Rick Hochberg

Rick Hochberg, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell), affiliated with the Kennedy College of Sciences and Biological Sciences Department. He holds a Research Associate position at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. His research focuses on invertebrate diversity, particularly microscopic marine and freshwater invertebrates like gastrotrichs, rotifers, and flatworms. His work emphasizes functional morphology, systematics, and evolutionary biology, combining field and lab studies to explore structure-function relationships in these organisms.

Education:

• Ph.D. Zoology, University of New Hampshire (2002)
• M.A. Biology, Humboldt State University (1998)
• B.S. Biology, Humboldt State University (1993)

Research Interests:

Hochberg’s lab investigates invertebrate diversity across biological scales, with a focus on meiofaunal organisms such as gastrotrichs and rotifers. Key projects include immunohistochemistry of rotifer nervous systems, functional morphology of gastrotrich feeding structures, and systematics of typhloplanoid flatworms. He advocates for increased student engagement in understudied “aschelminth” phyla and their ecological roles.

Grants & Awards:

• Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society (2009)
• Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society (2005)
• NSF Biodiversity Surveys Grant (2009)
• Smithsonian Marine Station Postdoctoral Fellowship (2003)

Teaching & Mentoring:

Hochberg teaches courses in Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology. While no formal advisee list is provided, his research collaborations span multiple students and institutions.

Labs & Collaborations:

He collaborates with institutions like the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the Queensland Museum. His fieldwork includes meiofaunal surveys in Florida, Belize, Brazil, and the Caribbean.