TARA MCNEIL is an Entomology Ph.D. student focusing on forensic entomology. She obtained a B.S. in Forensic Science from Arizona State University, where she worked in Dr. Lauren Weidner’s lab to study seasonal and regional biodiversity of forensically relevant insects. Tara is originally from Las Vegas, NV USA, and her desert-dwelling background inspired her to complete an honors thesis regarding the heat tolerance of blow fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae. She joined F.L.I.E.S. in the fall of 2023 and will continue researching the effects of high temperatures on forensically relevant flies as related to the impact of nutrition on such responses.