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Cristian Beza

Cristian Beza

Graduate Program: PhD Candidate

Major Professor: Dr. Duane McKenna

Research Interest:

Cristian Beza is pursuing a Doctoral Degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Memphis. He graduated from the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala in 2009 with a Licentiate Degree in Biology, and Wichita State University in 2013 with a Masters Degree in biological sciences. His research interests are in the fields of evolution, systematics, and biogeography, specifically the family Passalidae. He is also interested in communicating science to the general public. For his undergraduate thesis, he worked on the “Molecular characterization and biogeographical analysis of the beetles (Coleoptera: Passalidae) from the genus Ogyges of the cloud forest island in the southern Guatemalan mountains”. For his Masters degree thesis he worked on the “Cloud forest passalids: An evolutionary study of the genus Yumtaax”

He also worked on conservation programs that focus on the Guatemala dry regions and protecting the endangered Guatemalan beaded lizard (Heloderman horridum charlesbogerti).