Graduate Student Research Associates
Lorena Jevnikar
Lorena Jevnikar is a second-year master's student in Earth & Atmospheric Sciences working under Dr. Claudia Johnson. Her research focuses on applying conservation paleobiology methodologies to assess coral diversity changes from the Pliocene to the present in the Greater Antilles region of the Caribbean. She is also working on creating a baseline documentation of acroporid coral species found at the 1699 Quedagh Merchant Captain Kidd Shipwreck located off of Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic. Aside from her research, Lorena has been an active participant in the IUPC. She collaborated with undergraduate students to develop and coauthor the article, "Scleractinian corals and their importance in our world today" which can be found on the CBRC website. Lorena is also an education outreach liaison for the IUPC, providing specimens for outreach events on campus and sparking curiosity in the next generation of scientists!
Samantha Hartzell
Samantha Hartzell is a Ph.D. student working with Dr. Claudia C. Johnson in IU’s department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. She is interested in Paleozoic invertebrates and evolution over large temporal and geographic scales. She is currently working on a dissertation project involving fossil corals, modern corals, and early fossil coral specimens of uncertain taxonomic placement known as ‘scleractiniamorphs’. Samantha works to mentor and supervise students in the CBRC and teaches specimen photography and photogrammetry. Samantha’s favorite fossil organism is Anomalocaris. In her free time, Samantha enjoys sewing, drawing, birdwatching, and playing tabletop games.
Undergraduate Interns + Hourly Student Workers
Avery Matthews
Avery Matthews is a freshman studying Earth and Atmospheric Science at IU. Their childhood love for Dino Dan and Dinosaur Train kicked off their life-long aspiration of becoming a paleontologist. With the goal of being a museum curator, they intend to specialize in marine life, both past and present. In their spare time, they love to read, draw, rock climb, and play Dungeons and Dragons. Avery especially loves shark tooth fossils, and is the proud owner of a Spiny Dogfish wet specimen named Eggh.
Abigail Smith
Abigail Smith is a junior studying Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. She has an interest in animal evolution and their adaptations over the course of millions of years. In particular, she is fascinated by the history of vertebrates and the evolution of microscopic organisms into today’s modern species. She is also interested in paleo-art, drawing prehistoric flora and fauna, and the evolution of paleo reconstructions from the first discovery of new species to modern recreations. Outside of working for the CBRC, she enjoys drawing in various forms of media, playing Dungeons and Dragons, playing video games, and, of course, studying any form of paleontology she can. Some of her favorite specimens in the collections are the annularia plants and the small trilobite fossils.
Matthew Sullivan
Matthew Sullivan is a sophomore studying Earth Science with a minor in Biology. He has been interested in dinosaur paleontology since he was four years old and aspires to pursue a master’s and a PhD in vertebrate paleontology once he completes undergrad, focusing on the evolution of Dinosauromorpha throughout the Mid-Late Triassic period. His favorite pastime is to volunteer at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis in the DinoSphere Paleo Prep Lab, preparing sauropod fossils and talking to visitors about dinosaurs. Outside of his studies, his hobbies include playing video games, building LEGO sets, and watching movies with friends. His favorite dinosaur is Acrocanthosaurus (but loves T. rex too), and his favorite IUPC fossil specimen is an Otodus megalodon tooth.
Reece Leach
Reece Leach is a sophomore studying Earth Science. He has been interested in paleontology because of the documentaries he watched as a child. He was heavily inspired by the stories of biology and museum work that he had heard about from his parents. Recently, he has been interested in gaining experience working with fossils, such as volunteering in the DinoSphere Paleo Lab at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum and working in the collections. He has been playing video games very often recently, trying (and struggling) to complete them. He loves playing Dungeons and Dragons online with friends. There are many fossils that he enjoys, but a favorite of his is Carnotaurus.
Ren McCormack
Ren McCormack is a senior at IU studying Earth Science with a minor in GIS and remote sensing. Previously, he has worked on projects in Earth and Atmospheric Science Department’s sedimentology lab with an emphasis on fluvial processes and with IU’s Environmental Resilience Institute creating priority planting maps. Although it’s not his main area of study he is fascinated by the ocean, especially fish and shells. In his free time, Ren is usually making zines, doing fiber arts, playing video games, roller skating, or attending concerts and events all over Indiana.
Alfredo Siqueiros-Gonzalez
Alfredo Siqueiros-Gonzalez is a sophomore at IU studying Earth Science as a major with a biology minor. While enamored with animals since he was 4, he only became interested in paleontology in high school. He is fascinated with evolution and how life has spread and diversified throughout Earth’s history. He takes a great deal of interest in how groups diversify in respect to their geographic contexts and in how groups spread themselves out to entirely new environments. Previous experiences with fossils include just general research and fascination with them along with a brief time in the fossils team with Science Olympiad. His favorite extinct creature is Quetzalcoatlus northropi, Alfredo is absolutely awestruck by a giraffe sized pterosaur just taking to the skies, nimble and free. Outside of the IUPC and academia, Alfredo enjoys illustrating sitcoms, both digital and physical, and tries to play games.