Research Specialist

Luke Havens
Luke got his BS in biology from USC in 2016. As an undergraduate in the Speiser Lab (2014-16), he studied the neural processing associated with the distributed visual system of scallops. Later, as a Research Specialist (2016-18), he built custom computers, specialized optical devices, and automated electrophysiological systems. Along with adding to his research toolkit, learning to speak machine has helped Luke hone his questions about processing in our non-silico subjects. Luke appreciates food, dance, and when spec sheets are more than aspirational. Luke started as a PhD student in Ken Lohmann's lab at UNC Chapel Hill in Fall 2018.

MSc Student



Jamie Clark
Jamie graduated twice from USC, the first time with a BS in Marine Science (with an emphasis in biology) in 2017 and the second time with a MS in Marine Science in 2018. As a researcher in the Speiser Lab, Jamie studied the function and regeneration of the eyes of the Florida fighting conch. Jamie enjoys SCUBA diving, traveling, and dissection. She is now working for NOAA in Beaufort, NC.

Undergraduate Researchers

Olivia Harris
Olivia graduated from the USC Honors College in 2018 with a major in Biology and a minor in Psychology. Her first undergraduate research project in the Speiser Lab involved studying structural color and anti-glare mechanisms in scallop eyes. Her second project involved designing and building an optomotor rig for experiments on visual acuity in crustaceans. Olivia enjoys large microscopes in dark rooms, looking at things in tanks, and ordering tea at coffee shops. She is now a PhD student in Nate Morehouse's lab at the University of Cincinnati
Taylor Hollingsworth
Taylor graduated from USC in 2018 with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. As an undergraduate researcher, she compared the nervous systems of scallops (which have eyes and can swim) to the nervous systems of their close relatives (most of which lack eyes and do not swim). Taylor enjoys hiking, evolutionary biology, and The Office. As preparation for medical school, She is currently training to be an EMT and shadowing medical researchers in Philadelphia.
Hayley Miller
Hayley graduated from the USC Honors College in 2017 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Chemistry. Her work in the Speiser Lab provided the first experimental evidence that the unique mirror-based eyes of scallops have a pupillary response. She also worked to characterize the muscles in the eyes of scallops that might control pupil constriction and dilation. She is currently attending the University of South Carolina School of Medicine at Greenville where she will graduate in the Class of 2021.
Caitlin Wolfe
Caitlin Wolfe was the first undergraduate researcher in the Speiser Lab. She graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2015.. Her independent research project focused on photonic structures in invertebrates, primarily those responsible for the  bright blue eyes of  the bay scallop  Argopecten irradians. Caitlin currently works at a pharmacy in Columbia and she is applying to graduate programs to become a Physician Assistant. Caitlin also works as a stand-in/body double in the film industry. She most recently worked on Robert Kirkman's new series, Outcast, that was filmed in South Carolina. In her free time, Caitlin enjoys hiking, traveling, and photography.