Molly June Bechtel
Address: Arizona State University, School of Applied Sciences and Arts, 7001 E. Williams Field Road, Mesa, AZ 85212
Email: [email protected]
APPOINMENTS
2024 – present Assistant Professor, Infectious Disease & Epidemiology
Arizona State University, School of Applied Sciences & Arts
Mesa, AZ
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
October 2022 – July 2024 Postdoctoral Researcher
Advisor: Dr. Joseph Mihaljevic
Northern Arizona University, School of Informatics, Computing & Cyber Systems, Flagstaff, AZ
EDUCATION
2022 PhD, Biology, Northern Arizona University, Biological Sciences
Dissertation: Tick-borne pathogens in Mojave desert tortoises
Advisors: Dr. Nathan Nieto, Dr. Mike Teglas, Dr. Jeff Foster
2012 Master’s Degree (M.Sc.), Animal Science, University of Nevada, Reno
Thesis: A study assessing forage quality and desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) diet in central Nevada using microhistology and molecular analysis
2009 Bachelor’s Degree (B.Sc.), Animal Science, University of Nevada, Reno
GRANTS and AWARDS
Funded Grants Funds Received
2026-2028 Lowland Leopard Frogs on the Lower San Pedro
Preserve; Salt River Project. PI: H.L. Bateman,
Co-PI: M.J. Bechtel (Share: 50%) $103,327
2025-2027 eDNA and Boreal Toads; Sponsor: New Mexico
Department of Game and Fish. PI: H.L. Bateman,
Co-PI: M.J. Bechtel (Share: 25%) $99,996
2025-2026 Curricular Enhancement in Public Health
Entomology; Sponsor: Pacific Southwest Center of
Excellence in Vector-borne Disease. PI: K. Lyberger,
Co-PI: M.J. Bechtel (Share: 50%) $25000.00
2025-2026 Arizona State University Dean’s Summer Research
Award* $5,000
2025-2026 Central Arizona – Phoenix, Long Term Ecological
Researcher Summer Salary* $3500.00
2020-2021 Ticks and Tortoises; Sponsor: Pacific Southwest
Center of Excellence in Vector-borne Disease Training
Grant. Trainee: M.J. Bechtel $25000.00
2021-2022 Achievement Reward for College Scholars $8500.00
2020-2021 Achievement Reward for College Scholars $8500.00
2019-2020 Commission on the Status of Women
Project Award
2019-2020 Achievement Reward for College Scholars $8500.00
2019 Desert Tortoise Council Glen R. Steward Student
Travel Award $300.00
2018 Wildlife Disease Association Challenge Grant
(https://experiment.com/grants/wda) $6000.00
2018 Biological Sciences Graduate Student of the Year $600.00
2018 Desert Tortoise Council Glen R. Steward Student
Travel Award $300.00
2010 Nevada Agriculture Foundation Award $500.00
*Internal Awards
Submitted Grant Proposals Funds Requested
November 2025 Long-term study monitoring health variables
in captive and adopted Sonoran Desert; Sponsor: Desert
Tortoise Council. PI: M.J. Bechtel, Co-PI: D. Kollath,
Co-PI: H.L. Bateman (Share: 50%) $11,000.00
Submitted Pitches
Examining diet and parasite prevalence of lizards in relation to
microbiome composition in the Lower San Pedro and
Gila Rivers; Sponsor: Bureau of Reclamation.
PI: H.L. Bateman, Co-PI: M.J. Bechtel (Share 50%) N/A
From Backyard to the Wild: Helping Restore Sonoran Desert
Tortoises in central AZ; Sponsor: Arizona Game and Fish
Department. PI: H.L. Bateman, Co-PI: M.J. Bechtel
Co-PI: Kelli Larson (Share: 30%) N/A
PUBLICATIONS and PRESENTATIONS
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Bechtel, M.J., T.C. Esque, K.K. Drake, J. E. Lovich, N.C. Nieto, K.L. Parise, J.T. Foster, and M.B. Teglas. In Review. Abundant ticks but limited Borrelia spp. pathogens in Mojave desert tortoise habitat. Ticks and Tick-borne Disease. Availabe at SSRN: htps://ssrn.com/abstract=5963681. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.5963681
J. E. Lovich, D. Cleveland, C. B. Yackulic, K. L. Cummings, S. R. Puffer, M. J. Bechtel, C. R. Tracy, W. Hoese, G. Avila, M. Peukert, and S. Hubbard. In press. Do Bighorn Sheep use Desert Tortoise Burrow Spoil Piles as Mineral Licks in Southern California? Bull. Southern California Acad. Sci.
Bechtel, M.J., J.T. Foster, T.C. Esque, N.C. Nieto, K.K. Drake, and M.B. Teglas. October 2024. Associations between Ornithodoros spp. ticks and Mojave desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) obtained from health assessment documents. Journal of Wildlife Disease. doi: 10.7589/JWD-D-23-00172
Bechtel, M.J., K.K. Drake, T.C. Esque, N.C. Nieto, J.T. Foster, and M.B. Teglas August 2021. Borreliosis transmission from ticks associated with desert tortoise burrows: examples of tick-borne relapsing fever in the Mojave Desert. Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2021.0005
Bechtel, M.J., M.B. Teglas., P.J. Murphy., and M.D. Matocq. January 2015. Parasite prevalence and community diversity in sympatric and allopatric populations of two woodrat species (sigmodontinae: Neotoma) in central California. Journal of Wildlife Disease. doi: 10.7589/2014-04-099
Book Reviews
Bechtel, M.J. March 2022. Climate, Ticks and Disease, Edited by Pat Nuttall. American Entomologist. Doi: 10.1093/ae/tmac004
Presentations
Bechtel, M.J., J.T. Foster, K.K. Drake, T.C. Esque, J.E. Lovich, N.C. Nieto, M.B. Teglas. April 2024. Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases Spring Seminar Series. Ticks, Tortoises and Tick-borne Relapsing Fever in Desert Tortoise Habitat.
Bechtel, M.J., J.T. Foster, K.K. Drake, T.C. Esque, J.E. Lovich, N.C. Nieto, M.B. Teglas. October 2023. Arizona State University, School of Applied Sciences and Arts, Math and Science Colloquium. Invited. Ticks, Tortoises and Tick-borne Relapsing Fever in Desert Tortoise Habitat.
Bechtel, M.J., J.T. Foster, K.K. Drake, T.C. Esque, N.C. Nieto, M.B. Teglas. April 2023. Tick Integrated Pest Management Working Group Monthly Webinar. Ticks, Tortoises, and Tick-borne Relapsing Fever in the Mojave Desert.
Bechtel, M.J., J.T. Foster, K.K. Drake, T.C. Esque, N.C. Nieto, M.B. Teglas. November 2021. Tick Integrated Pest Management Working Group Monthly Webinar. Ticks & Tick-borne Pathogens of the Mojave Desert Tortoise.
Bechtel, M.J., K.K. Drake, M.B. Teglas, T.C. Esque, N.C. Nieto. February 2020. Center for Disease Control Zoonoses & One Health Update Call Webinar. Ticks, Tortoises & Tick-borne Relapsing Fever in the Mojave Desert. [Video] https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/zohu/2020/february.html
Bechtel, M.J., J.E. Lovich, T.E. Esque, K.K. Drake, M.B. Teglas, N.C. Nieto. September 2019. Relationships between ticks, desert tortoises and tick-borne relapsing fever. Oral presentation at the 15th Biennial Conference of Science & Management on the Colorado Plateau & Southwest Region.
Bechtel, M.J., K.K. Drake, M.B. Teglas, T.E. Esque, N.C. Nieto. March 2019. Evidence of tick-borne relapsing fever infection in people caused by Ornithodoros ticks in Mojave desert tortoise habitat. 3rd International Conference on Relapsing Fever.
Bechtel, M.J., T. Esque, J. Lovich, M.B. Teglas, N.C. Nieto. April 2018. Ticks of the Mojave Desert and Mojave desert tortoise, invited speaker at Tortoise Group General Meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bechtel, M.J., T. Esque, J. Lovich, M.B. Teglas, N.C. Nieto. February 2018. Ticks and tick-borne pathogens of the Mojave desert tortoise. Desert Tortoise Council Symposium, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Presented Posters
*Conboy, F., M.J. Bechtel. December 2025. College of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts Student Showcase. Sonoran mud turtles and Ranavirus: Exploring a possible link to recent population mortality events of Kinosternon sonoriense.
*Ruesch, T., M.J. Bechtel. December 2025. College of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts Student Showcase. Health variables and future monitoring methods for captive Sonoran desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai).
*Cisneros, R., K.E. Banister, E.J. Landis, M. J. Bechtel, J.R. Mihaljevic. April 2024. Undergraduate Symposium, Northern Arizona University. Understanding the Impact of Temperature on the Replication of Ambystoma tigrinum Virus in Cell Culture.
*Landis, E.J., K.E. Banister, R. Cisneros, M.J. Bechtel, J.R. Mihaljevic. April 2024. Undergraduate Symposium, Northern Arizona University. Surveying Ranavirus Diversity Across Arizona using Short Amplicon Sequencing Techniques.
Bechtel, M.J., T. Esque, J. Lovich, M.B. Teglas, N.C. Nieto. June 2018. Ticks and tick-borne pathogens of the Mojave desert tortoise. Poster presentation at Ecology and Evolution of Infection Disease, Glasgow, Scotland.
*Hmood, Zahraa, M.J. Bechtel, N.C. Nieto. April 2018. Presence of Borrelia spp. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in ticks collected from Catalina Island foxes. Poster presentation at UGRADS Symposium, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Bechtel, M.J., D.S. Thain, and N.C. Nieto. September 2011. PCR analysis and sequencing in assessing desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) diets in central Nevada. Poster presentation at Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Veterinary Science Farm Day, Reno, Nevada.
Bechtel, M.J., D.S. Thain, and N.C. Nieto. June 2011. A comparison of microhistology and PCR analysis in assessing desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) diets in central Nevada. Poster presentation at the 91st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammologists, Portland, Oregon.
*Indicates student mentee
TEACHING EXPERIENCE and METORING
Teaching
Aug 2025 – present ABS 494, Medical and Veterinary Entomology (Grant supported, 5 students)
Arizona State University, School of Applied Sciences & Arts
Aug 2024 – present ABS 417, Comparative Immunology (Fall 2024, 4 students; Spring 2025, 22 students; Online Spring 2025, 50 students; Fall 2025, 31)
Arizona State University, School of Applied Sciences & Arts
Aug 2018 – May 2023 BIO 698, Implicit Bias and Gender in STEM Fields (Taught 6 semesters, ~10 students each time)
Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences
Jan 2020 - May 2020 BIO 223L, Vertebrate Zoology (Spring 2020, 2 sections, 60 students)
Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences
Aug 2018 - Aug 2019 BIO 182L, Unity of Life II Lab (Taught 2 semester, 1 summer session, 3 sections, ~90 students)
Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences
Aug 2016 – Aug 2022 BIO 202L, Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory (Taught 11 semesters, ~90 students, 3 sections)
Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences
Jan 2013 – May 2014 AGSC 400, Undergraduate Seminar (Spring 2013 and Fall 2013, Spring 2014, ~15 students each semester)
University of Nevada, Reno, Department of Animal Nutrition and Veterinary Sciences
Graduate Student Mentees
2025-present: Jenna Zarlingo (ASU, Applied Biological Sciences, M.S.)
Graduate Student Committees
2025-present: Meg Davis (ASU, Applied Biological Sciences, M.S.)
2025-present: Myra Wangsness (ASU, School of Applied Sciences, 4+1 Accelerated M.S.)
2024-present: Haleigh Ward1 (ASU, Applied Biological Sciences, M.S.)
1Awarded Applied Biological Sciences, Outstanding Graduate Student, Fall 2025
Undergraduate Mentees
2026-present Farren Conboy, ASU, Applied Biological Sciences
Jay Rials, ASU, Applied Biological Sciences
Iman Abdalla, ASU, Applied Biological Sciences
Marissa Carrasco-Radzicki, ASU Applied Biological Sciences
Daniela Meza, ASU, Applied Biological Sciences
Owen Kotter, ASU, Applied Biological Sciences*
2025-2026: Farren Conboy, ASU, Applied Biological Sciences
Mya Hinkley, ASU, Applied Biological Sciences
Trista Ruesch, ASU, Applied Biological Sciences
Michelle Gonzalez, ASU, Applied Biological Sciences *
2022-2023: Kiran Das-Goel, Smith College (REU Student)
Lexi Bilyak, Eckerd College (REU Student)
Rosaura Cisneros, NAU, Biology
Evan Landis, NAU, Microbiology
*ASU Barret Honors College Contract
SERVICE and PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Service
Aug 2025 – present
Member – Graduate Studies Committee, Applied Biological Sciences. Arizona State University
Aug 2025 – present
Member – Polytechnic Science and Math Seminar Series Committee, Applied Biological Sciences, Arizona State University
Feb 2025
Volunteer – ASU, Polytechnic Open Door
Nov 2021 – Mar 2022
Co-chair – Committee on Equitable Academic Labor Practices - Sub-committee of Commission on the Status of Women, Northern Arizona University
Sep 2018-present
Member – Commission on the Status of Women, Northern Arizona University
Aug 2018 - May 2019
College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences Graduate Student Representative
Nov 2016- Nov 2020
President and founder - Northern Arizona Association for Women in STEM, 501(c)3
Oct 2015 – Mar 2016
Volunteer - Friends of Nevada Wilderness
Sep 2015 – Feb 2016
Volunteer-Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows
Professional Affiliations
Feb 2016 – present
Member – Desert Tortoise Council
Nov 2021 – present
Member – Tick Integrated Pest Management Working Group