro to study flight mimicry in damselflies. Haylie hopes to go to graduate school and pursue a career in animal husbandry, wildlife rehabilitation, or conservation outreach. When outside of the lab, she enjoys spending time with her dog and reading historical fiction novels. 

Kristen is a 4th year Biology and Environmental Studies undergraduate who joined the lab in December, 2018. Her research interests include behavioral ecology and conservation biology. She is currently working with David Morris on investigating the evolution of mating displays in male Habronattus jumping spiders. She was awarded the summer undergraduate research fellowship to continue her work with the lab for the past two summers.  She is currently working on her own project within the lab examining how different environments may influence the mating displays of male jumping spiders. Kristen hopes to continue her education in graduate school after finishing her undergraduate degrees this summer. When not in the lab, Kristen can be found rock climbing in Red River Gorge or curled up on the couch with a good book (it’s probably Lord of the Rings).