people | mysite

who we are

Jacob Allgeier

Associate Professor

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

University of Michigan

jeallg "at" umich.edu

Jake is an ecologist with broad interests in how human-induced changes alter ecosystem processes and the services that they provide. His work is rooted in basic ecological theory, but motivated by increasing need for food security, particularly in coastal societies.

Jake has won international acclaim for his ability to sit on porches, stoops, and random curbsides in any given country.

Sarah Luongo - Postdoc

sluongo "at" umich.edu

Sarah is a marine ecologist with broad interests in how physiology influences marine fishes' behavior and movement patterns. She earned her Bachelor of Science from California State University Long Beach and her PhD from Florida International University. Sarah’s PhD focused on the energetics, behavioral strategies, and space use of marine predators in pelagic and coral reef ecosystems. She is currently investigating what factors are driving space use patterns of coral reef fishes around artificial reefs in The Bahamas. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, watching movies, and traveling!

Katrina Munsterman (she/they) - Postdoc

kmunster "at" umich.edu

Katrina is a fisheries scientist dedicated to understanding how fish and fisher behavior shape social-ecological systems. In her current role, she is studying the efficacy of artificial reefs for fisheries production for local communities. She completed her PhD in the lab in 2025 as a NOAA Fisheries-Sea Grant Fellow, and her MS and BS degrees at UC Santa Barbara. Katrina fancies type-2 adventures, impromptu picnics, and her two old dogs.

Nepsis García (she/they) - PhD Student

nepsisgl "at" umich.edu

Nepsis is from Baní, a town in southwestern Dominican Republic. She completed her undergraduate studies at PUCMM in Santo Domingo and earned her Master’s degree in Marine Science from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. Prior to joining the University of Michigan, she worked on assisted sexual reproduction of stony corals, including larval rearing and recruit grow-out, in the Figueiredo Lab.

Currently, Nepsis studies corals that thrive under multiple simultaneous stressors while others perish. Her dissertation integrates coral physiology, genetics, and community and ecosystem ecology to uncover the mechanisms that allow coral reefs to persist in the Anthropocene. She explores these dynamics across environmental gradients using field experiments, ecological monitoring, and quantitative modeling, with the goal of informing conservation and restoration efforts. In her spare time, Nepsis enjoys cooking, swimming, crocheting, and curling up with her wife and cats to watch TV.

Sean Richards (he/him)- PhD Student

sprich "at" umich.edu

Sean is a Graduate Research Fellow broadly interested in energy transfer into, within, and between reef ecosystems. He completed his BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan. For his Ph.D., Sean is studying how zooplankton and larvae mediate energetic inputs to reefs and support reef fish production. In his free time, Sean enjoys running, giving blood, and spending time with his circus of pets.

Anish Paul (he/him) - Research Lab Tech Senior

panish "at" umich.edu

Anish is interested in ecosystem-scale patterns and processes, particularly in scaling up individual behaviour to understand ecosystem functions. He earned his master's degrees from Pondicherry University and National Centre for Biological Sciences, India. His research spans across terrestrial and marine ecosystems, exploring species and ecosystem responses to local and global changes. When he is not staring at his laptop screen or mixing reagents in the lab, you can find him reading, belting out bathroom ballads, chatting nonsense with anyone who’ll indulge him, or chilling with a cold beer and great company.

Rachel Williamson - Undergraduate Researcher

willrac "at" umich.edu

Rachel is an undergraduate student studying Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity (EEB) with broad interests in applying ecological concepts for effective ecosystem management. As an Abe Scholar, she is assisting Nepsis with coral physiology and genetics field work in the Dominican Republic and analyzing benthic community composition on artificial reefs for a senior honors thesis. Rachel is also a Michigan Marching Band extraordinaire and an Arb enthusiast.

Isabelle Relyea (she/her) - Undergraduate Researcher

irelyea "at" umich.edu

Isa a junior double-majoring in EEB and the PitE, with a minor in French. She is passionate about ecology and deeply interested in understanding how species interactions and environmental change shape ecosystems. This year, she is working with Sean, size classing and identifying zooplankton to track energy cycling in marine ecosystems. Outside of ecology, she likes climbing, traveling, hiking, and chai lattes.

Aaron Sterken - Undergraduate Researcher

ansterk "at" umich.edu

Aaron is an undergraduate student studying Environmental Science at the University of Michigan. He is interested in researching marine ecosystems, with the goal of contributing to conservation and making a positive impact on the world. In his free time, Aaron enjoys being outdoors, playing sports, going on runs, and spending time with friends.

Nicholas Dettling (he/him) - Undergraduate Researcher

ndettlin "at" umich.edu

Nico is a freshman studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at U of M. He is from Canton, Michigan and is interested in marine biology, aquatic ecosystem ecology, and education. Outside of school, he likes to explore nature, birdwatch, and play guitar, volleyball, and video games.

Adam Figler - Undergraduate Researcher

afigler "at" umich.edu

Adam is an undergraduate student studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan. He is interested in studying zooplankton and phytoplankton ecology as well as fisheries management. Adam loves hiking, camping, and freediving.