Lab people

Principal Investigator (PI)

Dr. Nick Green joined the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology (EEOB) in 2020 as an Assistant Professor of Biology, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2025. Between earning his PhD at Baylor University in 2012 and before joining KSU, Nick worked in a variety of government and industry roles focused on quantitative ecology and statistics. His primary teaching areas are in Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (BIOL 4350K), Applied Biological Data Analysis (BIOL 7410), and Principles of Biology II Laboratory (BIOL 1108L). 

You can connect with Nick by email and on Bluesky (@greenquanteco.bksy.social).

Current Students

Ben Angalet

 

Benjamin Angalet joined the lab as a master’s student in 2024. He graduated from the College of Coastal Georgia with a B.S. in Biology – Coastal Ecology in 2022 and has since held several positions within the science field, including a Jekyll Island Park Ranger, Environmental Scientist, and his current position as Field Research Coordinator here at KSU. His thesis is focusing on the osmoregulatory capabilities of American alligator populations experiencing varying levels of saltwater exposure. You can connect with Ben via email.

 

 

Mayu Mizutani

Mayu Mizutani joined the lab in 2024. She earned her B.S. in Environmental Engineering at the University of Florida and has worked as a hydrologist and environmental engineer. Mayu's research focuses on modeling the possible impacts of climate change and urbanization on the Etowah watershed in Georgia, and the resulting changes in the fish communities that live there. Her thesis research integrates fish biology, hydrological modeling, and geospatial data analysis. You can connect with Mayu by email. 

 

 

Sydney Morton

Sydney Morton joined the lab in 2023 after earning her B.S. in biology from the University of Central Florida. Her past experience includes laboratory and field studies supporting sea turtle conservation and wetland preservation. Her research at KSU leverages her lab and field experiences to investigate the effects of urbanization on small mammal population genetics. You can connect with Sydney by email.  

 

 

 

Piercy Gierlak

Piercy Gierlak joined the lab as an undergraduate in 2024, assisting with various projects and conducting her own research on modeling the possible effects of ocean acidification on oyster growth. In 2025, she earned her B.S. in Environmental Science from Kennesaw State and re-joined the lab, this time as a masters student. Piercy's project is still in development, but will focus on modeling how trophic interaction networks involving krill may be affected by climate change. You can connect with Piercy by email.

 

 

Sarah Paschal

 

Sarah Paschal joined the lab in 2025 with a B.S. in Biology from Georgia Tech and several years of experience working at Zoo Atlanta, the AWARE Wildlife Center, and a veterinary clinic. Her research focuses on how urbanization and human activities affect small mammal health and physiology. You can reach Sarah by email.

Lab Alumni

Bri Casement

 

Bri Casement earned her MSIB in 2024 with her thesis, Spatial and abiotic effects of urbanization on small mammal communities.  Before coming to KSU, she earned her B.S. in both Biology and Environmental Science (cum laude) from Heidelberg University in Ohio. Before graduate school, Bri conducted research on streams in Ohio, lizards in Panama, and even worked as an elementary school teacher. Her thesis research focused on the effects of urbanization, land use change, and human socioeconomic factors on small mammal populations and communities in Georgia. After graduating, Bri went on to pursue a Ph.D. at West Virginia University.

You can find Bri's her research on Google Scholar and ORCID.

Leslie Lopez

Leslie Lopez earned her MSIB in the lab in 2024 with her thesis Patterns and Potential Mechanisms of Phenotypic Changes in Urban Small Mammals. Leslie joined the lab in 2022 after earning her B.S. in Biology, cum laude, from the University of West Georgia. Leslie's lifelong interest in animals and health drive her research and professional activities. In addition to her master's research, Leslie has worked in the KSU Vivarium and veterinary clinics. Leslie now works for the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Interested in joining the lab?

If you are interested in joining the Green QuantEco lab, reach out to Dr. Green by email. The next opportunity for a masters student to join the lab will be in Fall of 2026.