K. Christopher Beard
Primary Investigator
Foundation Distinguished Professor & Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology
Evolution of Primatomorpha and other mammals; causal mechanisms of faunal turnover; biogeography as it relates to plate tectonics and climate change
Staff
Graduate Students
Kristen Miller
PhD Candidate
Early Cenozoic mammalian evolution, phylogenetics, and biogeography; mammalian fauna of the Paleocene Black Peaks Formation
k.miller9@ku.edu
Parker Rhinehart
PhD Candidate
Paleocene-Eocene mammalian evolution, early primate evolution, fossil faunal response to climate change in North America
parker.rhinehart@ku.edu
https://twitter.com/PRhinehartPaleo
Kevin Mulcahy
PhD Candidate
Paleogene mammalian systematics, traditional and geometric morphometrics, trends in vertebrate macroevolution and biogeography
k.mulcahy@ku.edu
https://www.kevin-mulcahy.com
Kathleen Rust
Postdoctoral Research Affiliate
Primate origins and evolution; adapiform systematics; informal science education and outreach
k.rust@ku.edu
Undergraduate & Post-Baccalaureate Researchers
Andrew Paget
BioGEM Post-Baccalaureate Scholar
Research interests: KPg faunal turnover, paleoecology, biogeography, Late Cretaceous and Paleogene crocodilians and mammals
Aiden Dunlay
Post-Baccalaureate Researcher
Research Interests: Turkish Eocene reptiles, Cenozoic snakes, Jurassic and Cretaceous dinosaurs (especially therapods) and marine reptiles
Lauren Thompson
Undergraduate Researcher
Research interests: Paleoecology of early birds, Triassic dinosauromorphs, Mesozoic marine reptiles, Paleogene mammals
laurthompson@ku.edu
Mariclare (MC) Murray
Undergraduate Researcher
Research interests: Paleogene mammals, informal science education, and primate evolution
Lab Alumni
Postdoctoral Fellows
- Pauline Coster
- Alexis Licht
Staff
- David Burnham (Preparator)
- Oscar Sanisidro (Scientific Illustrator)
Graduate Students
- Chenchen Shen (2017-2024): Former Master’s and PhD student, now Visiting Assistant Professor at Adam’s State University, Alamosa, CO
- Matthew F. Jones (2016-2022): Former PhD student, now Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
- Spencer Mattingly (2015-2022): Former PhD student, now assistant professor at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, Las Cruces, NM
- Ryan Ridder (2016-2018): Former Master’s Student
Post-Baccalaureates
- Owen Laser (2025-2026): former BioGEM Post-Baccalaureate Scholar
Undergraduates
- Samuel Walters: (2025-2026): Now pursuing a Master’s at Ohio State University
- Rory Sweedler (2021-2024): Now pursuing PhD at the University of Michigan
- Adrian Decasas (2023-2024)
- Jess Cottingham (2021-2022)
- Matthew Stout (2020-2022)
- Sara Ryburn (2018-2019)
- Nicholas Thurber (2016-2017)
Beard Lab 