Rosario Marroquin-Flores
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Founder & Senior Editor
I am currently a PhD candidate in Biology at Illinois State University. I am in the Bowden-Paitz Lab and my research investigates the genes and hormones that organize ovary and testis development in turtles. In my free time, I like to binge watch horror movies, cuddle up with my pets, and love to go camping and hiking.
Elyse McCormick
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Senior Editor
I am currently a M.S. student at Illinois State University. I’m a member of the Sadd Lab, and my research investigates the outcomes of parasite co-infections in bumble bee hosts. When I’m not in the lab, I enjoy reading, music, and dreaming up my next travel adventure!
Maisam Yousef
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Editor
I am currently working as a Research Analyst in the Crop Science field. I received my B.S. in Biology with a focus in Neuroscience from Illinois State University. During my free time, I enjoy music, reading books, running and hiking.
Emily Kerns
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Editor
Since graduating with my B.S. in Biology from the University of North Florida, I have been working in natural resource management as a field biologist (I get to wade through streams and hike around mountains all day). My next goal is to get a PhD so that I can study how the environment drives evolution in marine animals. In my free time I enjoy camping, hiking, reading, concerts, and fancy cocktail bars.
Ian Rines
Pronouns: he/him/his
Editor
I am currently a PhD candidate in Biology at Illinois State University. I am a member of the Sadd-Sakaluk Lab and my research investigates the role of proteins that male crickets transfer to females when mating. When not doing grad school things, I enjoy watching tv, houseplants (good at buying, bad at caring for), and mild hiking.
Madi Rittinger
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Editor
I am currently an M.S. student in Biology at Illinois State University. I’m a member of the Sakaluk-Thompson Lab where I study corticosterone, an important hormone found in birds, in house wrens. When I’m not busy trying to catch wrens or doing other research, I enjoy playing basketball, board games, and annoying my cat Ollivander (aka Ollie).
Josselyn Gonzales
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Editor
I am an M.S. student in Biology at Illinois State University. I am in the Stein-Rosa labs and I take a combined experimental and computational approach to study how neurons transition between different activity states. Outside of lab, I enjoy crochet, arts and crafts, funny shows, a good wine, and–most importantly–hanging out with my cat Kit Kat.
Jaclyn Everly
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Editor
I’m currently a Ph.D. student in the Juliano Lab at Illinois State University. I study the unintended ecological consequences of mosquito control techniques, specifically the use of a common pesticide called Bti. Understanding ecology and how life “works” has added so much value to my life. I aim to make biology accessible to others in the hope that it will also add value to their lives. In my free time, I love hanging out with my dog and cat, exploring the outdoors with my partner, gardening, and trying new beers at craft breweries.
