Photos of the lab at work and play

Principal Investigator

Dr. Elinor Lichtenberg - Assistant Professor

E-mail: elichten@unt.edu

Dr. Lichtenberg is a behavioral and community ecologist. She is interested in how plant-pollinator interactions change with the biological community in which they are taking place under global change. She combines empirical (field and lab), modeling and meta-analytic approaches, and conducts research in both temperate and tropical systems.

Dr. Lichtenberg's CV, Bluesky account

Grad students

Hunter Messick - MS student

Hunter joined the lab Fall of 2024, and is studying trait matching between plants and pollinators in pollinator mutualisms. Prior to joining the lab, Hunter obtained his B.S. in Environmental Science with a minor in Biology at the University of Texas at San Antonio where he was a research assistant on a project studying bee biodiversity across an urban gradient in San Antonio. This sparked his desire to study pollinators. He also participated in an internship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to locate rusty-patched bumble bees and Karner blue butterflies in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and served as a Pathways intern with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service developing grassland management protocol for US landowners. Some of Hunter’s hobbies outside of research include baking, recipe testing, gaming, and music composition.  

Pronouns: He/Him/His 

Liem Nguyen - MS student

Liem joined the lab in Fall of 2025. Liem is interested in the plant-insect interactions involved in invasive ecology. Liem spent a few years at the Lewisville Aquatic Ecosystem Research Facility (LAERF) doing biocontrol research on various invasive aquatic weeds. After graduating in 2023 with a B.S. in Biology at the University of Texas at Arlington, he continued working at LAERF where he is currently looking for potential biocontrol agents for European Frogbit. Outside of research, he has a variety of hobbies ranging from cooking, martial arts, and game design. He is currently working on a side project that hopes to develop engaging community outreach material in video game format. 

Pronouns: He/Him 

Victoria Vo - MS student

Victoria joined the lab in Summer 2025 and is interested in the role pollinators play in plant reproduction. Her thesis research focuses on beetles as pollinators of temperate grasslands. A true Florida girl, she is from St. Augustine and obtained her B.S. in Botany with a minor in Entomology at the University of Florida. While there, she worked in blueberry pollination and more at the Mallinger Lab. Before coming to Texas, Victoria researched rare plants at an internship with Archbold Biological Station in the Florida scrub. Outside of research, she enjoys cross-stitching, gaming, and attending musicals. 

Pronouns: she/her 

Undergraduates & postbacs

Eli Assenheimer

Eli joined the lab in spring 2025.

Keira Cousins

Keira joined the lab in spring 2025. She is a native Texan from Austin (Go Longhorns!) and has been interested in the environment since her time as a young Girl Scout. She is currently pursuing a BS in Ecology for Environmental Science with a minor in Chemistry as well as a UNT Sustainability certificate. She has interests in sustainable ranching, wetland conservation, and birds of prey. Outside of school, Keira enjoys hiking, coloring, scrapbooking, and playing with her cat, Juni.  

Jada Martinez

E-mail: jadamartinez@my.unt.edu

Jada joined the lab in summer 2023. They graduated in 2025 with a BS in Ecology for Environmental Science and a GIS certificate. Jada has an interest in plants, insects, habitat restoration, and regenerative agriculture. In their free time, they iNaturalist while hiking and take care of their two cats.

Pronouns: they/them

Lynn Rice

Lynn joined the lab in spring 2025.

Ella Sager

E-mail: ellasager@my.unt.edu 

Ella joined the lab in spring 2025. She is pursuing a BS in Ecology for Environmental Science. Her interests include plants (mostly flowers), restoration ecology, using iNaturalist, and hiking. 

Pronouns : she/her 

Jayla Wilson

Jayla joined the lab in spring 2025. She is pursuing a BS in Ecology for Environmental Science as well as a Sustainability certificate. She is interested in restoration ecology and plants. Some of Jayla’s hobbies outside of school include reading, knitting, and cooking. 

Pronouns: She/Her 

Emma Wolverton

Emma joined the lab in spring 2025. She is a Chemistry major, and is helping generate a database of insect cuticular hydrocarbon profiles.

Michael Zablocki

Michael joined the lab in late 2025.

LAB ALUMNI

Michelle Vohs - Our first Lab Manager! (2020-2021)

Michelle helped launch the lab. She is now the Gender Justice Organizer with the Asian American Organizing Project. Michelle obtained her BS in Conservation Biology with an Entomology minor in 2017 from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Laura Taylor - Lab Manager (2021-2023)

Laura joined the lab in September 2021. She is broadly interested in the intersection between behavioral, conservation and urban ecology. Laura obtained her BS in Biology and Environmental Studies in 2020 from Trinity University. Laura is now a graduate student with Elsa Youngstead at NC State University, studying butterfly conservation.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Marie Muniz - Many roles (2020-2024)

Marie joined the lab as an undergraduate research assistant in 2020. She graduated in 2023 with a major in Ecology for Environmental Sciences, minor in Chemistry and GIS Certificate. Marie's Honors' research in the lab investigated bee social learning across trophic levels. College of Science spotlight article on Marie's time as a UNT undergrad. After graduating, Marie became our Lab Manager. She is now a graduate student with Heather Grab at Penn State University studying bee conservation and behavior, and an NSF Graduate Research Fellow.

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Shannon Collins - MS 2021-2023

Shannon studied the impacts of livestock grazing on ground-nesting bee communities via changes to nesting and foraging resources. She is now the Palouse Prairie Project Manager with The Phoenix Conservancy in Pullman, WA.

Avery Pearson - MS student (2023-2025)

Avery joined the lab in Fall 2022. Her research focused on pollination networks and exploring the strengths of different pollination mutualisms under different land management regimes. College of Science spotlight article. Avery is now a Habitat Restoration Specialist with the Monarch Joint Venture in Fergus Falls, MN.

Rob Whyle - PhD student (2021-2025)

Rob's interests lie in chemical, community, and conservation ecology, and how genotype interacts with environmental factors to influence ecological interactions. Rob obtained his BS in Biological Sciences in 2014 and MS in Biological Sciences in 2020, both from Oakland University.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

Landon Blakely (BS Ecology for Environmental Science, 2024-2025)

Viktorya Dietrich (2023-2024)

Julia Dilley (BS Ecology for Environmental Science, 2024-2025)

Isaac Eastland (BS Ecology for Environmental Science, 2022-2023; now working for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality)

Alejandra Gage (BS Ecology for Environmental Science, 2021; obtained her MS from UNT in 2025)

Christopher Graffam (BS Biology with Chemistry minor, 2021-2022; now a UNT graduate student)

Alyssa Kinman (2021-2022)

John Linogao (BS Ecology for Environmental Science, 2022-2023)

Pablo Lopez (BS Ecology for Environmental Science & BA Integrative Studies, 2021-2022; now working for the City of Austin)

Monze Martinez (2023-2025)

Aidan McKinnis (BS in Ecology for Environmental Science, 2023-2025; now teaching with the Denton Independent School District)

Brandon Meadows (BS Ecology for Environmental Science, 2022-2023; now working for the City of Lewisville)

Nick Medina (BS in Ecology for Environmental Science, 2023-2024)

Karla Montanez (2022)

Demi Moore (2025)

Julian Moore (BS in Ecology for Environmental Science, 2023-2025; now working in the collections at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science)

Sarah Paroski (BS in Ecology for Environmental Science with certificates in Water Resources and Sustainability anticipated spring 2026, 2023-2025)

Devin Pedraza (BS Ecology for Environmental Science, 2022; now an Environmental Permit Specialist with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality)

Ethan Phillips (BS  Ecology for Environmental Science, minor in German, 2023-2025; now with the Vertex Resource Group)

Brand Richter (BS Geography- Environmental Studies with an Urban Policy and Planning Minor, 2021-2023; now a plant ecology research fellow with ORISE stationed at the Lewisville Aquatic Ecosystem Research Facility)

Abbey Schedler (BS Ecology for Environmental Science, 2023-2025; now participating in the Bay Area RaMP Program in Microbiome Sciences program)