Current Members of the Herpetology and Applied Conservation Lab
Students
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Haley Gipson (M.S. Student, Graduate Assistant, 2025-Present)
Haley joined the Herpetology and Applied Conservation Lab in June 2025. Her research interests include human dimensions of wildlife management, conservation biology, herpetology, and invasive species ecology. Haley graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in May 2025 with a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. Her research as an undergraduate included anuran monitoring and invasive plant management in Tennessee. Her thesis research will focus on population ecology of eastern diamondback rattlesnakes. |
Lab Personnel
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Emily Gray (M.S., Project Manager)
Emily helps oversee day to day operations in South Carolina, works closely with graduate students in the field, and manages collaborative research initiatives and project deliverables. Emily's research interests include herpetofaunal conservation biology, physiological ecology, and behavioral ecology. She graduated from Florida State University with a B.S. in Biological Sciences in December 2020 and completed her M.S. in Biological Sciences at Marshall University in May 2025. |
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Sarah Ebert (M.S., Research Technician)
Sarah works with the lab as a research technician, conducting general herpetofaunal surveys and radio-telemetry monitoring. Sarah’s interests include herpetology, wildlife management, and conservation biology. Sarah graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2019 and completed her M.S. in Biological Sciences at Marshall University in Summer 2026. |
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Sydney Hermann (M.S., Lab Participant)
Sydney's research interests include herpetology, habitat management, and endangered species conservation. She is a joint member of the Axel Lab and the Herpetology and Applied Conservation Lab. Her thesis research focused on large woody debris management effects on riparian salamander population dynamics in the Monongahela National Forest. Sydney graduated with her B.S. in Wildlife Biology from Texas State University in 2019 and her M.S. in Biological Science from Marshall University in December 2025. Sydney continues to work with the lab on Marshall's campus. |
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Quinn Vidal (B.S. Student, Undergraduate Participant)
Quinn has participated in the Herpetology and Applied Conservation Lab since Spring 2025. He is majoring in biology (emphasis in ecology, evolution, and organismal biology) and minoring in Japanese. Quinn assisted with Sydney’s thesis research in Summer 2025, helps care for the lab’s outreach animals, and collaborates in processing camera trap photos for ongoing research projects. Quinn will graduate in Spring 2027 and plans to pursue a career in wildlife biology and conservation. |
