PEOPLE IN THE LAB
Michelle climbing a tree in Santa Fé National Park, Panama.
Dr. Michelle Elise Spicer (PI) (she/her)
Michelle is a plant community ecologist who works primarily in forested ecosystems. Her research broadly focuses on understanding: 1) the distribution and drivers of plant diversity across the globe; 2) the ecology and evolution of epiphytic (canopy) plants; and 3) how natural and anthropogenic disturbances change community dynamics and resilience.
Prior to her position as an Assistant Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences at Lehigh, Michelle was an NSF postdoc co-advised by Dr. Liza Comita in the Yale School of the Environment and Dr. Carrie Woods in the University of Puget Sound Biology Department. Michelle got her PhD in the Biological Sciences Department at the University of Pittsburgh in Dr. Walter Carson's research group and her Masters in the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences at Lehigh University, working with Dr. Robert Booth. She also did her undergrad at Lehigh, where she got a BS in an interdisciplinary engineering honors program (IDEAS), with concentrations in chemical engineering and environmental sustainability.
When not climbing trees or traveling for research, Michelle also enjoys singing, baking, and spending time with her friends, family, and beloved houseplants.
Michelle is a plant community ecologist who works primarily in forested ecosystems. Her research broadly focuses on understanding: 1) the distribution and drivers of plant diversity across the globe; 2) the ecology and evolution of epiphytic (canopy) plants; and 3) how natural and anthropogenic disturbances change community dynamics and resilience.
Prior to her position as an Assistant Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences at Lehigh, Michelle was an NSF postdoc co-advised by Dr. Liza Comita in the Yale School of the Environment and Dr. Carrie Woods in the University of Puget Sound Biology Department. Michelle got her PhD in the Biological Sciences Department at the University of Pittsburgh in Dr. Walter Carson's research group and her Masters in the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences at Lehigh University, working with Dr. Robert Booth. She also did her undergrad at Lehigh, where she got a BS in an interdisciplinary engineering honors program (IDEAS), with concentrations in chemical engineering and environmental sustainability.
When not climbing trees or traveling for research, Michelle also enjoys singing, baking, and spending time with her friends, family, and beloved houseplants.
Miller in the field
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Naomi "Miller" Miller (they/them)
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Vanessa in the field
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Vanessa Ohui Dadeboe (she/her/hers)
MSc student, fall 2023 Vanessa completed her BSc degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Ghana. She stayed as a Research and Teaching Assistant at the Department of Biological Sciences where she worked on Liana Ecology and Distribution in different forest ecosystems. Vanessa’s interests are in forest ecology with emphasis on understudied plant communities and climate change effects on biodiversity. |
Laurel in the field
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Laurel Renee Humphreys (she/her)
Lab/Field Technician, fall 2023 Laurel finished her B.S. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Yale University in May 2023. Her thesis research focused on the differences in fungal communities across height and epiphytic bryophyte substrates in the temperate rainforest canopies of the Hoh Rainforest in Washington. She is tremendously excited to continue working with Michelle as a lab and field tech at Lehigh University. Laurel's academic interests include fungal-plant symbioses, bryophyte ecology, and microbial drivers of forest biodiversity. |
Panamanian white-faced capuchin monkey (Cebus imitator) in Santa Fé National Park, captured on motion-sensor canopy camera traps.
THIS COULD BE YOU!
Reach out if you're interested in joining the lab.
