Will Selman
WS and a bale of terrapins, Cameron Parish, LA
I received my B.S. from Millsaps College in 2003 and my Ph.D. from The University of Southern Mississippi in 2010. Following my Ph.D., I worked as a Research Biologist at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Louisiana. In 2016, I accepted an Assistant Professor of Field Biology position at Millsaps College, my alma mater. I currently teach Zoology and other upper level field biology courses. Collaborators and I have researched the ecology and natural history notes of reptile, amphibian, and bird species with a particular focus to threatened/endangered species. I am also a member of the IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist group.
Away from Millsaps and field research, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two children. I also like spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, and hiking, while also rooting for the Chicago Cubs and Alabama Crimson Tide football.
Selman C.V.
Google Scholar Profile
ResearchGate Profile
Away from Millsaps and field research, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two children. I also like spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, and hiking, while also rooting for the Chicago Cubs and Alabama Crimson Tide football.
Selman C.V.
Google Scholar Profile
ResearchGate Profile
Current Students
Past Students
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Abigail Arfman, M.S. 2016. Abigail worked in the lab of Dr. Eddie Lyons at McNeese State University. She investigated shorebird diversity and abundance, as well the associated macroinvertebrate communities, at four Cameron Parish beaches in southwestern Louisiana. At left, Abigail surveys for shorebirds on the beach of Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. Gracie Bellnap, B.S. with Honor's 2019. Gracie worked in the lab as a Junior and Senior at Millsaps College. She investigated trapping techniques and turtle communities of swamps in the Pearl River bottomlands at Lefleur's Bluff State Park. When she was not catching turtles, Gracie was a member of the women's volleyball team at Millsaps and served as co-captain her senior year. Gracie is pictured with her prize catch of the 2018 field season, a juvenile Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii). Gracie is currently a high school teacher at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Jackson, MS.
Anna Grace Boxx, B.S. 2022 with Honor's. Anna Grace is investigating the nesting population of Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in western Hancock County, Mississippi. When she is not looking for nests on Hancock County beaches, Anna Grace serves as a teaching assistant in the Biology Department and also assists with tracking box turtles in Jackson, MS. Anna Grace is currently working with an environmental consulting firm, Ecological Asset Management, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Grover Brown, Ph.D. 2019. Grover was a doctoral student at the University of Southern Mississippi co-advised by Brian Kreiser and Carl Qualls. He investigated the ecology, evolutionary history and population genetics of several mud and musk turtle species (family: Kinosternidae) across the Southeastern United States. At left, Grover is holding a female Pascagoula map turtle during a survey for the federally-threatened yellow-blotched sawback. Selman serves as a Doctoral Committee member for Grover. Grover is now a professor at Jacksonville State University in Alabama.
Drew Carter, B.S. 2018. Drew investigated demographics and population status of box turtles (Terrapene carolina) at Lefleur's Bluff State Park. When he wasn't searching for box turtles, Drew was a pitcher on the baseball team at Millsaps and a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Drew is pictured at left with two box turtles found during the 2017 summer field season. Drew is currently a resident in orthopedic medicine.
Jordan Donini, M.S. 2016. Jordan worked in the lab of Dr. Roldán Valverde at Southeastern Louisiana University. His thesis focused on the reproductive physiology of Diamondback Terrapins in the Gulf of Mexico during the nesting season by using sex hormones, the protein vitellogenin, and ultrasonography as indicators of reproductive status. His reproductive work occurred across latitudes in both Louisiana and Florida. At left Jordan holds a male and female terrapin from Louisiana. Jordan is now a professor at Florida Southwestern State College.
Robert Ford, M.S. 2015. Robert worked in the lab of Dr. Sabrina Taylor at Louisiana State University. His Thesis documented the population structure and rates of hybridization of Mottled Ducks (Anas fulvigula) in the western Gulf of Mexico population. At left, Robert holds a male Mottled Duck captured while night banding at Atchafalaya Delta WMA, St. Mary Parish, Louisiana.
Daniel Gaillard, Ph.D. 2014. Daniel worked in the lab of Dr. Brian Kreiser at The University of Southern Mississippi. His dissertation focused on the genetics and population structure of gopher tortoises in the southeastern United States, but we collaborated on a ringed sawback (Graptemys oculifera) conservation genetics project. At left, Daniel is holding his first captured ringed sawback and river cooter (Pseudemys concinna) from the Bogue Chitto River. Daniel is now a professor of biology at Dalton State University.
Langston Haden, B.S. 2020. Langston is an undergraduate student at Millsaps, and he is investigating box turtle ecology at Lefleur's Bluff State Park in Jackson, MS. When he isn't looking for and tracking box turtles, he pitches for the Millsaps Majors and roots for the Boston Red Sox. At left, Langston shows what can happen when you lose a bet to a Yankees fan. Langston is currently pursuing his doctoral degree at the University of Southern Mississippi in fisheries ecology.
Cybil Covic Huntzinger, M.S. 2014. Cybil worked with Dr. Eddie Lyons at McNeese State University. She documented the population status of Alligator Snapping turtles in southwestern Louisiana, as well as used a fisherman-based survey to qualitatively assess Alligator Snapping turtle distribution and abundance. At left, Cybil holds an Alligator Snapping turtle from the Mermentau River basin. Cybil is currently a commercial pilot.
Irvin Louque, M.S. 2014. Irvin worked with Dr. Eddie Lyons at McNeese State University. He documented the population status of Sabine Map turtles in southwestern Louisiana rivers, as well as morphological differences in Sabine Map turtles across river systems. At left, Irvin holds a larger female Sabine Map turtle with a smaller male for comparison. Irvin works as the Whooping Crane outreach coordinator in Louisiana.
Richard Murray, B.S. 2019. Richard worked in the lab as a senior at Millsaps, and he worked to understand box turtle ecology at Lefleur's Bluff State Park in Jackson, MS. When he wasn't looking for and tracking box turtles, he works on honing his birding skills. At left, Richard looks at a Red Cockaded Woodpecker cavity tree in Bienville National Forest.
Payton Passantino, B.S. 2020 with Honor's. Payton was an undergraduate Biochemistry student at Millsaps. For her Honor's Project, she investigated the genetic background of False Map Turtles (Graptemys pseudogeographica) in the Pearl River system. She played volleyball in the Fall and threw the javelin/discuss in the Spring for the Millsaps Majors. She also competed at the Division III nationals for javenlin in 2018 and 2019. At left, she is holding a yearling box turtle at Lefleur's Bluff State Park.
Charlotte Petre, M.S. 2014. Charlotte worked in the lab of Dr. Brian Kreiser at The University of Southern Mississippi. Part of her thesis work was to study the conservation genetics, connectivity, and population structure of Diamondback Terrapins in Louisiana. At left, Charlotte holds a juvenile Diamondback Terrapin captured from a salt marsh in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. Beth Reinke, Ph.D. 2017. Beth was a student in the lab of Dr. Ryan Calsbeek at Dartmouth College. She investigated the functional significance of plastron coloration in freshwater turtles, especially Chrysemys picta belli (pictured). She was also assessing the role of pigments as antioxidants in herps, with our collaboration investigating variation in terrapin plastron pigmentation along coastal Louisiana.
Colt Reeves, B.S. 2013. McNeese State University. Colt worked on data collection for the chenier woods herpetofauna project while working as a student worker at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge. Along with this project, he worked on annual Mourning Dove (at left) and Mottled Duck banding projects on the refuge.
Hunter Sellen, Undergraduate Research Student. Hunter worked in the lab as a Senior at Millsaps College. He was investigating box turtle movements and ecology at Lefleur's Bluff State Park. When he was not tracking box turtles, he was the kicker for the Millsaps College football team and also looked for his next lizard/tegu to keep as a pet. At left, Hunter is photographing an Eastern Fence Lizard on the monument of Woodall Mountain, the highest point in Mississippi (taken during a summer field course).
Haley Smith, B.S. 2018. Haley worked with in the lab as a Junior at Millsaps College. She investigated the status of Graptemys pseudogeographica (False Map Turtle), a non-native species, in the Pearl River system. When she was not peering through binoculars or a spotting scope, Haley was a singer in the Millsaps Jazz Band. She also was the first graduate of a new major at Millsaps College, Environmental Science. Haley is pictured at left driving the new boat on the Pearl River during the 2017 summer field season.
Michael Sullivan, B.S. 2018. Michael worked in the lab as a Senior at Millsaps College. He investigated herpetofauna diversity at Lefleur's Bluff State Park in Jackson, MS for undergraduate research hours. When he was not flipping logs and catching snakes, Michael was a member of the Millsaps Cross Country and Track Team and is an avid outdoorsman. Michael is pictured at left on a Wetland Ecology field trip at Buttercup Flats in Wiggins, MS.
Bailey Watkins, B.S. 2023 with Honor's. Bailey documented the population distribution and seasonal abundance of Green Salamanders (Aneides aeneus) in Tishomingo County, Mississippi. When Bailey wasn't looking for salamanders in Devonian age rocks, he was an active member of his fraternity and was involved in Millsaps campus life.
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Current and Past Collaborators
Carl Qualls, Ph.D. The University of Southern Mississippi. Herpetological ecology.
Brian Kreiser, Ph.D. The University of Southern Mississippi. Population genetics.
Jodie, Jawor, Ph.D. The University of Southern Mississippi. Physiological ecology, endocrinology.
Joshua Ennen, Ph.D. Tennessee Aquarium Research Institute. Herpetological ecology, population genetics.
Nicole Hodges, Ph.D., DVM. Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. Rare species of Mississippi.
Bob Jones, Ph.D. Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. Herpetological ecology, genus Graptemys.
Peter Lindeman, Ph.D. Edinboro University. Conservation and ecology of chelonians.
Eddie Lyons, Ph.D. McNeese State University. Wildlife biology and management.
Jennifer Owen, Ph.D. Michigan State University. Avian disease ecology.
Nicole Phillips, Ph.D. The University of Southern Mississippi. Conservation genetics.
Sabrina Taylor, Ph.D. Louisiana State University. Population genetics.
Jon Weibe, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Wildlife biology.
Steven Pearson, Ph.D. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Terrapin distribution, status, and ecology.
Samantha Collins, The Wetlands Institute. Reddish Egret distribution, abundance, and nesting.
Beth Reinke, Northeastern Illinois University. Rates of aging and longevity in ectothermic tetrapods.
JJ Apodaca, Tangled Bank Conservation. Constructing a genetic database for terrapins in Louisiana.
Brian Kreiser, Ph.D. The University of Southern Mississippi. Population genetics.
Jodie, Jawor, Ph.D. The University of Southern Mississippi. Physiological ecology, endocrinology.
Joshua Ennen, Ph.D. Tennessee Aquarium Research Institute. Herpetological ecology, population genetics.
Nicole Hodges, Ph.D., DVM. Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. Rare species of Mississippi.
Bob Jones, Ph.D. Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. Herpetological ecology, genus Graptemys.
Peter Lindeman, Ph.D. Edinboro University. Conservation and ecology of chelonians.
Eddie Lyons, Ph.D. McNeese State University. Wildlife biology and management.
Jennifer Owen, Ph.D. Michigan State University. Avian disease ecology.
Nicole Phillips, Ph.D. The University of Southern Mississippi. Conservation genetics.
Sabrina Taylor, Ph.D. Louisiana State University. Population genetics.
Jon Weibe, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Wildlife biology.
Steven Pearson, Ph.D. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Terrapin distribution, status, and ecology.
Samantha Collins, The Wetlands Institute. Reddish Egret distribution, abundance, and nesting.
Beth Reinke, Northeastern Illinois University. Rates of aging and longevity in ectothermic tetrapods.
JJ Apodaca, Tangled Bank Conservation. Constructing a genetic database for terrapins in Louisiana.
2017 Summer Millsaps Field Crew. (L to R) Drew Carter, Gracie Bellnap, Aaron Anderson, Hailey Smith, and McAulay Jaunsen.