Dr. Stephanie Copeland

Research

I am interested in how anthropogenic changes to landscapes and host communities impact arthropod vector (tick and mosquito) populations. I have worked on this topic at the Tejon Ranch Exclosure Experiment, investigating how topographic climate differences, the addition of cattle, and the loss of large herbivores impact tick presence and abundance. I continued this investigation in the Sierra Nevada alpine, determining how the addition of human recreational presence affects mosquito density and the host community. I am furthering this work by investigating the phenology and spread of West Nile Virus, particularly in relation to agricultural landscaping and variations in avian movement. 

I am accompanied on campus and in the field by my service dog, Hugo.