Team


While our team is currently small, we are hoping to expand in the near future with a variety of projects on beneficial insects (pollinators, predators) and food webs in agroecosystems. If you are interested in working with us, check back for future opportunities for the 2023 field season.


Karl Roeder

Principal Investigator, Research Entomologist

Over the past decade, I have studied insects in agroecosystems, deserts, forests, prairies, and urban environments. I have a particular fondness for biodiversity (especially Hymenoptera) and my research focuses on understanding how abiotic conditions and biotic interactions govern change in invertebrate communities.

At the North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, our team will initially focus on: (1) how insect communities function in cropped and non-cropped ecosystems and (2) determining the influence of agricultural practices on beneficial insects.

Away from the lab, I enjoy hiking, trying new types of beer, and spending time with my family.

CV | Google Scholar | Research Gate

Email: karl.roeder [at] usda.gov


Jesse Daniels

Biological Science Technician

Jesse is a new biological science technician from the Appalachian Mountains. His prior research experience involved analyzing plant-pollinator interactions and trophic networks to better understand invasive species’ effects on flowering plant communities. Previously, Jesse worked as an adjunct faculty member at Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, VA and an environmental interpreter at Natural Tunnel State Park in Duffield, VA. As a family man, Jesse is enthusiastic about sharing new adventures and opportunities with his expecting wife and one year old son.

Email: jesse.daniels [at] usda.gov


Current Lab Members

Undergraduate Researchers

  • Skylar Drey (South Dakota State University)


Lab Alumni

Graduate Student Researchers

  • Abigail Martens (South Dakota State University)

Undergraduate Researchers

  • Karlee Albert (South Dakota State University)
  • Emily Miller (South Dakota State University)
  • Matthew Dorland (Iowa State University)