skip to main content
Dr. Tamar L. Goulet's Lab
University of Mississippi

Graduate Students

Current:

Savannah Draud

My name is Savannah Draud and I am pursuing a PhD in Biological Sciences at the University of Mississippi in Dr. Tamar Goulet’s lab. I grew up on Long Island, New York, but have also lived in Savannah, Georgia, Fort Thomas, Kentucky, and Adrian, Michigan. I attended undergrad as a biology major at a small liberal arts school called Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. There I performed research on muscle biology of Atlantic Spotted Dolphin diaphragms and on the effect of urbanization on white clover evolution. My current research interests involve coral reef biology and ecology with a special focus on holobiont relationships. I am also passionate about teaching/advising and hope to one day work at an R1 institution as both a lead investigator and a professor. Growing up I was a very curious child and was driven to ask questions about the world around me and to constantly find new places to explore. Later in my life, I realized that this curiosity and taste for exploration were the exact qualities needed to be a successful scientific researcher.

This realization, along with the encouragement of my biologist father, my role model, led me to pursue a career in STEM.

 

Akacia Halliday-Isaac

 

My name is Akacia Halliday-Isaac. I was born and raised on St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands. I got my Bachelors of Science in Biology in 2013 and my Masters of Marine and Environmental Sciences in 2019 from the University of the Virgin Islands. I am interested in evolutionary symbiosis and ecological microbiology.

I am pursuing a career involving STEM because I hope to use my degree to teach Science and would like to inspire others through teachers like those before.

 

 

Jordan Heiman

Hi, my name is Jordan Heiman, and I am a PhD student in Dr. Goulet’s lab. I completed my bachelor’s degree in Biology at Missouri State University where I studied toxin transport in wetland ecosystems. Currently, I am interested in symbiotic relationships on coral reefs and within coral polyps. My interest in coral reefs was sparked after snorkeling for the first time at eight years old. Since I have always been naturally curious about the world around me, I instantly wanted to know more about what I was seeing.

This passion for the ocean has led me to wanting to pursue a career in STEM, specifically biology, to teach others about the ocean’s importance in everyday life. In order to help inform others, I am also interested in education outreach, citizen science, and science communication.

Completed

  • Kristen Byler, M.Sc.
  • Jacob Howell, M.Sc.
  • Mark McCauley, Ph.D.
  • Blake Ramsby, M.Sc.
  • Kartick P. Shirur, Ph.D.