Associate Professor
Department of Animal Biology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

1997. Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University 
1991. B.S. in Biology, with High Honors, The University of Michigan

Professional Experience:

2002- Adjunct Assistant Professor, Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University
2006- Associate Professor, Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois
2001-2006 Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois
1997-2001 Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois 
1996-2001 Assistant Professional Scientist, Illinois Natural History Survey

Courses Taught:

IB 105 Environmental Biology
IB 449 Limnology
IB 552 Concepts in Ecology 

Research Grants:

2006-2009. National Science Foundation. Community Ecology of Disease: Control of Epidemics by Species Interactions. Collaborative research with Spencer Hall (Indiana University).

2003-2008. National Science Foundation FIBR: Causes and consequences of recombination. M. Lynch (Indiana U.), PI, with 10 co-PIs (J. Andrews, Indiana U.; J. Boore, DOE Joint Genome Institute; C. Cáceres , U. of Illinois; J. Colbourne, Indiana U.; E. Housworth, Indiana U.; T. Little, U. of Edinburgh; C. Lively, Indiana U.; B. Robison, U. of Idaho; W.K. Thomas, U. of New Hampshire; and M. Zolan, Indiana U.).

2003-2008. National Science Foundation CAREER Award. Exploring population persistence and community assembly through "resurrection ecology."

2003-2006. National Science Foundation. Physical limnology for the parasite ecologist. Collaborative research with A.J. Tessier (Kellogg Biological Station), S. MacIntyre (UCSB), and Marianne Huebner (Michigan State University).

2003-2004. University of Illinois Campus Research Board. Functional genomics of inbreeding depression. Co-PI with K.A. Hughes, K.N. Paige, and G.S. Whitt.

2002-2004. National Sea Grant. Aquatic nuisance species: Effects of invasive invertebrate predators on the food webs of the Great Lakes. Co-PI with K.L. Schulz (SUNY-Environmental Science and Forestry) and J.M. Dettmers (Illinois Natural History Survey).

1999-2003. National Science Foundation. Diapausing eggs and the dynamics of plankton communities (includes 2 REU supplements). Collaborative Research with A. J. Tessier (Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University). 

1998-1999. University of Illinois Campus Research Board. Species composition of the Lake Michigan egg bank. 

1994-1996. National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant. Egg bank dynamics and daphnid species diversity.

1992-1995. Kieckhefer Student Research Grant, National Sigma Xi, Sigma Xi Grants-in-aid of Research. Cornell Chapter.

Awards and Fellowships:

2006-2007. Helen Corley Petit Scholar.

2003.  Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

2002-2003. College of Liberal Arts and Sciences  James A. Hagan Teaching Fellow, University of Illinois.

2002, 2004.   Incomplete list of teachers ranked excellent by their students, University of Illinois.

1999. R. L. Lindeman Award for the outstanding paper written by a young aquatic scientist, American Society of Limnology and Oceanography.

1998. L.C. Cole Award for the outstanding publication by a graduate student of the Section of Ecology and Systematics, Cornell University. 

1997. DIALOG II Symposium participant (sponsored by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography) 

1995. PEO Scholar Award Recipient ($6,000) 

1995. Honorable Mention, M. F. Buell Award for the outstanding student oral presentation, Ecological Society of America. 

1995. R.H. Whittaker Award for the outstanding oral presentation at the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Annual Symposium, Cornell University.

1991-1995. National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship.

1991-1995. A.D. White Graduate Fellowship, Cornell University.

1991. Sea Grant Association Award in Environmental Studies.

1991. Monsanto Corporation Outstanding Senior Research Award. 

1989-1991. National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Fellowship.

Professional Societies and Organizations:

American Society of Limnology and Oceanography 
Ecological Society of America
Sigma Xi 
Society for the Study of Evolution 
Societas Internationalis Limnologiae

Presentations (past 5 years):

2006:  Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin.

2005:  American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Salt Lake City, UT.; Ecological Society of America, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

2004: Department of Biology, Dartmouth College; SIL Congress (International Association of Limnology), Lahti, Finland

2003: Department of Biology, Illinois State University; American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Salt Lake City, UT.; Ecological Society of America, Savannah, GA; Department of Biology, Central Michigan University.

2002: American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Victoria, British Columbia; Biodiversity of planktonic communities: Scaling up and down, Ann Arbor, MI; First annual meeting of the Daphnia Genomics Consortium, Bloomington, IN.

2001: Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma; Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago; Department of Biology, Syracuse University ; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University ; Department of Biology, Notre Dame; American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Albuquerque, NM.

Undergraduate Research Assistants (* indicates senior thesis):

Andri Andreou* (2000-2002), Lora Buco (2005-2006), Gareth Casady (2005- present), Vijay Chand (2004-2006), Anna Christoff* (2004-2005), Jason Drees (1999), Tiffany Garrett (2003-2004), Katie Hughes (2005), Amanda Jaurigue (2000-2001), Lia Kaplin (1998), Christine Knight (2005-present), Mary Majewski (2005-2006), Jade Morris (2002-2004), Samantha Mulvany* (2001-2002), Billy Oaks (2000), Kimberly Paczolt* (2003-2004), Mindy Peddycoart (2004-2005), Bryan Philiips (1997-1998), Jenny O'Brien* (2005), Dominic Philpott (2004), Angela Rachubinski* (1999-2001), Katy Rende (2004-2005), Lindsay Robinson (1999), Danielle Sharp (2005-2006), Janessa Stream (2000), Kevin Smith (2001), Sarah Specht (2004-present), Johnny Tenegra* (2004-2005), Ryan Tiltz (2002), Rowena Wan (2003-2004), Izabella Wolnowska* (2005-2006).

Graduate Students:

Mike Allen (PhD, Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology)
Sigrid Smith (PhD, Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology)
Johnny Tenegra (MS, Biology)

Former Students:

Jason Cashmore (MS, Biology), 2004
Gretchen Gerrish (MS, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences), 2001
Alejandra Stenger (MS, Biology), 2004
Molly Tranel (MS, Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), 2005
Allison Witt (MS, Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), 2003

Former Postdoctoral Associates:

Wiebke Boeing, assistant professor, New Mexico State University
Spencer Hall, assistant professor, Indiana University
Cindy Hartway, postdoctoral associate, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit
Christopher Steiner, postdoctoral associate, Kellogg Biological Station