PEOPLE
The Toth lab is committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive community of scientists. We welcome aspiring students, trainees, and collaborators from all walks of life, nationalities, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities.
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We strive to build a welcoming and respectful work environment for all through communication, supportive relationships, engaging in self-education and trainings/workshops, and active organization of programs and events to broaden participation in Ecology, Evolution, and Entomology fields.
PEOPLE
AMY TOTH
Principal Investigator
PROFESSIONAL BIO: Amy is a Professor in two departments at Iowa State University: Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology and Entomology. She teaches courses in animal behavior and bee biology, and conducts research on the mechanisms and evolution of social behavior in insects, with a focus on bees and wasps. Amy received her B.A. from Bard College in New York, PhD at the University of Illinois, and did postdoctoral work at Pennsylvania State University.
HUMAN BIO: Amy (she/her) has an academic spouse and two kids, and enjoys playing music, trail running, and spending time outdoors with her family. Hablo español.
RANDALL CASS
Extension Specialist
Randall received his B.A. from Willamette University in Oregon and M.S in International Agricultural Development from the University of California, Davis. He has done international work in agriculture development in El Salvador, Chile, and Guatemala. At ISU he currently teaches beekeeping, engages in extension programming related to beekeeping and wild pollinators, manages the honey bee apiary, and assists with research.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
KATE BORCHARDT
PhD Student, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Kate's interest in pollination began from the desire to unwind the complexity of both direct and indirect ecosystem interactions. She studied pollination ecology in William’s lab at UC Davis before graduating with her Bachelors degree in 2018.
In Toth Lab, Kate has been studying the influence of environments on plant-insect interactions, ecosystem functions, and foraging behavior. With regards to the STRIPS project (Science-based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips), she has discovered how small patches of native prairie in corn and soybean fields increase ecosystem functions and the extent these newly gained functions are resilient to exotic honey bee apiary presence. She has also expanded wasp research, investigating plant-wasp interactions, body pollen carriage, and pollination ability through multiple small studies.
As Kate adds the final touches to her dissertation, she is hoping to continue her research and eventually become a professor one day. She hopes to give young scientists opportunities to get involved in research, like the one she had as a freshman Biology major.
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ERIKA IBARRA-GARIBAY
PhD Student, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Erika graduated with a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado. Her undergraduate thesis was on White Nose Syndrome in North American bats. Erika’s research interests include thermophysiology of native Iowa bumble bees. She is also Erika conducting work on the endangered rusty patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis. Her efforts include monitoring its threatened population and assessing its overall population health.
​She is also working on rearing bumble bee queens of different species to study food consumption and pesticide effects on colony development.
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HUMAN BIO: Erika enjoys both the outdoors and indoors. She enjoys spending time with her partner and furbabies, going on hikes, camping trips, and kayaking. She also enjoys curling up with her furbabies and watching TV, such as documentaries and doggy TV.
MORGAN MOORE (SHE/HER)
PhD Student, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Morgan's interest in pollinators began as an undergrad, when she was granted an internship working on native bees with the Toth lab. After graduation she decided to pursue a PhD degree in Ecology, and Evolutionary Biology. She is currently developing a large panel of nondestructive health indicators, which can be measured in the field. These indicators will hopefully serve to increase our current understanding of the health of Bombus spp. In addition to the non-destructive health indicators, she's also conducting genomic sequencing to identify possible pathogens and viruses present in our native bees.
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HUMAN BIO: Morgan is a true animal lover, with a cat, two snakes and two Uromastyx, and a leopard gecko, not to mention the hissing cockroaches. She will adopt all of your pets.
QUINTON ORR
MS Student, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Quinton graduated from ISU with a B.S. in Biology in 2024. He worked as a Bee and Wasp Squad Intern studying the relationship between bumble bee health and prairie habitat in Iowa. His MS work investigates nutritional and metabolic correlates of division of labor in Bombus impatiens.
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HUMAN BIO: Quinton is on the ISU Cross Country and Track teams.
MATTHEW HEALY (HE/HIM)
PhD Student, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Matthew has a B.S. in Biology from Stonehill College in Massachusetts. He has previously worked on pollen metagenomics and is continuing this work in graduate school. His current work is focusing on applying novel statistical methods for improved biological insights from metagenomic data.
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HUMAN BIO: Matt has a love hate relationship with HyVee. Overpriced but good brats, and good cheese (especially the free samples). He also has a cat.
TAMARA TYNER-SWANSON
PHD Student, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Tam has a B.S. in Organismal Biology from University of Kansas and M.A. in Forensic Anthropology from Texas State University at San Marcos. She is co-advised by Eric Riddell and is studying the thermophysiology of bumble bees. She is investigating thermal sensitivity of metabolism at the individual and nest level.​
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HUMAN BIO: Tam is obsessed with bears, bison, bats bumble bees, and batoids (aka stingrays, but alliteration matters).
ALEX KURTT
RESEARCH TECHNICIAN
Alex is majoring in biology and environmental science. His current area of study is over wasp behavior and self-recognition in the presence of mirrors.
ANDREW O'CONNELL (HE/THEY)
ANIMAL ECOLOGY MAJOR
Andrew has a wide range of interests and right now is focusing on vibrational communication in native bumble bee species.
GWEN VOAKLANDER
ANIMAL ECOLOGY MAJOR
Gwen really really likes bees. Her research is mostly focused on honey bee native bee interactions.
SEVEN SIERRA (They/Them)
ANIMAL ECOLOGY MAJOR
Seven is studying bee poop. More specifically, developing methods for disease detection through collection of fecal samples from native bumble bees.
HALEY CURTIS (SHE/HER)
RESEARCH TECHNICIAN
Haley investigated phoretic mites on native bumble bees. She has also worked on metagenomics and pests and pathogens, and thermophysiology. She graduated in 2024 and is looking for graduate programs to study bees!