The Pymatuning Lab of Ecology is pleased to again invite applicants to our summer undergraduate research program that is open to Pitt undergraduates interested in pursuing research toward a career in ecology or evolutionary biology. The program provides support for students to be in residence at the field station for nine weeks over the summer to work with faculty on a semi-independent research project. No prior research experience is required, and applications from students for whom this would be a first experience in research are encouraged. Student participants will receive free room and board at the Pymatuning Lab of Ecology for the nine weeks of the program. At the end of the program, each participant will receive a stipend of $3,000.
Students in the program will be expected to be able to devote their full effort (i.e., 40 hours/week) to the program and their project. This means that participants must plan to be in residence at the Pymatuning Lab (aside from weekends and holidays) and should not have other conflicting time commitments (e.g., classes, other employment, volunteering, or fellowship commitments) during the nine weeks of the program (May 18 - July 17) .
During the first week of the program, we will run a research workshop to provide the students with an initial cohort experience and a solid footing in the process of conducting scientific research. During this first week, and each subsequent week, the students will also (1) attend a weekly “journal club” meeting, where they will discuss a paper relevant to the topic of that week’s talk in the PLE’s evening seminar series, and (2) meet one on one with their faculty mentor about their research project. During each of weeks 2 – 9 the students will also (3) meet twice a week as a cohort, with a program mentor. Aside from these structured times, the students will be free to carry out their projects while in residence at PLE. At the end of the nine weeks, each student will present a research talk and write a research report.
Faculty mentors for summer 2026 and their projects are:
Dr. David Outomuro
Batesian mimicry evolves as a means of deterring predators, yet it imposes costs on chemically defended model species. The pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) is chemically protected from vertebrate predators through the sequestration of aristolochic acids acquired during the larval stage from its host plants. This species serves as the model in a well-known North American mimicry ring that includes at least five species of chemically unprotected butterfly mimics.
Predator associative learning and stimulus salience are central to understanding the evolution and maintenance of mimicry systems. Although the pipevine complex is a classic example of Batesian mimicry, it remains unclear which specific visual traits predators rely on most when making attack decisions. Previous studies have shown that certain prey traits can overshadow others during avian predator learning; for example, color cues are often learned more rapidly and can dominate over pattern or shape.
This project will deploy experimentally manipulated artificial models of the pipevine swallowtail in the field to quantify attack rates by wild avian predators. Determining which components of the warning signal are under the strongest selection by bird predators will provide insight into the evolution of signal design and the persistence of mimicry within this system.
Dr. Corinne Richards-Zawacki
Amphibians in many parts of the world, including the Pymatuning Lab of Ecology (PLE), are threatened by infection with a fungal pathogen called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd. However, as hosts and pathogens coexist over time, they may co-evolve, generating patterns where certain host genotypes are better at avoiding or tolerating infection by certain pathogen lineages. Our past research at PLE has shown that several lineages of the Bd pathogen infect amphibians in our region, though some host species, like the American bullfrog, seem to only become infected by subset of these pathogen genotypes. How are wildlife hosts able to avoid infection by some pathogen genotypes but tolerate infection by others? This project will test the hypothesis that differences in antimicrobial peptides, which are produced in granular glands in the skin and secreted as part of the amphibian defense against Bd, can help to explain such patterns of differential resistance and/or tolerance of Bd infections in bullfrogs. This project will involve field work in ponds local to PLE and the design and implementation of an experiment to examine the role of bullfrog antimicrobial peptides in generating patterns of association between host species and pathogen genotypes.
Dr. Yiluan Song
Freshwater phytoplankton play key roles as primary producers in aquatic food webs, but also present a recurring ecological disservice through harmful algal blooms (HABs). Understanding the seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton communities is important for quantifying the effects of abiotic and biotic drivers and improving the prediction of water quality. While traditional monitoring is often temporally sparse, high temporal-resolution sampling can provide unique opportunities for causal inference and ecological forecasting. This project seeks to monitor, characterize, and model the seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton community composition at the Pymatuning Reservoir throughout the summer of 2026. Research activities will involve frequently collecting water samples, classifying and counting phytoplankton, data visualization, and multivariate statistical analysis.
Dr. Danielle Tufts
Project description in prep.
The application deadline is Monday, February 23, 2026. To apply, complete an application form at https://form.jotform.com/220473290132042. Within the form you will be asked to upload your undergraduate transcript in high resolution PDF (saved as lastname_firstname_transcript.pdf), your resume or Curriculum vita (CV), (saved as lastname_firstname_CV). Two letters of recommendation from people who can comment on your science and/or research progress in college are also required.
Please ask letter writers to save files as yourlastname_letterwriterlastname_letter and to email letters to cori.zawacki@pitt.edu by the application deadline. **Please give your recommenders notice NOW that you intend to apply!**
Please contact Dr. Cori Richards-Zawacki (cori.zawacki@pitt.edu) with any questions.