Dr. Allyson Fenwick, Ph.D., spent her childhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin learning to love wild animals through the local zoo, which also sparked her interest in herpetology. She earned a B.S. in Zoology (Zoo and Aquarium Science) and a B.A. in Theatre from Michigan State University. She became involved in pitvipers through her M.S. in Biology from the University of Texas at Tyler, studying morphological phylogenetics of South American species. She studied all of Crotalidae and some of Viperidae in the Parkinson lab at the University of Central Oklahoma, combining morphological and DNA evidence in phylogeny and investigating interesting evolutionary patterns like egg-laying versus live-bearing. She did postdoctoral research at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida and has been a faculty member at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Oklahoma since 2013. Her current work with students often focuses on Mediterranean gecko genetics and ecology including overwintering behavior. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles and is on multiple committees.