Liebgold Lab People
 
 
 
 
Eric Liebgold, PhD
 
 
 
 
 
 
GRADUATE STUDENTS
 
Chloe Turner
2026-2028
Thesis: Not so black and white: Environmental influences on melanism frequency in Eastern Hognose Snakes (Heterodon platyrhinos)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rachel Stone
2024-2026
Thesis: Polychrome predators: The influence of color polymorphism and urbanization on Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) survival and habitat use.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Trey Wehlan
2024-2026
Thesis: Site fidelity and habitat preferences of endangered Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata)
 
 
 
Karsin Bachran
2021-2023
Thesis: Evaluation of the conditions affecting survival and movements in the endangered Spotted Turtle using mark-recapture and radio telemetry
Currently: Teacher at WorWic College
Bachran KM**, Ransom TS and EB Liebgold. 2024. Evaluating the relationship between injuries and home range size in the endangered Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata). Northeastern Naturalist 31:C32-C42.
 
Amanda Rocker
2019-2021
Thesis: Snack-sized turtles? Size class distributions and predation of the endangered Spotted Turtle
Currently: Hoofstock Keeper at Tanganyika Wildlife Park
 
Hannah Small
2018-2019
Thesis: Population size estimation and the effects of habitat on state-endangered Eastern Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) in MD and DE
Currently: Land Steward at Delaware Wild Lands Inc.
Small HG** and EB Liebgold. 2023. There’s no place like home: Influential habitat characteristics of Eastern Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum) breeding ponds in Maryland and Delaware. Journal of Herpetology 57:42-51.
 
Eaqan Chaudhry
2017-2019 (with Dr. Tami Ransom ENVR)
Thesis: Community ecology of endangered Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata) and other turtle species
Currently: PhD SUNY ESF, Lecturer Salisbury University
Chaudhry EA**, Ransom TS, Bradley CJ and EB Liebgold. 2023. Habitat usage, dietary overlap, and potential partitioning between the endangered Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) and other turtle species. Icthyology and Herpetology 111:20-28.
 
Stephanie Lamb
2015-2017
Thesis: Population size, habitat preferences, and genetic diversity of endangered Spotted Turtles
Currently: working at MD DNR
Liebgold EB, Dickey MJ*, Lamb SM**, Howell HJ and TS Ransom. 2023. (Not) far from home: No sex bias in dispersal, but limited genetic patch size in an endangered species, the Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata). Ecology and Evolution 13:e9734.
 
Alexa Grant
2014-2016
Thesis title: Differential survival and movements of two color morphs of Plethodon cinereus
Grant AH**, TS Ransom, and EB Liebgold. 2018. Differential survival and the effects of avian predation on a color polymorphic species, the red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus). Journal of Herpetology 52:127-135.
Grant AH** and EB Liebgold. 2017. Color-biased dispersal inferred by fine-scale genetic spatial autocorrelation in a color polymorphic salamander. Journal of Heredity 108:588–593
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SU UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
 
Eastern Screech Owl color polymorphism and movements of Spotted turtles
2020-Present:
Kristina Bennett, Abby Cooper, Katie Hewes, Savannah Howe, Jonathan Irons, Noelle Kuhns, Alaina Linton, Maddie Shelton, Alayna DeBaca, Grace Evans, Benjamin Houser, Jakob Irons, Sean Bulleri, Tylar Kight, Alexandra Lipinski, Ainsley Douglas, Erin Vorous, Alice Pritchard, Julianna Morano, Juliana Fowble, Eve Watsky, Hope Campbell, Tyler Saneman, Wes Schoellkopf, Grant Steer, Arno Amalyan, Philip Becnel, Jamie McBain, Paige Sprout, Lydia Bradshaw, Carter Burdeshaw, Melissa Delacruz, Aniah Gopaul, Joseph McNally, Ryan Mills, Shannon Whalen, Laila Fares, Rebecca Pritt, Julia Mohr, Lydia Bradshaw, Ashley Adams, Carl Brown, Lauren Fortescue, Jeromy Green, Sophia Lundeen, Amaya Remmel, Lillian Fooks, Nolan Pinkney, George Carney, Alice Oshringboye, Aaliyah Beam, Journie Drew-Hargrow, Megan Quesnel, Matt Addicks, Michael Shaffner, Allison Sokola, Travis Zimmerman, Greg Leasure, Emily Bilhuber, Olivia Snowden, Payton Hughes, Sean Philips, Kaylie Seabrease, Isaiah Williams
 
Nest success and timing of nesting in Eastern Diamondback Terrapins
2025-2026  Rebecca White
 
Factors affecting detectability and mark-recapture population estimation of turtle species
2016-2020: Maggie Kinsella, Cheyenne Woppman, Amanda Rocker, Matthew Houlihan, Karsin Bachran, Jessica Bitondo, Amanda Ellen, Michael Bowman, Ashley Gray, Derik Rodgers, Danielle Ortmann, Kelly Morsey, Paige Manuel, Sam Utt, Nicole Schiffler, Ian Harrison
Chaudhry EA**, Ransom TS, Bradley CJ and EB Liebgold. 2023. Habitat usage, dietary overlap, and potential partitioning between the endangered Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) and other turtle species. Icthyology and Herpetology 111:20-28.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Myra Dickey (PhD student at Texas A&M)
2017-2018
Liebgold EB, Dickey MJ*, Lamb SM**, Howell HJ and TS Ransom. 2023. (Not) far from home: No sex bias in dispersal, but limited genetic patch size in an endangered species, the Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata). Ecology and Evolution 13:e9734.
 
 
 
Madeline Joyner, Michael Burchett, Shane Johnson, Taylor Walter, Abigail Myers, Megan Jezek, Aimee Dixon & Zoya Shoukat
2013-2017
Genetics of ground-nesting warblers
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ravyn Saunders/Neville (SUNY ESF PhD student), Taylor Naiman Young, Jacob O’Neil, Ryan Tant, Dylan Ferris, Melissa Carson, Jared Novia, Teddy Dunning, Jared Lausen  2013-2015
Neville RA*, Boyd M**, Liebgold EB, and TS Ransom. 2020. Ground-nesting warblers on the eastern shore of Maryland: declining poplation trends and the effects of forest composition and structure. Acta Ornithologica 54:201-213
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Joshua Biddle
2014-2015
Honors Thesis: Biddle JR*, AH Grant** and EB Liebgold. 2017. Factors affecting the growth of Eastern Red-backed Salamanders, Plethodon cinereus. Herpetologica 73:89-93
 
Sarina Mossa, Sarah Marcus, Daneya Boyd, Tolani Akindele
2014-2015
Genetic diversity in red-backed
salamanders in Maryland
 
 
 
 
 
Eric Kalin, Anne Gatch, Ben Fleming, Jared Lausen, Matt Mignosa, Sabrina Aronis, Andrew Spicer, Colt Hancock, Michelle Schreiber, Madelyn Pettinati, & Maggie Chaney
2012-2014
Mark-recapture and color polymorphism in red-backed salamanders (see Alexa Grant publications)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Christian Kramer & Gina Dolezar
2012-2013
Genetic heterozygosity and growth in juvenile red-backed salamanders
 
Liebgold EB, CF Kramer*, TC Roomian*, GM Dolezar*, and PR Cabe. 2018. Heterzygosity-behavior and heterozygosity-fitness correlations in a salamander with limited dispersal. Population Ecology 60:251-260.