We are now accepting applications for the 2025-26 SSAR Graduate Student Mentorship Program (GSMP)! Peer mentor applications are due on August 8, and mentee applications are due August 15.

Note: The Graduate Student Mentorship Program is year-long mentorship program for graduate students, and it is different from the Conference Mentorship Program. For more information on the conference program, check out this page: https://ssarherps.org/conference-mentorship-program/

Program overview:

Healthy mentorship relationships and strong professional networks help mentees excel academically and reach their career goals, while also increasing their sense of belonging in an institution or profession. Mentors can also benefit from a successful mentor/mentee relationship. However, many mentors have never received formal mentorship training, leaving them to learn through trial and error.

The SSAR Graduate Student Mentorship Program (GSMP) aims to serve both mentees and early-career mentors through two major aims: 1) to provide new grad students (master’s students plus 1st and 2nd year Ph.D. students) in the field of herpetology with near-peer mentors in the same field who can help them reach their academic and career goals while building connections within the herpetological scientific community, and 2) to provide mentorship training and experience to their peer mentors, who are PhD students in herpetology who have advanced to candidacy or postdocs (and others in temporary positions, like visiting assistant professors) within two years of finishing their Ph.D.

In this program, each peer mentor will be paired with a mentee, with whom they will meet at least once per month throughout the year-long program (September 2025 – August 2026). All participants (mentors and mentees) will attend online training and orientation sessions at the beginning of the program. Peer mentors will attend two additional special topics training workshops during the year, also virtual, and mentees will be offered virtual workshops on a variety of topics. Peer mentors will complete brief monthly reflections on their experiences, which will help guide ongoing development of their mentorship strategies.

The program typically serves 16-20 participants per year. The program coordinator has substantial leadership experience in SSAR (former Chair of the Student Participation Committee, current Co-Chair of the DEI Committee, and current member of the Long-Range Planning Committee) as well as experience coordinating UC Riverside’s Graduate Student Mentorship Program.

Program expectations

To participate in the Graduate Student Mentorship Program, successful applicants will need to agree to a set of program expectations, listed below. Note that all training, workshops, and other events will be held virtually, over Zoom. Applicants do not have to be current SSAR members, but if they are not, then we will help them secure membership upon acceptance into the program.

Participants will be encouraged (but not required) to attend the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH) in July 2026. SSAR has several travel grants to which students can apply to help with the cost of attending a conference.

Expectations for peer mentors:

• Attend a 2-hour training session in late August or early September
• Attend a 1.5-hour mentor + mentee orientation in mid-September
• Meet virtually with mentee within 1 week after orientation
• Meet with mentee at least once per month, and communicate via email, phone, etc. as needed
• Submit a monthly reflection (~½ to 1 page) to the program coordinator
  • The program coordinator will read and respond to each reflection, helping to connect mentors to resources as necessary
• Attend two 1-1.5-hour professional development workshops during the year

Expectations for mentees:

• Attend a 1.5-hour mentor + mentee orientation in mid-September
• Meet virtually with peer mentor within 1 week after orientation
• The mentor-mentee pair will develop a written agreement of expectations, to be submitted to the program coordinator
• Meet with peer mentor at least once per month, and communicate via email, phone, etc. as needed
• Attend 1-2 academic/professional development workshops during the year (2-3 will be offered, 1 hour each)

Application forms and contact info:

Peer mentor applications are due on August 8, 2025.

Peer mentors should be current Ph.D. candidates, or postdocs (and others in temporary positions, like visiting assistant professors) who defended their dissertation within the past two years, with a research focus on amphibians and/or reptiles. Here is the application form for peer mentors:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9H66D99gNG9YFZ-H0wqf1mWU0TEewo9IZdiozqAlfEYtePg/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=108470661050201700445

Mentee applications are due on August 15, 2025.

Mentees should be 1st or 2nd year Ph.D. students (start date between July 2024 and September 2025) or master’s students with a research focus on amphibians and/or reptiles. Here is the application form for mentees:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc1bpfR6ZuD0XHQn8d5-qv8MwVMjJIeY2kSSWWdJgRrnMr-lw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=108470661050201700445

Questions can be directed to Jessica Tingle, jessica_tingle@brown.edu.

Note: The Graduate Student Mentorship Program is a new program in 2024, and it is different from the Conference Mentorship Program. For more information on the conference program, check out this post: https://ssarherps.org/2024/05/ssar-2024-conference-mentorship-program/

Program overview:

Healthy mentorship relationships and strong professional networks help mentees excel academically and reach their career goals, while also increasing their sense of belonging in an institution or profession. Mentors can also benefit from a successful mentor/mentee relationship. However, many mentors have never received formal mentorship training, leaving them to learn through trial and error.

The SSAR Graduate Student Mentorship Program (GSMP) aims to serve both mentees and early-career mentors through two major aims: 1) to provide new grad students (master’s students plus 1^st and 2^nd year Ph.D. students) in the field of herpetology with near-peer mentors in the same field who can help them reach their academic and career goals while building connections within the herpetological scientific community, and 2) to provide mentorship training and experience to their peer mentors, who are Ph.D. students in herpetology who have advanced to candidacy or postdocs within two years of finishing their Ph.D.

In this program, each peer mentor will be paired with 1-2 mentees, with whom they will meet at least once per month throughout the year-long program (September 2024 – August 2025). All participants (mentors and mentees) will attend online training and orientation sessions at the beginning of the program. Peer mentors will attend three additional special topics training workshops throughout the year, also virtual, and mentees will be offered virtual workshops on a variety of topics. Peer mentors will complete brief monthly reflections on their experiences, which will help guide ongoing development of their mentorship strategies.

For the program’s first year, we expect it will include 12-14 mentees and 6-8 peer mentors. Because the program is enabled by an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, the aim of which is to broaden participation of people from groups underrepresented in biology, we will prioritize applicants from groups that have been historically underrepresented in the biological sciences based on race, ethnicity, LGBTQIA+ identities, disability status, neurodiversity, veteran status, or other forms of identity, as well as their intersection. The program coordinator has substantial leadership experience in SSAR (former Chair of the Student Participation Committee, current Co-Chair of the DEI Committee, and current member of the Long-Range Planning Committee) as well as experience coordinating UC Riverside’s Graduate Student Mentorship Program.

Program expectations

To participate in the Graduate Student Mentorship Program, successful applicants will need to agree to a set of program expectations, listed below. Note that all training, workshops, and other events will be held virtually, over Zoom. Applicants do not have to be current SSAR members, but if they are not, then we will help them secure membership upon acceptance into the program.

Participants will be encouraged (but not required) to attend the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH) in July 2025. SSAR has several travel grants to which students can apply to help with the cost of attending a conference.

Expectations for peer mentors:

• Attend a 2-hour training session in late August or early September
• Attend a 1.5-hour mentor + mentee orientation in September
• Meet virtually with each mentee within 1 week after orientation
  • For each mentee, the mentor-mentee pair will develop a written agreement of expectations, to be submitted to the program coordinator
• Meet with each mentee at least once per month, and communicate via email, phone, etc. as needed
• Submit a monthly reflection (~½ to 1 page) to the program coordinator
  • The program coordinator will read and respond to each reflection, helping to connect mentors to resources as necessary
• Attend three 1-1.5-hour professional development workshops, spread throughout the year

Expectations for mentees:

• Attend a 1.5-hour mentor + mentee orientation in September
• Meet virtually with peer mentor within 1 week after orientation
  • The mentor-mentee pair will develop a written agreement of expectations, to be submitted to the program coordinator
• Meet with peer mentor at least once per month, and communicate via email, phone, etc. as needed
• Attend 1-2 academic/professional development workshops per semester (2-3 will be offered, 1-1.5 hours each)

Application forms and contact info:

Peer mentor applications are due on August 2, 2024.

Peer mentors should be current Ph.D. candidates, or postdocs who defended their dissertation within the past two years, with a research focus on amphibians and/or reptiles. Here is the application form for peer mentors: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSep5-a7R_nF5P34Iuq5sRxUI4_3p2va7GkLUza3P8C-faY-Fw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Mentee applications are due on August 9, 2024.

Mentees should be 1^st or 2^nd year Ph.D. students (start date between July 2023 and September 2024) or master’s students with a research focus on amphibians and/or reptiles. Here is the application form for mentees: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdYQEJEpEMMzscIQncshagJqeo7jnsmbg3IdpBaqbtcGnEBCQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Questions can be directed to Jessica Tingle, jessica_tingle@brown.edu.

Herpetological Review Volume 54, Number 2, is now available! The cover features an image of Phrynosoma ditmarsi (Rock Horned Lizard or Ditmars’ Horned Lizard) that was photographed by Charles Hedgcock from Sonora, Mexico. Phrynosoma ditmarsi has been recognized for more than a century but it remains among the least-known reptile species in North America, with approximately 20 localities known, all in the state of Sonora.

Full contents are available online to SSAR members at https://ssarherps.org/herpetological-review-pdfs/. Natural History Notes, Geographic Distribution Notes, and Book Reviews are Open Access and are available for download at the same link. If you are not a member of SSAR, please consider joining the leading international herpetological society. Student and online-only rates are available. Please visit the membership page for more information: https://ssarherps.org/about-ssar/membership/.

Victor Hutchison Graduate Poster Award

The SSAR graduate student poster awards honor Victor Hutchison for his extensive contributions to herpetology and the development of future herpetologists. This is the 13th year these awards have been given out. Thirteen students competed in two general categories on 14 July 2023. The awardees received a check for US $250 and three books. We thank Chuck Crumly and CRC press for the generous donation of the books.

This year’s judges were Jennifer Moore (Grand Valley State University), Erika Nowak (Northern Arizona University), Mark Paulissen (Northeastern State University), Claudia Crowther (Michigan State University), and Allyson Fenwick (chair, University of Central Oklahoma).

The 2023 recipients are:

Ecology, Natural History, Distribution and Behavior:

Hayley Crowell (University of Michigan), “Beyond the Sea(snake): Reviving Historical Collections for New Lessons in Collaboration and Beyond”

Owing to the larger number of posters, we also recognize an honorable mention in this category:

John Michael Arnett (Western Connecticut State University), “Effects of Urbanized Roads on Northern Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin)”

Physiology and Morphology:

Justin Lee (Villanova University), “Comparative Osteology of the Kukri Snake genus Oligodon”

George B. Rabb Undergraduate Poster Award

SSAR’s George B. Rabb Undergraduate Poster Award is sponsored by Zoo Atlanta and honors our colleague George Rabb (1930-2017), former Director of the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, IL, and highly respected advocate and spokesman for wildlife conservation. This is the fifth year of this competition. Seven students competed on 14 July 2023. The winner received a check for US $250 and three books. We thank Chuck Crumly and CRC press for the generous donation of the books.

This year’s judges were:

RJ Rao (unaffiliated, from India), Jessica Tingle (University of Akron), and Michelle Koo (University of California, Berkeley)

The 2023 recipient of the Rabb Undergraduate Poster Award is:

Trevor Rallo (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville), “Intraspecific Priority Effects in Smallmouth Salamanders: Effects on Larval Body Size and Survival”

Owing to the larger number of posters, we also recognize an honorable mention in this category:

Madelene Grullon (Moravian University), “Plastics in our ponds and aquatic habitats: How are microplastics impacting larval amphibians”

The 31^st annual Seibert Awards were presented at the SSAR Business Meeting on July 15^th, 2023 following the 65^th Annual Meeting of the SSAR in Norfolk, VA on July 12^th – 16^th, 2023.  These awards are named in honor of Henri C. Seibert, an early and tireless supporter of SSAR (having served as an officer for over 20 years).

In recognition of outstanding student presentations at the annual meeting, a single award is given in each of four categories: Morphology & Physiology (3 presentations), Evolution & Systematics (5 presentations), Ecology (6 presentations), and Conservation (6 presentations).  All winners receive a check from SSAR and a book compliments of Chuck Crumly (Taylor and Francis).

The Seibert Award Winners for 2023 are:

Morphology & Physiology:

Robin Bedard, California Polytechnic State University “Plasticity of Cutaneous Evaporative Water Loss in Response to Hydration in Pregnant Prarie Rattlesnakes and their Neonates”

Honorable Mention to Kyle Emerson, Duquesne University, “Investigating the Relationship between the Microbial Environment and Predation Stress in a Larval Amphibian”

Evolution & Systematics:

Thore Koppetsch, University of Oslo, “Genomic and Morphometric Analyses of Diversification Dynamics in the Pristurus rupestris Species Complex”

Honorable Mention to Tucker Heptinstall, Clemson University, “Venom Complexity of Garter Snakes and the Role of Diet in Toxic Diversification”

Ecology:

Matthew Atkinson, University of Central Florida, “Environmental Perkinsea Infections Cause Lethal and Sub-Lethal Disease in Three Frog Families”

Honorable Mentions to Mariah Mack, Southern Illinois University, “Plasticity of Ambystoma texanu Life History Traits in Response to Environmental Conditions” and Ryan Miller, Lock Haven University, “Assessment of Density, Spatial Distribution and Movement Patterns of Plethodon cinereus using Spatial Capture-Recapture”

Conservation:

Madison Harman, University of Florida, “Drivers of Invasive Tegu Diet Composition in Two Florida Populations”

Honorable Mention to Anna Humphrey, Marshall University, “Effects of Vegetation and Historical Land Use on the Occurrence of an Endemic Anuran”

The judges for 2023 were:

Thais Condez, Carleton University; Matthew Heinicke, University of Michigan-Dearborn; Allison Bogisich, Memphis Zoo; Marina Gerson, California State University-Stanislaus; Dennis McNamara, Virginia Zoo; John Horne, NOAA; Andrew Durso, Florida Gulf Coast University; Gareth Hopkins, Western Oregon University.