people
The lab focuses on Master’s and undergraduate student research. See the opportunities page for details about joining the lab.
Dr. Oscar Johnson (Principal Investigator)
Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
Dr. Johnson is interested in avian speciation, and how these processes scale to community-level patterns of biological diversity. He uses a variety of methods to understand these processes, spanning the fields of phylogenetics, systematics, macroevolution, biogeography, trait evolution, and taxonomy. His interest lie primarily in the biodiverse Neotropics and subtropics, where speciation is less well understood.
Dr. Johnson has a background in avian conservation and field biology, before he returned to academia to pursue a doctoral degree. He is a member of the American Ornithological Society, the Society of Systematic Biologists, and the Florida Ornithological Society. Dr. Johnson joined the faculty of FGCU in 2024.
CV ojohnson [at] fgcu.edu LinkedIn
ResearchGate
Alexia Friedman (Master’s student)
Alexia, originally from South Florida, earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental studies with a concentration in Ecology and Environmental Assessment from Florida Gulf Coast University. She has a passion for wildlife and has gained experience in both wildlife rehabilitation and ecological fieldwork. Her research interests include avian speciation, conservation biology, avian population monitoring, environmental outreach and education, and raptor ecology.
Her thesis research focuses on the taxonomic relationship within the Buteo lineatus-ridgwayi complex, specifically investigating whether the western subspecies, B. l. elegans, warrants species-level recognition. See more information on the project page.
Travis Mangione (Master’s student)
Travis, originally from Michigan, completed his undergraduate degree in Environmental Biology at Cornerstone University in 2017. He worked in a variety of ornithological technician positions, in Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, and Louisiana. In late 2018, he started working for the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) working primarily with Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Florida black bears, prescribed fire, and hunt management. With FWC, he was able to assist with projects around the state, monitoring a variety of listed wildlife species. In 2023, he became a wildlife biologist with the National Park Service in Big Cypress National Preserve. Research focus includes white-tailed deer, Florida panther, and Burmese pythons. In 2025, he started pursuing this master’s degree researching Eastern Black Rails to determine vocalization activity, occupancy, and distribution in Big Cypress.
Abby Knepprath (Master’s student)
Abby, originally from Tampa Florida, recently graduated from FGCU in December 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in organismal and ecology. During her undergraduate she studied the vocal and behavioral divergence of Common and Antillean Nighthawks in Southwest Florida and the Florida Keys using auditory playback trials. Following her graduation, she worked a seasonal position with Audubon Florida as a shorebird steward. During her time in this position, she participated in outreach within the community, conservation efforts with state-threatened species, and banding Black Skimmer chicks.
Her research interests include hybridization and speciation, as well as phylogenetics, conservation biology, and avian population monitoring. For her master’s she is continuing her undergraduate work on Common and Antillean nighthawks, while expanding upon it using genetic sequencing to determine if they are hybridizing in the Keys.
Gianna Maida (Master’s student)
Gia, originally from Chicago, Illinois, earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) in 2025. Her professional experience spans a variety of environmental and conservation roles, including hunting operations with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), environmental education at Everglades Wonder Gardens, and an internship with Charlotte County Natural Resources.
Gia’s research interests include habitat quality, wildlife ecology, population genetics, and environmental policy. As an undergraduate, her research focused primarily on semi-aquatic snakes, with an emphasis on the ecological factors influencing their distribution and capture rates. In 2026, she began pursuing her master’s degree at FGCU, where her research focuses on the population genetics of semi-aquatic snakes in Southwest Florida, incorporating data collected during her undergraduate research. Her current work investigates how habitat isolation and fragmentation influence genetic connectivity and population structure, with the goal of informing conservation and management strategies for wetland-dependent species.
Undergraduate researchers
Our lab strongly emphasizes undergraduate research, and at most times there are about 10 undergraduate students working in the lab as researchers, laboratory assistants, student workers, or volunteers. Below are profiles for the current and former undergraduate students in the lab.
Leslie Alfonso (Undergraduate student)
Leslie is originally from South Florida, born and raised. She has always loved birds and nature. For her senior research, she is studying the foraging ecology of wading birds, and continuing with conducting wading bird surveys in South Florida. She is interested in population ecology, and potentially using these skills to focus on the conservation of endangered avian species. She has been with the lab since Fall 2024, as a student worker conducting wading bird surveys on restored wetlands in nearby Bonita Springs, and a Learning Assistant for Ornithology class.
Ben Bartels (Undergraduate student)
Ben is a biology major with a concentration in organismal biology and ecology. He enjoy the outdoors and wants to work in environmental conservation and consulting one day. He is narrowing his field of interest to focus on specific topics, and currently wants to focus on ornithology. He is interested in working on plumage and vocalization variation in migratory birds in and around South Florida.
Anthony (Ani) Dues, Jr. (Undergraduate Honors thesis student)
Ani’s Honors thesis focuses on monitoring nocturnal migrating songbirds, comparing sites with varying amounts of light pollution, which is known to affect these birds navigational abilities. He deployed autonomous recording units on the FGCU campus (high light pollution) and nearby CREW conservation lands (low light pollution) to test how campus is affecting migrating birds.
He is also heavily involved with monitoring and preventing bird window collisions on the FGCU campus.
Delaney Greve (Undergraduate student)
Delaney is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and moved to Fort Myers for college. She is a Biology major with a Marine Biology concentration, and is passionate about working in animal science and veterinary medicine. She has been working at vet clinics and volunteering with local rescues, the SPCA, and service dog groups, and is super excited to contribute to the lab.
Isabella Hardman (Undergraduate student)
Isabella is working on foraging ecology in the Great Blue Heron and Great Egrets, measuring how efficiently these species are able to capture prey.
Dylan Luu (Undergraduate student)
Dylan is working on the Red-shouldered Hawk speciation project, analyzing sound files and assisting with behavioral field trials.
Olivia Ringland (Undergraduate student)
Olivia is a volunteer in the lab, interested in ecology and conservation.
Malena Sellen (Undergraduate student)
Malena has been with the lab since Spring 2024. She is a 2024 Seidler Fellow, working on speciation in the Common and Antillean Nighthawks, analyzing sound recordings and conducting behavioral trials in southwest Florida and during summer field work in 2024 in the Florida Keys.
Past mentees and lab alumni
Undergraduates
Aiden Barbour (2026) Malia Tinsley (2026)
Delaney Harris (2025-2026)
Jay Wells (2025-2026)
Kayla Carter (2025-2026)
Annika Stafford (2025-2026)
Mercedes Roesler (2025-2026)
Bryce Rose (2025-2026)
Rachel Walker (2025-2026)
Ash Hernandez-Trochez (2025-2026)
Kassidy Braddick (2025)
Joseph Giraldi (2025)
Allison Locher (2025) Julitza Ramirez-Soriano (2025)
Brock Shiver (2025)
Blake Bello (2025)
Mi Kayla Vargas (2025)
Amelia Gumerova (2025)
Arline Martinez (2025)
Daelyn Parker (2024-2025)
Olivia Barcela (2024-2025)
Elizabeth Santos Lozano (2024-2025)
Olivier Cadet (2024-2025)
Kyle Cameron (2024)