People

Carmen Blubaugh (blubaugh at illinois.edu)

PhD, Entomology, Purdue University (2015)
MS, Environmental Science, Indiana University (2010)
BA, Environmental Studies, Florida Atlantic University (2006)
Carmen’s CV

Carmen grew up in rural Indiana, went to college in South Florida, then did a wild variety of temporary field gigs (organic farming, wildland firefighting, invasive species management, emergency response, and of course, insect ecology research) in Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, Arkansas, Montana, and Prague, CZ, before finally starting graduate school. After a postdoc at Washington State University, she joined the faculty at Clemson University then at UGA. Now back at home in the Midwest, Carmen will continue chasing down interesting research questions related to insect food webs in sustainable agroecosystems.

Current students:

Christiana Huss (MS UGA 2023)

Christiana worked with us an undergraduate at Clemson University, and moved on to UGA to complete an MS in the Blubaugh lab in 2023 after spending a summer working with our collaborators at Growing Green Family Farm, Christiana’s research focuses on a new invasive pest, the yellowmargined leaf beetle, and how plant chemistry and plant diversity influence its suppression by predators. As an outreach/service learning project, she also created a map of blooming resources at UGA.

Julia Berliner (MS UGA 2022)

Julia examined how fertility resources and diet breadth mediate trophic interactions between plants, herbivores and predators. Julia is now a research technician at UGA.

 

 

Amy Sparer (MS UGA 2022)

Amy sampled plants and insects at 37 different organic farms to explore relationships between non-crop plant diversity and natural enemy evenness. Amy is now working on an organic farm in Athens.

 

 

Danielle Gray-Lewis (MS Clemson 2019)

Danielle’s thesis (co-advised by Rebecca Schmidt-Jeffris and Matt Cutulle) grappled with the challenge of harmonizing mechanical, chemical, and ecological weed control tools in organic vegetable systems. Danielle now owns her own farm/nursery business and event venue!

Ivy Widick (BS 2015, MS 2018, Lab manager, 2019)

Ivy is an expert in the spatial ecology of small mammals. Ivy worked with Carmen as an undergrad at Purdue University to describe small mammal movement and microhabitat use under varying risk conditions. She joined us again as a lab manager at Clemson University after finishing an MS, and used video surveillance to examine antagonistic interactions between small mammals, invasive fire ants, and native insects. Ivy is now a PhD student at the University of Wisconsin.

 

Jon Golan (UGA Entomology Undergrad 2021-2023)

Jon used molecular gut content analysis to identify native predators of the invasive yellowmargined leaf beetle. 

 

Avery Ryan (UGA undergrad 2021-2023) 

Avery examined relationships between weed diversity, pests and predators on organic farms. As an outreach/service learning project, Avery also created native prairie plant display at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia.

Russell Chesnut (UGA undergrad 2021-2023) 

Russell examined how vermicompost and surrounding floral diversity interactively shape pests and predators.  As an outreach/service project, Russell also created insect videos to help kids recognize pests and beneficial insects in the garden.

Melina Madden (undergrad 2018-2021)

Melina joined us for an internship in 2018 as a high school senior through Clemson’s Summer Program for Research Interns, and returned for four summers to sample bugs and weeds on organic farms all over GA, SC and NC.  Melina examined relationships between weed diversity, predator diversity, and biological control.  Melina is a graduate student in athletic training at the University of South Florida.

 

Mary-Frances Behnke (Clemson undergrad 2019-2020) 

Mary-Frances examined the pest management consequences of excess organic fertilizers. Mary Frances is now a PhD student in plant biology at UGA.

 

 

 

Grace Won (UGA undergrad researcher 2020-2021)

Grace examined how red-imported fire ant activity influences the abundance and diversity of pests and beneficial insects on organic farms.

 

 

Andrew Godard (Clemson undergrad researcher 2018-2021)

Andrew measured weed and pest management consequences of surplus organic fertilizers.

 

 

 

Annie McElvenny (undergraduate researcher 2018-2019)

Annie is an Environmental and Natural Resources Management major, and  joined us for a research internship this summer through Clemson’s EUREKA program, and examined effects of structural habitat complexity on seed consumption by small mammals, fire ants, and native insect granivores. Annie is now a graduate student at North Carolina State University.

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