Lab Members
Kay Dodson, MS - Research Associate in Data Analysis
I finished my undergraduate degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado Boulder (sko buffs!). I have joined the Simler-Williamson Lab at Boise State as a NSF Graduate Research Program Fellow to continue my work on invasive plant species. Since beginning science research, I have done a number of things trying to better understand how plants work and why they do the things they do. The plants that fascinate me most are invasive plants because of their ability to encroach on a new ecosystem and often completely change the initial state of that ecosystem. At BSU, I will be working to understand the legacies left behind by invasive species. How does skeletonweed modify the soil microbiome when it invades? How does cheatgrass alter nitrogen availability and carbon stocks? How can we counteract these legacies when we go to restore the invaded ecosystem? On a broader scale, I’m interested in conservation and restoration of ecosystems, soil dynamics, and invasive plant management. Outside of science things, I enjoy camping, rock climbing, creative writing, and traveling!
Contact: kayleighdodson@u.boisestate.edu
Tshianeo Ndou, PhD in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Student
I completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Environmental Sciences at the University of Venda in South Africa, where I studied human plant interactions through the harvesting of plants for traditional medicine and poaching for trade. These experiences sparked my curiosity about how plants respond to disturbance and why some recover while others die after harvest.
As a PhD student in the Simler-Williamson Lab, I am fascinated by plant pathogens. I study plant disease ecology and investigate how and why seeds die or fail to germinate. My research explores how climate change, herbivory, and human activities influence plant disease dynamics, from soil microbes infecting seeds in sagebrush systems, to herbivory influencing disease in cheatgrass-invaded system, to opportunistic pathogens colonizing trees wounded by elephants in savanna ecosystems.
Finding these pathogens in the field and then observing them grow in the lab (turning into beautiful little monsters) is the most exciting part of my science. Seeing them and knowing they exist really greases all my wheels for science. :)
Naomi Oberg, PhD in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Student
My passion for science and ecology began in Appalachia where I grew up hiking in deciduous forests and learning about the edible plants around me. After moving to Salt Lake City and completing my degree in Biology at Westminster University I was able to work with multiple public lands agencies studying whitebark pine health, gunnison sage grouse habitat, and perennial springs monitoring where I gained an appreciation for community ecology. I am excited by interdisciplinary science that combines microbial analysis, field science, and statistical methods to unveil answers to complex questions. During my time with the Simler-Williamson lab I will be studying how interactions between microbial and plant organisms are shaped by abiotic influences as well as the implication of local adaptation on restoration efforts in big sagebrush ecosystems.
In my free time I enjoy bikepacking, trail running, throwing ceramics, and working on my plant identification skills!
Jennah Brown, PhD in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Student
As a member of the Simler-Williamson lab, I will explore questions related to population ecology that investigate species interactions, and their influence on local adaptation — specifically, the biotic interactions between soil microbe communities and big sagebrush with the goal of understanding restoration outcomes. I’ve been fortunate enough to immerse myself in diverse systems such as Tongass National Forest and Redwood National Park where I was able to observe both large and small scale land management projects. Through these experiences, I observed land managers, Indigenous peoples, and researchers, coming together to serve our natural spaces. Ultimately, these experiences have shaped my perspective on what integrative research can accomplish. It has also left me feeling inspired to explore conservation-based questions that focus on rangeland and forest ecosystems and their relationship to disturbance ecology.
I received my bachelor’s degree in Forestry with a focus on Wildland Soils from Cal Poly Humboldt. I love to make time for trail running, yoga, reading, and exploring!
Siena Fox, PhD in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Student
Maddi Sorrentino, MS, Research Associate in Data Analysis
Allison Simler-Williamson, Principal Investigator
I am a plant disease ecologist who is passionate about ‘scaling up’ the impacts of plant-microbe interactions to understand their role in shaping populations, communities, and ecosystems. More than anything, I love working with students on experimental designs and statistical analysis. Before joining the faculty at Boise State, I was an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biology, examining genotype-by-environment interactions associated with pathogens and symbionts in big sagebrush. I completed my Ph.D. in the Graduate Group in Ecology at the University of California, Davis, as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow, conducting research on emerging infectious diseases in the redwood and evergreen forests of Big Sur, CA. I received my Bachelor’s degrees in Visual Art and Biology from Duke University in Durham, NC, and I spent several wonderful years backpacking across the Blue Ridge Mountains. I am always looking for new opportunities to integrate art into my scientific research, communication, and teaching.
I spend as much of my free time as possible drawing, painting, and hiking with my toddler, husband, and Alaskan Malamute.
Contact: allisonsimlerwil@boisestate.edu
Sophia Pratt, Undergraduate Researcher
Annie Gibson, Undergraduate Researcher
Caleb Mobberly, Undergraduate Researcher
Lab Alumni
Postdoctoral Researchers and Graduate Students
Leland Bennion (Postdoctoral Researcher; currently postdoctoral researcher at University of Idaho & Nature Conservancy)
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Kaitlyn Opland (SARE Undergraduate Research Fellow, Boise State Biology, Class of 2023)
Grace-Ann Myers (SARE Undergraduate Research Fellow, Boise State Biology, Class of 2023)
Aden O’Brien (SARE Undergraduate Research Fellow; College of Western Idaho)
Brianna Sali (Undergraduate Researcher, Boise State Biology, Class of 2024)
Mikael Strix (Undergraduate Researcher, Boise State Biology Class of 2025 and Idaho INBRE fellow)
Hayden Levy (Undergraduate Researcher)
Rey Addams (Undergraduate Researcher, Boise State Class of 2024)