Phil Hahn
Principal Investigator
I am an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Entomology & Nematology at the University of Florida. My research is at the interface of population, community, and evolutionary ecology focusing on plant-herbivore interactions. Current research themes in the lab include the evolution of plant defense against insects, spatial variation in plant-herbivore interactions, and insect community ecology. I am primarily interested in fundamental questions in ecology using herbaceous plants and insect herbivores in grasslands, although we are also interested in applied questions related to ecosystem management, such as understanding invasion dynamics and how herbivores influence ecological restoration. To address these questions, we combine observational and experimental approaches in the lab, greenhouse, and field at scales from local patches to populations and communities distributed across bioclimatic gradients.
hahnp@ufl.edu
Curriculum vitae
Google scholar
ResearchGate
Jacob Herschberger
PhD Student
Jacob is broadly interested in how coevolutionary interactions change within different biological communities. He is specifically interested in how antagonistic (insect herbivores) and mutualistic interactions (insect pollinators) influence and interact with plant chemistry in different plant genotypes and environments. He received his BS in Biology at Millersville University of Pennsylvania and then received his MS of Biology at the University of Alabama.
Zane Holditch
PhD Student
Zane is broadly trained in ecology, evolution, and behavior. His doctoral research investigates the ecology of plant-herbivore interactions, with an emphasis on improving biological control of invasive weeds. He uses invasive air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) as a model system to examine how specialist leaf-beetles, Lilioceris egena and L. cheni, interact with host-plant structures and chemical defenses, and how their combined activities may either boost suppression or lead to competitive interference. He previously completed his BS and MS degrees in Biology at Northern Arizona University.
Lucia Navia
MS Student
Lucia’s research interests include behavioral ecology, community ecology, symbiotic relationships, and mimicry. She is studying how herbivore density and competition affect behavior across different plant community types. She received her BS in Entomology at the University of Florida and is currently pursuing an MS in Entomology from the University of Florida.
Undergraduates
Josh Siu
You?
Alumni
Jasleen Kaur, PhD 2024, currently postdoc at the University of Florida
Toni Jordan-Millet, Technician, currently Lab Manager at FAU
Eduardo Calixto, postdoc, currently postdoc at WFREC
Jake Palmer, Technician, currently MS student in Moria Robinson’s lab at Utah State University
Rebecca Molina, BS and Technician, currently Glades Crop Care
Robert Grosdidier, MS 2023, currently PhD student in Ingwell Lab at Purdue University
Marirose Kuhlman, MS 2022, currently at Missoula County Weed District
Sarah Kroening, Technician, currently MS student in Larry Reeve’s Lab at University of Florida
Joseph Cammarano, Technician, currently technician MS student at University of South Dakota
Undergraduates
Emma Hair, 2023-2025, University Scholar
Eddie Humpharies, 2024-2025, Undergraduate Reseacher
Ginger Picket, 2024-2025, Undergraduate Researcher
Valarie Campbell, 2024-2025, Undergraduate Researcher
Ocean Lewis, 2024, Undergraduate Researcher
Hannah Amaya, 2024, Undergraduate Researcher
Emma Silverman, 2023, Undergraduate Researcher
Jacobo Budoff-Corujo, 2023, Undergrad Researcher
Jaren Abraham, BS 2021, Honors Student and University Scholar
Erin Clifton, Undergraduate Researcher, currently in Pharmacy Department
Plant-Herbivore Interactions 