Derek Jurestovsky

Title: IB PhD Student
Dept/Program: Biology
Email: djj64@zips.uakron.edu

Biography

I'm a desert rat from Arizona where I received a Bachelor's in Geology from Northern Arizona University. After graduating, I moved out to Johnson City, TN to study snake fossils at East Tennessee State University where I received a Master's in Paleontology under the tutelage of Dr. Mead. While at ETSU I became interested in why snake vertebrae are so variable and realized little to no research has been done on the subject. I chose to undertake a PhD with this research question in mind and chose Dr. Astley's lab because he is one of the few researchers who studies snake biomechanics, among other vertebrates, at the University of Akron. My research interests include fossils, niche modeling, evolution, herpetology, musculature, limbless locomotion, biomechanics, and above all snakes. My research in Dr. Astley's lab focuses on snake biomechanics including vertebral form and function, locomotion, muscle properties, and striking mechanics.

Education

• M.Sc. Paleontology | East Tennessee State University
• B.Sc. Geology | Northern Arizona University