Michelle Volk

Credentials: Michigan State University

Position title: PhD Student

Email: volkmic1@msu.edu

Michelle is currently a PhD student at Michigan State University under the advisement of Jean Tsao and will be investigating the distribution and genetics of blacklegged ticks and tick-borne pathogens in Michigan. She serves as the president of the Fisheries & Wildlife Graduate Student Organization. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from New York University in 2017. During her undergraduate career, she conducted research on influenza genetics and developed an interest in vector-borne diseases. She received her Master’s degree from the University of Maine in 2020 where she studied the effects of winter climate on blacklegged tick overwintering survival and distribution in Maine.