{"id":1220,"date":"2026-02-11T20:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T20:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/?page_id=1220"},"modified":"2026-02-19T20:40:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T20:40:29","slug":"current-taf-members","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/current-taf-members\/","title":{"rendered":"Current TAF Members"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

Department of Biology<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Teaching Assistant Fellows (TAF) Program<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meet Our Spring 2026 TAFs!<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\nAnnabelle Bork\u00a0<\/span><\/b>(Fall 2025,\u00a0Spring\u00a02026)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u202fgraduated from the University of Tampa with a B.S. in Marine Science-Biology.\u00a0I researched a coastal isopod species from Tampa and another from Hawaii, contributing to a\u202fpublication.\u00a0I have worked at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, as a shellfish\u00a0aquaculturist, and at Busch Gardens. My\u202fthesis focuses on studying\u00a0the marine\u00a0invertebrate communities that attach to juvenile sea turtles (epibionts).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\nHolden\u00a0Cooper\u00a0<\/span><\/b>(Fall 2025, Spring 2026)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While working towards my undergraduate degree from Penn\u00a0State\u00a0I worked on two research projects documenting biofluorescence in larval salamanders and snakes, both of which I published in peer-reviewed journals. After graduating, I worked as a field technician for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, conducting surveys for threatened turtles and snakes. For my MS thesis here at WCSU, I will be conducting a fungal disease study on Eastern Copperhead snakes, with the goal of\u00a0establishing\u00a0trends of fungal infection in this species.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\nZeena Graves\u00a0<\/span><\/b>(Fall 2025, Spring 2026)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a B.A. in Environmental Studies focusing on ecology.\u00a0While\u00a0an undergrad, I researched the impacts of pesticides on tadpoles by monitoring water quality, land use and mouthpart morphology.\u00a0My research interests are in anthropogenic climate change as well as herpetology. My current thesis at WCSU focuses on temperature within diamondback terrapin nests.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\nLindsay Kirkness\u00a0<\/span><\/b>(Spring\u00a02026)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2025, I earned my B.S. in Biology with a minor in Sustainability from Western Connecticut State University. As an undergraduate student, I conducted research with Biology faculty, Dr. Dorothy Christopher, investigating the impacts of climate change on flowering phenology in Connecticut. I also served as a research intern in the WCSU Tickborne Disease Prevention Lab (Dr. Connally\u2019s Tick Lab), where I assisted with data collection for two tick ecology research projects. Through these experiences, I developed a strong interest in teaching about climate change and understanding its effects on natural systems. For my MS research at WCSU, I plan to use GIS tools to expand upon my undergraduate research on flowering plants and examine climate effects in New England.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\nKarena Kulakowski\u00a0<\/span><\/b>(Spring 2026)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I graduated in 2025 from Central Connecticut State University with a degree in Biology and\u00a0a minor in Chemistry. During my\u00a0undergrad\u00a0time\u00a0I spent time researching nectar and reproductive traits of a newly named plant species in both the greenhouse and analytical chemistry lab. I also worked at the CT Agricultural Experiment Station for two summers with monarch butterfly and bumblebee research. As a graduate student at WCSU, my thesis work will focus on pollination and reproduction traits of Mountain Laurel. My hobbies include catching insects, gaming, and crocheting.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\nBryan Lehner\u00a0<\/span><\/b>(Spring 2026)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I have an MS in biology where I\u00a0focused\u00a0on molecular biology. I am studying at WCSU to get a background in conservation and am working on an independent study at the Mianus River Gorge in Bedford, NY.\u00a0There I will complete my stewardship project. My long-term research interests are conservation and\u00a0ornithology\u00a0and I want to use my degree to continue my education.\u00a0My long-term career goal is to be a professor in biology.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n\"\"<\/a><\/td>\nChrista Piccorelli <\/strong>(Spring 2026)<\/p>\n

I recently graduated from WCSU with a B.S. in Biology and am currently pursuing further education in the M.S. Integrative Biological Diversity program. During my undergraduate career, I worked closely with professors to assist research on tick borne diseases, sea turtle epibionts, pollen abundance, mouse physiology, and biodiversity in Greece and Costa Rica. Outside of school, I give back to my community by volunteering for local organizations to remove invasive species at public parks.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Department of Biology\u00a0 Teaching Assistant Fellows (TAF) Program\u00a0 Meet Our Spring 2026 TAFs!\u00a0 Annabelle Bork\u00a0(Fall 2025,\u00a0Spring\u00a02026)\u00a0 I\u202fgraduated from the University of Tampa with a B.S. in Marine Science-Biology.\u00a0I researched a coastal isopod species from Tampa and another from Hawaii, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":261,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1220","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/261"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1220\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/biology-msbiodiversity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}