People

Michael Gangloff

Dr. Michael Gangloff

Associate Professor

Office: RSW 257 and RSW 166 (shared molecular lab)
Lab: Southeastern USA
Email: gangloffmm@appstate.edu
Office Phone: 828-262-7790
Cell Phone: 334-332-1533

Laboratory Manager

Elijah Thompson

Elijah Thompson

I started out as an undergraduate assisting in Dr. Gangloffs lab during the Fall of 2018. I have since gathered experience working in many aquatic ecosystems and with diverse animal taxa.

Molecular Lab Manager

Jon Wells

Jon Wells

I have worked with Dr. Gangloff for multiple years on multiple phylogenetic projects involving freshwater invertebrates and vertebrates. I maintain the Molecular Lab and the many parts that are involved.

Graduate Students

Tyler Hickman

Tyler Hickman

I joined Dr. Gangloff's lab as a graduate student in 2020, after volunteering for several semesters as a graduate student assisting in a variety of freshwater research projects.

Henry Gates

Henry Gates

Hello all, my name is Henry, and I am a graduate student of the Gangloff Lab. I became a member in the fall of 2020. I have studied freshwater ecosystems, fish communities and niche roles of certain species.

Brandon Williams

Brandon Williams

I earned my Bachelor's degree in Environmental Biology and Ecology in Spring 2019 and joined the lab as a graduate student the following Fall.

Hannah Woodburn

Hannah Woodburn

Hannah is an App State alum, and returned for the biology master's degree program. Through her courses at App State, she was able to cultivate her love for the environment and specifically, water quality.

Rebekah Ewing

Graduate student focusing on hatchery work with the Appalachian Elktoe and Long solid freshwater mussels.

ABT

Tori Fowler

Tori Fowler

SEPI Biological Consultant

Vincent Santini

Vincent Santini

Brushy Fork Environmental Consulting

Emeritus

Amber Olson

Amber Olson

Currently working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a Freshwater Mussel Biologist.

Sam Fritz

Sam Fritz

Currently studying at Montana State University in Bozeman MT for his PhD.

Chantelle Rondel

Chantelle Rondel

Currently works with the NCWRC as a Field Technician for freshwater ecosystems.

Michael Thompson

Michael Thompson

Currently working with the NCDMF.

Hans Lohmeyer

Hans Lohmeyer

Freddy Ortega

Freddy Ortega

Currently working with Wildlands Engineering Inc. as an Environmental Scientist.

Dan Walker

Dan Walker

Currently a MS Student at UTK, Knoxville, TN.

Katie Rifenburg

Katie Rifenburg

MS student, graduated 2013. Currently a professor of Biology in Quito, Ecuador.

Erin Abernathy

Erin Abernathy

Currently a MS Student in the UGA Biology Department, Athens, GA.

Worth Pugh

Worth Pugh

Graduated in 2013. Currently empolyed as the Appalachian State University Vertebrate Collections Manager, Boone NC.

Thomas Franklin

Thomas "Tommy" Franklin

Tommy is currently emplyed as the eDNA Program Coordinator at the National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation with the US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station in Missoula, MT.

Ryan Thoni

Ryan Thoni

Currently a MS Student at St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO.

Rachael Hoch

Rachael Hoch

MS student, graduated December 2012. Currently employed by NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

Elyse Russing

Elyse Russing

MS Student graduated Spring 2015. My thesis research primarily focused on the impact of low head dams on stream ecosystem processes. During the first year of my graduate career I developed a project to see whether or not dam status played a role in leaf breakdown rates.

Megan McCormick

Megan McCormick

MS student, graduated May 2012.

Michael Perkins

Michael Perkins

Graduated December 2014. Currently employed by NC Wildlife Resource Comission, Marion NC.

Read more about the spinymussel project here.

Erin McCombs

Erin Singer McCombs

MS student, graduated May 2010. Currently employed as the Associate Director of Southeast Conservation with American Rivers in Asheville, NC.

Byron Hamstead

Byron Hamstead

MS student, graduated in August 2013. Currently employed by USFWS in Charleston, SC.

Ray Kessler

Ray Kessler

I am broadly interested in the mechanisms that help facilitate or limit biological invasions. I am currently studying a small exotic population of Orconectes rusticus crayfish in the Little Tennessee River of North Carolina.

Jordan Holcomb

Jordan Holcomb

MS student, graduated August 2013. Currently employed by Florida FWC, Gainsville, FL.

Justin Fischer

Justin Fischer

I joined the Aquatic Conservation Research lab as a graduate student in the spring of 2015. As a graduate researcher I will be investigating the influences of artificial light sources on benthic and emergent aquatic insects in the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Gary Pandolfi

Gary Pandolfi

Currenlty employed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a Freshwater Mussel biologist at the Austin Texas Ecological Services Field Office.

Daniel Mason

Daniel Mason

I have been assisting the ACRL lab since 2013 as an undergraduate and have gotten the opportunity to work closely with Dr. Gangloff and his graduate students on projects across western NC and MS.

Susan Geda

Susan Geda

I joined the lab in February of 2014, shortly before receiving my undergraduate degree. I was doing a phylogenetic analysis based independent study for Dr. Gangloff and was offered the opportunity to become involved in molecular projects, field work, and collections curation year round.

Raquel Fagundo

Raquel Fagundo

In 2014, I entered the Gangloff lab with previous experience in West Virginia crayfish taxonomy and ecology. Overall, I am broadly interested in the systematics and conservation of aquatic invertebrates.