Dr. Michelle Stocker

FACULTY AFFILIATE   |   Global Change Center

Geosciences

Lab Website  •  Google Scholar  •  Dept Page

(540) 231-6521 •  stockerm@vt.edu

Dr. Stocker’s research centers on exploring the macroevolutionary patterns and processes of biodiversity, including how species diversify in the functional, phylogenetic, and developmental constraints of convergent evolution. Dr. Stocker is particularly interested in the evolutionary history of terrestrial vertebrates, specifically extinct and extant reptiles, often with the primary objectives to explore the anatomical evolution of those reptiles with respect to their ecology and to better understand the composition of terrestrial assemblages.

She incorporates critical data from fossil specimens with her research on extant taxa through domestic and international fieldwork, which enables her to explore the regional and chronologic differences between and among terrestrial vertebrate assemblages and continental ecosystems over deep time.

Stocker is the founder of Widening Inclusivity in the (Geo)Sciences at Virginia Tech, to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Geosciences field and in all science. They discuss career development, mentoring and diversity, and the inevitable challenges faced at every level of academia. Additionally she works closely with the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT) to create stronger collaborations with physical and historical sciences like paleobiology

Prior to joining the faculty at Virginia Tech, she completed her BS in Geological Sciences (Minor in Biology) at the University of Michigan, MS in Geosciences at the University of Iowa, and PhD in Geological Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin.