People

Dr. Marketa Zimova, Assistant Professor

My research program focuses on quantifying consequences of climate change for wild populations and understanding the potential for evolutionary change to facilitate adaptation to climate change-related stressors. My work integrates a broad range of tools and approaches including intensive field surveys, museum specimens, high-resolution climate and environmental data, and advanced statistical modeling. In my free time, I enjoy exploring the great outdoors with my husband and son.

CV, Google Scholar, zimova[at]ohio.edu

Alex Ferentinos, PhD Student (2024- Present)

Alex completed a BS in Biology and Environmental Science from William & Mary. As a part of pursuing this degree, he completed an Honors Thesis examining the causes of movement in American and Fowler's Toads in the Williamsburg area. His dissertation project examines evolutionary changes in snowshoe hares’ morphology in response to climate change. Alex enjoys hiking, reading, and tabletop games with friends.

Chase Hetrick, Undergraduate Student (2024- Present)

Chase is interested in the adaptations that help species withstand climate change. Chase is pursuing a degree in biological sciences from Ohio University and plans to continue his education after graduating. He is currently studying the winter coat color of weasels across the east coast of the United States. When he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, and playing music with his band. 

Former Lab Members

Jeremy Fuller, MSc Student (2023- 2025)

After completing his BS in Fisheries, Wildlife, & Conservation Biology at North Carolina State University, Jeremy has worked with a range of species including giant salamanders, upland game birds, desert tortoises, and owls. He is currently working towards his MS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Ohio University styudying snowshoe hares and seasonal camouflage mismatch in the Northeastern US. When off the clock, he can be found backpacking the great outdoors, reading, or playing basketball in the gym. Dissertation title: Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) molt phenology and camouflage mismatch in the eastern United States.

Jenifer Mallinoff, MSc Student (2022- 2024)

Jen received a BS in Wildlife Ecology and Management and a BA in Spanish from the University of Maryland. Since graduating, she spent years in the field working with a diverse array of wildlife species. More recently, Jen has become a wildland firefighter and participates in controlled burns in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She is currently pursuing an MS at Appalachian State University investigating the distribution of mammals in Southern Appalachia and how climate change may impact these communities in the future. When she’s not out working in the woods, Jen enjoys trail running, rock climbing, and playing in the mountains. Dissertation title: Mammals of the Southern Appalachian sky islands: Can the boreal-deciduous ecotone serve as a climate change refugia? Jen now works for The Nature Conservancy in Asheville, NC.

Tanner Hammond, Undergraduate Student (2024- 2025)

Tanner is currently working towards a BA in Environmental Biology and a BS in Environmental Geography with a certificate in GIS from Ohio University. He has previously worked on projects related to invasive plant and white-tailed deer management. His main research interests are spatial dynamics of mammal populations, landscape ecology, and global change ecology. He is currently assisting the lab with small mammal research using AHDrifts. In his free time, he enjoys reading, hiking, and programming. Thesis title: Mapping distributions of elusive mustelids in Ohio.

Undergraduate Researchers and Volunteers

2024-2025 (OU)

  • Rain Carman

  • Maddie Ewig

  • Jerzy Frankenberry

  • Tanner Hammond

  • Chase Hetrick

  • Jaidyn Hughes

  • Clare Mattingly

  • Liv Schneider

  • Spencer Singer

2023-2024 (OU)

  • Arianna Ault

  • Abigal Besselman

  • Brenna Chaya

  • Sydney Gardner

  • Tanner Hammond

  • Maria Henderson

  • Chase Hetrick

  • Rebecca Kaminski

  • Makayla Lipps

  • Mikayla Timbrook

  • Jillian Zeigler

2022-2023 (ASU)

  • Lanna Bruce

  • Morgan Craig

  • Tyler Cummings

  • Lilli Herring

  • Carson Scott

  • Chloe Sieg

  • Josh Smith

  • Paige Spencer

  • Jenna Tullis

2021-2022 (ASU)

  • Maddy Babb

  • Tyler Cummings

  • Amelia Gallina

  • Stuart Hemmer-Skidmore

  • Adrianna Nelson

  • Amber Parker

  • Rosie Ronca

  • Josh Smith

  • Elyssa Winterton

  • Ashley Zimmerman