Lab Members
Benjamin B. Tumolo, PhD
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
I am a community ecologist who studies the connections between animals and ecosystem functions in freshwater environments. I ask fundamental questions at the nexus of community and ecosystem ecology using field and laboratory experiments, and macroscale data analyses at multiple spatial and temporal scales in streams and lakes. I grew up in New Jersey catching frogs and salamanders in streams and fishing at the beach. I completed my undergraduate at Lynchburg University, where I was introduced to exciting career paths in freshwater ecology. I then went on to Murray State University in Kentucky, to pursue a MS in Watershed Science. Following my masters I did my PhD at Montana State University. I did a postdoc at the University of Wyoming and an additional postdoc with the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Berlin. In the fall of 2025 I joined the faculty at Northern Michigan University. When not working on my research, you can find me cooking, hitting the slopes on foot, skis or bike.
Claire Ebner
GRADUATE STUDENT
Claire joined the lab in 2026, and is a Master’s student in the Department of Biology at Northern Michigan University. She received a BS in Environmental and Conservation Biology from Kent State University in 2024. As an undergraduate, she was involved in the Costello Biogeochemistry lab where her research focused on how global change affects algal biofilms. Broadly, her research interests focus on changes in aquatic macroinvertebrate communities over time and what these shifts in communities can tell us about the impacts of global change on our river ecosystems. Outside of research, you can most likely find her baking, reading, or enjoying the outdoors on foot, bike, snowboard, or kayak.
Kara Bowles
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Kara joined the lab in 2025 and is a Junior at Northern Michigan University, majoring in fisheries and wildlife management and pursuing a GIS certification. Kara is currently working in the lab on a project examining the effects of climate change on aquatic insect morphology. Kara’s interests broadly include freshwater ecology, wildlife conservation, and understanding the effects of anthropogenic disturbance. Kara also enjoys hiking, camping, and getting crafty (knitting & embroidering).
Daniel Cipriano
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Daniel joined the lab in the fall of 2025 as a volunteer and started undergrad research in January of 2026. He is pursuing a BS in Biology with a concentration in Ecology and a minor in Chemistry. He loves nature and the outdoors and is interested in stream ecology and aquatic macroinvertebrates. When not in the lab you can find him hiking, skiing, or playing the piano.