Katy Lustofin

Katy Lustofin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology and Environmental Science at Marietta College, appointed in 2008. She teaches core courses including Animal Behavior, Developmental Biology, and Research Methods across fall and spring semesters.

Her academic credentials:

• Ph.D. in Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2007)
• M.S. in Entomology, University of California-Davis (1998)
• B.S. in Biology, SUNY Buffalo (1996)

Dr. Lustofin's research centers on insect ecology with dual emphases: pollination systems (particularly bee diversity and floral constancy in Washington County, Ohio) and myriapod biology (focusing on UV fluorescence in xystodesmid millipedes and range documentation of species like Semionellus placidus). Her fieldwork integrates undergraduate researchers through capstone projects and the Barbara A. Beiser Field Station, emphasizing hands-on biodiversity assessment and ecological monitoring in the Mid-Ohio Valley region.

Her 2013 publications reveal interdisciplinary connections between entomology and neurotoxicology, examining caffeine's impact on rodent memory and fluoxetine's developmental effects. This demonstrates methodological versatility while her ongoing work remains anchored in field-based insect ecology and community science initiatives.

No scientific awards are documented in the available records.

She actively mentors undergraduate researchers, guiding capstone projects that result in conference presentations at venues like the Ohio Natural History Conference and International Pollinator Conference. Her students have produced significant findings including the first county record of Semionellus placidus and regional bee population analyses, often collaborating with colleagues like McShaffrey D. on broader biodiversity inventories.

Research operations are centered at the Barbara A. Beiser Field Station where she leads multi-taxa surveys, maintains long-term pollinator monitoring protocols, and develops student-led projects examining insect-plant interactions and arthropod bioluminescence phenomena.