Students & Staff

I am pursuing my PhD at the University of Adelaide with Dr. Jeremy Austin. Dr. Walker is an external supervisor. For my PhD I am using genetic techniques for the conservation and management of the northern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii), one of the most endangered mammals in the world. I am 1) building a phylogeny of northern hairy-nosed wombats and their congener the southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) using whole mitochondrial genomes to determine whether genetic diversity is still low; 2) using fecal samples to characterize diet and microbiome, and search for pathogens; 3) developing a science communication program; and, 4) incorporating indigenous communities and histories. 

I am an Honors student studying biology with a minor in criminal justice. I joined PMI in spring 2022 as a member of the Bat Ecology and Genetics Lab (BEGL), where I work as part of the Species From Feces team. I am also the Undergraduate Lab Manager of the Ancient DNA lab. There, I will study 30,000 year old bat mummies collected in the Grand Canyon. Through my work here I am gaining experience in working with damaged, partial, and trace DNA, which will aid me as I pursue a career in forensic science after college. 

I am currently a NAU Honors student double majoring in environmental sciences with an emphasis on biology and chemistry with an emphasis on biochemistry. I joined the Species from Feces team at the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute in the spring of 2023 as an undergraduate student researcher through the Interns-to-Scholars program.  Learning how to use DNA processing equipment and analyze results during my time at NAU will give me hands-on experience and help me develop the skills needed to pursue medical research after my undergraduate studies. 

I am a sophomore NAU Honors student majoring in Environmental Science with an emphasis in biology. I joined the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute (PMI) as an undergraduate researcher in spring 2023 and am working on Species from Feces projects within the Walker Lab. By virtue of my work with Species from Feces, I am gaining experience in DNA extraction from environmental DNA sources and am learning how this technology is pivotal to species identification as well as what implications this may have. This research experience will be valuable as I pursue a future career in wildlife conservation. 

2022 Award: Jean Shuler Mini-Grant

2023 Award: NAU Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Inquiry & Creativity 

I am an undergraduate researcher majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry, and I am earning a Wildlife Ecology and Management Certificate. I am passionate about wildlife conservation and the importance of communication as a tool to facilitate it. My position within the Walker Lab includes work in the Species from Feces program at the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute under the Bat Ecology and Genetics Lab. I complete Sanger sequencing for bat species IDs using DNA extracted from bat fecal matter, bat tissue, and the environment. My newest project is on the detection of the threatened northern Mexican gartersnake through environmental DNA (eDNA) and fecal DNA. The completion of this research will provide more information about predation on this species by non-native sportfish, thereby aiding in the management and conservation of the species. Additionally, I perform public and client outreach, in part by running our Species from Feces Team’s social media. Following my undergraduate career, I will be earning a master’s degree in wildlife biology in order to pursue a career in wildlife conservation and management. Prior to earning my master’s degree, I will be gaining fieldwork experience as a biological technician. 

I worked with non-invasive genetic samples for 10 years, first at PMI as an undergraduate, and then with the School of Forestry’s Bat Ecology & Genetics Lab. I managed the Ancient DNA Lab, performed our Species from Feces services, and was involved in a suite of different projects. My skills include DNA extraction and amplification from severely degraded sample types, next-generation amplicon sequencing, and bioinformatics. My favorite projects included extracting DNA from a 10,000 year old spotted bat mummy, chasing wombat DNA in South Australia, developing an eDNA sampling protocol to detect bat species from water sources, and determining what bat species used two Mayan temples. I enjoyed communicating our exciting research to STEM students.  I was accepted into the PhD program at the University of Adelaide to work on a wombat genetics project, and left for Australia in 2021.

I graduated from NAU in April 2021, where I was a part of the honors program, and pursued a double major in Biology and Spanish with a minor in Chemistry. I began working with the Bat Ecology & Genetics Lab (BEGL) in 2017 through the Intern2Scholars program, successfully organizing thousands of bat team genetic samples in -80C freezers and refining our Access database (‘BEGLbase’). I conducted the genetic portion of a follow-up study to Dr. Walker’s Ph.D. research in the early 2000s, in order to uncover the population dynamics of South Australia’s southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons), and see how the population has changed over time. This is described in our 2020 paper. My final project employed a molecular assay to detect rabies through minimally invasive sample types. In addition, I assisted with bat Species from Feces projects, which involve the identification of bat species from guano using a DNA mini-barcode assay. I started a Master’s program at Kennesaw State University in Fall 2021. 

I graduated from NAU in May 2020 with a degree in Biology. As a 3 year member of the Ancient DNA Core, my projects started in the Ancient DNA Lab, where I handled and extracted DNA from sensitive samples, and finished at PMI, where I amplified gene targets of interest. For my main project, I extracted DNA from sediment cores and used metagenomics and metabarcoding to identify plant and animal species in order to understand past ecosystems. I am preparing a first author paper describing detection of moose from sediment cores of a lake on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. Additionally, I assisted with the Bat Ecology & Genetics Lab’s Species from Feces projects, which involved analyzing DNA from bat guano to reveal the species that produced it. This technique is noninvasive, and the information gathered from the process is used to help track, understand, and protect bats species.  I started a PhD program with Dr. Beth Shapiro at UC Santa Cruz in fall 2020.

Austin Dikeman

    Undergraduate Genetics Researcher

2019: Internship at the Curie Institute in Paris; NAU Golden Axe Award

2018: Goldwater Scholar; Paul A. Sciame Scholarship; NAU Award of Excellence in Undergradute Inquiry & Creativity; NAU UGRADS 3rd place; Head Undergraduate at PMI.

2017: Recipient of 2017-2018 Hooper Undergraduate Research Award; 2nd Place in student presentations at The Wildlife Society Joint Annual Meeting.

I graduated from NAU in December 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Bachelor of Arts in French, and a minor in Chemistry. As a 3 year member of the School of Forestry’s Bat Ecology and Genetics Lab, I performed research that applied noninvasive genetics and genomics to wildlife conservation. I conducted my work at the Pathogen & Microbiome Institute (PMI) using next-generation sequencing to inform management of the endangered New Mexico meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius luteus). I was awarded a HURA to study E. coli infections that serve as a potential threat to jumping mice. I also helped develop a genetic method to identify herbivore diet. This system has informed management for wildlife such as jumping mice, mule deer, and pronghorn. PMI and the School of Forestry provided stimulating environments to pursue my passion for conservation in an exciting new way through genetics. I plan to pursue a PhD in molecular genetics and continue my career in research.