Whitney A. Nelson, PhD Student

I arrived at the University of Arkansas in the summer of 2012 from Grand Valley State University, where I completed a MS in Biology with an aquatic emphasis. Like many of the Dowling lab members, my research interests are diverse, and (broadly) include the ecology of aquatic restoration, species assemblages, and phenotypic variation in the responses of species assemblages to abiotic and biotic factors. For additional background information, please see my CV.

I am currently working on the genus Monatractides(Acari: Hydrachnidia, Torrenticolidae) and my PhD work will involve describing the species within this genus and producing a phylogenetic hypothesis for the group using both morphological and molecular techniques. I also hope to explore the use of Hydrachnidia as water quality indicators. Additionally, as water mites in the family Torrenticolidae have been found in nearly all biogeographic regions, I expect that the PEET Water Mites of North America project will provide an excellent opportunity to investigate the community patterns of these water mites using geospatial analysis and modeling techniques.