My research focuses on the ecology, evolution and conservation of animal species with a focus on amphibians and reptiles. Most of my research uses molecular tools. Several of my research projects are in collaboration with Melanie Culver, Adrian Quijada-Mascareñas, and Philip Rosen. I teach Desert Ecology and Conservation Biology in Namibia (RNR 495A/595A), a SNR and Study Abroad field program in Namibia. I also supervise and mentor numerous students in independent study, independent research, and honors thesis.

Julian Kunnie is Professor of Religious Studies/Classics at the University of Arizona. He is the author of numerous articles in various internationally recognized journals and books. He is the author (with Nomalungelo Goduka) of Indigenous Wisdom and Power: Affirming our Knowledge Through Narratives (2006); Is Apartheid Really Dead? Pan Africanist Working Class Cultural Critical Perspectives (2000); and Models of Black Theology: Issues of Class, Culture, and Gender (1994). His forthcoming book is Globalization and Its Victims: Wars Against the Earth and the Impoverished of the World. His has produced two educational DVDs - Umoya: The Spirit in Africa (2000), which illustrates the dynamic growth of Indigenous Churches in Africa; and Black and Brown: An Afro-Latino Journey (2006), which explores the ancient African presence in Mexico. He produced two DVDs in 2011, aided by Veronica Martinez - We Belong to Mother Earth: Dineh Elder and Hataali Jones Benally Speaks and The Global Indigenous Peoples Performing Arts Festival, from Pingtung, Taiwan, following his research visit to Taiwan and China in August 2011. He has delivered papers and lectures at colleges, universities, and communities on six continents. Kunnie is currently working on a prison research project that interrogates issues of race, class, and gender and is geared toward preventing the incarceration of youth, particularly those of color. He has visited Napierville Correctional Facility in South Africa and San Quentin Correctional Facility in California for his research. He recently launched the Nyakweri Ecological Restoration and Preservation Project with Samwel Naikada from Transmara, Kenya, that is concerned with studying the impact of global warming and climate change on the Nyakweri Forest Preserve. The project trains students in areas of ecological sustainability through practical immersion and living in the Nyakweri forest. Over the years and during his tenure as Professor and Director of Africana Studies at the UA, Kunnie pioneered/taught courses in Africana Philosophy, History, Political Economy, Geography, Psychology, History of Religions, Racism and Social Change, and Aesthetics of Dance. He currently teaches courses in African/Indigenous Religions, African American Religion, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., and is planning to teach a new course on Indigenous Religions, Buddhism, and Christianity in 2012.

My primary research interest is in the study of of insect-parasitic and pathogenic nematodes and their role in ecosystem function. I am actively engaged in biotic survey and inventory projects in different geographic regions of the world, which allow me to make significant contributions toward the discovery of new species, the understanding of the ecology and behavior of insect-parasitic nematodes and their consideration in biological control and integrated pest management programs. Additionally, I am interested in studying the ecology and genetics of nematode populations from agricultural and natural ecosystems, particularly the study of host-parasite relationships and interactions (including plant and insect-parasitic nematodes), such as phoresis, facultative, obligate parasitism, and pathogenesis. A new research area in my program focuses on the study of Steinernema nematodes and their bacterial symbionts (Xenorahbdus spp.) as models for understanding mutualistic interactions between animals and microbes. Current research relates to the study of structural and developmental features of the bacterial receptacle in the nematode hosts to better understand the colonization process. I am also interested in recognizing the chemical signals and physical interactions that occur between the nematode and their symbionts and how these interactions might affect each organism. Furthermore, I also investigate evolutionary histories of both nematode and bacterial symbionts considering a multigene repertoire and study co-evolutionary histories and diversification of these two partners. I have had and currently have collaborations with colleagues from various countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Mexico, Canada, England, Switzerland, South Africa, Egypt, China, Korea, and Thailand. I received my B.S. (1985) in Zoology from University of La Plata, Argentina. I received my Ph.D. (1992) in Natural Sciences (Parasitology) from the National University of La Plata, Argentina.