Stephanie Haddad
Research Assistant Professor
About Dr. Haddad
Dr. Haddad joined the Department of Biological Sciences in the fall of 2019. She studies the ecology, systematics, and evolution of the longhorned beetle family Cerambycidae. She is currently investigating the morphology, diversity, and evolution of the chemosensory sensilla of cerambyciform beetles (Cerambycidae, Disteniidae, Oxypeltidae, and Vesperidae) and their close relatives within the superfamily Chrysomeloidea (Chrysomelidae, Megalopodidae, and Orsodacnidae) with the interest of learning more about how these beetles have evolved to efficiently sense their environments. In addition to her work with beetles, she has surveyed insect biodiversity in national and urban forests and is interested in conducting species inventories to determine the presence and abundance of different insect groups. She is especially interested in native insect pollinators and in understanding the factors that promote their biodiversity, especially in urban environments. In addition to her research, Dr. Haddad has experience teaching general biology lecture and lab, entomology lecture and lab, and senior seminar. She is also a big proponent of science outreach and mentorship, and is passionate about exploring effective strategies for recruiting, retaining, and advancing minorities and underrepresented groups in science.
Education
B.S. Biological Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; M.S. Biological Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; Ph.D. Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN.
Research Interests
- Beetle systematics and evolution
- Insect-plant interactions, pollinator ecology
- Native insect diversity in urban and natural habitats, insect biodiversity surveys and native insect conservation
- Phylogenomics
- Scanning electron microscopy