Michelle Stocker

Dr. Michelle Stocker is an Associate Professor of Geobiology in the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). She is affiliated with the Paleobiology & Geobiology Research Group and the Global Change Center at VT. Her research focuses on the macroevolutionary patterns and processes of biodiversity, particularly in reptiles and archosauriforms from the Triassic and Paleogene periods.

Education: PhD in Geological Sciences from The University of Texas at Austin (2013), MSc in Geosciences from the University of Iowa (2008), and B.S. in Geological Sciences from the University of Michigan (2003).

Research Interests:

• Paleobiology and evolution of phytosaurs and Triassic archosauromorphs.
• Evolution of Paleogene reptiles, including squamates and crocodylians.
• Biogeographic history of amphisbaenians and fossorial vertebrates.
• Functional morphology, osteology, and CT-based anatomical studies.

Key Achievements:

• Recipient of the 2016 Virginia Tech College of Science Outreach Excellence Award.
• Published extensively on phytosaur phylogeny, Triassic ecosystems, and Eocene reptile evolution.
• Leads a vibrant lab group involving undergraduates and graduates in fieldwork, dissection, and paleontological research.
• Active in outreach, including museum collaborations and public fossil preparation events.

Lab members include PhD candidates Khanh To and Ben Kligman, as well as undergraduates like Rebecca Hawkins and Hannah-Marie Eddins. Dr. Stocker’s work bridges paleontology with modern anatomical and ecological studies, emphasizing the role of fossils in understanding evolutionary patterns and climate impacts on biodiversity.