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College of Life Sciences Plant and Wildlife Sciences
Standring Lab
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Lab Members

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Dr. Sam Standring

sam_standring@byu.edu
5134 LSB
801-422-5145
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Janey Cress

Janey Cress is a senior studying Environmental Science and Sustainability. She will graduate in April of 2026. Her research interests include aquatic insects and freshwater ecology, and she hopes to one day work in water quality monitoring.
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Julia Fordham

Hello! My name is Julia and I am majoring in Genetics and Biotechnology. I have done research with gut metabarcoding and am interested in the genetic analysis of insects. My long-term goal is to work in genetic research and public health! I'd like to help build trust between the public and scientific community and ensure people have access to genetic treatments. When I'm not studying or doing research I like to flyfish, linocut, stress bake and search for ants outside (I love ants - so cute!)
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Alina Manuele

Hi! My name is Alina Manuele. I am studying Molecular Biology and will be acquiring a Spanish Certificate through BYU. Currently, I am interested in studying the purposes and measurements of ploidy levels within silk gland cells of various insects. I aim to apply to master's programs within the final year of completing my bachelor's and to continue my education in the MMBIO or PWS field.
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Melanie Mower

Melanie loves learning about genetics and molecular biology and how those processes affect life. She is interested in understanding how genetic principles can be applied across diverse fields of biology, from medicine and agriculture to conservation and evolutionary studies.
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Heidi Smurthwaite

Heidi is a senior from Utah who is fascinated about life and life processes. She has always loved insects and loves expanding her entomology knowledge by contributing to the lab. She is currently studying Biodiversity and Conservation and is specifically interested in entomology, evolutionary biology, and conservation. For fun, Heidi likes to play music (especially piano, violin, and voice) and racquetball, and she always enjoys being outside.
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Lilly Davis

Lilly was in the Standring lab in 2025, researching silk gene expression in Embioptera (webspinners). Lilly is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Maryland in Entomology. She is being co-advised by Dr. Evan Economo and Dr. Karin Burghardt researching insect recovery in disturbed environments using metabarcoding and other tools. She recently received an Honorable Mention in the 2026 GRFP cycle.
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