RACHEL McNEAL is a PhD student in the FLIES Facility. She received her BS in 2021 from Texas A&M University, majoring in Forensic and Investigative Science and Entomology with a certificate in Public Health Entomology. In her undergraduate studies, Rachel conducted her own research on diversity and abundance of forensically important flies in different habitats in Trinidad and Tobago, which she presented at the North American Forensic Entomology Association annual meeting in 2020, winning the Undergraduate presentation award. Her research focuses on performance versus preference of Cochliomyia macellaria and Hermetia illucens in respect to thermal biology.