Alexander Rurik
Alexander Rurik was born and raised in California’s Central Valley, in the shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains, where he developed an early love and curiosity for the natural world. Alex graduated from Westmont College with a triple major in biology, chemistry, and environmental Studies. While there, he gained his first research experience in an evolutionary ecology lab, where he examined the effects of urbanization on acorn woodpeckers and fence lizards, and studied reptile dwarfism in the California Channel Islands. Currently, he is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Walker Lab of Microbiome Ecology at Middle Tennessee State University, where his research focuses on characterizing the diversity and structure of bacterial and fungal microbiomes in reptiles and amphibians. He and his wife have two cats and love exploring Tennessee’s incredible natural areas.
-
The purpose of the Society is to promote and advance the science of mycology and to foster and encourage research and education in mycology in all its aspects. Members of the MSA meet annually to exchange information and build understanding of fungi
