Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida
Contact
Research Summary
I am an entomology undergrad with a healthy appreciation for all things natural and a particular interest in six-legged creatures. I value the promotion of scientific communication, and I am fortunate to manage a citizen science project as great as UF/IFAS Backyard Bark Beetles! Please email me if you have any questions or are interested in collaborating!
Current Projects
- Outreach, promotion, and beetle identification for the UF/IFAS Backyard Bark Beetles: a citizen science project with the goal of producing and maintaining a large-scale, long-term beetle monitoring program for the protection of our forests.
- Investigation of elaborate morphology, resource allocation decisions, and weapons-testes tradeoffs in leaf-footed bugs (Insecta: Hemiptera: Coreidae): To what extent has natural selection via predation influenced elaborate hind limbs of leaf-footed bugs? When does sexual size and trait dimorphism arise during development, and how does this differ across the coreid clade? After the loss of a hind limb, how does the function of that limb (weaponry versus locomotory) affect post-autotomy investment decisions?
Bio & Education
2014-present: B.S. student, Department of Entomology & Nematology, University of Florida
Miller Lab of Evolutionary Ecology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Undergraduate researcher (March 2015 – present)
- Proficiently conducted a wide range of laboratory and field techniques, including collecting and rearing colonies of several species of insects, gathering morphometric and behavior data, and conducting morphometric analyses.
- Collected and managed morphometric, behavior, and fitness data throughout multiple experiments.
Carlson, P., 2016. UF/IFAS Backyard Bark Beetles. League of Environmental Educators of Florida (LEEF). Merritt Island, FL. Talk.
Carlson, P., Emberts, Z., Miller, C.W. 2016. Hind legs used as a “risky decoy” in the leaf-footed bug, Leptoglossus phyllopus. International Congress of Entomology (ICE). Orlando, FL. Poster.
Carlson, P., Emberts, Z., Joseph, P., Miller, C.W. 2016. Understanding the Evolution of Morphological Elaboration in the Leaf-footed bug, Leptoglossus phyllopus. Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP) Symposium. Gainesville, FL. Poster.
Carlson, P., Emberts, Z., Joseph, P., Miller, C.W. 2016. Understanding the Evolution of Morphological Elaboration in the Leaf-footed bug, Leptoglossus phyllopus. Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS). Gainesville, FL. Poster.
Backyard Bark Beetles:
- Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center: Saturday Youth Program (August 2016; audience = 42)
- College Reach-Out Program (CROP) high school group (July 2016; audience = 20)
- UF Entomology Camp (June 2016; audience = 35)
- College Reach-Out Program (CROP) middle school group (June 2016; audience = 15)
Research Videos:
- “Dr. Michael Forthman explains his postdoctoral research”* coming soon
- “Paige Carlson explains her UF University Scholars Program research”*
- “Itai Meirom explains his undergraduate research, Spring 2016”*
- “Danny Kiehl explains his undergraduate research, Spring 2016”*
- “Paige Carlson explains her UF undergraduate research, Summer 2015”*
*denotes video animator and producer
Other
- “Talk Science With Me” (July 2016; Hawthorne Library)
- Gator Mania (July 2016; outreach tabling; audience = ~150 students)
- The Florida State Fair (February 2016; audience = ~50)
- UF Entomology Camp (June 2015; Miller Lab activity; audience = ~30 students)
- Paul B. Huff Sr. memorial scholarship (2016-2017)
- University Scholars Program (2016-2017)
- UF Center of Undergraduate Research (CUR) travel grant (2016)
- UF Entomology & Nematology Department Undergraduate travel grant (2016)
- “Welcome to Narnia” Miller Lab travel grant (2016)
- John A. Mulrennan Jr. scholarship (2016)
- Grace B. Waynebright scholarship (2014)