Mary Schweitzer
I am fascinated by what makes animals survive and thrive in their worlds; the interplay of inherent––and inherited––biology, with the world they inhabit. All of this is contained in the molecules (the DNA and proteins) of living animals, and the molecules of ancient animals would hold the same information. But after 65 million years, what is left? And how do we decipher it? How are molecules changed from the living state? What survives, and how can we recover it? How do animals transition from being part of a living ecosystem to being part of the rock record? That, and the technologies that allow us to answer those questions are the focus of my research interests.
Elena Schroeter
My research interests include the proteomic study of recent and fossilized bones using various techniques, including immunology and mass spectrometry. I’m currently focused on investigating the efficacy of discrete components of different bone protein extraction techniques for recovering low-abundance proteins in mass spectrometry, as well as applying optimized extraction techniques to archosaurs not currently in proteomics databases.
Doug Czajka
I am an Assistant Professor of Earth Science at Utah Valley University. My research interests are in geoscience education and promoting science process skills among undergraduate students. I also enjoy hunting for dinosaurs in the badlands of Montana during my summers. I am a licensed geologist and worked as an engineering geologist for the State of North Carolina prior to entering academia.