PJ Muelleman

What attracted you to Truman?
The biology department was what attracted me to Truman. The wide availability of undergraduate research was a real draw. Also, a childhood herpetology mentor sort of led me toward Truman, or at least another smaller institution, as a good place to get right into my own research projects.

What do you like best about Truman?
I like the great Biology department, the challenging coursework, and the awesome Greek community.

What do you like most about your classes?
The small class sizes, because I always know at least one person in every class, and the relaxed interactions with my professors.

What do you feel is unique about Truman?
For its size, Truman offers a wide variety of research opportunities that are interesting and unique.

Have you studied abroad, done an internship, or participated in undergraduate research?
2007-studied in Chambery, France with Truman program. The past 2 years worked with Dr. Montgomery studying chemosensory trailing (now my master’s thesis). In 2008 participated in NSF REU study on the daily activity patterns of 2 snake species in Dominica, West Indies. I interned with the National Great Rivers Research and Education center to determine the spread of amphibian chytrid fungus in IL. I also help with Dr. Montgomery’s research on Boa constrictor on the Hog Islands in Honduras.

What are your plans after graduation?
I am in the accelerated master in biology program, so I will be working on that for about year after graduation. After that I plan on getting a doctorate focused somewhere within my main areas of study: behavioral ecology of Vipers and conservational biology of Amphibians. After that I would like to teach at a university and/or do field work in West Africa.