Thomas Giarla

Dr. Thomas Giarla is an Associate Professor of Biology at Siena University, where he has been a faculty member since 2015. He previously served as an Assistant Professor at Siena and was a Visiting Instructor at St. Olaf College. His academic journey includes a postdoctoral fellowship at Louisiana State University's Museum of Natural Science.

Dr. Giarla earned his B.A. in Biology from Washington University in St. Louis and his Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota. His doctoral research focused on the systematics and biogeography of South American marsupials (opossums).

Dr. Giarla's research centers on tropical small mammals, particularly rodents and shrews, with a focus on reconstructing evolutionary relationships, describing new species, and investigating the evolutionary forces that generate biodiversity. His work incorporates field, laboratory, and computational approaches to understand the evolutionary history of mammals across South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. He uses genomic, biogeographic, and ecological data to connect population-level processes to macroevolutionary patterns. His research has led to the discovery and description of numerous new mammalian species, particularly in island ecosystems.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on phylogenetic systematics, taxonomic revisions, and biogeographical patterns in tropical mammals. Dr. Giarla's work spans multiple continents and has significantly contributed to our understanding of mammalian diversity and evolution. He has published extensively in leading journals including American Museum Novitates, Journal of Mammalogy, and Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History.

Dr. Giarla has received several research awards at Siena University, including the Siena College Award for Excellence in Research (2022) and multiple Committee on Teaching & Faculty Development fellowships and grants (2016-2018). His commitment to research extends to teaching, where he incorporates authentic research experiences into his courses through the Genomics Education Partnership.

As an educator, Dr. Giarla teaches General Biology I, Ecology, Biology of the Vertebrates, and Genomics and Bioinformatics. He particularly enjoys teaching Biology of the Vertebrates, which allows him to explore topics in ecology, evolution, behavior, and conservation of vertebrate animals. He believes strongly in providing students with hands-on field experiences to study organisms in their natural habitats.