TJ is a native of Pennsylvania, growing up in the Pocono Mountains and spending the last nine years in Pittsburgh. While in Pittsburgh, TJ received his Bachelor’s in Biological Science from Duquesne University (2011) and his Master’s in Biology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2016). During his Master’s, TJ worked under Dr. Josiah Townsend, where his thesis focused on investigating species boundaries in three closely related Mesoamerican toads (Incilius). He also worked with a number of other groups of Mesoamerican amphibians and reptiles (Hypopachus, Hemidactylus, and Bolitoglossa), and has conducted several trips to Honduras for specimen collection. While not in the field or the lab, TJ was (and sometimes still is…) very active in theater and the performing arts. He has served as a designer, director, and producer for a number of Pittsburgh theaters while he lived there.
TJ received his PhD from UTA in 2021, and is currently a Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
Contact:
TJ’s Lab Website