Museum Personnel
The Vertebrate Museum at Southeastern Louisiana University is a working scientific museum which relies on grant funding to maintain its collection. Thanks to these funds we have been able to hire and maintain personnel in order to advance our collection in both size and scope. We recently added a Outreach and Education Director - Dr. Liz Marchio - to broaden our reach. Currently, we have the following personnel working at the Museum:
Curator
Dr. Kyle Piller
Curator of Vertebrates, Edward G. Schlieder Foundation Professor of Environmental Studies and Sustainability, and Graduate Coordinator
Phone:+1 (985) 549-2191 | Fax: +1 (985) 549-3851 | Email:kyle.piller@southeastern.edu | Dr. Piller's website
Research Interests: Systematics | Evolution | Ecology | Conservation Genetics | eDNA
Museum Manager and Database Specialist
Ms. Danielle Wasserman
Phone:+1 (985) 549-2901 | Email: danielle.wasserman@selu.edu | Danielle's Web Page
COLLECTION MANAGERS
Brittany Maldonado
Collection Manager – Herpetology
Email: brittany.maldonado@southeastern.edu
Thomas Dodson
Collection Manager – Ichthyology
Email: thomas.dodson-2@southeastern.edu
RESEARCH ASSOCIATES
Brian Crother
Edward G. Schlieder Foundation Professor, Assistant Dean
Email:bcrother@southeastern.edu | Dr. Crother's Google Scholar Page
Research Interests: Evolution from a phylogenetic perspective | Historical Biogeography | Historical Ecology | Patterns of Gene Evolution | Patterns of Species Evolution | Methodology and Philosophy of Phylogenetic Analysis
Clifford Fontenot, Jr.
Instructor of Biological Sciences
Email:cfontenot@southeastern.edu | Dr. Fontenot's recent publications
Research Interests: Behavior, conservation, and evolutionary ecology of amphibians and reptiles | Long-term (2003-present) wetlands snake assemblage study in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin | Evolution of vision in snakes
Christopher Beachy
Professor of Biological Sciences, Department Head
Email:christopher.beachy@southeastern.edu | Dr. Beachy's website
Research Interests: Life history biology | Amphibian metamorphosis
Chris Murray
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Email:cmurray@southeastern.edu | Dr. Murray’s Website
Research Interests: Comparative Morphology | Physiological Ecology | Population Ecology | Endocrinology | Sex Determination | Stress Physiology | Reproductive Ecology | Biogeography | Evolutionary Ontology and Philosophy
Teague O'Mara
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Email: teague.omara@southeastern.edu |Dr. O'Mara's Wesbite
Research Interests: Social Behavior of Vertebrates | Animal Movement | Natural History | Migration | Immunological Variability
Honorary Personnel
In Memory of Dr. David Sever
Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences; Notable Community Member and Mentor to Southeastern Biologists