DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY AND

MARINE BIOLOGY

GRADUATE PROGRAM REVIEW

2008-2014
 i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................... ii

General Characteristics and History ......................................................................................................... 4

Findings of Previous Reviews ..................................................................................................................... 5

General Program Characteristics .............................................................................................................. 8

Certification and Interdisciplinary Programs ........................................................................................ 14

Facilities ..................................................................................................................................................... 15

Personnel .................................................................................................................................................... 20

Graduate Students .................................................................................................................................... 24

Affirmative Action .................................................................................................................................... 37

Summary of Research and Scholarship .................................................................................................. 37

Strengths, Weaknesses and Future Directions ........................................................................................ 39

Appendix 1: Catalogue Course Descriptions .......................................................................................... 44

Appendix 2: Application Evaluation ....................................................................................................... 54

Appendix 3: Orientation Agenda and Student Handbook .................................................................... 57

Appendix 4: Graduate Student Annual Reports .................................................................................... 84

Appendix 5: Assessment Forms ............................................................................................................. 149

Appendix 6: Assessment Annual Reports ............................................................................................. 165

Appendix 7: Equal Employment Opportunity Affirmative Action Plan ........................................... 264

Appendix 8: Faculty Curricula Vitae ..................................................................................................... 296

Appendix 9: Faculty Leadership Activities ........................................................................................... 562

 ii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Department of Biology and Marine Biology contributes importantly to the teaching, research,
and public service missions of the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). The department
began offering the Master of Science in Marine Biology in 1980, and the Master of Science in Biology in
1989. In 2002, we established the Doctor of Philosophy in Marine Biology, which was the first Ph.D.
program at UNCW. Since the inception of these programs, we have graduated 440 M.S. students and 18
Ph.D. students. We enjoy continued student interest in our internationally known graduate programs,
averaging almost 90 applications per year for fall admission. Our program is selective – admitting, on
average, 22% of applicants. These high-quality students enter a graduate program that takes very seriously
their academic development. This commitment is reflected in the high retention rates of our students: 95%
of our M.S. students and 94% for our Ph.D. students.
Our students join a dynamic department, comprised of highly accomplished and competent faculty,
graduate students and staff. Our faculty members are university leaders in grant support, bringing $2.9
million in extramural funding to UNCW each year, which is essential to support student research activities,
assistantships and summer stipends. This investment in our graduate students is manifested in their
prodigious scholarly output. During the review period, graduate students have been authors on 199 peer-
reviewed papers, and 21 have received awards or recognition for the quality of their research at scientific
meetings. Graduate students also have been honored with scholarships and fellowships, where 153 have
recognized for academic, research or teaching excellence during the reporting period. In addition, 70
graduate students have received independent intra- or extramural funding, and many have taken on
leadership and service roles to their scientific and university communities. They also complete their
graduate program in a timely manner. During the review period, the median time to graduation for our
M.S. students was 2.5 years, and the mean time to graduation for our Ph.D. students was 4.8 years. Ninety
percent of our students acquire jobs in their fields or enter Ph.D. and professional programs.
The faculty conducts graduate research and educational activities while maintaining a deeply-
rooted commitment to undergraduate education, which forms the backbone of our university. The
vibrancy of the graduate programs promotes a research environment that is easily accessible to
undergraduate students. This commitment means, though, that our faculty members have heavy workloads
for a Ph.D. granting department. While there are many positive features of our graduate programs, there
are also notable weaknesses that threaten their sustainability and further development. Chief among these
are the low stipends for M.S. Teaching Assistants, an insufficient availability of tuition remissions and
scholarships, and a lack of university supported health insurance. Our M.S. students take on critical
educational roles for our university, yet do not earn enough to meet basic costs of living. Because our M.S.
students must also pay in-state tuition, they are currently being charged almost 50% of their wages to be
enrolled in our program. Historically, faculty members have helped offset financial shortfalls during the
academic year with increased pay during the summer, but the regional, state and national reduction in
success rates for extramural grant proposals has made it more difficult for faculty members to assist
students financially with additional summer salary. Intramural summer support would be a mechanism to
help remedy this problem. Thus, our department has a long history of, and a continued commitment to,
supporting graduate students with extramural grants, but the financial deficits are so profound that
substantial investment is necessary to ensure the health and competitiveness of M.S. programs at UNCW.
The Ph.D. stipend level and our commitment to covering full tuition costs provides financial
support for our Ph.D. students that more closely approaches cost of living. However, our program has now
reached a critical juncture, where enhanced university investment, in the form of more Ph.D. TAs, tuition
remissions, and summer support will be required to assure the program’s sustainability and continued
growth.
Lastly, our strength as a department relies upon our ability to diversify. This goal is of
 iii

fundamental importance, and our department is taking serious steps to include more historically under-
represented groups among our faculty and students. We have much work ahead of us, and one important
area where the university can enhance its support of these efforts is to provide targeted funding for
increasing diversity. Enhanced financial packages available to both graduate students and faculty
candidates would strengthen our capacity to develop a more diverse university and department.
 4
GRADUATE PROGRAM REVIEW
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY AND MARINE BIOLOGY
2008-2014

1. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY

a. DEPARTMENTAL MISSION STATEMENT

The Department of Biology and Marine Biology is a major contributor to the teaching, research,
and public service missions of the University of North Carolina Wilmington. We offer a variety of
undergraduate and graduate programs that convey a rigorous and up-to-date understanding of the concepts,
principles and theories of the biological sciences and provide our students with knowledge of basic
investigative skills and methods of biological inquiry. In our research function, we contribute new insights
to fundamental biological processes, from general biological principles, to coastal and marine
environments, to biomedical sciences. Where possible, we focus on biological phenomena that impact on
the quality of life in our region and the nation. In our public service roles we lend our professional
expertise to individuals and organizations working for the improvement of the human condition, especially
those agencies committed to the environment.
In a liberal arts education Biology is of fundamental importance. It provides the student with an
understanding of living systems from the level of the ecosystem down to the molecule. For both majors and
non-majors the study of biology encourages exploration of personal as well as professional interests. We
recognize that our biology classes are particularly important for our non-majors; in their classes we
emphasize the biological understanding needed to function successfully as consumers, citizens, and parents
in the 21st century.

b. DESCRIPTION OF GRADUATE EDUCATION AND DATES OF NEW PROGRAMS

Graduate education and training in the department began with the establishment of the M.S. in
Marine Biology program in 1980. The M.S. in Biology program was instituted in 1989. Since the
inception of these programs, we have graduated 440 Master’s students.
In fall 2002, we established the Ph.D. in Marine Biology, which was the first doctoral program at
UNCW. In spring 2006, Dr. David Meyer graduated as UNCW’s first Ph.D. student. Since then, 17 more
students have graduated from this program.

c. SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONS TO THE FACULTY

Since the last graduate program review (2007), 20 tenure-track faculty members have left the
department (8 to retirement, 6 to another job, and 6 for other reasons). During the same period we have
hired 12 new tenure-track faculty members and 9 non-tenure-track faculty members, and we are searching
for 3 additional tenure-track positions during the 2014-15 academic year. The losses highlight a growing
problem of faculty retention due largely to issues related to low and stagnant salaries and increasing
workload. As is the case nationally, we also are shifting toward fewer tenure-track hires and more shorter-
term contracted lecturers. This trend will aid our capacity to teach our undergraduate students and is a cost
savings to the university, but the net loss of tenure-track faculty may cause long term harm to our graduate
programs as they are responsible for conducting research, applying for grants, and mentoring graduate
students.

d. MAJOR CHANGES IN THE ORIENTATION OF THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM

Our department regularly reviews both its undergraduate and graduate programs to ensure that our
curricula best serve the needs of our students. A major addition to our program since the last review
period is the institution of a formal assessment program, as detailed in Sections 7.g. and 7.h. The
assessment program has demonstrated that our program is highly effective at meeting our stated learning
 5
objectives, and it has also led to modifications that have enhanced our student’s performance as described
below.
Since our last review we have not made significant changes to the curricula of any of our graduate
programs. We did change the description of our required introductory course for M.Sc. students (BIO
501) to stress scientific communication, in response to an identified need to better prepare them” for their
oral exams (see section 10b below). In 2013, the course description for this class was changed from
BIO 501 - Methods in Scientific Research
Credits: (2)
Scientific manuscript preparation and communication techniques: manuscript format, graphics,
design of experiments, library use, oral presentation, and writing techniques. Two lecture hours
each week.

to
BIO 501 – Introduction to Science as a Profession
Credits: (2)
Survey of educational trajectories and employment prospects for graduate students in the sciences,
focusing on Biology and Marine Biology. Practical treatment of performance and communication
in the scientific profession, with particular coverage of responsible conduct of research, laboratory
and field safety, analyses of data, and the writing and reviewing of journal articles and grant
proposals. Two lecture hours each week.

We also made a change to the format of the candidacy exam for the Ph.D. program. Prior to 2013,
we had required each student to pass a Candidacy Exam that included (1) a written exam consisting of
essay questions submitted by the student’s Dissertation Committee that are based upon the graduate
curriculum and the student’s area of research, and (2) an oral examination based on the student’s
dissertation prospectus. The written exam should be administered no more than 30 days prior to the public
presentation and defense of the dissertation prospectus. Many of our faculty felt that the written component
of the exam was a large time commitment for both students and committee members, without adding a lot
of benefit in terms of revealing the student’s knowledge base. In addition, it was felt that the dissertation
proposal (prospectus) document provided a good opportunity to evaluate the writing capabilities of the
student, and that the written candidacy exam was not necessarily required for such evaluation. Thus, the
faculty agreed to make the oral component the only required exam.

2. FINDINGS OF PREVIOUS REVIEWS

Our graduate program underwent a review in 2007. The invited external reviewers made several
recommendations for enhancing our programs. In that review three fundamental problems facing the
Department were emphasized. In the opinion of these reviewers the Department, first, lacks sufficient
space for research and teaching purposes. Second, faculty workload was judged too high. Third, they
suggested that new staff and faculty lines were needed to support continued excellence in scholarly
activities. Fourth, the M.S. stipends needed to be raised.

The Department’s responses to these and other recommendations and others are summarized below.

Suggestion 1: Explore mechanisms for reducing teaching loads for research active faculty.
Faculty teaching loads in the Department have remained static or have increased since the 2007 review.
Increased teaching loads for faculty are principally due to (a) increases in University enrollment and a near
doubling of departmental majors coupled with the fact that (b) no new faculty lines have been awarded to
 6
the Department. The number of new faculty hired has kept pace with, but not exceeded, the number of
faculty lost to retirement or faculty turnover. The Department presently employs eight full-time lecturers to
meet demand for courses.

Suggestion 2: The Department should work to secure additional office and laboratory space for faculty,
post-doctoral researchers, and graduate students.

Acquiring dedicated working space for faculty and graduate students is an acute and on-going problem for
the Department. Briefly, the Department has gained offices and lab space in Friday and Dobo Halls.
These additions were made by re-purposing existing space. Plans to renovate spaces in other buildings on
campus for use by the Department are under way, but these are earmarked for instructional (not research)
purposes.

New construction has occurred but, frankly, has had little direct impact on the Department’s graduate
program. For example, the Louise Oriole Burevitch Research Laboratory was opened and houses facilities
supporting UNCW’s Marine Mammal Stranding Program and selected field programs. Three new
buildings have been erected at UNCW’s Crest Research Park including the Marine Biotechnology
building, Shellfish Hatchery, and Operations Wing of CMS. At the present time these research buildings
house very few of our graduate students.

Suggestion 3: Support staff should be hired to help reduce faculty workloads. Faculty are increasingly
distracted by routine paperwork and aspects of grant and research administration.

No new personnel have been hired in the Department. However, we have been approved to search for a
second advising coordinator, to assist our current coordinator, Melanie Canfield. This is a critical addition,
as our undergraduate majors have nearly doubled in the past few years to >1000 students. This has led to
increased advising loads for Ms. Canfield and the faculty, and since all of our undergraduates are required
to have an applied learning component to their degree plan, the assistance in managing internships and
other external activities, as well as normal course advising, is essential. However, this new hire will only
partially offset the growth in the teaching and advising load for the department, and the lack of net growth
in the size of the department faculty means teaching/advising loads will still remain elevated compared to
the previous review.

Suggestion 4: The fact that some faculty can take Ph.D. students while others cannot needs to be
addressed.

The Department is keenly aware of this potentially divisive issue. New faculty members are clearly
advised as necessary and, when possible, the Department faculty have made every effort to be as inclusive
as possible. The Department’s Ph.D. in Marine Biology is expected to remain a specialized low-
enrollment program servicing a talented, but small pool of graduate students. For historical, fiscal, and
other reasons it is exceedingly unlikely that the Department will establish a second Ph.D. degree (e.g., in
Biology) in the foreseeable future. However, we are exploring collaborative programs that would facilitate
taking doctoral students in the biological sciences, and we continue to make sure that the faculty evaluation
process does not penalize faculty members who are not able to take Ph.D. students.
 7
Suggestion 5: Increase MS graduate student stipends and re-visit the “two class” system of financial
support for Master’s and Ph.D. students.

This recommendation continues to be a primary concern of our program. Since the last review, M.S.
Teaching Assistant (TA) stipends have increased from $9,500 to $11,000/academic year. Stipends for
Ph.D. students are $19,000/academic year. The Department recognizes that the disparity between M.S.
and Ph.D. stipends is substantial. Our goal has been, and continues to be, to close this gap by raising
stipends for M.S. students.

Suggestion 6: Lines for additional TAs and RAs are needed.

One new M.S. TA line has been awarded to the Department since 2007 and there are no lines for research
assistants (RAs). In our Department graduate students working as RAs are typically paid using funds from
externally funded grant proposals or other contracts.

Suggestion 7: Require health insurance for, and provide full tuition remissions for, all in- and out-of-state
students (M.S. and Ph.D.).

The requirement for health insurance is now a law mandated by the State of North Carolina.

The Graduate School has made efforts to make more remissions available to our out-of-state students;
however, no new remissions have been acquired by the Department since 2007. This, along with TA
availability, limits our total enrollment. We use all of our tuition remissions to cover out-of-state tuition
for our M.S. and Ph.D. students, and we use essentially all of our tuition scholarship money to cover in-
state tuition for our Ph.D. students. However, we have no funds to cover in-state tuition for M.S. students
and this, along with the low stipend levels, makes our master’s graduate programs a financial strain for
most of our students.

Suggestion 8: Add new faculty to relieve overall workloads and increase the breadth of the program.

The Department has received no new faculty lines: therefore, faculty workload remains a principal
concern. We have hired 12 new tenure-track faculty members whose expertise complements and broadens
the Department’s emphases on research and teaching. These include: Drs. Brian Arbogast (Terrestrial
Mammal Conservation), Susanne Brander (Aquatic Toxicology and Endocrinology), Robert Condon
(Biological Oceanography), Joseph Covi (Integrative and Comparative Biology), Patrick Erwin (Microbial
Ecology), Arthur Frampton (Virology), Stephanie Kamel (Marine Evolutionary Ecology), Zachary Long
(Coastal Plant Ecology), Susanna Lopez-Legentil (Marine Molecular Ecology), Darin Pennys (Plant
Evolution and Ecology), Ryan Rhodes (Microbiology), and J. Wilson White (Marine Biology).

Suggestion 9: Create post-doctoral teaching positions to provide faculty teaching relief.

Two such positions have been created. These provide teaching and research support for the Graduate
Coordinator and the Director of the Microscopy facility.

Suggestion 10: Institute a formal requirement that all graduate students have a course-related teaching
experience before graduating.

Nearly all M.S. and Ph.D. students, at one time or another during their program of study, are employed as
 8
TAs. More specialized instruction in biological education can be obtained in the course listed below,
which is a requirement for all Ph.D. students and available to M.S. students:

BIO 594/ BIO694 - Practicum in College Biology Teaching: An introduction to theory, research, and
practice in college biology teaching. Combines supervised internship in biology teaching with formal
classroom instruction. For graduate students who have been awarded teaching assistantships in the
Department of Biology and Marine Biology and others with permission of instructor. Ph.D. students will
be required to engage in limited formal instruction. Two semester hours per week.

Suggestion 11: New efforts are needed to increase minority participation in the faculty and graduate
student programs.

Diversity issues have remained a priority for the Department, and we have had success in attracting
underrepresented and international colleagues to our faculty and graduate student population. The
department has emphasized enhancing diversity in every faculty search, and we work with the Graduate
School to help recruit McNair Scholars, as well as with partner institutions, NC A&T University and
Elizabeth City State University, to encourage minority applications.

3. GENERAL PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS

a. DESCRIPTION OF GRADUATE PROGRAMS

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN BIOLOGY AND MARINE BIOLOGY

The Department of Biology and Marine Biology offers programs of study leading to a Master of
Science degree in biology and a Master of Science degree in marine biology. The programs are designed
(1) to prepare students for further graduate work leading to the Ph.D.; (2) to provide professional biologists
with advanced research and education opportunities; (3) to prepare students as managers of coastal and
marine resources, trained to deal with contemporary problems in the environment; or (4) to provide a
broad–based graduate program allowing for specialization in the diverse fields of inquiry represented by
the faculty of the department.

Admission Requirements
Applicants seeking admission to the graduate programs in marine biology and biology are required to
submit all of the following to the Graduate School:
1. An application for graduate admission
2. Official transcripts of all college work (undergraduate and graduate)
3. Official scores on the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (verbal, quantitative,
analytical writing)
4. Three recommendations by individuals in professionally relevant fields
5. Resume
6. Research Areas Form/Statement of Interest Form
Scores on the verbal, quantitative and analytical writing portions of the GRE test in the 50th percentile or
above are desired. A score of at least 550 on the paper version (213 on the computer version) of the Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for applicants whose native language is not English. A
baccalaureate degree in a field of biology from an accredited college or university in this country or its
equivalent in a foreign institution is required for admission, as well as an average of "B" or better in the
undergraduate major. Undergraduate grades, GRE scores, and recommendations are used in concert to
determine acceptability. Acceptable students are admitted to the program upon being selected by a faculty
 9
member who will serve as the student's advisor. Selection by a faculty member is a requirement and thus
students are encouraged to contact potential advisors. Individuals desiring to take graduate courses as a
non-degree-seeking student must have completed a baccalaureate degree in a field of biology. Non-degree
candidates must submit an application for graduate admission and official transcripts of all college work.
Courses taken at UNCW as a non-degree student will not count toward the hours required for the
completion of a degree program upon subsequent acceptance.

Degree Requirements
 The program requires 30 semester hours of graduate study.
 Six semester hours of credit may be transferred from another accredited institution. Grades earned
on transfer work must be equivalent to “B” or better.
 A minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate study must be completed in residence.
 No more than nine hours of graduate level courses offered by other science departments at UNCW
may be applied toward the degree.
 Undergraduate courses taken to make up deficiencies will not count toward the 30 hours required.
 All deficiencies must be remedied prior to graduation.
 The student must successfully complete a comprehensive examination based on prior coursework
and an oral defense of the thesis.
 Each student will present a thesis, based on original research, acceptable to the thesis advisory
committee, prior to graduation.
 Each student must complete an approved course of study within five years of the date of the first
registration for graduate study.

Requirements for Master of Science Degrees

Core courses: required of all students seeking a Master of Science degree in biology or marine biology.
BIO 501 Methods in Scientific Research (2)
BIO 599 Thesis (3–6)

Master of Science in Biology

In addition to the core courses listed above, each student, in consultation with his/her thesis advisory
committee, shall devise a program of study that meets the requirements below, complements the thesis
research, and satisfies individual needs and interests.
Select two of the following:
a) BIO 519 Advanced Topics in Cellular and Molecular Biology (4)
b) BIO 530 Advanced Topics in Evolutionary Biology (3) and BIOL 530 Advanced Topics in
Evolutionary Biology Laboratory (1)
c) BIO 534 Advanced Topics in Ecology (3) and BIOL 534 Advanced Topics in Ecology
Laboratory (1)
d) BIO 549 Advanced Topics in Physiology (4)

A minimum of 14 hours of elective credit; select from any 500 level biology course, BIO 601-605 and BIO
694. Graduate courses from other disciplines may also be selected, with approval of the student’s thesis
committee.

Master of Science in Marine Biology

In addition to the core courses listed above, students shall complete the following courses and, in
consultation with their thesis advisory committee, select electives to complete a program of study that
meets individual needs and interests.
 10

Select two of the following:

a) BIO 519 Advanced Topics in Cellular and Molecular Biology (4)
or
BIO 530 Advanced Topics in Evolutionary Biology (3) and BIOL 530 Advanced Topics in Evolutionary
Biology Laboratory (1)
or
BIO 534 Advanced Topics in Ecology (3) and BIOL 534 Advanced Topics in Ecology
Laboratory (1)
or
BIO 549 Advanced Topics in Physiology (4)

b) BIO 560 Estuarine Biology (4)

c) BIO 564 Biological Oceanography (3) and BIOL 564 Biological Oceanography Lab (1)

A minimum of 14 hours of elective credit; select from any 500 level biology course, BIO 601-605 and BIO
694. Graduate courses from other disciplines may also be selected, with approval of the student’s thesis
committee.

Ph.D. PROGRAM IN MARINE BIOLOGY

The Department of Biology and Marine Biology offers a program of study and research leading to
the doctor of philosophy in marine biology. The program provides students with a broad background and
overview of the fields comprising marine biology and make use of the diverse interests of the marine
biology faculty within the department. As is generally the case, the Ph.D. program is primarily a research
degree. As such, it is intended to serve students with interests in conducting research in academia, industry,
and government along with those who intend to become faculty in undergraduate teaching institutions,
managers in technology-based industries and policy makers in government. Students will learn the process
of identifying, defining and solving an original research problem. The program also includes a teaching
practicum with classroom instruction in pedagogical techniques and technologies along with lecture
experience under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

Admission requirements
Students will be admitted to the Ph.D. program by a majority vote of the Graduate Advisory Council
(GAC) of the Department of Biology and Marine Biology based on eligibility requirements and available
resources. Under most circumstances, students admitted to the program will have met the following
requirements:
--received a M.S. degree or equivalent from an accredited university OR, if entering with a B.S., completed
all the requirements for the M.S. Biology or M.S. Marine Biology degree at UNCW except submission of
bound thesis.*
-- an overall graduate grade point average of at least 3.0 out of 4.0.
-- a score on the Graduate Record Examination General Test with a target of the 65th percentile or better
(average for the verbal, quantitative and analytical writing sections).
--a score of at least 550 on the paper version (213 on the computer version) of the Test of English as a
Foreign Language (TOEFL) for applicants whose native language is not English.
-- an application that outlines the applicant’s academic goals and identifies a faculty advisor who has
indicated a willingness to mentor the student.
 11
-- three letters of reference, at least two of which must be from faculty members. All three must be from
professionals working in the applicant’s field of interest.

*Under certain circumstances, a student may, with the support of his or her faculty advisor, choose to apply
to the Ph.D. program before completion of the requirements for the MS biology or marine biology degree.
Students who choose this path after their first year of core courses and research planning must complete a
new application, including letters of recommendation, to enter the Ph.D. program. If accepted, these
students would not take their M.S. oral preliminary exam, but would continue on with their study and take
the Ph.D. candidacy exam in year 3. Students who decide upon a Ph.D. later in their academic career, and
who have, thus, already taken their preliminary oral exam, may apply to the Ph.D. program, again with the
support of their advisor. Students who choose this path must complete a new application, including letters
of recommendation, to enter the Ph.D. program. If accepted, these students may decide to bind a M.S.
thesis, or simply continue on with their study and research and take the candidacy exam in year 3.

Documents to be submitted for admission:

1. An application for graduate admission
2. Official transcripts of all college work (undergraduate and graduate)
3. Official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (verbal, quantitative, analytical writing and
subject test in biology)
4. Three recommendations with accompanying letters by individuals in professionally relevant fields,
one from the intended faculty mentor.
5. Official score on the TOEFL (if applicable). TOEFL scores are good for two years from the date
the test is administered.
6. Current curriculum vitae
7. Detailed summary of M.S. thesis research (maximum of three pages)
8. Statement of interest for Ph.D. research (maximum of three pages)
9. Reprints or copies of any publications (if applicable)
10. Application and supporting documents must be submitted by the published deadline

Degree Requirements
1. The program requires 78 post baccalaureate (48 post-M.S.) semester hours of graduate study.
2. The maximum amount of credit that a Ph.D. student may count toward a doctorate from a master’s
degree program is 30 semester hours. This applies whether the master’s degree was earned at UNCW or
elsewhere. Six post-M.S. semester hours of credit may be transferred from another accredited institution.
Grades earned on transfer work must be equivalent to “B” or better and must be approved by the Graduate
Advisory Committee.
3. A minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate study must be completed in residence.
4. Each student must pass a Candidacy Exam that includes an oral examination based on the student’s
dissertation prospectus. The Candidacy Exam should be taken during the second year of residence.
5. The student must complete and defend a dissertation based on a research program approved by the
student’s committee that results in an original, high quality, significant, and substantial body of research.
6. All requirements for the degree must be completed within six years after admission to the Ph.D. program
(i.e. post-MS).

Additional requirements for the Ph.D. in marine biology

1. Must have master’s degree or must complete course and research requirements of a master’s degree
program as described above.
2. Must complete the following courses:
 12
Graduate Seminars in Marine Biology (2 credit hr each; minimum of three required (6)
BIO 601 Oceanography and Environmental Science*
BIO 602 Ecology
BIO 603 Physiology and Biochemistry
BIO 604 Cellular and Molecular Biology
BIO 605 Evolution and Biodiversity
BIO 690 Seminar (1)
BIO 694 Practicum in College Biology Teaching (2)
BIO 699 Dissertation (12)
*Required of all students: Prerequisite: Biological Oceanography (564) or equivalent

In addition to the above requirements, each student in consultation with his/her dissertation committee,
shall select a minimum of 27 hours of elective credit that may include graduate courses and research hours
(BIO 698).

Course descriptions of core and elective courses can be found in Appendix 1, and may also be viewed in
the on-line catalog at:
http://catalogue.uncw.edu/content.php?catoid=18&navoid=1222

b. PROGRAM ENHANCEMENT OF DEPARTMENTAL, COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY

OBJECTIVES
The graduate programs in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology have an extensive and
well documented history of promoting the missions of the department, the College of Arts and Sciences,
and the University, including but not limited to the seven strategic goals of UNCW. The educational aims
of the graduate programs form the foundation upon which all other objectives rest. At the heart of the
educational mission is the relationship between the faculty mentor and the graduate student. The mentor
provides a research context and support in the form of lab supplies, equipment, and assistantships, as well
as training in technical methods, safe laboratory practices, analytical approaches, and critical evaluation of
data and the published literature. This intensive learning environment is reinforced by the faculty thesis
committee, which offers the student a breadth of knowledge and expertise to draw upon during their thesis
research while also promoting academic rigor.
This process yields a number of tangible products. Perhaps the most important contribution our
graduate program makes to the University, the state of North Carolina, and society at large, is creating a
pool of highly trained alumni who are well prepared to be responsible citizens, and who are positioned to
succeed in an increasingly technical work environment. In addition, many of our top students are attracted
to our graduate programs from other states, and they often remain in North Carolina after graduation. The
multidisciplinary nature of modern biological research means that these graduate students undergo study
that encompasses many fields, including biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and computer science.
The high quality of the graduate programs, in turn, helps the department attract top level faculty who
reinforce the educational and research missions of UNCW. In addition, the faculty serves as a resource to
the community at large by providing professional expertise in a variety of fields, serving on state and
federal panels, and conducting research of regional or national interest.
One of the unique properties of our departmental graduate programs is that undergraduates,
master’s students, Ph.D. students, post-doctoral trainees and faculty members work together in many labs
as an integrated research team. That is, the graduate students not only have the opportunity to work with
more experienced scientists, but they also learn leadership and team building skills by mentoring
undergraduate students. The graduate students also typically gain extensive experience in a formal
teaching setting, usually as a laboratory TA, which further enhances leadership and organizational skills.
 13
c. ACADEMIC PHILOSOPHY REFLECTED WITHIN GRADUATE PROGRAM

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN BIOLOGY AND MARINE BIOLOGY

The program of study for the Master’s of Science in Biology and in Marine Biology is built on a
strong core of coursework that strives to balance the breadth provided by the required courses with the
depth provided by the diverse elective offerings. The core requirements ensure that students achieve the
necessary foundation upon which their research will be based, as well as an understanding of biology in
areas outside their area of specialization. At the same time, tremendous flexibility is maintained by the
broad array of elective courses available (5-10/semester). We feel that this balance facilitates our meeting
of the four goals of our M.S. programs (see Section 3.a. above).
One measure of the success of our M.S. program is reflected in the paths taken by students once
having completed their program of study at UNCW. Since 2007, 36% of our graduates have gone on to
pursue additional graduate study (Objective 1), 40% are currently working as professional scientists
(Objectives 2 & 3) and 19% have become educators themselves, teaching in schools and community.
The ability of our programs to achieve the stated objectives is also assessed at several points
during each M.S. student’s tenure at UNCW. The process begins with the required BIO 501: Introduction
to Science as a Profession. This course is designed to prepare students for their graduate careers by
covering such topics as scientific writing and oral presentation, experimental methodology and design,
funding and career opportunities, proposal writing, and literature search techniques. In addition to
orienting students in their first semester, this course requires students to develop a sound research idea,
present that idea in the form of a prospectus and substantiate the project with a literature review. In their
second semester, they must orally present their research project to the department during the Graduate
Student Prospectus Symposium. The breadth of knowledge attained by students in the required core
sequence, as well as their depth of knowledge regarding their area of research focus, is evaluated by an oral
exam administered during their third semester. A final and more focused oral examination of the depth of
a student’s knowledge in their chosen area of specialization takes place at the thesis defense, where
students must successfully communicate their research to a broad public audience, and competently handle
questions from that audience as well as the focused questions from their thesis committee. The thesis,
written in the format of a manuscript to be submitted for publication, represents the formal culmination of
each student’s graduate experience within our department.
Another indicator of the success of the program of mentoring students into scientists is the number
of students who publish their research in peer-reviewed journals. Since 2007, M.S. and Ph.D. students
have been authors on 199 peer-reviewed papers, and first authors on 151. This is an underestimate of total
student productivity, as several faculty members who mentored students have retired or moved to other
positions and did not respond to our request for student publications. The ability of our graduate students
to undertake, execute and successfully defend their results sufficiently to earn a designation of “acceptable
for publication” by the wider scientific community is a true indicator of the success of these graduate
programs.

Ph.D. PROGRAM IN MARINE BIOLOGY

The program of study for the doctor of philosophy in Marine Biology is designed to expose our
students to a broad array of topics in marine biology and oceanography, and to empower them to identify,
define and solve original research problems.
Our Ph.D. curriculum builds upon the strong core curriculum of the M.S. programs and adopts
seminar format courses (BIO 602, 603, 604, 605) to extend our students’ knowledge base in marine
biology. These seminars are designed to permit students to explore, in collaboration with faculty, topics of
special interest in the fields of marine ecology, physiology and biochemistry, cell and molecular biology,
and evolution and biodiversity. In addition, all students must participate in the seminar on oceanography
and environmental science (BIO 601) because we feel that it is of paramount importance that Ph.D.
 14
candidates earning a degree in Marine Biology have a strong foundation in oceanography. If students have
not yet taken a graduate-level course in oceanography (BIO 564 in our department), they must do so before
they progress to this required seminar. Because of our department’s commitment to education, our Ph.D.
students also participate in a teaching practicum with classroom instruction in pedagogical techniques and
technologies. At the heart of the Ph.D. program is the student’s development as an independent
researcher. We feel that the flexibility offered by the seminar format, as well as the interactive and
participatory nature of seminar courses, fosters this development. As stated above (Section 3.a.), our
objective in offering this degree is to serve students with interests in conducting research in academia,
industry, and government along with those who intend to become faculty in undergraduate teaching
institutions, managers in technology-based industries and policy makers in government.
The ability of our program to achieve its objectives is assessed at several points during each Ph.D.
student’s tenure at UNCW. During their first year in the program, Ph.D. students develop a dissertation
proposal. This proposal, which can be written as an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant or in a
more traditional proposal format (i.e. including a comprehensive literature review) is critically evaluated by
the mentor and dissertation committee and must be approved by the committee before the student can
progress.
Ph.D. students must complete an oral qualifying exam. This exam consists of both a (a)
presentation of the dissertation proposal as a departmental seminar and (b) a candidacy exam to permit
questioning of the proposal and areas covered. During these events, the student must demonstrate their
scholarly authority of, and their ability to competently answer questions on, their research project as well as
demonstrate a broader understanding of marine biology. The proposal and candidacy exam must be
completed before the beginning of the 3rd year of study.
The dissertation, written in the format of a series of manuscripts, represents the formal culmination
of each Ph.D. student’s graduate experience within our department. At the time of the last program review,
one Ph.D. student had produced a dissertation, defended it, and graduated. Since 2007, an additional 17
students have successfully defended their dissertations and graduated from the program. Since 2007, our
Ph.D. students have published 81 papers from their work in our department.

4. CERTIFICATION, INTERDISCIPLINARY AND OTHER PROGRAMS

The Department of Biology and Marine Biology does not offer any graduate-level certification
programs. The department does participate in the interdisciplinary M.S. in Marine Science program. Over
the sixteen years of the M.S. in Marine Science program, biology faculty members from our department
have directed or co-directed 72 of the 130 total students who have participated in this master’s program.
Our program also provides support for selected M.S. Marine Science students in the form of graduate TAs,
and we are pleased to have these students contributing to our undergraduate teaching mission. Our
introductory course, BIO 501: Introduction to Science as a Profession, services those M.S. Marine Science
students who have biology faculty as their advisors, and our graduate courses serve as core and elective
courses in the M.S. Marine Science curriculum. We participated in the planning of the multidisciplinary
M.A. in Environmental Sciences, some of whose students now take our graduate courses, and the
interdisciplinary M.S. in Coastal and Ocean Policy; two of our faculty now teach a course that serves that
program. The department is also involved at this time in planning for an inter-institutional Ph.D. program
in coastal and marine science with East Carolina University (program title yet to be decided).
In addition to these established inter-disciplinary graduate programs, our faculty and students are
actively involved in a wide range of interdisciplinary, multi-institutional scientific programs that benefit
the community. These include the Coastal Ocean Research and Monitoring Program and the Lower Cape
Fear River Program. In addition, faculty and students participate in programs with the UNCW Marine
Mammal Stranding Program, the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital, Ft. Fisher Aquarium, Cape Fear
 15
River Watch, the Aquarius underwater ocean laboratory, the Shellfish Research Hatchery, the UNCW
Finfish Mariculture program, and the UNCW Coastal Society.
Our students also benefit from their ability to participate in two certificate programs within our
College – Applied Statistics and Environmental Studies. Availability of these certificate programs
enhances the breadth of training of our graduate students.

5. FACILITIES

a. DESCRIPTION OF FACILITIES
The Department of Biology and Marine Biology occupies c. 42,000 ft2 of laboratory and office
space in two principal buildings on UNCW’s main campus. Dobo Hall houses faculty from our
department and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Our department occupies 3,500 ft2 of
office, 7,900 ft2 of teaching, and 11,100 ft2 of research space in Dobo Hall. Friday Hall provides an
additional 3,900 ft2 of office, 8,500 ft2 of teaching and 7,000 ft2 of research space. Laboratories in Dobo
Hall and Friday Hall are well equipped with instrumentation needed for a wide range of molecular,
microbial and organismal research. In addition, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, also
located in Dobo Hall, houses a number of analytical instruments that are available to the Department of
Biology and Marine Biology, including nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, mass spectrometers and
gas chromatographs. The department also has an animal care facility located in the PPH building between
Dobo Hall and Friday Hall that has both wet lab space for aquaria and laminar flow cage enclosures.
The Oriole Burevitch laboratory provides laboratory and storage space for faculty and students
conducting field studies on marine and terrestrial mammals and reptiles, seabirds and marine fishes.
Offices and research laboratories for approximately one-third of the Department’s faculty are
located at UNCW’s CREST Research Campus on the intra-coastal waterway. This campus comprises
three principal structures: the Center for Marine Science, Oyster Hatchery and Marine Biotechnology
buildings. Facilities at the CREST Campus are described in more detail in a separate section below.
A representative, but by no means complete, list of major equipment housed in Friday Hall, Dobo
Hall and at CMS during the previous Graduate Program Review is presented below. For comparison, a list
of equipment obtained since then (2008-present) is presented as well; this equipment has been obtained by
a mix of intra- and extramural funding.

Examples of equipment housed in research laboratories in Friday Hall, Dobo Hall and the Center for
Marine Science; this list is not exhaustive.
Low speed, high speed centrifuges
Ultralow freezers, refrigerator freezers
Analytical and microbalances
Liquid scintillation and gamma counters (β and γ counters)
Tissue culture facilities including tissue culture hoods and incubators, and laminar flow hoods
spectrophotometers (standard and microplate readers),
Fluorometers, luminometers
ELISA readers
Thermal cyclers
Gel analysis hardware and software
Phosphor imager
Research-grade light microscopes in addition to a multi-user Microscopy Facility (see below)
Coulter counter
Flow cytometers including one equipped for cell sorting
Nutrient analysis laboratory (four-channel autoanalayzer, total organic carbon and nitrogen analyzers,
 16
elemental analyzer)
HPLC and gas chromatographs
histology core laboratory
WNC Herbarium, range and an animal care facility
Unix and Sun workstations; personal computers upgraded every 2-4 years
Computing facilities for the development of image processing, and analysis software applicable to the
imaging of biological specimens.

Examples of equipment acquired by Department faculty since 2008; this list is not exhaustive
FEI Tecnai G2 Spirit Biotwin transmission electron microscope
Leica SP8 laser scanning confocal microscope
Olympus IX81 spinning disc confocal microscope
Olympus SZ dissecting microscope with infinity digital camera
Leica UC7 ultramicrotome
Leica CM 1860 cryostat
Bio Rad PDS-1000 particle delivery system
Leica EM CPD300 critical point dryer
Dedicated Marine Mammal Stranding Response Truck
REVCO ULTRACOLD -86 C chest freezer 20.5 CUFT
Walk-in cold room to hold specimens for detailed dissection
Thermocycylers (several)
Thermomixer and table-top shakers
microcentrifuges, refrigerated centrifuges (several)
Expansion of research quality aquaria systems
Micromill
Analytical balances (several)
Peltier biological incubators
Dissecting microscope with digital camera and software package
GE Ultrospec 8000 UV/Vis spectrophotometer
Molecular Devices M2e multimodal microplate spectrophotometer
Labconco Biological Safety Cabinet for cell culture
Nuaire CO2 incubator for cell culture
Seahorse XFp metabolic flux analyzer
Olympus BX40 phase contrast microscope
Olympus IMT-2 inverted phase contrast microscope
DMA-80 mercury analyzer
IKA C2000 calorimeter system
Perkin-Elmer TriCarb 2910 Liquid Scintillation Counter
Turner Trilogy module-based fluorometer
Genesys 20 Spectrophotometer
25 Leica DME compound light microscopes
Thermo Scientific Heracell 150i CO2 incubator
Labconco Protector Controlled Atmosphere Glove Box
Sartorious CPA225D micro scale
Qiagen TissueLyser LT
DIC/phase contrast inverted microscope with image analysis software
Research Flume: 4.0m x 0.75m x 0.30m water channel capable of producing flows up to 0.37 m/s.
Removable floor panels allow for addition of sediment to a depth of 0.15 m.
Dantec Particle Image Velocimeter to perform combined measurements of planar 2 component velocity
 17
and concentration measurements for marine applications.
Nortek "Vector" Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (x3)
Nortek "Aquadopp" Acoustic Doppler Profiler
Sontek "Hydra MicroADV" Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter
Sequoia Scientific LISST Portable particle analysis system
Turner Designs "Model 10AU" Chlorophyll Fluoromenter
Turner Designs "Trinity" Flouormeter with analysis modules for chlorophyll, phycoerythrin, phycocyanin,
rhodamine, and fluorescein.
Eureka Environmental Engineering "Manta 2" Datasonde with temperature, pH,
dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and turbidity sensors
C&I Equipment Water Pumper Tank Trailer - 525 gallon tank trailer with pump for filling and dispensing
seawater.

UNCW Microscopy Facility in Dobo Hall

The microscopy facility is a dedicated 2,000 ft2 laboratory suite located in Dobo Hall expressly
designed to accommodate light and electron microscopes. The entire suite is on a separate slab to
minimize vibrations and main power lines are routed around the suite. Two 15 ft x 15 ft rooms house a
new FEI Tecnai G2 Spirit Biotwin transmission electron microscope and a Philips XL 30S FEG scanning
electron microscope. The XL30S FEG SEM is a high-resolution instrument with secondary and
backscattered electron detectors as well as an integrated EDAX non-dispersive X-ray microanalysis unit
with both analytical and mapping software. New microscopes acquired via extramural funding from
NSF’s MRI program since 2007 include a Leica SP8 laser scanning confocal microscope, an Olympus
IX81 spinning disc confocal microscope, and an Olympus SZ dissecting microscope with infinity digital
camera.
The sample preparation area contains two full-sized hoods, ample bench space, and a darkroom,
adjacent to the transmission electron microscope, also serves the suite. Support equipment for specimen
preparation include: a Polaron Critical Point Dehydration Unit, a Leica Cryocut 1800 cryostat, a Sorval
MT-1 ultramicrotome, a Sorval MT-2 ultramicrotome, a Reichert-Jung Ultracut E ultramicrotome, an LKB
7800 glass knife maker, a Campden 725M vibrotome, a Denton DV502 vacuum evaporator, a Cressington
208HR high resolution sputter coater, as well as general histological support equipment (rotary microtomes
for paraffin sections, pH meters, mixers, incubators, balances, ovens, autoclave, etc.). New (replacement)
equipment, including a Leica UC7 ultramicrotome, Leica CM 1860 cryostat, Bio Rad PDS-1000 particle
delivery system, and Leica EM CPD300 critical point dryer, were obtained through a multi-authored NSF
MRI proposal.
A separate 10' x 30' room houses the light microscopes. The room has high and low pressure air,
positive ventilation, and computer network connections. In addition to the new microscopes listed above,
vibration free tables house the light microscopic equipment which includes: an Olympus BX60 microscope
with phase, bright field, and epifluorescence; an Olympus IMT inverted microscope with phase, bright
field, epifluorescence and Hoffman modulation contrast optics; a Zeiss Axioscope polarized light
microscope; a Zeiss Stemi SV 6 polarizing dissecting scope; a Nikon dissecting scope with split prism for
recording stereo pairs; and SPOT RT and SPOT RTke digital cameras. All of these scopes are attached to
PC’s with DVD writers and network connections. Image Pro Plus image analysis software is installed on
computers linked to the microscopes as well as to a remote station where recorded images can be analyzed.
The Olympus Fluoview 1000 Confocal Microscope has three detectors, two channels spectral and one
channel with filters. It has lasers suitable for excitation at 405/458/488/515/543/633 with AOTF control.
The spectral detectors have a 400-790 nm range, a resolution of 2nm and a speed of 140 nm/sec. It is
housed on an Olympus IX81 inverted microscope with PLAN APO lens, DIC capability and motorized Z
axis travel of 10mm with 10nm resolution.
The microscopy facility has a faculty supervisor (Dr. Alison Taylor), a full-time, university funded
 18
microscopy lab technician (Daniel Mark Gay) with over 20 years of experience in electron and light
microscopy, and a post-doctoral associate who teaches classes in microscopy, supports the facility and
conducts independent research in Dr. Taylor’s lab. All major instruments are under service contracts paid
by UNCW.

Crest Research Campus: Center for Marine Science

The Center for Marine Science (CMS) at UNCW supports and promotes research and instructional
activities involving students and faculty of various departments. Nearly one-third of the Department’s
faculty, including their offices and research laboratories, are housed at CMS. CMS also hosts the North
Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve Program (NC-NERR) as well as administrative offices for
the NC SeaGrant Program. CMS/UNCW historically hosted one of six the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration’s National Undersea Research Centers (NOAA-NURC) but these offices
were recently closed.
CMS provides research laboratories for faculty and students, boats for research and field trips, a
seawater system (raw and filtered), a machine/instrument shop, and marine engineering services. CMS
also operates the R/V Cape Fear, which is 63 ft in length and 21 ft in beam, and has a draft of 4.5 ft. It has
a cruising speed of 15 knots and a fuel capacity of 1,800 gallons. It has been used for work on benthic and
chemical ecology as well as marine geology, marine archeology, and for training students in scientific
diving and ship-board methods.
CMS occupies 80,000 sq. ft. building constructed on University property adjacent to the
Intracoastal Waterway. This property, located at Myrtle Grove, is about seven miles southeast of the main
UNCW campus. The facility serves as a marine science center for UNCW, visiting scientists from other
campuses of the University of North Carolina system, and for visitors from other universities. Facilities
exist to support research in the deep water ocean, near-shore waters, barrier islands and estuaries. The
Center also provides space for other related agencies and supports marine research projects conducted in
the coastal region of North Carolina, in the southeast region of the U.S.A., and other locations as required.
A major goal of this facility is to provide the State of North Carolina with a first class marine science
facility with quality space for research and immediate access to good quality seawater.
The Center for Marine Science at Myrtle Grove is divided among the following
agencies/disciplines: Marine Biology, Oceanography, Coastal and Estuarine Systems, Marine Geology,
Aquaculture, Chemistry, Marine Biotechnology, and Public Service. The largest group of occupants is
faculty from the Department of Biology and Marine Biology, but faculty from the departments of Geology
and Geography, Physics and Physical Oceanography, Mathematics and Statistics are also residents. This
integration provides greater opportunities for interaction between faculty and students in marine biology
with those in other subdisciplines of the marine sciences. Features of the Center include: group meeting
facilities for up to 150 individuals; fully equipped research laboratories, classrooms, and marine science
laboratories; a greenhouse with running seawater; a radioisotope laboratory; computer workrooms, cold
rooms, walk-in freezers; temperature controlled rooms; autoclave and media preparation room; darkroom;
chemical storage and balance rooms; fireproof vault for data storage; clean room; central analytic facility;
sample processing rooms; aquarium room with running seawater; indoor storage; outdoor storage;
shower/locker facilities; and outdoor facility for tanks with running sea water, and a 900 foot pier with
docking facilities for several coastal research vessels on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The seawater
system provides raw, filtered, and purified seawater at flow rates up to 600 liters/min; tank farm services;
and aquarium room services.
Several Core facilities have been established to support particular fields of marine science
research. These currently include cores for the cultivation of harmful algae, nutrient analysis, analytical
chemistry, spectroscopy and DNA analysis. Each core is directed by a faculty member who in consultation
of a core user group, has established procedures governing access and use of these facilities. Support for
the acquisition and maintenance of core instrumentation is provided through the efforts of the Core
 19
directors and the user groups who work together to acquire the necessary extramural funding. The Center
routinely provides partial support for the maintenance of Core equipment, with the remainder in some
cases, coming from modest use fees.
The location of the Center provides easy access to regional marine environments such as: tidal
marshes/mud flats/sand flats; tidal creeks; barrier islands and tidal inlets; the Atlantic Intracoastal
Waterway; near-shore marine environments; the Gulf Stream; hard bottom communities; sand dunes and
maritime forests; and both highly developed and minimally developed estuarine environments.

Crest Research Campus: Oyster Hatchery and Marine Biotechnology Buildings

The Oyster Hatchery is a recent addition and a state-of-the-art aquaculture facility. Research in
this 16,000 sq. ft. facility focuses principally of the production of biomass and the management of stock
structures for bivalves of economic importance (principally oysters and scallops). The facility is equipped
with an array of equipment including algal bioreactors and shellfish growth chambers.
The Marine Biotechnology building was completed in 2012. Research conducted in this building
focuses on the discovery and development of commercially valuable natural products from marine
organisms.

b. ADEQUACY OF FACILITIES
The growth of the graduate programs in Biology and Marine Biology would be measurably
enhanced by improvements in several broad areas of support.
First, enrollment at UNCW and the number of Departmental majors has increased significantly in
the last five years. This is necessarily increasing faculty workload. One solution to this problem is to hire
new faculty, but the Department has received no new (i.e., beyond replacement) faculty lines. If the
Department were to receive new faculty lines there would be limited ready office or laboratory space for
new hires. Acquisition of new faculty, using new faculty lines will require construction of new office and
laboratory facilities, repurposing existing space (which means relocating their present occupants), or the
use of temporary structures.
Second, our students are fortunate to have access to a diversity of state-of-the-art instruments in
support of their research and education at UNCW. Within our department, and at CMS, students have
access to these tools both through shared-use facilities (e.g. microscopy lab in Dobo Hall, DNA and
Nutrient Analysis Core Facility at CMS) and through individual faculty member labs. In addition, the
university has in the past two years instituted a policy of replacing high priority equipment that was
purchased using capital funds, thus helping preserve the effectiveness of the infrastructure that we have in
place. However, a continued need exists to identify new space to locate joint-use laboratory facilities to
house equipment purchased by faculty from extramural funding.
Third, there are also infrastructural deficiencies for the support of faculty in the administration of
grant awards. Each year, the Department of Biology and Marine Biology brings an average of $2.9 million
in new extramural funding to the university (see Section 9 below). We are extremely appreciative of the
professional efforts of Ms. Kimberly McKoy, Office of Research Services and Sponsored Programs, who
oversees grant activity in our department, among others. Faculty, though, often experience substantial
increases in administrative workloads associated with the management of extramural funding, particularly
when awards reach the level sufficient to support multiple graduate students. Our exemplary staff
members, who are described in Section 6.c. below, are already working at capacity to help support the
faculty in these matters. We believe that the department would benefit greatly from the addition of a new
staff member who could help faculty with the administrative workload (e.g. hiring, budgets, compliance)
associated with extramural funding.
The pursuit of extramural funding resources, necessary to investigate new research areas and
increase growth in the graduate programs, would also benefit from enhanced support by the university
administration. For instance, more opportunities for faculty release time could be afforded that would
 20
provide faculty members with adequate time to devote to these pursuits. Because we take very seriously
our undergraduate teaching mission, faculty workloads are relatively heavy for a department with such a
sustained high level of extramural funding and research productivity. In fact, our department initiated the
Ph.D. program with no change to our faculty workloads, and we have experienced a near doubling of
undergraduate majors with no additional support. We must find creative ways in which to make workloads
manageable to support the graduate programs while meeting our teaching responsibilities. There are a
number of potential strategies to help better manage workloads, including increasing release time, hiring
more faculty, and increasing the administrative support staff.
Fourth, and most importantly, the program requires more permanent staff for instrumentation
operation, maintenance, and student training. Currently, only a single full-time departmental staff member
falls under this category, and the duties he performs are invaluable to the success of the graduate program.
Additional technical personnel would further enhance graduate student research by providing expertise and
training for the sophisticated instrumentation that is increasingly playing a central role in graduate thesis
projects. There is a clear need for growth in the area of technical support for the Department.

6. PERSONNEL

a. TENURE TRACK FACULTY

Graduating
Name Rank Hired Deg. Institution Research interest
Wake Forest Vertebrate Conservation
Arbogast, Brian Assoc. 2008 Ph.D. Univ. Biology
Toxic marine algae,
Baden, Daniel G. Prof. 1998 Ph.D. Univ. of Miami toxicology
Louisiana St. Molecular phylogeny,
Bailey, J. Craig Assoc. 1999 Ph.D. Univ. phycology
Wake Forest Human and comparative
Ballard, Timothy Assoc. 1984 Ph.D. Univ. physiology
Univ. of Quantitative ecology,
Borrett, Stuart R. Assoc. 2007 Ph.D. Georgia modeling
Brander, Susanne Assist. 2013 Ph.D. U. Cal. Davis Toxicology & Pharmacology
Cahoon, Lawrence Prof. 1982 Ph.D. Duke Univ. Biological oceanography
Condon, Robert Assist. 2014 Ph.D. V.I.M.S. Biological oceanography
Integrative and Comparative
Covi, Joseph Assist. 2012 Ph.D. L.S.U. Biology
Dodd, Diane Assist. 1985 Ph.D. Yale Univ. Genetics
University of S.
Durako, Michael Prof. 1997 Ph.D. Florida Coastal plant biology
Emslie, Steven D. Prof. 1998 Ph.D. Univ. of Florida Ornithology, paleobiology
Univ. Ala.
Erwin, Patrick Assist. 2013 Ph.D. Birm. Microbiology
Univ. of S.
Finelli, Christopher Assoc. 2006 Ph.D. Carolina Biological oceanography
Univ.
Frampton, Arthur Assist. 2008 Ph.D. Tennessee Cell Biology
 21
Kamel, Stephanie Assist. 2013 Ph.D. Univ. Toronto Ecology&Evolution
Florida State Biochemistry, cellular
Kinsey, Stephen Prof. 1997 Ph.D. Univ. energetics
Koopman, Heather Prof. 2004 Ph.D. Duke Univ. Marine lipid physiology
University of
Lankford, Thomas E. Assoc. 2000 Ph.D Delaware Ichthyology, fish biology
Long, Zachary Assist. 2009 Ph.D. Rutgers Univ. Ecology
Univ.
Barcelona &
Lopez-Legentil, Suzanna Assist. 2014 Ph.D. Perpignan Marine Zoology
Cetacean biology,
Pabst, D. Ann Prof. 1995 Ph.D. Duke Univ. biomechanics
Scripps Inst.
Pawlik, Joseph Prof. 1990 Ph.D. Oceanography Marine chemical ecology
Pennys, Darren Assist. 2015 Ph.D. U. Florida Plant Biology
Univ. of
Posey, Martin Prof. 1989 Ph.D. Oregon Estuarine ecology
Univ. Rhode
Rhodes, Ryan Assist. 2013 Ph.D. Island Microbiology
Biomineralization,
Roer, Robert Prof. 1979 Ph.D. Duke Univ. osmoregulation
Univ. of Ca-
Satterlie, Richard Prof. 2004 Ph.D. Santa Barbara Neurophysiology
Univ. of
Scharf, Frederick Prof. 2003 Ph.D. Massachusetts Fisheries biology
Univ. of
Stapleton, Ann Assoc. 2001 Ph.D. Chicago Plant genomics
Oxford Brookes
Taylor, Alison Prof. 2007 Ph.D. Univ. Cell Biology
Univ. of Rhode
Tomas, Carmelo Prof. 1999 Ph.D. Island Marine phytoplankton
William &
Volety, Aswani Prof. 2014 Ph.D. Mary Marine Ecology
Webster, David Prof. 1977 Ph.D. Texas Tech Mammalogy

White, William Assist. 2010 Ph.D. U.C. Davis Marine Ecology

Univ. of Shellfish genetics and
Wilbur, Ami E. Assoc. 1999 Ph.D. Delaware mariculture
Univ. British
Williard, Amanda Assoc. 2005 Ph.D. Columbia Animal Physiology
 22
b. NON-TENURE TRACK FACULTY
Graduating
Name Rank Hired Deg. Institution Duties/Expertise
Utah State Conservation Biology,
Bolen, Eric Emeritus 1988 Ph.D. Univ. Wildlife
University of
Alabama Biochemistry, Anatomy and
Chen, Hsiang-Yin Lect. 2013 Ph.D. Birmingham Physiology
William &
Condon, Beth Darrow Lect. 2014 M.S. Mary Marine Ecology
UNC
Dickens, Amanda Lect. 2014 Ph.D. Wilmington Marine Biology
Univ. South Morphology and
Dillaman, Richard Emeritus 1981 Ph.D. Carolina Ultrastructure
Gilley, Michelle Lect. 2012 Ph.D. Auburn Univ. Wildlife Ecology
Hosier, Paul Emeritus 1973 Ph.D. Duke Univ. Barrier Island Ecology
Med. Univ.
Kiser, Kevin Lect. 2012 Ph.D. So. Carolina Cell Biology
Koester, Julie Lect.
Mallin, Michael A. Res. Prof. 1992 Ph.D. UNC-CH River, Estuarine Ecology
UNC-
McCall, Jennifer Lect. 2014 Ph.D. Charlotte Health Sciences
Plant Biology/ Introductory
Melroy, Diane L. Sr. Lect. 2000 Ph.D. UC-Berkeley Biology
Moore, Leslie J. Lect. 2006 M.S. UNCW Lab Coordinator/
Plyer, Daniel Emeritus 1965 Ph.D. UNC-CH Plant Genetics
Potts, Linda F. Sr. Lect. 1998 Ph.D. UNC-CH Anatomy & Physiology
UNC
Priester, Carolina Lect. 2012 Ph.D. Wilmington Cell Biology
Univ. of
Watanabe, Wade O. Res. Prof. 1997 Ph.D. Hawaii Finfish Mariculture
Univ.
Woditschka, Stephan Lect. 2014 Ph.D. Wisconsin Health Sciences

Description of Teaching Roles of Faculty, Part-time Faculty and Faculty Associates

As of the start of the 2014/2015 academic year, the Department of Biology and Marine Biology
had 49 full-time faculty, including six faculty with full or partial administrative reassignments (Webster,
Posey, Finelli, Wilbur, Volety, and Baden); 37 of these are tenure-track faculty. One faculty member
(Tomas) is 0.5 FTE within the department, with a split appointment between CMS and our department,
and is retiring this year. We are currently searching for three faculty positions. A position for a
Distinguished Professor of Marine Biology is also open at this time. Thirteen of our full-time faculty are
non-tenured lecturers: Drs. Chen, Dickens, Gilley, Kiser, Koester, McCall, Melroy, Potts, Priester,
Woditschka, and Ms. Condon and Ms. Moore. Ms. Moore serves as our department Laboratory
Coordinator for introductory laboratories, working with graduate TAs in the design and implementation of
labs for the BIO 105, BIO 201 and 202 courses; the others all have formal classroom teaching
responsibilities. Drs. Chen and Koester are departmental post-doctoral associates that support our research
 23
and teaching mission, and they are associated with the positions of Department Chair, Graduate
Coordinator, and Director of the Microscopy Facility, respectively. These lecturers have a reduced
teaching load due to their research duties, but they fill a valuable teaching role for the department and gain
important teaching experience that will help them in their career. The department employs a number of
part-time instructors (13 in Fall, 2014) to fill specific instructional needs, particularly introductory course
laboratories. Dr. Watanabe, Director of the UNCW Aquaculture Center, teaches a course, BIO 486:
Advanced Topics in Mariculture once per year and Dr. Mallin, Research Faculty at the Center for Marine
Science, teaches a graduate course, BIO 568: River Ecology or BIO 560: Estuarine Ecology, once per year.
The Department also has five Research Associates (three at post-doctoral level), who also occasionally
teach undergraduate courses. In general, the department has followed a philosophy of limited utilization of
part-time faculty except as required to fill specific course needs, but has expanded its reliance on lecturers
in recent years.

Description of Teaching Roles of Graduate Students

Graduate students are integral to both the teaching and research missions of our department.
Graduate student Teaching Assistants (TAs) teach almost all of our lower division lab courses (BIO 105:
Concepts of Modern Biology; BIO 201, 202: Principles of Biology; BIO 240-241: Human Anatomy and
Physiology; and BIO 246: Microbiology of Human Diseases) as well as upper division labs for selected
courses (BIO 335: Genetics, BIO 345: Animal Physiology, BIO 362: Marine Biology, BIO 366: Ecology,
and BIO 425: Microbiology). Thus, our TAs teach undergraduate students from across our campus,
including non-majors, nursing majors, and biology and marine biology majors. During the past seven
semesters, graduate TAs have taught or prepared an average of 96 (range 81-109) lab sections. The work-
loads of our TAs are standard and can generally be accomplished within the 20 hours per week that their
stipend covers. They typically teach 2 lab sections each semester, and many also assist with preparing the
labs or prepare the labs in lieu of teaching a section, depending on the amount of work required. Our
graduate TAs do a fantastic job with this responsibility. Their IDEA online student evaluation scores and
faculty peer review ratings are high, and undergraduates often take the effort to express appreciation for
their TA’s interest and enthusiasm.
Our graduate students are equally integral to our departmental research mission. It is fair to say
that most faculty view graduate student mentoring as a central core of their individual research program.
Many faculty include undergraduate Honors and Directed Independent Study students in their research
programs as well. Thus, a central mission of the department is to mentor and train research students. This
ethic is reflected in the high number of graduate students who are primary or co-authors on peer-reviewed
papers. Since fall 2008, 122 M.S. and Ph.D. students have graduated from our program. During this time
period, 199 peer-reviewed papers have been published with graduate student authors.

c. STAFF
The Biology and Marine Biology Departmental office is staffed by five superlative individuals: (1)
Ms. Carol Russell, Administrative Assistant and Office Manager, (2) Ms. Lori Leitch, Program Assistant,
(3) Ms. Debbie Cronin, Office Assistant and travel coordinator, (4) Ms. Kelly Northey, part-time
Receptionist and purchasing support, and (5) Ms. Tracie Chadwick, Office Assistant and Graduate
Secretary. These individuals provide invaluable service to our department and to our graduate program.
All budgets, hiring, purchasing, travel, reimbursements, in-departmental mechanics (e.g. issuing keys,
processing room requests, supporting computer equipment, mail delivery, etc.), and other graduate student-
specific actions (payroll, facilitating graduate hiring requests; maintenance of graduate forms and records,
communicating TA assignment requests, maintenance of graduate student mailboxes; seminar
notifications) are carried out by these individuals. These tasks are legion for a department of 54 faculty
and research associates, 65 graduate students and >1,000 undergraduate majors and pre-majors. Because
 24
our faculty and graduate students are research-active, and these activities add to the level of responsibilities
of our departmental staff, the work loads of our staff are high.
Mr. D. Mark Gay is the Laboratory Research Specialist who oversees the operation of the
microscopy facility, maintains the departmental teaching microscopes, assists faculty and graduate students
with their microscopy research projects, and assists with audiovisual production. Our graduate program
relies very heavily upon Mr. Gay’s technical expertise. Ms. Jennifer Abernethy Messer is the Greenhouse
Manager, who helps maintain the research and teaching botanical collections, and assists with preparations
for the Plant Biology Labs. Ms. Melanie Canfield is the departmental Undergraduate Academic Advisor,
and advises all the incoming biology majors and biology transfer students until they are assigned to a
faculty member as juniors. We have just received approval to hire an additional Advising Coordinator,
who will share that load and take on additional responsibilities as we adjust workloads.
As stated above in Section 6.b., we feel strongly that as we continue to grow our department’s
extramurally funded research efforts, which involves and supports both our undergraduate and graduate
students, our department would benefit from the addition of both administrative and technical support
staff.

7. GRADUATE STUDENTS

a. DESCRIPTION OF GRADUATE STUDENT POPULATION

There are currently 65 graduate students enrolled in our department’s graduate programs, 30 males
and 33 females. These include 14 M.S. Biology students, 34 M.S. Marine Biology students and 17 Ph.D.
Marine Biology students. Forty-eight of these students are currently classified as N.C. residents for tuition
purposes. However, many of these students have been granted N.C. residency after beginning their
graduate studies, and over the past 7 years 60% of our new enrollees have been from out of state. There
are three current international students (from Ecuador, Belize and Egypt), and six of our graduate students
are Hispanic.

b. ADMISSIONS CRITERIA
Admission to our M.S. graduate programs is a two-step process. The first step is an initial
screening of the applicant by the Graduate Coordinator based upon the evaluation of their performance on
the General Test of the GRE, undergraduate GPA, letters of recommendation, and research and work
experience. An initial decision regarding the eligibility of an applicant is based upon a composite
numerical score employing a ranking of each of the above criteria. The current protocol is appended as
Appendix 2.
The second step in the process is that an eligible applicant must be accepted by a graduate faculty
member to be admitted to the program. Thus, once an application is deemed eligible, it is made available
to the faculty for their consideration. Applicants are encouraged to contact faculty members with whom
they are interested in working to facilitate matching of applicants with advisors, but this is not a
requirement for acceptance. Once a faculty member has decided that they would like to accept an
applicant, they contact the Graduate Coordinator to discuss departmental and extramural support for the
student. The student is then notified by the Graduate Coordinator that they have been accepted, and they
are offered either a TA or RA and an out-of-state tuition waiver (if applicable). In some cases, applicants
may have fellowships that cover tuition and/or a stipend, and these cases are handled on a case-by-case
basis.
Numbers of applications to the M.S. Marine Biology program have remained relatively stable over
the past 7 years (mean 96; range 81-112) (Table 1). These numbers have remained high despite the
presence of the interdisciplinary M.S. in Marine Science, which might be expected to compete for
applicants. The number of applicants to our M.S. Biology program is considerably lower than that for the
 25
M.S. Marine Biology program. This trend likely reflects at least two factors. First, the reputation of
marine programs at our university is well established, and garners the most national attention. Second,
most of our faculty members engage in marine-related research, although we have made efforts in recent
years to hire faculty who teach and conduct research in non-marine related fields.
Admission to our Ph.D. program is also a multi-step process. The first step is, again, an initial
screening of the applicant, who must either have an M.S. degree or be in the M.S. program at UNCW.
Evaluations of performance include the General Test of the GRE, undergraduate and graduate GPA, letters
of recommendation, and research and work experience. Applicants must also provide a current
Curriculum Vita, a detailed summary of their M.S. thesis research, and a statement of Ph.D. research
interest. The second step in the process is that a faculty member must state their willingness to take on an
eligible Ph.D. applicant. Because there are insufficient programmatic funds to support Ph.D. student
stipends, the bulk of their support must come from the faculty and/or student fellowships. Thus, it is of
critical importance that the applicant and the faculty have developed a line of communication and are
entering into the admission process as a team. The final step is that students are admitted to the Ph.D.
program by a majority vote of the Graduate Advisory Committee (GAC) of the Department of Biology and
Marine Biology based upon eligibility requirements and available resources.
The number of applications to the Ph.D. program has always been small, ranging from 3-8 per year
for the past 7 years (Table 1). We believe that this small number of applicants is mostly due to the above
described application process, since we have encouraged all students who have contacted us about the
Ph.D. program to contact potential advisors as an integral part of their application process. Thus, the
application numbers below mostly reflect those students who have earned an M.S. (or are in that process at
UNCW) and have an agreed upon relationship with a faculty advisor. We have received only a small
number of applications without any prior communication with the applicant.

Table 1. Numbers of applications for the M.S. and Ph.D. Programs for fall 2008-2014.

Program 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

M.S. Marine Biology 60 81 82 91 86 59 70
M.S. Biology 13 17 17 14 16 14 16
Ph.D. Marine Biology 8 3 5 7 5 7 4
Total 81 101 104 112 107 80 90

Applications to the M.S. Marine Biology come largely from out-of-state (Table 2). The 89% rate
for fall 2014 reflects the overall trend of 80-90% out-of-state applications over the past ten years. In
contrast, most of our applicants to the M.S. Biology program are from in-state, as this program recruits
heavily from our undergraduate students, who are predominantly major in Biology and increasingly are
interested in health related professions. The Ph.D. in marine biology draws from both in-state and out-of-
state applicants, including from within professional and governmental agencies in the region.
The solid reputation of our program is reflected in the high enrollment rate for accepted students
(Table 3). While we do have strong enrollment rates (between 69-100%), these rates are a bit misleading.
We have lost a number of high-quality M.S. applicants who would have accepted our offer to join the
program, had they not accepted much more lucrative offers from other institutions. These students have
been very forthcoming, stating that finances played an important role in their decision. We believe that our
current recruitment package for M.S. students is severely deficient and that it has and will continue to
negatively affect our ability to compete for high-quality students.
 26

Table 2. Completed applications, acceptance and enrollment data for fall 2014.

M.S. Marine M.S. Biology Ph.D. Marine Total

Biology Biology
In-State Out In-State Out In-State Out In-State Out
Applications 8 62 11 5 0 4 19 71
Accepted 5 13 2 3 0 2 7 18
Enrolling 5 10 2 3 0 2 7 15

Table 3. Summary data on applications, acceptance and enrollments for fall 2008 through 2014.
Percentage accepted is relative to the applicant pool; percentage enrolling is relative to the number
accepted.

Year # Applications #Accepted (%) # Enrolling

(%)
2008 81 23 (28.4%) 20 (86.9%)
2009 101 19 (18.8%) 17 (89.4%)
2010 104 13 (12.5%) 9 (69.2%)
2011 112 24 (21.4%) 21 (87.5%)
2012 107 21 (19.6%) 21 (100%)
2013 80 18 (22.5%) 17 (94.4%)
2014 90 25 (27.7%) 22 (88%)

The quality of the applicant pool has been consistently high (Table 4). These students enter a
graduate program that takes very seriously their academic development. This commitment is reflected in
the high (>94%) retention rates of our M.S. and Ph.D. students.

Table 4. Mean scores for students enrolling in the M.S. and Ph.D. programs for fall 2008-2014. The
“points” column is our internal scoring system and has a range from 0 to 20.

Year (n) GRE GRE GRE G.P.A. Points

(V) (Q) (AW)
2008 509.5 650.5 4.5 3.55 13.5
(20) (19)
2009 556 662 4.6 3.51 13.3
(17)
2010 533 678 4.7 3.538 13.8
(9)
2011 534 688 4.3 3.45 13
(21)
2012 549 656 4 3.48 12.8
(21)
2013 156 153 4 3.43 12.5
(17)
2014 155 153 4 3.53 13
(22)
 27

Most years we tend to have more females enroll than males (Table 5). Since 2008, 7 international
students and 10 Hispanic students have enrolled in our program. No African Americans or Native
Americans have enrolled. Each year, efforts are made to increase African-American enrollment by sending
program information to all McNair Scholars who list biology or marine biology as their prospective
graduate school majors. The Graduate Dean and Graduate Coordinator for Biology and Marine Biology
have also participated in student fairs and outreach activities to better publicize our program to minority
students. In addition, the Graduate Coordinator and other members of the department have hosted a group
of undergraduate African American biology students from NC A&T University for a day each summer.
The students are part of an accelerated curriculum and our meeting is part of an effort to expose them to
the graduate program in our department early in their undergraduate careers. Such opportunities offer
potential future graduate applicants the opportunity to get to know UNCW. We believe that there is much
promise for enhancing the diversity of our student body, as well as the diversity of research experiences all
students receive at UNCW, by such focused efforts with a UNC sister institution. Our ability to diversify
the student body would also be greatly enhanced by more attractive recruitment packages for students (see
below).

Table 5. Demographics of graduate students enrolling from 2008-2014.

Academic # female # male #International # Hispanic
Year
Spring 2008 1 1
2008-09 15 7 3 2
2009-10 14 8
2010-11 5 12 2
2011-12 13 11 1
2012-13 12 10 1
2013-14 12 6 2 2
Fall 2014 17 5 4
TOTAL 89 60 7 10

c. ORIENTATION AND ADVISING

As stated above, our department takes very seriously its role of academic mentoring and teaching
training. These processes are supported throughout the student’s tenure with a series of planned events.
We officially meet our new graduate students during a morning orientation session and distribute the
Graduate Student Handbook, where all major facets of their academic life are touched upon (see Appendix
3 for agenda, and a copy of the Student Handbook). The orientation ends with a lunch with current
graduate students and faculty. Later that afternoon, “TA Boot Camp”, run primarily by veteran TAs, offers
them a supportive but realistic view of their new profession as graduate Teaching Assistants. In addition to
these departmental functions for new students, the Graduate School also sponsors a complimentary
orientation session as well as a TA Institute. While the departmental support sessions are focused on
information specific to our students, the graduate school functions cover information that is relevant to all
new graduate students.
In support of their teaching training TAs have weekly meetings with their lab coordinators and
faculty members evaluate all TAs each spring. The Graduate Coordinator also meets with TAs as needed
to address specific concerns or problems. In addition, BIO 694: Teaching Practicum is offered biennially
to permit interested master’s and all doctoral students the opportunity to explore methods and theory of
teaching.
There are also a series of events and goals that are planned to support the research training of our
 28
students. For our master’s students, these include: meetings each semester with their thesis committee, a
research prospectus that must be defended to their committee and to the department (during the Graduate
Student Prospectus Symposium), their oral preliminary exams, and the defense of their thesis. All M.S.
students also must enroll in BIO 501: Introduction to Science as a Profession, during their first semester in
residence. For Ph.D. students, these events include: annual meetings with their dissertation committee, a
research proposal that must be defended to their committee and to the department (individual departmental
seminar), their written and oral comprehensive exams, and the defense of their dissertation. Again,
students also meet with the Graduate Coordinator as needed to resolve any issues related to the program
requirements, as well as academic or personal issues. Alternatively, the Graduate Coordinator may contact
the student to schedule a meeting if certain benchmarks are not met or if their advisor feels that it is
appropriate to intervene.

d. GRADUATE STUDENT SUPPORT

Graduate Teaching Assistantships and extramurally-funded Research Assistantships
Most of our M.S. and Ph.D. students, and all who are not otherwise supported on federal
fellowships, are supported with either departmental teaching assistantships (TAs) or faculty-provided
research assistantships (RAs) for their entire tenure. Nearly all are also supported on faculty-provided RAs
during the summer. The department currently has 32 M.S. TAs to award at a level of $11,000 and 8 Ph.D.
TAs at a level of $19,000 for the nine month academic year (paid in 10 installments). Research
assistantships are generally paid at the same level during the academic year, but RAs may be paid at
increased levels during the summer months.
Each semester extramurally funded RAs support an average of 36% of all enrolled graduate
students (Table 6). However, RA funding appears to be dropping in recent years likely because of reduced
success rates of extramural grant applications. For instance, for the five-year period from 2008-2012 we
supported 43% of our graduate students with RAs, whereas in 2013 there was 26% RA support and in
2014 only 15% of our students were supported with RAs.

Table 6. Number of M.S. and Ph.D. TAs and RAs per semester during 2008-2014.
Year Spring TAs Spring RAs Fall TAs Fall RAs
2008 34 5 37 13
2009 34 17 38 17
2010 37 17 28 18
2011 28 15 30 16
2012 32 14 38 (*4) 14
2013 39 (*2) 12 39 (*4) 10
2014 39 (*2) 3 39 9
*Additional TAs that were not part of our allocation from the Graduate School. TAs paid from
Department of Biology and Marine Biology part-time funds, IDC funds and other funds.

Adequacy of Number of Teaching Assistantships

We are currently using all of our available TA funds to support graduate students. In fact, since
2012 we have started to use additional money provided by the College of Arts and Sciences, beyond the
TA money allocated by the Graduate School, to pay graduate students to teach laboratories. We also must
hire additional part-time faculty to meet our instructional need for undergraduate laboratories. Our faculty
members remain committed to continuing their efforts to enhance the extramural funding of our M.S. and
Ph.D. students. However, we believe that we have reached a point where the continued growth of our
program will be constrained by the number of available TA stipends. For instance, it has become clear that
our goal of a Ph.D. program that sustains between 20-30 students each year cannot be attained without at
 29
least a doubling of the current number of available TA stipends. While there are healthy numbers of
students in the graduate program, the number of students in each degree program has remained essentially
unchanged for the past 7 years (Figure 1). The same is true for the number of graduates over this time
period, although there is more variation year-to-year (Figure 2).

Figure 1. Total number of graduate students enrolled in each program for academic years 2008-09 to
2014-15.

Figure 2. M.S. Biology and Marine Biology graduates since inception of graduate programs. The top
shaded bar that appears beginning is 2006 is for the Ph.D. in Marine Biology.
 30
Tuition Remissions and Tuition Scholarships
Each year, the Graduate School provides our department with 26 out-of-state tuition remissions,
which pays the difference between the in-state and out-of-state tuition costs for 9 or greater credit hours.
We use these funds to support 34 out-of-state students, at 6-8 credit hours (credit hours are bundled at
UNCW), to make these extremely valuable remissions extend as far as possible to support our large student
body. In addition, we receive support in the form of Graduate Tuition Scholarships that can be used to
help defray the costs of in-state tuition for our students, and in-state tuition remissions that can be used
only to support Ph.D. students.
These resources are now funded at rates that are insufficient for our program, and these
deficiencies have exacerbated the difference in support that we offer our Ph.D. vs. our M.S. students. To
ensure the competitiveness of our Ph.D. program, we decided upon the inception of the Ph.D. program that
doctoral students must receive full tuition support. However, due to the growth of our Ph.D. program, we
have lost the ability to use Graduate Tuition Scholarships to offer our M.S. students any in-state tuition
support. For instance, we are recruiting more international students who will always need a remission
since they cannot become NC state residents for tuition purposes. In addition, with the advent of the
Affordable Care Act, students can now remain on their parent’s insurance policy until they are 26 years
old, and some students are unable to apply for in-state residency without losing their insurance. Thus,
there is a population of students who remain out-of-state and deplete tuition resources that could otherwise
be used to help cover in-state tuition costs. Thus, growth of our program can only occur with additional
tuition remissions and scholarships that can cover the expanding cost of out-of-state and in-state tuition
and fees. Further, simply sustaining the M.S. programs may be impossible without additional in-state
tuition support (see below).

Adequacy of Stipend and other forms of support for our M.S. and Ph.D. students
The primary threat to the continued health and vigor of our graduate programs is the severely
inadequate support we offer our M.S. students. Our M.S. TA stipends are low, we do not offer these
students in-state tuition waivers, and we do not provide them health insurance.
The M.S. TA stipend is $11,000/academic year. This stipend is many thousands of dollars lower
than those offered by many of our sister institutions (e.g. NCSU, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Charlotte and
UNC-Greensboro), and much lower than those schools in our regional footprint with which we primarily
compete for high-quality students (e.g. Old Dominion University, University of Delaware, College of
Charleston, VIMS) (Figure 3). Many of these other programs also offer full tuition support and health
insurance.
From this low stipend, our M.S. students are required to pay in-state tuition. Although the stipend
has increased modestly over time, our tuition costs have increased at a faster rate. Thus, in 2001, in-state
tuition costs represented 17% of an M.S. stipend while in 2014 these costs represent >42% of their stipend
(Figure 4). More realistically for our students, their tuition costs represent 46% of their take-home pay
(approximately $1000/month x 10 months). These students are, during this time, providing the service of
teaching our undergraduates – our primary university mission – while paying the university nearly half of
their take home pay for tuition and fees.
As this issue first began to present significant issues to our students, we carried out a voluntary
survey asking for information on monthly living expenses. Students could not include “luxury” costs, but
reported only real costs of living. The survey results (based upon 27 responses) were collated by officers
of the BIO Graduate Student Association, and reported to the Graduate Coordinator. Unfortunately, the
summary results from that year were dire. Our students’ average monthly cost of living was $1,463; their
average monthly take home at that time was $850. Rent (which averaged $569/month) and tuition costs
alone represent over 100% of the monthly take-home TA stipend of our M.S. students. This imbalance
resulted in 41% of the respondents taking out loans to meet basic living expenses. This survey was
conducted in fall of 2007! The situation has only worsened since then. Ironically, the university requires
 31
our students to carry health insurance, but we do not provide these students sufficient stipend support to
purchase this insurance.
The woeful support that we offer our M.S. students is financially unsustainable first and foremost
for our students, but also for our program and our university. We are asking our students to take on critical
educational roles in our university, and we are not paying them enough to meet their basic costs of living.
We are also charging them almost 50% of their wages to be enrolled in our program. Although our
department has a long history of supporting graduate students with extramural grants, the current federal
and state funding climate is not conducive to remedying all of the fiscal deficiencies described above.
Further, it is inconsistent and unrealistic to expect the faculty to generate extramural support sufficient to
offset these shortfalls while simultaneously committing extensive time and effort to our undergraduate
teaching mission. These deficits are so profound that institutional realignment is necessary to ensure the
health and competitiveness of M.S. graduate programs at UNCW.

Figure 3. Comparison of UNCW M.S. graduate stipend (black bar) with M.S. stipends for biology
departments from other universities that compete with our department for graduate students.
 32

Figure 4. Tuition as a percentage of M.S. TA stipend since 2000.

Other Graduate and Departmental Support and Competitive Scholarships

The Graduate School provides one New Scholar Award ($1,000) to the department annually to aid
in recruiting a highly ranked student. In addition, the Graduate School solicits nominations annually for
the Jane Logan Lackey scholarship, the Owen Graham Kenan scholarship, the Sylvia Schwarz graduate
fellowship, and the Lacy C. and Doris L. Sidbury scholarship, and a number of our students have
benefitted from these awards. The Department of Biology and Marine Biology also has additional
endowed graduate fellowships. These are the Dr. James F. and Frances B. Parnell Fellowship, for students
who are studying some aspect of field oriented terrestrial vertebrate biology; the Mulligan Fellowship, for
students who have achieved academic excellence and demonstrated exemplary service; the Frances Peter
Fensel Memorial Fellowship, established for the purpose of recognizing merit in the area of Marine
Biology at UNCW; and the Judith C. Bryan Holden Beach Turtle Watch fellowship, which recognizes
work in sea turtle conservation. There are two other scholarships that can be awarded to either an
undergraduate or a graduate student. These are the John Colucci Jr. Memorial Scholarship and the David
G. Lindquist Scholarship in Biology established for the purpose of recognizing merit in the area of Marine
Biology at UNCW.
Graduate student travel is funded largely by research grants to individual faculty members. The
Graduate School supplements these funds with $400 travel grants to graduate students who are first
authors on papers being presented at scientific meetings. The University Graduate Student Association
competitively offers students $400 for travel to meetings if they are not eligible for Graduate School funds,
and the Biology GSA offers graduate student support for registration and other costs. The department
supplies very little university or trust funds for support of graduate student travel. However, each faculty
member is provided with $500 per year that they may use to subsidize travel costs, which frees grant
money that can be applied to graduate student travel.

e. GRADUATE STUDENT PERFORMANCE MEASURES

As has been mentioned throughout this document, the scholarly output of our students is
exceptional. They have been authors on 199 peer-reviewed papers since 2007. Our graduate students
have also been authors on over 214 presentations at international, national and regional meetings.
In an effort to better capture the breadth of accomplishments of our graduate students, we initiated
a “Graduate Student Annual Report” in 2004. The reports for each of the past seven years are included in
 33
Appendix 4. During this period our students have published 199 peer-reviewed papers, and a number of
students have also won awards for their work. For example, 21 students received recognition for the
quality of their presentations at scientific meetings, including the Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology, the American Fisheries Society, the International Society of Protistologists, the World Seabird
Conference, the International Sea Turtle symposium, and the Biennial Conference on the Biology of
Marine Mammals.
During the review period, 147 students have received external fellowships and awards, or UNCW
scholarships and travel awards. In addition, 70 graduate students received extramural or intramural grant
funding from a variety of organizations, including NSF, Sigma-Xi, Lerner-Gray, NC Seagrant and NOAA.
Our students also take on leadership roles within their scientific community. For example, Christy Visaggi
served as a mentor for the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates in Biodiversity Conservation at
UNCW; Jessica Lisa was the Environmental Editor for Carolina Surf Magazine; Kalman Bugica was an
instructor for the Duke University Talent Identification Program in Near Shore and Ocean Marine Biology
at the Duke University Marine Laboratory; Micah Marty taught a winter field course on Coral Reef
Ecology in Bocas del Toro, Panama at the Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation; Carly Randall
worked for the UNCW Marine Quest program; Anne-Marie Hodge was invited to write a feature guest
post for Scientific American’s official blog; Julie Campbell presented her research to the NC General
Assembly in Raleigh for the 2011 Graduate Education Week; and many of our students performed
volunteer work as Science Fair and Science Olympiad judges, among other service activities.
Importantly, many of our graduate students have demonstrated exemplary performance as teaching
assistants. The majority of the department’s TAs regularly received student evaluation scores above the
university and the departmental averages. In the past seven years, six of our students have received
graduate teaching awards, including the University Teaching Excellence Award, the highest honor
graduate student teachers can attain at UNCW.
This partial list of achievements demonstrates that our graduate students are active in their science
and teaching, and in service to their academic and broader communities. They also complete their work in
a timely manner. During the past two review periods, the median time to graduation for our M.S. students
has been 2.5 years (Figure 5). For our Ph.D. students who will have graduated by summer 2014, the mean
time to graduation is 4.8 years. We have also enjoyed a high degree of success in placing the graduates of
our programs in both jobs in their fields (within and outside of North Carolina) and in Ph.D. programs
(Figure 6). Since our Ph.D. program is relatively new (first graduate in 2006), most of our graduates
during the review period are still in post-doctoral positions. However, a number of our recent graduates
have acquired permanent positions in their field, including:
Dr. Mike Polito, Assistant Professor, Louisana State University
Dr. Kristin Hardy, Assistant Professor, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Dr. Tim Henkel, Assistant Professor, Valdosta State University
Dr. Pedro Medina Rosas, Assistant Professor, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico
Dr. Virginia Winder, Assistant Professor, Benedictine College
Dr. Carlos Zavalaga, Assistant Professor, Universidad Cientifica del Sur, Lima
Dr. Christy Visaggi, Lecturer, Georgia State University
Dr. Amanda Kahn, Lecturer, UNCW
Dr. Carolina Priester, Lecturer, UNCW
Dr. Erin Fougeres, Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator, NOAA Fisheries

We are also pleased with the high retention rates of our students, which is 95% for our M.S.
students for the past 5 years and 94% for our Ph.D. students from 2008-2014.
 34

Figure 5. Time to degree for our M.S. students from May 2002-2014.

Figure 6. Placement of our students from the inception of our graduate program in jobs out of state, jobs
in NC, PhD programs (for M.S. graduates) and other jobs.

f. ROLE OF TEACHING ASSISTANTS IN GRADAUTE PROGRAM

Graduate teaching assistants participate in the undergraduate instructional program primarily as
laboratory instructors and through assistance in laboratory preparations, as is detailed in section 6.b. Thus,
our TAs fill a fundamental role in our teaching mission, and essentially every undergraduate student in our
 35
department takes a course with a graduate TA instructor. As stated above, the graduate program is
increasingly dependent on TAs to provide financial support to our graduate students, and TAs therefore are
the prime driver of our research productivity. Teaching assistants therefore fill an invaluable role to our
educational and research missions.

g. PROGRAMMATIC ASSESSMENT
We recognized early the importance of evaluating the overall performance of our students from a
broad program perspective, and had been measuring student performance in several of the program
elements informally for several years, through solicitation of faculty input after major milestones (student
prospectus symposia, departmental seminars, thesis defenses). As part of the UNCW focus on assessment
that was spurred on by SACS requirements for undergraduate programs, we formalized our assessment
process for our graduate programs in 2007. This process required: the formation of a graduate program
assessment plan, including development of desired student learning outcomes; the creation of associated
assessment tools and rubrics for each degree program; the appointment of a graduate assessment
coordinator (Dr. Heather Koopman); the compilation and evaluation of assessment data to detect trends in
student performance over time, and to identify any areas within the programs in which students were not
meeting departmental expectations and where actions could be taken to correct the problem; and finally,
evaluation of whether any programmatic changes made led to increased student performance (“closing the
loop”).
Each year, graduate program assessment data are tabulated and compared to previous years’ data
by the graduate assessment coordinator and discussed at the annual department retreat in August.
Motions/suggestions for required action (programmatic changes, continued monitoring, or no action
required) are approved by the faculty, and implemented during that academic year. Formal assessment
reports are provided to and evaluated by the Director of Assessment, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
and General Education in the fall of each year.

The stated learning objectives (SLOs) for each program are provided below, each linked to the appropriate
UNCW learning goals.

M.Sc. Biology and M.Sc. Marine Biology Student Learning Outcomes

SLO 1a: A graduate student should be able to develop a research plan. Link to UNCW Learning Goal:
Inquiry.
SLO 1b: A graduate student should be able to present and defend a research plan. Link to UNCW
Learning Goal: Thoughtful expression and Information literacy.
SLO2: A graduate student should be able to independently answer questions regarding their research field.
Link to UNCW Learning Goal: Information literacy, critical thinking, thoughtful expression.
SLO3: A graduate student should be able to communicate his or her research to a broadly-trained public
audience. Link to UNCW Learning Goal: Thoughtful expression.
SLO 4: A graduate student should be able to write up his or her research in the form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific journal. Link to UNCW Learning Goal: thoughtful expression, information
literacy, critical thinking, inquiry.

Ph.D. Marine Biology Student Learning Outcomes

SLO 1: A graduate student should be able to develop a research plan. Link to UNCW Learning Goals:
inquiry and thoughtful expression.
SLO2: A graduate student should be able to independently answer questions regarding their research field.
Link to UNCW Learning Goals: information literacy, critical thinking, and thoughtful expression.
SLO3: A graduate student should be able to communicate his or her research to a broadly-trained public
audience. Link to UNCW Learning Goals: thoughtful expression.
 36
SLO 4: A graduate student should be able to write up his or her research in the form of multiple
manuscripts for publication in scientific journals. Link to UNCW Learning Goals: thoughtful expression,
information literacy, critical thinking) and inquiry.
SLO 5: A graduate student should be able to create new teaching materials. Link to UNCW Learning
Goals: thoughtful expression, critical thinking, information literacy, and to some extent global citizenship.

We now have separate assessment plans and tools for each of our graduate degree programs. We
began in 2007 by assessing our two Master’s programs together, and only SLO3 for our Ph.D. program.
However, by 2009 we had established separate assessment plans and tools for all programs, and began
collecting data (where possible) on all SLOs. Programmatic outcomes were also established in 2009.
The Assessment tools (forms to be filled out by faculty) are provided in Appendix 5. The CAS formal
assessment reports are also provided in Appendix 6.

h. RESULTS OF ASSESSMENT AND ACTIONS TAKEN

We have been formally collecting and evaluating graduate student performance since 2007.
Overall, we are happy to report that our students are performing at or above expectations for the majority
of their student learning outcomes, across all graduate degree programs. Since 2007, we have identified
several issues associated with graduate program assessment, which have either stemmed from concerns
over student performance in selected program elements, or from problems related to the assessment process
itself.

1. Poor faculty compliance in completing assessment tools. When formal graduate program assessment
began in 2007, faculty were provided with paper forms to evaluate student performance, which were to be
returned to the graduate secretary and the graduate assessment coordinator. Low numbers of responses for
many of the SLOs prompted the graduate assessment coordinator to move the assessment tools to online
surveys, beginning in the 2010-2011 year. This action had the desired effect of greatly increasing the
number of faculty responses to assessment requests, and also made it much easier to tabulate assessment
data. In 2012, we had low returns again on several of our SLOs. In response, the graduate assessment
coordinator prepared a “milestones for assessment” document to remind faculty of the points in a student’s
program at which assessment is required. Compliance in 2013 and 2014 was improved over 2012.

2. Limited data for our Ph.D. program. Compared to our Master’s programs, the Ph.D. program is
relatively small, leading to none/low responses for many of the SLOs each year. Thus it is impossible to
detect trends over time, on a year-to-year basis, for this program. Due to the nature of this program, there is
not a specific action we can take to correct this issue. We will require many years of data collection, and
pooling of multiple years, before we will be able to follow any trends in performance in this program.

3. Student performance on the oral exam in the M.Sc. program(s). In 2007, we first evaluated student
performance on this SLO (#2) to be lower than expectations. Similar results in 2008 prompted several
actions for the 2008-2009 academic year. First, faculty advisors took informal steps to correct this
problem, such as encouraging students to interact more with committee members, helping to focus
studying, and the implementation of “mock” (practice) oral exams with fellow graduate students. We also
initiated the implementation that year of SLO 1b to evaluate the students’ abilities to present and discuss
their research, in an attempt to better understand the poor performance in SLO2. In 2009 this SLO was
again identified as an area of low performance. The Graduate Advisory Committee was charged with
generating suggestions on how to improve student performance on this SLO. In 2010, performance was
still low. The faculty decided to implement more formal programmatic changes, by changing BIO 501
(Introduction to Science as a Profession, required for all M.Sc. students) to focus more on scientific
communication. In 2011, we noted considerable improvement in student performance on this SLO, which
 37
we believe reflected the formal and informal changes made over the prior two years. In 2012 we collected
no data on this SLO. In 2013 and 2014, performance again showed a decline, and the faculty decided to
monitor performance for another year as perhaps some of the programmatic changes still need time to take
effect. This is really the single performance element that shows multiple years of poor performance (low
numbers of students performing at levels 4 or 5). However, the majority of students are performing at the
level of “adequate” (3 or above). This year, the faculty will also discuss the levels of expectation for our
programs and potentially re-evaluate how we expect our students to perform.

8. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

The low numbers of under-represented students among those enrolled in our graduate programs
remains a central concern of our department. While we have seen growth in the population of Hispanic
and international students in the program, we continue to struggle to recruit African American students. A
description of our efforts to improve this situation is presented in section 7.b above, and we believe
strongly that we must continue to strive to enhance the diversity of our graduate student body. This goal is
aligned with our university’s strategic goals.

UNCW Strategic Goal #3: Embrace and enhance diversity throughout the university's
constituencies, culture, curriculum and outreach activities. Cultural, racial, ethnic and global
diversity are fundamental to the mission of the university and are essential elements of an
atmosphere of openness and free inquiry upon which teaching and learning rest. The measure of
diversity lies not in maintaining certain percentages of minorities or even in representing the
regional population, but rather ensuring a critical mass of historically under-represented groups to
promote cross cultural and racial understanding, to break down racial stereotypes, to enliven class
discussions, to enable students to understand persons of different backgrounds, and to prepare
students with leadership skills for success in an increasingly diverse workforce.

Although we have much work ahead of us, we also have renewed hope that our university’s
commitment to enhancing diversity, our Chair’s leadership in seeking out collegial partnerships with one
of our sister institutions, and our small but growing alumni of under-represented students, will help propel
us to a more diverse student body and faculty. We believe that the university’s recent efforts to increase its
financial commitment to enhancing diversity is of paramount importance to achieving this goal, and we
strongly support enhancing this investment at all levels. Our University’s Equal Employment Opportunity
Affirmative Action Plan is included as Appendix 7.

9. SUMMARY OF RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

AND MARINE BIOLOGY 2007 – 2014

a. INTRODUCTION
The scholarship and research activity of the faculty of the Department of Biology and Marine
Biology has grown significantly since the previous program review, with increases in external funding,
peer-reviewed publications, and presentations at national and international meeting. Inclusion of graduate
and undergraduate students in scholarship has also risen considerably (see Section 7: Graduate student
performance measures).
 38

Table 7. Papers published, presentations and funding for the review period.
Peer-reviewed Conference # of
Year papers presentations new awards Amount ($) Major funding sources
2007-08 57 155 54 4,127,451 NSF, NOAA, NC Sea Grant, ACE
2008-09 75 202 61 4,724,880 NSF, SBWA, NOAA, ACE
2009-10 65 189 56 3,093,194 NOAA, NC Sea Grant, USDA
2010-11 80 162 39 2,226,952 NSF, USDA, NOAA, ACE
2011-12 83 152 45 2,533,975 NSF, NOAA, NC Sea Grant, ACE
2012-13 55 139 44 2,261,616 NSF, ONR, NOAA, NC Sea Grant
2013-14 67 162 39 1,032,134 NSF, NOAA, NC Sea Grant, ACE
Total 482 1,161 277 20,000,202
* Total funding amounts ($) do not include collaborative projects (e.g., the NOAA funded Coastal Ocean Research
and Monitoring Program)

b. PUBLISHING
The scholarship of the Department of Biology and Marine Biology is documented, in part, in the
summary Table 7 above. The faculty, in collaboration with students, has maintained a consistent rate of
publication in peer-reviewed journals over the past 7 years, averaging 69 papers per year and a total of 482
papers during the review period (a 9% increase over the previous review period). During the review
period, faculty members have published in several leading journals of international scope including
Science, Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Nature Communications, Limnology
and Oceanography, Applied Environmental Microbiology, The ISME Journal, Ecology, Evolution,
Journal of Experimental Biology, American Journal of Physiology and Integrative and Comparative
Biology. The faculty has also published several books and numerous book chapters, in addition to
countless technical reports since 2007. Details of faculty scholarship can be found in their CVs, which are
included in Appendix 8.

c. FUNDED PROJECTS
Since the previous program review, the department faculty has continued to increase the level of
external funding obtained to support research. Total annual funding averaged $2.85 million during the
review period, up 21% from the previous program review. However, during the current review period
there has been a troubling trend toward decreased extramural funding, where in 2013-14 the total grant
support was only ¼ of that in 2007-08. If this trend continues it will severely impact the viability of our
graduate programs. Further evidence of the long-term success of faculty in achieving external funding
includes high departmental representation in UNCW’s “Million Dollar Clubs.” Our department represents
over one-quarter (27%) of faculty on the James F. Merritt Million Dollar Club, nearly one-third (32%) of
the faculty on the 5 Million Dollar Club, and one of five faculty on the Ten Million Dollar Club.
Faculty members have continued to receive financial support from traditional sources that include
NSF, NIH, NOAA, NMFS, and Sea Grant, as well as recent awards from the Office of Naval Research
(ONR) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Notable awards during the review period include
funding to initiate studies of the effects of sea level rise on nitrogen removal processes in tidal freshwater
ecosystems (NSF), the evaluation of climate change impacts on the distribution of Antarctic penguins
(NSF), the contribution of a new microbial-mediated nitrogen pathway to fertilizer removal in agricultural
fields (USDA), neuromuscular control of directional swimming in venomous box jellyfish (NSF), aerial
surveys of mid-Atlantic Wright whales (NOAA), fecundity of black sea bass and red porgy in the US
 39
South Atlantic (NOAA), the effects of lipid composition on nitrogen gas dynamics in diving mammals
(ONR), chemical defenses and pumping activity of Caribbean invertebrates (NSF), and funding for the
acquisition of a transmission electron microscope (NSF).

d. CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
The number of presentations by faculty and students continues to increase, up 22% since our last
program review, again highlighting the broad impact of departmental research at regional, national and
international scales. The department averaged 166 conference presentations annually for a total 1,161
presentation over the 7-year period.
During the review period, UNCW also hosted 4 conferences: (1) the 32nd Annual Southeastern
Phycological Colloquy in October 2010, (2) the 35th Annual Larval Fish Conference in May 2011, (3) the
39th Annual Benthic Ecology Meetings in March 2010, and (4) the 21st Annual Southeast and Mid-Atlantic
Marine Mammal Symposium in March 2014,

e. LEADERSHIP ROLES
Faculty members in the department take on active leadership roles within their professions. They
have served on numerous advisory boards, hold several editorships, participate in review panels, and act as
officers for many scientific societies. Many of the faculty have served in noteworthy leadership positions
during the review period, including serving as President of the American Chemical Society (Eastern NC
Section), Chapter Vice President of the Carolinas Society of Toxicology and Chemistry, AAAS Bioscience
Educational Network Scholar, and President and Treasurer of the Society of Integrative and Comparative
Biology. A listing of each faculty member’s current (2013-14) professional leadership activities is
provided in Appendix 9.

f. HONORS AND AWARDS

Many of the faculty members in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology have been
recognized for their extraordinary contributions to the teaching and research mission of UNCW during the
review period. Two faculty, Drs. Posey (2008) and Cahoon (2010) earned the Graduate Mentor Award,
recognizing their outstanding contributions to the UNCW graduate program. Drs. Emslie (2008) and
Kinsey (2010) each received the Faculty Scholarship Award. Dr. Ballard (2011) received the Chancellor’s
Award for Teaching Excellence and Ms. Diane Melroy (2011) earned the UNCW Lecture of the Year
Award. Several members of the faculty have also been recognized by professional societies and other
outside groups for their contributions to their respective fields.

g. COMMUNITY SERVICE
Service to the community has historically been an important goal of the department mission and
the orientation towards service demonstrated by many of the faculty and graduate students contributes to
the success of the graduate program. Each year, several members of the faculty, as well as numerous
graduate students, offer their skills to assist in the education of students from area public schools and
integrate public involvement into their research activities. Outstanding examples during the program
review period include the roles of both faculty and graduate students in the Oceans ROCK Outreach Event,
regular faculty participation in and organization of local and regional Science Olympiads, and the
considerable number of volunteers who participate in the Marine Mammal Stranding Program.

10. STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

a. STRENGTHS
The graduate programs in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology are a UNCW success
 40
story. These programs have directly advanced the educational and research missions of the university, and
continue to serve as a model for the development and maintenance of graduate programs in other
disciplines.
The departmental graduate programs have many strengths that are both tangible and intangible.
Most importantly, the programs are comprised of highly accomplished and competent faculty, graduate
students and staff. The departmental faculty members are university leaders in grant support, which is
essential to support student research assistantships and summer stipends, research supplies and equipment,
and travel to field sites and scientific meetings. The research results that are generated by grant support are
published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at state, regional, national and international meetings by
both faculty members and graduate students. In this area, the Department of Biology and Marine Biology
is one of the most prolific at the university, and many of the departmental faculty and graduate students
have won awards or fellowships for their scholarship. These products of the graduate programs not only
contribute to the advancement of science, but also raise the research profile of the university
internationally. Importantly, the departmental faculty members conduct the research and educational
activities associated with the graduate programs while maintaining a deeply-rooted commitment to
undergraduate education that forms the backbone of our university. In fact, the vibrancy of the graduate
programs promotes a research environment that is easily accessible to undergraduate students, and the
department has a well documented track record and emphasis on encouraging undergraduate research
opportunity.
There are also many less tangible strengths of the graduate programs. New faculty members have
been recruited to the department, in part because of the quality of the graduate programs, and they bring
with them new research approaches that further enhance the opportunities for graduate research. These
newer faculty members, like the rest of the department, share a commitment to both education and research
that is central to our university’s mission. Departmental faculty are also exceedingly collegial, which
fosters an environment of collaboration and sharing that has been critical to the success of our graduate
programs. This positive work environment is particularly evident in the student-centric focus of the
department. The well-being of the graduate students and the quality of their education is an overriding
concern of the faculty, and the department consistently engages in thoughtful analysis and management of
student programs. This attitude extends to the graduate students. The graduate student body is extremely
active and collegial, and the students engage in a number activities, some of which are self-governed,
including fund raisers, the biannual graduate student prospectus symposium, and “TA Boot Camp”, which
promote the success of the graduate programs.

b. WEAKNESSES
While there are many positive features of the graduate programs and their home department, there
are also notable weaknesses that, if not addressed, threaten the sustainability and further development of
these programs.
A first area of weakness, and chief among those listed herein, is insufficient graduate student
support, specifically low stipends for M.S. Teaching Assistants, a low availability of tuition remissions and
scholarships, and a lack of university supported health insurance. The lack of adequate graduate student
support in these areas has led to a condition where our M.S. TAs, upon whom we depend to fulfill part of
our undergraduate teaching obligations, cannot earn a living wage. This situation has been highlighted in
previous program reviews and we emphasize, again, that this must be remedied if the graduate programs
are to sustain the high level status that has been attained over the past several decades. Further, declines in
grant funding, which are critical for graduate support during the summer, also threaten to worsen this
situation. TAs rely on summer stipends from grant funding to continue their professional and project
development through the summer months. In addition, full-time RA stipends during the summer have been
a mechanism to supplement annual student stipends and offset the low TA stipends of the Fall and Spring
semesters. Recent and nationwide declines in funding availability are taking effect in our department, as
 41
evidenced in the Table 7, and will directly impact the number and quality of students we can support and
attract in the future. Similarly, our Ph.D. TA stipend is not competitive when compared to our sister and
peer aspirant institutions. Both stipends must increase annually in the future to meet market value. We
also require more Ph.D. TAs if we are to sustainably grow our doctoral student body. Additionally,
intramural support for graduate student research in the form of summer stipends and research supply
budgets would greatly aid our program.
A second area of weakness is the relatively noncompetitive start-up packages and salaries that we
offer to potential new faculty members. We have had remarkable success in recruiting most of our top
candidates in the past few years. However, we have also failed to recruit our top candidate in a number of
cases because our offers were not at market value. The graduate programs are driven by the ability of the
faculty to develop novel research programs, attain grants, write papers and mentor students. We therefore
must improve our recruitment packages to maintain the vitality of the graduate programs. The low starting
salaries, poor startup packages, and high expectations have also played a role in faculty retention, as we
have lost several faculty members recently to better opportunities.
A third area of weakness is the large and growing faculty workloads in our department. Our faculty
are actively engaged in teaching and mentoring at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, while
maintaining high levels of performance in grantsmanship and scholarly output. Faculty workloads are not
only heavy but also growing, as increases in undergraduate enrollment are not being met with increases in
faculty numbers. The faculty embrace all these missions, but require more infrastructural support to help
maintain them. The addition of technical support staff and administrative staff would add immeasurably to
our department’s ability to continue to achieve excellence in all these goals.
A final area of weakness is faculty diversity. Our continued growth and strength as a department
relies upon our ability to diversify and we must continue our efforts to invite and encourage under-
represented students, faculty and staff to join us.

c. FUTURE DIRECTIONS
The targeted goals listed below, and strategies to achieve these goals, represent an effort to address
what we identify as our most serious weaknesses, while continuing to maintain and build upon our existing
strengths.

(1) Solicit funds to support the graduate programs. The substandard level of stipends for our M.S.
students, the lack of an adequate number of tuition remissions and scholarships, and the lack of student
health insurance are the most serious student welfare issues facing our graduate program. The department
will continue to request relief in these areas, which have reached the level of crisis. In addition, we will
continue to promote the incorporation of these additional student funds in our extramural grants. However,
the faculty simply cannot be expected to fully compensate for the current deficiencies through extramural
funding, considering the department’s and university’s shared emphasis on the mission of undergraduate
education. High quality models for graduate student support plans exist within our state and were
highlighted in our last program review. Our department would look forward to working with the university
to help enhance the level of support for all of our graduate students. Currently, the success of our programs
continues to rely heavily upon individual faculty to provide substantial support for their students. In lieu of
appropriate institutional support, this situation poses an immediate problem to the graduate program, as
extramural income is falling (see section 9.a) due to the current state of federal funding and overall
decreased funding rates for grants.

Strategies to address this problem, as outline in our department’s Long Rang Plan, are:
· Develop support structure within the department for multi-PI grants to support graduate student training
and diversity enhancement, and
· Explore funding opportunities with ORSP and the Graduate School to support these activities
 42

(2) Further develop the Ph.D. program. We recognize that we have built our Ph.D. program more slowly
than was initially anticipated. From the outset, though, the Ph.D. in Marine Biology was intended to be a
moderately sized program to ensure that students received the highest quality education possible. The
relatively small size of the program at present results in part from this guiding philosophy and also from
the self-limiting initial design of the program described above. However, we have now reached a critical
juncture, where enhanced university investment, in the form of more Ph.D. TAs, will be required to assure
our young program’s sustainability and continued success.
The department will continue to encourage managed growth both in terms of the number of Ph.D.
students and faculty mentor participants. We have already addressed many of the initial restrictions placed
on the program that limited the pace of development, and we intend to encourage further participation by
reaching out to our colleagues in other departments. The mechanisms for our non-biologist colleagues to
mentor Ph.D. students have always been in place, and we welcome their participation. We intend to make
a more active effort, though, to include faculty from other departments so that the Ph.D. program can
benefit from their expertise and provide valuable support to the students. These efforts will include open
discussions with outside faculty members to better define ways in which they may more easily participate.

(3) Recruit and retain top level faculty members. The department will continue to recruit new faculty
members who will contribute to the graduate and undergraduate programs, solicit extramural funding, and
provide research infrastructure for students. Given the deficiencies in graduate student support, detailed in
(1) above, the burden of support continues falls on individual faculty, requiring the recruitment of active,
productive faculty to maintain this graduate student support. To do this, the department will continue to
request better start-up packages and faculty salaries. In a past effort, we determined market value for
biology faculty members by comparison to like departments, allowing the university administration to have
data upon which to base potential changes in recruitment packages. Even comparisons with comparable
institutions within the UNC system reveal large disparities that will continue to affect faculty recruitment.
We will continue to highlight this problem, and its long-term consequences, to the university
administration.

(4) Request additional technical and support staff. Recruiting and retaining high-quality technical and
administrative staff is of great import to our department. The department would benefit from the addition
of at least one research technician to direct and instruct student in the usage of shared core facilities and
one administrative support staff to help address the high workloads of our departmental staff and faculty.
These individuals would benefit our graduate program by offering our graduate students the technical
assistance and training needed to efficiently utilize shared resources and equipment, as well as, by ensuring
that their administrative needs (hiring, budgets, compliance) were met.

Strategies to address this problem, as outline in our department’s Long Rang Plan, are:
· Increase by one the technical research staff to assist with established shared core facilities.
· Increase by one the support staff to assist with administrative needs (beyond the soon to be hired
advising coordinator).

(5) Increase diversity among faculty and graduate students. This goal is of fundamental importance to our
department and university. Our department is taking serious steps to include more historically under-
represented groups among our faculty and students, including instituting a departmental Diversity
Committee, taking a more active role in soliciting minority applicants for faculty positions, and working
with the university Department of Human Resources to promote diversity in our hires. We have much
work ahead of us, and one important area where the university can enhance its support of these efforts is to
provide targeted funding for increasing diversity. Enhanced financial packages available to recruit and
 43
retain both graduate students and faculty candidates, would strengthen our capacity to develop a more
diverse university and department.

Strategies to address this problem, as outline in our department’s Long Rang Plan, are:
· Explicitly address diversity of hiring at each step of the committee process.
· Ensure composition of search committees is balanced as far as practicable (tenure, gender).
· Utilize other campus resources (e.g. CTE, Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion) to assist us in
the process of enhancing diversity.
 44

Appendix 1. Catalogue course descriptions.

12/4/2014 – Course Descriptions ­ University of North Carolina Wilmington ­ Acalog ACMS™
45

Biology

 
BIO 501 ­ Introduction to Science as a Profession
Credits: 2

Survey of educational trajectories and employment prospects for graduate students in the sciences,
focusing on Biology and Marine Biology.  Practical treatment of performance and communication in the
  
scientific profession, with particular coverage of responsible conduct of research, laboratory and field
safety, analyses of data, and the writing and reviewing of journal articles and grant proposals.  Two lecture
hours each week.

 
BIO 512 ­ Electron Microscopy and Cell Ultrastructure
Credits: 3

Prerequisite: Course in cell biology or permission of instructor. A discussion of the general and specialized
   techniques of transmission and scanning electron microscopy and their application to the elucidation of the
structure and function of cell organelles in plants and animals. Three lecture hours each week.The lab for
this course is BIOL 512.

 
BIO 515 ­ Introductory Biostatistics
Credits: 3

Introduction to biostatical methods including exploratory data analysis, distributions, experimental design
  
and hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, simple linear and multiple regression, analysis of covariance,
and model selection.The lab for this course is BIOL 515.

 
BIO 519 ­ Advanced Topics in Cellular and Molecular Biology
Credits: 4

Prerequisite: Upper­level undergraduate or graduate course work in cellular and molecular biology or
permission of the instructor. Selected topics in cellular and molecular biology. Includes: cytoskeletal
  
components, membrane dynamics, cellular receptors, metabolism, gene expression, protein structure and
function, molecular evolution and extrachromosomal DNA. Three lecture and three laboratory hours each
week. May be taken more than once for credit under different topics.

 
BIO 526 ­ Advanced Topics in Microbiology
Credits: 2­4
data:text/html;charset=utf­8,%3Ctable%20width%3D%22100%25%22%20border%3D%220%22%20cellspacing%3D%220%22%20cellpadding%3D%220%22… 1/9
12/4/2014 – Course Descriptions ­ University of North Carolina Wilmington ­ Acalog ACMS™
46
Prerequisite: Course in microbiology and organic chemistry or permission of instructor. Study of the
   taxonomy, morphology, metabolism, genetics and ecology of microorganisms. Emphasis is placed on the
current microbiological literature. Lecture and laboratory hours each week. May be taken more than once for
credit under different topics.

 
BIO 530 ­ Advanced Topics in Evolutionary Biology
Credits: 3

The study of adaptation and diversity from both a micro and macro evolutionary perspective. Principles of
population genetics, molecular evolution, phylogeny and systematics are among the topics that will be
  
addressed in lecture and readings. Applications in behavior, physiology, ecology, medicine and
conservation are stressed throughout. Three lectures per week. May be taken more than once for credit
under different topics.The lab for this course is BIOL 530.

 
BIO 531 ­ Population Genetics
Credits: 3

Prerequisite: Course in genetics. Basic principles of the dynamics of genes within populations. Topics
  
include fitness, polymorphism, genetic equilibrium, and the effects of non–random mating and selection.
Three lecture hours each week.

 
BIO 534 ­ Advanced Topics in Ecology
Credits: 3

Prerequisite: Course in general ecology. Advanced topics in population dynamics, and community ecology.
   Current ecological theory on population regulation and community dynamics will be examined using a
combination of literature readings, class discussion, and formal lectures. Three lecture hours each week.
May be taken more than once for credit under different topics.The lab for this course is BIOL 534.

 
BIO 538 ­ Cytogenetic Methodology
Credits: 2

   Prerequisite: Course in genetics. Laboratory course introducing techniques for studying and analyzing the
chromosomes of a variety of organism including plants and animals. Four laboratory hours each week.

data:text/html;charset=utf­8,%3Ctable%20width%3D%22100%25%22%20border%3D%220%22%20cellspacing%3D%220%22%20cellpadding%3D%220%22… 2/9
12/4/2014 – Course Descriptions ­ University of North Carolina Wilmington ­ Acalog ACMS™
47
 
BIO 539 ­ Advanced Topics in Population Biology
Credits: 2­4

Prerequisite: Courses in genetics and ecology or permission of instructor. Study of the ecology, genetics,
   and evolution of populations. Topics include dynamics of population structure, growth, and regulation;
natural selection and the maintenance of genetic variation within populations; differentiation of populations
and speciation; evolution of population strategies. Lecture hours each week. May be taken more than once
for credit under different topics.

 
BIO 549 ­ Advanced Topics in Physiology
Credits: 4

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Study of topics in physiology for which significant new understanding
   has been obtained. Consideration is given to those emergent techniques that have permitted the application
of scientific methodology to particular physiological problems. Three lecture and three laboratory hours each
week. May be taken more than once for credit under different topics.

 
BIO 550 ­ Systematic Biology
Credits: 3

Prerequisites: A course in statistics is strongly recommended. A survey of methods used in systematic
   investigations including phylogenetic, cladistic, and eclectic approaches to the analysis of molecular,
allozymic, cytogenetic, morphometric, and discrete plant and animal data sets. Nomenclatorial rules and
procedures are discussed. Three lecture hours each week.

 
BIO 551 ­ Advanced Vertebrate Biology
Credits: 2

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Individualized instruction in the identification, classification, and
ecology of the terrestrial vertebrates of the coastal zone with emphasis on field methodologies. Designed to
  
fill gaps in each student’s knowledge of the classes of terrestrial vertebrates. Four laboratory hours each
week.

 
BIO 558 ­ Biology of Recreational and Commercial Fishes
Credits: 3

Prerequisite: Course in ichthyology and permission of the instructor. A study of the major groups of fishes

data:text/html;charset=utf­8,%3Ctable%20width%3D%22100%25%22%20border%3D%220%22%20cellspacing%3D%220%22%20cellpadding%3D%220%22… 3/9
12/4/2014 – Course Descriptions ­ University of North Carolina Wilmington ­ Acalog ACMS™

   and invertebrates utilized in fisheries, with emphasis on the biology, economic importance, and 48
management of selected groups. Topics focus on contemporary management strategies and needs. Two
lecture and three laboratory periods each week.

 
BIO 560 ­ Estuarine Biology
Credits: 4

Prerequisite: Course in general ecology or permission of instructor. An examination of the unique physical,
  
chemical, and biological interactions within estuaries, emphasizing nutrient cycles and energy flows. Three
lecture and three laboratory hours each week.

 
BIO 561 ­ Barrier Island Ecology
Credits: 3

   Prerequisite: Course in general ecology or permission of instructor. Survey of vegetation and physiography
of barrier islands. Two lecture and three laboratory hours each week.

 
BIO 562 ­ Wetlands of the United States and their Management
Credits: 3

Prerequisite: Course in general ecology or permission of the instructor. Ecology and management of
  
wetlands and adjacent communities. Examination of methods used to restore and create wetlands. Two
lecture and four laboratory hours each week.

 
BIO 564 ­ Biological Oceanography
Credits: 3

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Discussion of the recent oceanographic literature concerning nutrient
   cycling, distribution and regulation of oceanic productivity, and advances in methodologies used to study
oceanic processes and controlling factors. Three lecture hours per week.The lab for this course is BIOL
564.

 
BIO 566 ­ Behavioral Ecology of Reef Fishes
Credits: 3

data:text/html;charset=utf­8,%3Ctable%20width%3D%22100%25%22%20border%3D%220%22%20cellspacing%3D%220%22%20cellpadding%3D%220%22… 4/9
12/4/2014 – Course Descriptions ­ University of North Carolina Wilmington ­ Acalog ACMS™
49
   Prerequisite: Course in ichthyology or permission of instructor. An ecological and ethological approach to
the study of reef fishes, including theories and problems dealing with ecological niche, competition, social
systems, and population biology. Two lecture and three laboratory hours each week.

 
BIO 568 ­ River Ecology
Credits: 3

Prerequisite: course in general ecology or permission of instructor. The biology, ecology, chemistry, and
   physical nature of streams, rivers, and watersheds. Biodiversity, endangered species, pollutants, the
regulatory structure, and river politics will be discussed. Three combined lecture and lab hours per week,
plus field trips to local rivers, streams and tidal creeks.

 
BIO 571 ­ Phytoplankton
Credits: 0­4
  

 
BIO 575 ­ Taxonomy of Aquatic and Wetland Plants
Credits: 3

Prerequisite: Course in plant taxonomy or permission of instructor. Discussion, collection, and identification
of vascular plants found in the aquatic and wetland habitats of coastal North Carolina. Extensive field work
  
and individualized instruction in collection and identification techniques. Two lecture and three laboratory
hours each week.

 
BIO 577 ­ Experimental Mycology
Credits: 3

Prerequisite: Graduate status. An accelerated introduction to general mycology with emphasis on the role of
  
fungi as friend and foe in various ecosystems. The use of fungi as experimental tools as well as modern
technology useful to their study are considered. Two lecture and three laboratory hours each week.

 
BIO 578 ­ Biology of Harmful Algae
Credits: 3

Prerequisite: BIO 205, BIO 446, or consent of instructor. Identification (taxonomy), ecology, physiology and
  
data:text/html;charset=utf­8,%3Ctable%20width%3D%22100%25%22%20border%3D%220%22%20cellspacing%3D%220%22%20cellpadding%3D%220%22… 5/9
12/4/2014 – Course Descriptions ­ University of North Carolina Wilmington ­ Acalog ACMS™
50
toxin production by both marine and freshwater microalgae. Toxin structure and mode of action, effects on
humans and public health, environmental damage and possible mitigation/management strategies.

 
BIO 579 ­ Advanced Topics in Organismic Biology
Credits: 2­4

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Advanced study of the ecology, natural history, behavior, or
  
systematics of selected groups of organisms. Lecture and laboratory hours each week. May be taken more
than once for credit under different instructors.

 
BIO 580 ­ Field Studies in Biology
Credits: 1­6

   A research experience–oriented field course offered in selected regional locales. Emphasis is placed on
distribution, taxonomy, and ecology of animal and/or plant organisms.

 
BIO 585 ­ Special Topics in Advanced Biology
Credits: 1­6

   Designed to deal with selected topics not considered in detail in regular course offerings. More than one
topic may be taken for credit.

 
BIO 590 ­ Biomechanics
Credits: 4

Prerequisite: Course in animal biology. A study of the interactions of organisms with their physical
  
environment. Concepts from fluid and solid mechanics are applied to biological form and function. Three
lecture and three laboratory hours each week.

 
BIO 591 ­ Directed Independent Study
Credits: 1­4

   Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Involves investigation under faculty supervision beyond what is
offered in existing courses. May be repeated under different subtitles.

data:text/html;charset=utf­8,%3Ctable%20width%3D%22100%25%22%20border%3D%220%22%20cellspacing%3D%220%22%20cellpadding%3D%220%22… 6/9
12/4/2014 – Course Descriptions ­ University of North Carolina Wilmington ­ Acalog ACMS™
51

 
BIO 594 ­ Pract: College Bio Teaching
Credits: 2
  

 
BIO 596 ­ Critique of Scientific Literature
Credits: 1
  
Review and critique of grant proposals, manuscripts, and published papers pertaining to biological research.

 
BIO 598 ­ Research
Credits: 1­3

   Credit hours taken by students in pursuing their masters thesis research. May be taken more than once for
credit, but for no more than 3 hours total.

 
BIO 599 ­ Thesis
Credits: 1­6

   Intensive research study of a topic selected by student and approved by a thesis committee. A scholarly
oral presentation and defense of thesis is required.

 
BIO 601 ­ Oceanography and Environmental Science
Credits: 2­3

   Prerequisite: BIO 564 or permission of instructor. Topics and methods in biological oceanography and
environmental science. Required of all Ph.D. candidates. May be repeated under different subtitles.

 
BIO 602 ­ Ecology
Credits: 2­3

   Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Topics and methods in marine ecology. May be repeated under
different subtitles.

data:text/html;charset=utf­8,%3Ctable%20width%3D%22100%25%22%20border%3D%220%22%20cellspacing%3D%220%22%20cellpadding%3D%220%22… 7/9
12/4/2014 – Course Descriptions ­ University of North Carolina Wilmington ­ Acalog ACMS™
52

 
BIO 603 ­ Physiology and Biochemistry
Credits: 2­3

   Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Topics and methods in the physiology and biochemistry of marine
organisms. May be repeated under different subtitles.

 
BIO 604 ­ Cellular and Molecular Biology
Credits: 2­3

   Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Topics and methods in the cellular and molecular biology of marine
organisms. May be repeated under different subtitles.

 
BIO 605 ­ Evolution and Diversity
Credits: 2­3

   Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Topics and methods in the evolution and diversity of marine
organisms. May be repeated under different subtitles.

 
BIO 690 ­ Seminar
Credits: 1

For resident students, attendance at departmental seminars is required. Candidates are required to present
   two scientific seminars (dissertation proposal and dissertation defense) at UNCW within four years of
residency. Candidates are expected to orally present their research at least once at other institutions or
(inter­) national scientific meetings. Credit is awarded during the candidate’s last semester of residency.

 
BIO 694 ­ Practicum in College Biology Teaching
Credits: 2

(594) An introduction to theory, research, and practice in college biology teaching. Combines supervised
internship in biology teaching with formal classroom instruction. For graduate students who have been
  
awarded teaching assistantships in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology and others with
permission of instructor. Ph.D. students will be required to engage in limited formal instruction. Two
semester hours per week.

data:text/html;charset=utf­8,%3Ctable%20width%3D%22100%25%22%20border%3D%220%22%20cellspacing%3D%220%22%20cellpadding%3D%220%22… 8/9
12/4/2014 – Course Descriptions ­ University of North Carolina Wilmington ­ Acalog ACMS™
53

 
BIO 698 ­ Research
Credits: 1­6

   Credit hours taken by students in pursuing their dissertation research. May be taken more than once for
credit.

 
BIO 699 ­ Dissertation
Credits: 1­12
  
Credit hours taken by students in analyzing their research data and writing their dissertation.

data:text/html;charset=utf­8,%3Ctable%20width%3D%22100%25%22%20border%3D%220%22%20cellspacing%3D%220%22%20cellpadding%3D%220%22… 9/9
 54

Appendix 2. Application evaluation form and scoring criteria.

 55

BIOLOGY AND MARINE BIOLOGY GRADUATE APPLICANT EVALUATION

Applicant: _______________________________________ Term: ____________

Points
GRE Scores:
Verbal: Score _______ Percent _______ Points _______

Quantitative: Score _______ Percent _______ Points _______

Analytical
Writing: Score _______ Percent _______ Points _______ ___ (6)

Grade Point Average (GPA):

Undergraduate _______ ___ (6)

Recommendations: _________________________________________ ___ (4)

Research and Work Experience:

Internships, applied learning experience ______ (1)

Honors Undergraduate experience ______ (1.5)

Germane field/lab research or work experience ______ (1.5) ___ (4)

Comments:

TOTAL SCORE __ (20)

 56

RATING SYSTEM FOR APPLICANTS TO THE M.S. PROGRAMS

IN THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY AND MARINE BIOLOGY

Four criteria are utilized in developing a composite score for each applicant. These include:
1) the Graduate Record Examination General Test (GRE), 2) a weighted undergraduate grade
point average, 3) letters of recommendation, and 4) research and/or work experience. The
maximum scored based upon four standard criteria is 20. Generally, students scoring 9 or below
will be rejected on the basis of standards.

The composite score is computed as follows:

Percentile Score

General GRE Test ≤40% 41-60% 61-80% >80%

Verbal 0.0 0.5 1.5 2.0

Quantitative 0.0 0.5 1.5 2.0

Analytical Writing: 0-2.0 = 0.0 2.5-4.0 = 0.5 4.5&5.0 = 1.5 5.5&6.0 = 2.0

Grade Point Average <3.00 3.00-3.24 3.25-3.74 >3.74

0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0

Recommendations
Unacceptable – Unenthusiastic comments; ratings average or less 0.0

Barely acceptable – Neutral comments, ratings good – average 1.0

Acceptable – Positive comments; ratings excellent and good 2.0

Very Good – Highly favorable comments; ratings mostly excellent 3.0

Superior – Superlative comments; ratings all excellent 4.0

Research and Work Experience

Internships, applied learning experience (range 0 – 1) 1.0

Honors undergraduate experience (range 0 – 1.5) 1.5

Germane field/lab research or work experience (range 0 – 1.5) 1.5

 57

Appendix 3. New graduate student orientation agenda and

Graduate Student Handbook.
 58

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

New Graduate Student Orientation
10:30-noon, Tuesday, August 19, 2014, Dobo Hall 103

10:30 Welcome and Introduction to the Department of Biology and Marine Biology
Steve Kinsey Graduate Coordinator
Tracie Chadwick, Administrative Associate/Graduate Program

10:35 Welcome from the Chair

Chris Finelli, Department Chair

10:50 Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Student Association

Clark Marino, Vice President of the Biology & Marine Biology Graduate Student Association (BioGSA)

11:00 Departmental Policies and Procedures I

Introduction to Office Staff
Tracie Chadwick, Administrative Associate/Graduate Program
Debbie Cronin, Administrative Associate/Travel
Lori Leitch, Administrative Associate/Purchasing
Kelly Northey, Receptionist
Carol Russell, Administrative Specialist

11:10 Departmental Policies and Procedures II

Payroll and Worker’s Compensation – Tracie Chadwick
Safety (handout included in new student packets)
Animal care and use (IACUC)
Insurance
TA Parking

11:30 Rights and Responsibilities

Course Registration
Office Space
Computers, E-mail, social networking
Departmental Seminars
Prospectus Symposium
Annual Report
Graduate Student Handbook

11:45 Graduate School Assistance

Fellowships and Teaching Awards (GSA, Department, Graduate School, and University)
Summer Research Fellowship (Graduate School and CMS)
Travel Awards (BioGSA, GSA and Graduate School)

11:35 Residency for Tuition Purposes

11:40 Teaching and Research Assistantships and Support

Leslie Moore, Lab Coordinator
TA Institute
Lab Coordinator leadership
Center for Teaching Excellence
Faculty Evaluation of Teaching

11:50 Photographs – Mark Gay, Laboratory Research Specialist

Noon Pizza Lunch

 59

Biology and Marine Biology

Graduate Student Handbook

2014-2015

Revised April 2014

 60

Table of Contents

Introduction to Graduate Programs ....................................................................................... 4

Master of Science degrees ..................................................................................................... 4
MS Degree Requirements ................................................................................................. 4
Doctor of Philosophy degree ................................................................................................. 5
PhD Degree Requirements ............................................................................................... 5
Admission to the PhD program ....................................................................................... 6
Departmental Policies related to Graduate Study .................................................................. 7
Role of your advisor and committee ................................................................................. 7
MS degree policies ........................................................................................................... 8
MS Thesis Prospectus................................................................................................ 8
MS Comprehensive Exam ......................................................................................... 9
MS Thesis .................................................................................................................. 10
MS Defense ............................................................................................................... 11
PhD degree policies .......................................................................................................... 13
Written Candidacy and Oral Qualifying Exams ........................................................ 13
PhD Dissertation ........................................................................................................ 13
PhD Defense .............................................................................................................. 13
PhD Residency Requirement ..................................................................................... 14
Graduation and Awarding of Degrees .............................................................................. 14
UNCW Academic Regulations and Procedures .................................................................... 14
Transfer of Graduate Credits ............................................................................................ 14
Deficiencies in Course Work ............................................................................................ 14
Full-Time Status ............................................................................................................... 14
Directed Individual Study (BIO 591) ............................................................................... 14
Adding and Dropping Courses ......................................................................................... 15
Auditing Courses .............................................................................................................. 15
Course Waivers and Substitutions .................................................................................... 15
Degree Time Limit ........................................................................................................... 15
Incomplete (I) Grades ....................................................................................................... 15
Withdrawal from a Course or Graduate School ............................................................... 15
Grading ............................................................................................................................. 15
Grade Appeals .................................................................................................................. 16
Academic Grievance Procedure ....................................................................................... 16
Retention........................................................................................................................... 16
Course Offerings............................................................................................................... 16
Pre-registration and Registration ...................................................................................... 16
Re-enrollment ................................................................................................................... 17
Departmental Teaching Requirement ............................................................................... 17
Departmental Seminars..................................................................................................... 17
Health Insurance ............................................................................................................... 17
Liability Insurance ............................................................................................................ 17
General Departmental Procedures ......................................................................................... 17
Mail Service...................................................................................................................... 17
Telephone Service ............................................................................................................ 17
Office Space ..................................................................................................................... 18

2
 61

Departmental Keys ........................................................................................................... 18

Use of Department Equipment ......................................................................................... 18
Building Security .............................................................................................................. 18
Boat Certification ............................................................................................................. 18
Photography and Illustration Preparation ......................................................................... 18
Poster Printing .................................................................................................................. 18
Interlibrary Loan Services (ILL) and the Randall Library ................................................ 19
Financial Aid ......................................................................................................................... 19
Teaching Assistantships ................................................................................................... 19
Research Assistantships.................................................................................................... 19
Out-of-State Tuition Remission ....................................................................................... 20
Scholarships Available to Graduate Students ................................................................... 20
Graduate School Summer Research Awards ................................................................... 20
Graduate School Travel Awards....................................................................................... 21
Student Loans and Applying for Research Grants............................................................ 21
Establishing North Carolina Residency ............................................................................ 21
Biology and Marine Biology Faculty and Staff ..................................................................... 22
Graduate School and Research Staff ..................................................................................... 23

3
 62

This Graduate Student Handbook has been carefully screened for errors and is regularly updated. However, should this handbook and
the University Graduate Catalog differ, the University Graduate Catalog for the year of enrollment shall be considered the final
authority.

Graduate Programs
The Department of Biology and Marine Biology offers graduate programs leading to the following degrees: Master of Science in
Biology, Master of Science in Marine Biology, and Doctor of Philosophy in Marine Biology. Programs are described in detail below.

Master of Science (MS) degrees

The faculty have designed the Master of Science (MS) degree programs to: (1) prepare students for further graduate work leading to the
Ph.D.; (2) provide professional biologists with advanced research and education opportunities; (3) prepare students as managers of
coastal and marine resources, trained to deal with contemporary problems in the environment; (4) provide students with a broadly-based
graduate program allowing for specialization in the diverse fields of inquiry represented by the faculty of the department; and (5)
provide increased avenues for secondary school teachers to pursue graduate studies. All students in the MS degree program should gain
an in-depth knowledge of a chosen specialty, knowledge of available resource materials, and basic writing and problem-solving skills.

As you enter the MS degree program in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology, you should discuss your educational and job-
related goals with your graduate advisor, committee members, and faculty at large. These individuals can help you in determining the
most appropriate instructional and research programs available at UNC Wilmington. For example, if your goals include a continuation
of your studies at the Ph.D. level, faculty members will probably advise you to pursue extensive independent research, while minimizing
the number of formal courses taken. Conversely, if your employment goal is to work in the private or government sectors,
understanding the conduct of research is important, but a breadth of course work may be the most appropriate approach to this goal.

MS Degree Requirements
General Requirements for the Master of Science
1. The program requires 30 semester hours of graduate study.
2. Six (6) semester hours of credit, if approved by your graduate committee and the departmental graduate coordinator, may be
transferred from another accredited institution. Grades earned on transfer work must be equivalent to a “B” or better.
3. A minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate study must be completed in residence at UNC Wilmington.
4. No more than nine (9) hours of graduate level courses offered by other science departments at UNC Wilmington may be applied
toward the 30 credit hour requirement for your degree.
5. Undergraduate courses taken to make up deficiencies will not count toward the 30 hours required.
6. All deficiencies must be remedied before graduation.
7. Students must successfully complete both a comprehensive oral examination and a defense of the thesis.
8. Students will present a thesis based on original research that is acceptable to the committee, before graduation.
9. Students must complete an approved course of study within five years of the date of the first registration for graduate study.

Coursework Requirements for the Master of Science

Required Courses for both Biology and Marine Biology MS degrees

The following courses are required of all students seeking a Master of Science degree in biology or marine biology:

BIO 501 Introduction to science as a profession (2)

BIO 599 Thesis (minimum of 3 and maximum of 6 credits applied toward the 30 credit requirement)

4
 63

Core courses for each MS degree program

In addition to the required courses for both biology and marine biology degrees listed above, each student, in consultation with his/her
graduate committee, shall devise a program of study that meets the requirements below, complements the thesis research, and satisfies
individual needs and interests.

MS in Biology students must complete two of the following:

BIO 519 Advanced Topics in Cellular and Molecular Biology (4)

BIO 534 Advanced Ecology (3) and BIOL 534 Advanced Ecology Lab (1)
BIO 549 Advanced Topics in Animal Physiology (4)
BIO 530 Advanced Topics in Evolutionary Biology (3) and BIOL 530 Advanced Topics in Evolutionary Biology Lab (1)

and a minimum of 14 hours of elective credit; at least seven (7) hours of which must come from the following list of graduate courses:
BIO 512, BIOL 512, 519*, 526, 531, 534*, 538, 539, 544, 549*, 550, 551, 563, 575, 577, 578, 579, 580, 585, 590, 591, 594, 596 (*If
not taken as a core course above.)

MS in Marine Biology students must complete two of the following:

a) BIO 534 Advanced Ecology (3) and BIOL 534 Advanced Ecology Lab (1) OR
BIO 549 Advanced Topics in Animal Physiology (4) OR
BIO 519 Advanced Topics in Cellular & Molecular Biology (4) OR
BIO 530 Advanced Topics in Evolutionary Biology (3) and BIOL 530 Advanced Topics in Evolutionary Biology Lab (1)
b) BIO 560 Estuarine Biology (4)
c) BIO 564 Biological Oceanography (3) and BIOL 564 Biological Oceanography Lab (1)

and a minimum of 14 hours of elective credit; at least seven (7) hours of which must come from the following list of graduate courses:
BIO 519*, 534*, 549*, 558, 560*, 561, 562, 563, 564*, 566, 575, 577, 578, 579, 580, 585, 590, 591, 594, 596 (*If not taken as a core
course above.)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree

The Department of Biology and Marine Biology offers a program of study and research leading to the doctor of philosophy (PhD)
in marine biology. The program provides students with a broad background and overview of the fields comprising marine biology
and make use of the diverse interests of the marine biology faculty within the department. As is generally the case, the PhD
program is primarily a research degree. As such, it is intended to serve students with interests in conducting research in academia,
industry, and government along with those who intend to become faculty in undergraduate teaching institutions, managers in
technology-based industries and policy makers in government. Students will learn the process of identifying, defining and solving
an original research problem. The program also includes a teaching practicum with classroom instruction in pedagogical
techniques and technologies along with lecture experience under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

PhD Degree Requirements

General Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy
1. The program requires 78 post-baccalaureate (48 post-MS) semester hours of graduate study.
2. The maximum amount of credit that a PhD student may count toward a doctorate from a master’s degree program is 30 semester
hours. This applies whether the master’s degree was earned at UNCW or elsewhere. Six post-MS semester hours of credit may
be transferred from another accredited institution. Grades earned on transfer work must be equivalent to “B” or better and must
be approved by the Graduate Advisory Committee.
3. A minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate study must be completed in residence.
4. Each student must pass a Candidacy Exam that includes an oral examination based on the student’s dissertation prospectus. The
Candidacy Exam should be taken before the beginning of the third year in the PhD program.
5. The student must complete and defend a dissertation based on a research program approved by the student’s committee that
results in an original, high quality, significant, and substantial body of research.

5
 64

6. All requirements for the degree must be completed within six years after admission to the PhD program (i.e. post-MS).

Additional requirements for all students seeking the PhD in Marine Biology
1. Students must have a master’s degree or must complete course and research requirements of a master’s degree program within
the department as described above.
2. Students must complete the following course requirements:

Graduate Seminars in Marine Biology

(2-3 credit hr each; minimum of three differently numbered seminars required) (6)
BIO 601 Oceanography and Environmental Science*
BIO 602 Ecology
BIO 603 Physiology and Biochemistry
BIO 604 Cellular and Molecular Biology
BIO 605 Evolution and Biodiversity
* Required of all students. Prerequisite: Biological Oceanography (564) or equivalent

Additional required courses:

BIO 690 Seminar (1)
BIO 694 Practicum in College Biology Teaching (2)
BIO 699 Dissertation (12)

In addition to the above requirements, each student, in consultation with his/her dissertation committee, shall select a minimum of 24
hours of elective credit that may include graduate courses and research hours (BIO 698).

For Biology or Marine Biology MS students considering entering the PhD Program
Admission requirements
Students will be admitted to the PhD program by a majority vote of the Graduate Advisory Committee of the Department of Biology and Marine
Biology based on eligibility requirements and available resources. Under most circumstances, students admitted to the program will have met the
following requirements:

1. Received a MS degree or equivalent from an accredited university OR, if entering with a BS, completed all the requirements for the MS
marine biology degree at UNCW except submission of the bound thesis.*
2. An overall graduate grade point average of at least 3.0 out of 4.0.
3. A score on the Graduate Record Examination General Test with a target of the 65th percentile or better (average for the verbal, quantitative
and analytical writing sections), and a target of the 70th percentile or better in the Biology Subject Test.
4. A score of at least 550 on the paper version (79 on the computer version) of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for
applicants whose native language is not English.

*Under certain circumstances, a student may, with the support of his or her faculty advisor, choose to apply to the PhD program before
completion of the requirements for the MS biology or marine biology degree. Students who choose this path after their first year of core courses
and research planning must complete a new application, including letters of recommendation, to enter the PhD program. If accepted, these
students would not take their MS oral preliminary exam, but would continue on with their study and take the PhD candidacy exam in year 3.
Students who decide upon a PhD later in their academic career, and who have, thus, already taken their preliminary oral exam, may apply to the
PhD program, again with the support of their advisor. Students who choose this path must complete a new application, including letters of
recommendation, to enter the PhD program. If accepted, these students may decide to bind a MS thesis, or simply continue on with their study
and research and take the candidacy exam in year 3.

Documents to be submitted for admission to the PhD Program

All applicants must submit:
1. An application for graduate admission
2. Official transcripts of all college work (undergraduate and graduate)
3. Official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (verbal, quantitative, analytical writing and subject test in biology)
4. Three recommendations with accompanying letters by individuals in professionally relevant fields, one from the intended faculty mentor.
5. Official score on the TOEFL (if applicable)
6. Current curriculum vitae
7. Detailed summary of M.S. thesis research (maximum of three pages)
8. Statement of interest for Ph.D. research (maximum of three pages)
9. Reprints or copies of any publications (if applicable)

6
 65

Departmental Policies related to Graduate Study

Role of the Graduate Advisor
You must have a graduate advisor. Your advisor will be determined by mutual consent. Full-time students will not be admitted to the
program unless they have obtained the consent of a faculty member to serve as their advisor. Part-time and non-degree students may be
admitted without prior consent of an advisor. In such cases, the departmental graduate coordinator will serve as interim advisor. If you
are unable to continue with your original advisor and, in consultation with the departmental graduate coordinator, are unable to obtain a
new advisor, you will be ineligible to continue in the program.

The primary role of your graduate advisor is to help you choose a thesis topic and assist you with the design of your research program.
Your advisor, therefore, should have expertise in the area of your research and usually will agree to advise only those students wishing
to pursue a research topic within his or her range of expertise. Your graduate advisor will also help you in selecting other faculty
members to serve on your graduate committee. The committee should be selected during your first year in residence. You should
choose your graduate committee members based on their ability to provide you with additional expertise in designing and carrying out
your thesis research. Any tenure-track graduate faculty member within the department is eligible to be your graduate advisor and the
chair of your graduate committee if he or she provides the needed expertise. If pursuing a PhD, graduate faculty must also be eligible to
recruit PhD students.

Under unusual circumstances, you may elect to change graduate advisors during the course of your degree. This process must be
accomplished with the knowledge and consent of both your new and current graduate advisor, and in consultation with the departmental
graduate coordinator, who will oversee the process and provide the necessary forms that must be completed.

The Graduate Committee

All graduate committees are formally appointed by the department chair. You should submit the appropriate form to notify the chair in
writing of your committee choices. The chair will then make the formal appointments.

Your graduate committee will help you in many ways. Members will assist in putting together your degree program and must approve
your program of courses. They will also assist you with the development of the research proposal and must approve the research
project. They will be prepared to offer you advice and counsel throughout your degree program on any aspect of the program. Each
committee member will read, edit, and evaluate your thesis and must approve the final draft. Your committee is responsible for
conducting your comprehensive examinations and they will evaluate your performance to determine whether you pass or fail.

It is very important that your committee be carefully chosen and that you maintain close contact with each member throughout your
degree program. It is especially important to keep them informed of your progress on research and the writing of your thesis. When
they do not know what is being done, they will assume that nothing is happening. To assure that your committee is kept informed about
your progress, the department suggests that the student’s committee be convened at least once each semester. Forms reporting the
outcome of each meeting are provided to all students and must be turned in to the graduate coordinator. The relationship between you,
your advisor, and your committee is a critical one. Maintain good working relations, and generally the advisor and committee will be of
great help. If the relationship becomes too distant, you will likely lose much of the opportunity to make the most of your time in the
graduate program.

MS
For the master’s degree programs in Biology and Marine Biology, the student will have a Thesis Committee.

Before the end of the first semester in the MS program, and in consultation with the major advisor, each student will select a Thesis
Committee of at least 3 members.

At least two committee members, including your major advisor, should be from the faculty of the Department of Biology and
Marine Biology.

The third committee member may be (1) a graduate faculty within our department, from another department at UNCW, or from a
department at another university, (2) an adjunct graduate faculty member of our department, or (3) a PhD (or equivalent terminal
degree) scientist outside of a traditional university setting, which would require a review of the individual’s CV by the GAC, and
approval as adjunct graduate faculty by the Graduate School.

7
 66

A fourth committee member may be any of the above, or any other individual who can contribute to the MS student’s scholarly
development, and receives approval as adjunct graduate faculty by the Graduate School.

PhD
For the Ph.D. degree program in Marine Biology, the student will have a Dissertation Committee.

Before the end of the first year in the Ph.D. program, and in consultation with the major advisor, each student will select a
Dissertation Committee of at least 5 members.

Three of the committee members, including the major advisor, must be graduate faculty of the Department of Biology and Marine
Biology.

The fourth committee member may be (1) a graduate faculty within our department, from another department at UNCW, or from a
department at another university, (2) an adjunct graduate faculty member of our department, or (3) a PhD (or equivalent terminal
degree) scientist outside of a traditional university setting, which would require a review of the individual’s CV by the GAC, and
approval as adjunct graduate faculty by the Graduate School.

The fifth committee member may be any of the above, or any other individual who can contribute to the PhD student’s scholarly
development, and receives approval as adjunct graduate faculty by the Graduate School.

One member must be from outside the department.

Annual Review of Progress

Annually, the departmental graduate coordinator will review the progress of each graduate student in the biology and marine biology
programs. The review is designed to determine if you are making satisfactory progress toward your degree. Milestones such as
completion of identified deficiencies, selection and meeting of your thesis committee, reports of committee meetings, presentation at the
prospectus symposium, submission of a signed prospectus, and satisfactory progress in course work will be reviewed. Should your
progress be less than satisfactory, the departmental graduate coordinator will meet with you and your faculty advisor to discuss strategies
to help your progress.

MS degree policies
MS Thesis Prospectus
Oversight of your course work and your original research is the responsibility of the university faculty. Failure to monitor these
elements may result in considerable strain on the student-graduate advisor-university relationship. To promote a firm understanding of
expectations of you in your educational and research program, a prospectus prepared early in your program is essential.

The prospectus should contain three elements: (1) Program of Course Work, (2) Literature Review, and (3) Research Proposal.

1. Program of Course Work

You and your graduate committee should develop, by mutual agreement, a course sequence for one to two years based upon projected
course offerings.

a. Your program should reflect the broad aspects of course offerings in biology or marine biology, but should provide some focus
concerning your specific research interests.
b. Your program should reflect your background and your preparation; it should remedy deficiencies from your undergraduate
coursework.
c. Your program should identify required and collateral courses so that all requirements are met.

2. Literature Review
A review of the pertinent primary literature concerning the specific research topic mutually agreed upon by you and your graduate

8
 67

advisor should be completed. The review should be considered a demonstration of your command of the primary literature within your
intended field of study.

a. Using conventional or computer-based searching techniques, and/or consultation with persons knowledgeable in the field, you
should review major relevant research papers in your area of study.
b. Your review should include broad papers in the field of study and specific papers related directly to the research topic.
c. Your review should show the data gap which your research will address.
d. Your review should be written in scientific style and include a literature cited section written in the format of a major journal in
your field of study.

3. Research Proposal
A research proposal, written in narrative form, describing the objectives, hypotheses, methodology, and data analyses, should be
completed before you start your thesis research.

a. Your research proposal can be broad-based in nature, especially if the topic or approach is novel.
b. The document should address the significance of the study considering the literature cited.
c. The objectives of your study should be clearly stated. Objectives are measurable or demonstrative accomplishments.
d. Hypotheses and anticipated results should be discussed.
e. Your research proposal should include a timetable for accomplishment of the proposed objectives.
f. The entire document should be considered conditional allowing changes because of circumstances beyond your control.
g. Your methodology for accomplishing each objective should be presented in as much detail as feasible.
h. The kinds of data to be collected and your method(s) of analysis should be clearly stated.
i. Your research proposal can be used to measure your progress and to help develop a schedule for accomplishments.

General Timetable
To ensure the timely submission of the prospectus by the end of the second semester:
a) A copy of the signed prospectus cover sheet must be submitted to the graduate coordinator, who will log the completion of the
prospectus (a copy of the prospectus should be submitted directly to the Biology Office for placement in your file).
b) Failure to submit the cover sheet to the graduate coordinator by the end of your second semester will result in a written warning
with copies to your graduate advisor and department chair.
c) Failure to submit the cover sheet to the graduate coordinator by the beginning of the third semester will result in a block on your
registration for the third semester.
The prospectus will be maintained as a part of your permanent record.

Prospectus Symposium
All MS students are required to participate in a Prospectus Symposium at the end of their second semester in residence. The graduate
coordinator will schedule a Symposium at the end of each semester. Symposium presentations will consist of a 10-minute synopsis
(with appropriate visual/multimedia aids) of the research question, hypotheses to be tested, research design and statistical analyses to be
performed. Each student presentation will be followed by a 5-minute question-and-answer period.

The MS Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive examination is an oral exam designed to provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your competence in the
field of general biology and/or marine biology as well as in your area of specialization. It will also serve as a diagnostic tool to identify
any areas in which your knowledge is deficient and provide avenues for remediation of any such deficiencies.

The scope of the examination should be discussed during an early committee meeting, and should include coverage of general biological
knowledge in addition to a command of the specific discipline related to your thesis research. Questions that address biological topics
that you should have in focus (based on recent course work) will be considered in developing the examination; however, your entire
biological experience will not be neglected. Questions that explore your knowledge in the area of general biology (for example,
physiology, genetics, ecology, structure, etc.) are appropriate for either biology or marine biology programs.

The comprehensive examination will be conducted by members of your thesis committee. Comprehensive examinations will be usually
conducted within the first two weeks of each semester. You should plan to take the examination at the beginning of your third semester.

9
 68

The outcome of the examination will be pass, pass with requirements for remediation, or fail (student may retake the examination at the
beginning of the next semester). Failure of the exam for a second time will result in dismissal from the program.

The MS Thesis
Thesis Credit
You are required to register for a minimum of three (3) credit hours of thesis. A maximum of six (6) credit hours may be used toward
the master’s degree requirements. Since course work is usually taken during the initial semesters of graduate study, students often elect
to register for thesis during their final semesters, although research may be initiated soon after admission. You should register for some
thesis credits during any semester in which you are primarily working on your thesis.

Philosophy
Although course work is important, research and the resultant thesis are the unique experiences of graduate study. Consequently, the
design of a realistic and well-defined research project should be considered the highest priority by you and your graduate advisor. A
detailed prospectus outline helps you achieve this goal by explaining the steps in developing a review of the pertinent literature and a
written narrative of the direction the thesis will take. This prospectus can be used by both you and your graduate committee for
evaluating and overseeing your research progress.

Directed research can provide you with an opportunity to make a contribution to science, and more importantly, to learn firsthand the
objectives, hypotheses, methodology, and data analyses and interpretations used in research. Since graduate students often lack
experience in conducting research, it is important that your graduate advisor take an active role as teacher and advisor in the design and
completion of your research.

Authorship
It should be the goal of both student and advisor to publish the results of the thesis research. Since there are many possible
arrangements between you and your advisor concerning this work, several authorship arrangements are possible. The most common is
for you to be senior author and the advisor to be junior author. However, when your research is part of an ongoing research project,
authorship may be reversed. Sometimes, your graduate advisor may choose to not share authorship. Recognizing that these and other
arrangements are possible and proper, and to avoid misunderstandings between you and your advisor, each student and advisor must
complete the Authorship of Publications form when the thesis project is agreed upon. This form will be forwarded to the departmental
graduate coordinator and it will become part of your permanent academic record. The chair’s signature indicates that the agreement has
been made. If circumstances later dictate that a new authorship agreement is appropriate, the department chair may approve a new
arrangement if both parties approve.

Citing the work of others

The writing of a thesis involves both presentation of research findings and evaluation of these findings concerning work done by others.
Thus, the incorporation of the body of knowledge existing--relative to the research being reported--is most important. This process
involves the frequent and careful citing of work published by others in the body of scientific literature. Such citations should be
carefully done and should conform to the principles set forth in the CBE Style Manual 1 and in the journal in which you expect to
publish. It is occasionally necessary to cite work not yet published. This is usually done after a personal contact with another researcher
and is cited as a “Personal Communication.” To prevent misinterpretation of the unpublished findings of another worker, such citations
should be based only on the written transfer of information.

Thesis Format
It is the general policy of the Graduate School and the Department of Biology and Marine Biology that your thesis should be in the
format of an article ready for submission to an appropriate scientific journal. Thesis guidelines are available on the Graduate School
web site: http://www.uncw.edu/gradschool/thesis.html

All instructions for the format of the thesis should follow these guidelines. Detailed presentations of data should be in appendices and
should be sufficient to allow future students to repeat the work or to make comparisons between your data and newly gathered
information. You should realize, however, that graduate advisors will differ in opinion about what is an appropriate length and style of a

10
 69

thesis. You should discuss this with your advisor before beginning to write and make sure that both of you have an understanding about
what format is to be used and how much detail is to be included.

Extensive reviews of literature and methods, of course, are rightfully parts of your prospectus, a document where, by design, you show
your mastery of relevant background information before committing to a focused project. However, you should not submit a thesis
clogged with pages and pages of material that will never be published in a respectable journal. Students can refer to the following
reference for more information on style and content:

Council of Biology Editors, Style Manual Committee. 1978. Council of Biology Editors style manual: a guide for authors, editors, and
publishers in Biology and Marine Biology. 4th ed. Arlington, VA: American Institute of Biological Sciences, 265 pp.

Besides the two copies of the thesis required by the Graduate School, you should submit one copy on 100% cotton rag paper for the
Department. This copy will be bound, at Departmental expense, and will be kept on file in the Departmental office. The format of your
thesis will be discussed in some detail in Biology 501 - Methods in Scientific Research, offered during the fall semester of each year.

Thesis Review by the Graduate Dean

After your graduate advisor and committee have reviewed your thesis and determined that it is in proper journal format and conforms to
the thesis guidelines, you should submit one complete copy of your thesis to the Graduate School for format approval. The copy of the
thesis must be accompanied by the thesis format form which is available as an interactive/ printable form on the Graduate School web
site at: http://www.uncw.edu/gradschool/thesis.html
Because this copy will be subject to edit in the Graduate School, it should be printed on low-grade paper. The thesis must be submitted
for format approval before the defense of your thesis can take place.

Following the defense of your thesis and the incorporation of all changes requested by your committee, you should submit three (3)
complete copies of your thesis to the Graduate School. These three copies should be printed on 100% rag-content paper. (Note: You do
not pay binding fees for these copies.) At this time, submit as many extra copies of your thesis as you wish to have bound. These copies
must be printed on white paper with a quality paper of your choice, although 100% rag-content paper is recommended. These are your
personal copies and will require a nominal binding fee (contact the Graduate School for current information). Please include a name,
address and telephone number where you can be reached to pick up these copies when they are returned from the bindery.

Your thesis does not fulfill the degree requirement until it has been signed by the dean of the Graduate School. The thesis title and date
of approval must be filed in the Graduate School before the degree requirement is officially met.

Theses as Public Documents

It is the policy of the Department of Biology and Marine Biology to make all theses available to the public. The William Madison
Randall Library of the University of North Carolina Wilmington will be the location where the public may view theses.

Admission to Candidacy
A candidate for a graduate degree is a student who has been approved for graduation at the end of a specific semester, subject to the
completion of ongoing courses and/or research as outlined in the application for graduation. You apply for candidacy by filing an
application for graduation. Applications for graduation are obtained from the Graduate School. Semester deadlines for submission of
these applications are published annually in the university Calendar of Events and posted on the Graduate School website. Your
graduate advisor and the departmental graduate coordinator must sign your graduation application. If you apply for candidacy, but fail
to meet the deadline for a particular graduation, you must notify the Graduate School, specifying a new graduation date.

Defense of your Thesis

The defense of your thesis administered by the Department of Biology and Marine Biology is designed to provide you with an
opportunity to (1) demonstrate your competence in your chosen field of expertise, and (2) display argumentative and persuasive skills
augmented with data collected by sound scientific methods. Your thesis defense may be scheduled once you have completed your
research and have prepared the final draft of your thesis and submitted it to the Graduate School for format approval.

Format of the defense

11
 70

The format of the thesis defense will involve a public presentation (departmental seminar) describing the results of your thesis research.
The public seminar will be followed by a private thesis defense before your committee. Your thesis committee will take this opportunity
to question you on all phases of your research and your written thesis. Normally, the private defense of your thesis will immediately
follow your public presentation (departmental seminar); however, under appropriate circumstances and with prior approval of your
committee and the graduate coordinator, the date and time of the committee defense may be separate from the date and time of your
public seminar. However, in all cases, the public seminar must coincide with or precede the committee defense.

The examining committee will include a member of the department’s Graduate Advisory Committee or an appointed representative.
This additional member will serve as a reader and may participate in your thesis defense. It is your responsibility to ensure a reader
has been assigned. See the graduate coordinator at least 2 weeks before your scheduled thesis defense to arrange for a reader
assignment. It is also your responsibility to notify the Graduate School of the time and place of your public seminar and thesis
defense before your committee. You must take a copy of your thesis abstract to the Graduate School office no later than 10 days prior
to your thesis defense.

Defense Procedure
At least 15 days before you wish to conduct the defense of your thesis, you should submit a request to your graduate advisor who will
then schedule your thesis defense. At least one week before the scheduled date of the defense of your thesis, you must submit a copy of
your thesis to each committee member and to the appointed departmental reader. This should be a complete copy, as close to final draft
as possible. Figures and tables should be of finished quality. Each committee member will study and edit the thesis before your thesis
defense. Should the committee determine that your thesis is not sufficient for a defense, they may cancel your scheduled thesis defense
and request that it be rescheduled for a future date.

At the conclusion of your thesis defense, the copies of your thesis containing each member’s suggestions for changes will be returned to
you. Your committee will inform you whether you have passed or failed your thesis defense after the committee has had an opportunity
to deliberate on the quality of your responses to their questions, your oral performance, and the condition of your thesis.

If you pass your thesis defense, you must prepare a final copy of your thesis based on the written and oral comments provided by your
committee. Should you fail your thesis defense, your committee will schedule a second defense after what it considers an adequate
interval for further study or for revision of your thesis, typically a period of three months.

Appeal of Examination Evaluation

The burden of proof of unfair treatment always rests with the student making the appeal. Appeals will not be entertained until the
student has exhausted existing policy, namely that a second comprehensive examination has been taken after a three-month waiting
period has elapsed; excluding:
a. when any form of harassment (sexual, racial, national origin, etc.) is alleged.
b. when the appeal alleges arbitrary or capricious action, including deviations from established procedure that clearly affect the
outcome of the examination.
In these instances, the appeals procedure may be initiated without the requirement of having taken a second examination.

If you wish to appeal the decision of the examining committee, you should first present evidence of discrimination or violation of due
process to the chair of the department, who may consult with the departmental graduate coordinator and the faculty member(s) involved
in evaluating the examination, in seeking resolution of the dispute.

Failing resolution at the departmental level, the student may appeal to the dean of the Graduate School for review and mediation. The
appeal must include supporting information, copies of which shall be sent to the departmental graduate coordinator, the chair of the
department, and faculty member(s) involved. The dean of the Graduate School shall request written information about the case from the
department, with the intent of resolving the issue through informal consultation. However, failing in that effort, the graduate dean will
assemble a formal hearing before the Student Affairs Committee of the Graduate Council, with the exception that no member of the
hearings panel may be a member of the faculty of the student’s department. Other members of the Student Affairs Committee also may
disqualify themselves should there be a personal or professional conflict of interest. In such cases where a replacement member to the
Student Affairs Committee is required, the dean shall appoint another member from the Graduate Council to serve on the panel.

The Hearings panel shall be supplied with copies of the information at hand and after that hold whatever hearings and meetings it deems
necessary. The dean of the Graduate School shall chair the meeting, but shall not be involved in any deliberations concerning the
outcome of the hearing. All parties involved have the right to appear before the panel, if they wish, but otherwise need not do so. The
panel shall forward its recommendation to the graduate dean who, after considering those recommendations, shall notify the student in

12
 71

writing of the final decision, with copies sent to the departmental graduate coordinator and the chair of the department. The matter, as
an academic issue, ends at this time.

PhD degree policies

Procedures for the PhD Prospectus, Prospectus Seminar, and Candidacy Exam (All must be
completed before the beginning of the 3rd year in the Ph.D. program)
Prospectus: All PhD students are required to complete a written dissertation prospectus that outlines their plans for their PhD research.
The prospectus should contain well-defined objectives and experimental approaches, and should be of sufficient breadth and depth to
demonstrate mastery of the literature in the field and how the intended research will contribute to the discipline. Once a draft of the
prospectus is completed, it should be distributed to the committee members, and a committee meeting should be scheduled to discuss
and approve its content.

Prospectus seminar: After the prospectus has been approved by the dissertation committee, PhD students must give a seminar during
which the proposed research will be presented to the faculty and students in the department. The seminar should be 40-50 minutes in
length, with 10 or more minutes for questions.

Candidacy exam: After completing the departmental prospectus seminar, PhD students must take the oral candidacy exam. The purpose
of the PhD candidacy exams is to test the breadth and depth of the student’s knowledge in the chosen area of marine biology and
supporting disciplines. In preparing for the candidacy exam, students should discuss the format and areas of focus with individual
members of the advisory committee. While topics central to the prospectus are likely to be emphasized during the exam, some
committee members may also wish to explore other areas, so it is important that each student has a clear understanding of the
committee’s expectations in advance of the exam. The candidacy exam should last 2-3 hours. A passing vote from four of the five
committee members is required to pass the oral candidacy exam. Upon successful completion of the candidacy exam, the student will be
admitted to doctoral candidacy.

A student who fails the candidacy exam may, at the discretion of the student’s advisory committee, be permitted to take a second oral
candidacy exam within 3 months. Alternatively, the committee may wish to allow the student to respond in writing to questions
covering topics that were inadequately addressed by the student during the oral exam. If a student fails the second candidacy exam
(either written or oral), those who do not possess an MS degree would have the option of completing their MS degree; those who already
possess an MS degree would have to withdraw from the PhD program.

The PhD Dissertation

You must complete and defend a dissertation based on a research program approved by your dissertation committee that results in an
original, high quality, significant, and substantial body of research. You must orally present and successfully defend the dissertation to
your dissertation committee in a defense that is open to the public. A copy of the dissertation must be made available for review by your
dissertation committee at least two weeks prior to the public defense.

The Defense of the PhD

The format, procedure, and appeals process for the defense of the PhD degree are similar to those outlined above for the MS degree.

Residency Requirement
PhD students must satisfy the residency requirement for the PhD program by completing at least 24 hours, either as course work or
research credits, in residence.

Graduation and the Awarding of Degrees (MS and PhD)

13
 72

Graduate degrees are conferred by the university three times each year: May, August, and December. Students that successfully
complete their defense will have their degree conferred based upon the date of completion of all requirements (e.g., spring completion =
May degree; summer completion = August degree; and fall completion = December degree). You are eligible to participate in either
December or May Commencement ceremonies, based on the expected time that your degree will be conferred. If your degree is
conferred in August, you can participate in Commencement ceremonies the following December. No diplomas will be given out at any
ceremony. Your diploma will be mailed to you. Students receiving graduate degrees in December and May are expected to participate
in Commencement ceremonies. All students participating in the Commencement ceremonies must order academic regalia 2-3 months in
advance.

Academic Regulations and Procedures

Transfer of Graduate Credits
You may transfer a maximum of six (6) semester hours of graduate credit from another accredited institution. Under special
circumstances, you may transfer additional credit by submission of a petition, endorsed by the chair of the Department of Biology and
Marine Biology, to the Graduate Council of the University. You may start this process by indicating your desire to seek additional
transfer credits in a written memorandum to the departmental graduate coordinator.

Graduate courses that you have taken while enrolled as an undergraduate are not transferable unless they are approved by the dean of the
Graduate School at UNCW before taking the course.

No grade less than B, or equivalent, may be transferred. You obtain graduate transfer credit by having the departmental graduate
coordinator submit a request to the dean of the Graduate School. This request must have the approval of the chair of the Department of
Biology and Marine Biology and must be accompanied by an official transcript.

A student enrolled in the UNCW graduate program may take up to six (6) hours of credit at another accredited institution. You must
have prior approval of the dean of the Graduate School before taking the course.

Deficiencies in coursework
Your graduate advisor and your graduate committee will evaluate your undergraduate program as you enter one of the MS degree
programs and may require that coursework deficiencies be remedied. You may fulfill a deficiency by taking one or more undergraduate
courses before graduation, and you must receive a passing grade. However, no graduate credit will be given. In many cases, you can
receive graduate credit for an undergraduate course by taking the course under the BIO 591/691 listing. This will require that you meet
with the course instructor to agree upon the course listing and credit hours, and the means of evaluating graduate level work in an
undergraduate course (graduate students will be expected to perform additional assignments to those of undergraduate students).

Full-Time Status
Full-time status requires a minimum enrollment of nine credit hours. However, a graduate student may also be considered full-time
when enrolled for less than nine hours if (1) the student holds a teaching or research assistantship or (2) is enrolled for one to three hours
of thesis work or (3) is enrolled in GRC 600 (continuous enrollment) or (4) is enrolled in PSY 598 (Internship). Half-time status begins
with at least four and a half (4.5) credit hours. A student may not enroll beyond two terms of continuous enrollment (GRC 600). No
course enrollment is required during summer.

Directed Independent Study (BIO 591) and Research (BIO 598 or 698)
Directed Independent Study is designed to allow students to spend focused time researching or studying a particular topic (often,
but not always related to your thesis research). This course designation is also sometimes used to enroll for graduate credit when
you participate in an upper level undergraduate course to remedy a deficiency. All Directed Individual Study courses must have
approval of the instructor (this will generally be either your graduate advisor or the instructor of an upper level undergraduate
course that you are taking), the graduate coordinator, and the dean. You may accomplish this by completing a Directed Individual
Study form that can be found on the Graduate School website: http://www.uncw.edu/gradschool/registration/forms.html . MS
thesis (BIO 598) or PhD dissertation research (BIO 698) allow students to receive credit for research that is a part of their thesis or
dissertation.

14
 73

Adding and Dropping Courses

You must obtain a form from the course instructor to add or drop courses. Complete the form and obtain the required signatures. The
form must be turned in to the Graduate School office during the add/drop period.

Auditing Courses
If you are interested in auditing a course, you should review the requirements in the Graduate Catalogue and speak to the instructor.

Course Waivers and Substitutions

You should consult the departmental graduate coordinator. The coordinator can request that a particular course be waived; however, the
request must be approved by the dean of the Graduate School. You should consult your graduate advisor and the departmental graduate
coordinator to request a substitution of a course or other degree requirement. The departmental graduate coordinator will complete the
substitution form and forward it to the dean of the Graduate School for approval.

Degree Time Limit

You have five years from the date of your initial entrance into the graduate school to complete your MS degree; six years for a PhD. .
When extenuating circumstances warrant, the Graduate School may grant you an extension. Consult the departmental graduate
coordinator. You will not be permitted to register beyond five (MS) or six (PhD) years without prior approval of the dean of the
Graduate School.

Incomplete (I) Grades

If you do not complete the required materials for a course during the normal academic term (e.g., your field research requires you to
miss classes before the semester is completed), you will be assigned a grade of Incomplete (I). Generally, you will have arranged this
ahead of time with the course instructor. Once an Incomplete has been assigned, you have a maximum of 12 months to complete the
required materials for the course. The instructor may set the maximum allowable period for completion of the course materials at less
than 12 months, but the extension can never exceed 12 months. If the time allowed to you is less than 12 months, this information will
be transmitted to you in writing, with a copy to the dean of the Graduate School. Once you have completed the course requirements to
the satisfaction of the instructor, he/she will re-assign your grade appropriately. If you do not complete the required materials within 12
months (or a shorter time period as assigned by the instructor), the grade of (I) will be converted to a grade of (F). A single grade of (F)
renders you ineligible to continue in the graduate program.

Withdrawal from a Course or Graduate School

If you wish to withdraw from a course or from the graduate program, you must complete the withdrawal form obtained directly from the
Graduate School. Check the academic calendar each semester for withdrawal deadlines. A grade of (W) is assigned for a course when
a withdrawal is processed before the published deadline; after the deadline, a grade of (F) is assigned. See the Graduate Catalogue for
details on formal withdrawal from the graduate program.

Grading
Grades for graduate students enrolled in graduate courses are assigned as one of the following:
A (4 quality points) – excellent
A- (3.67 quality points)
B+(3.3 quality points)
B (3 quality points) - completely satisfactory
B- (2.67 quality points)
C+(2.33 quality points)
C (2 quality points) - minimally acceptable
F (0 quality points) - failure
S - satisfactory progress (thesis 599 or dissertation 699)
U - unsatisfactory progress (thesis 599 or dissertation 699)
I - work incomplete
W - withdraw passing

Grade Appeals

15
 74

If you protest a course grade, you must first attempt to resolve the matter with the instructor involved. Failing to reach a satisfactory
resolution, you may appeal the grade following the procedures outlined below. Such appeals must be made by the last day of the next
regular semester. You must present your appeal in writing to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. By conferring with you and
your instructor, the dean will seek resolution by mutual agreement. Failing such resolution, the dean will transmit the written appeal to
the dean of the Graduate School. The dean of the Graduate School will convene the Grades Appeals Committee.

The Grade Appeals Committee will consist of the graduate dean as chair and five members of the graduate faculty appointed by the dean
of the Graduate School. If the committee affirms the instructor’s decision, the graduate dean will notify you, the faculty member, and
the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in writing. If the committee supports your appeal, it shall prescribe the method by which
you will be reevaluated. If the reevaluation results in a grade change, the established course grade change procedure will be followed.
The grade resulting from the reevaluation is final and may not be appealed further.

Academic Grievance Procedure

Graduate students who have academic or procedural concerns, other than grades, should attempt to resolve those concerns at the lowest
academic level as soon as possible, generally no more than 90 days after the event giving rise to the complaint. The first level for
redress is with the appropriate faculty member. Within 30 days of failing to reach a satisfactory resolution with the faculty member, the
student may appeal to the department chair. Failing resolution at the department level, the student may, within 10 business days, appeal
jointly to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and to the dean of the Graduate School. The deans (or their designees) will
conduct interviews with all parties to arrive at a resolution of the issue. The mutually agreed upon decision of the deans will be final and
not subject to further appeal. Complaints that fall within the categories of sexual harassment, improper personal relationships, personal
discrimination, unlawful workplace harassment, or workplace violence should be filed in accordance with Appendix J of the UNCW
Code of Student Life.

Retention
To remain in good academic standing, you must maintain satisfactory grades and be making substantial progress toward the completion
of your thesis or dissertation research. Three grades of C or one grade of F will result in your dismissal from the graduate program.
Further, if you fall below a 3.0 GPA at any time, you will be placed on academic probation and have three subsequent courses to bring
your GPA up to at least 3.0. In addition, you must have at least a 3.0 GPA to begin any program-specific comprehensive examination
and thesis/dissertation research. You must have no less than a 3.0 GPA on all graduate-level courses to graduate. Grades of A, B, C, F,
S, U, and W are permanent grades and can be changed only by the dean of the Graduate School in cases of arithmetical or clerical error
or because of a grade appeal.

Graduate Courses
Graduate courses are fundamentally different from undergraduate courses, and it is important for new graduate students to recognize this
difference. Graduate courses are usually designed such that student participation is a major part of the class format. Therefore, graduate
students are expected to take an active role in the course, and in so doing they help to shape the class structure. Participation by students
includes preparing for class in advance, asking questions and otherwise contributing to discussions, and possibly presenting materials as
part of the course. Therefore, the passive learning that may have been sufficient in some undergraduate courses is inappropriate at the
graduate level, where students are expected to take partial ownership of the class.

Many graduate courses will include reading primary literature (i.e., journal articles), rather than using a textbook. This is more
challenging and often requires the students to do some additional textbook–level research in order to fully understand the primary
literature. Acquiring skills in evaluating primary literature is often a core goal of graduate courses, as the primary literature is the
information currency of science.

There are two levels of graduate courses in our department. 500-level courses are open to all graduate students and are taught at a level
appropriate for the M.S. degree programs. 600-level courses are Ph.D.-level and are also open to all graduate students, but enrolling in
these courses requires permission from the instructor. The permission requirement is simply to ensure that Ph.D. students who need the
course are not excluded, and also to allow the instructor to confirm that the students in the class have a background suitable for the
course content. 600-level courses often have fewer credit hours and may cover a more specific topic area than 500-level courses. As
such, they tend to vary more from year to year in topic than do 500-level courses. These courses may also demand more participation
from graduate students than 500-level courses. The expectation for student performance will also be higher in 600-level courses, and it
is generally expected that students are more independent and are able to critically evaluate literature and data and identify relevant

16
 75

unanswered questions that should be addressed. While 600-level courses may appear to be more free-form, it is the instructor’s
responsibility to ensure rigor, as well as provide sufficient structure, learning objectives, and feedback to students regarding their
performance.

Preregistration and Registration

You should seek registration advice from your graduate advisor, and if necessary, from the departmental graduate coordinator before
registering, and all registration is online through SeaNet. To assure a seat in the classes you wish to take, you should take advantage of
the preregistration process available to you following your first semester in residence.

Re-enrollment
Should you have a gap in enrollment of either a fall or spring semester (not summer), you must file a re-enrollment form with the dean of
the Graduate School. The re-enrollment form is available in the Graduate Office.

Departmental Teaching Requirement

It is a requirement of the department that you gain experience in teaching while pursuing your graduate degree. MS students holding
teaching assistantships automatically fulfill this requirement. All other MS students, whether financially supported by the university or
not, will be required to gain formal experience in teaching. See your graduate advisor and the department chair to decide the manner in
which you may fulfill this requirement. If you do not hold a teaching assistantship during at least one semester, you must submit written
verification that you have fulfilled this requirement before admission to candidacy. All PhD students must complete BIO 694
(Practicum in College Biology Teaching), during which they will gain experience in formal classroom instruction. Details are arranged
through your graduate advisor and the departmental graduate coordinator.

Departmental Seminars
Each semester the Department of Biology and Marine Biology offers seminars by scientists and students. These seminars are designed
to provide intellectual stimulation for both students and faculty, and you are expected to attend. PhD students are required to attend
whenever in residence.

Health Insurance
Student Group Health Insurance is available to all graduate students. A copy of the application is included in your orientation packet
and contains application information, benefits and cost schedules. However, you are urged to go to the Student Health Center (962-
3280) in Westside Hall to obtain an up-to-date brochure and application. They can also answer questions about coverage, etc.

Liability Insurance
Graduate teaching assistants may take advantage of the Teachers’ Liability Insurance offered by the University of North Carolina
system.

General Departmental Procedures

The Department of Biology and Marine Biology office staff will provide information and help you in successfully completing your
course of study. Below are general procedures that specifically affect you. For information on general office procedures that affect both
faculty and graduate students, you should seek information from your graduate advisor.

Mail Service
A mailbox is provided for each full-time graduate student in the Biology and Marine Biology mailroom located in Dobo Hall. You
should use your departmental address for all professional correspondence. The Department will provide regular postage for mail that is
required by your course of study and is clearly university business. Special postage (overnight shipping, etc.) must be covered by
yourself or your graduate advisor.

17
 76

Telephone Service
The Department cannot provide telephones specifically for graduate students. You are allowed to use faculty and office phones
whenever possible and appropriate. You should obtain permission for the use of the telephone from the individual responsible for the
telephone. Many faculty provide a phone in their research labs for graduate student use. You should check with your graduate advisor
about their specific policies regarding phone use. Telephone messages received by the office staff will be placed in your mailbox. You
should check these mailboxes at least once a day for messages and other information.

Office Space
If you are a full-time graduate student or teaching assistant you will be provided office space where materials may be stored and where
you may study and work. Office space is generally provided by your graduate advisor within their laboratory space. If such space is not
available, the department chair, in consultation with the departmental graduate coordinator, will make alternative office assignments and
will notify you of your assigned location.

Departmental Keys
All graduate students will be granted ID card-access to Dobo Hall and other needed keys from the departmental office. You should
consult with your graduate advisor to determine the specific keys you will need. A secretary in the Biology and Marine Biology office
will issue you the necessary keys. Upon completion of your degree program or if you withdraw from the university, all keys must be
returned to the Biology and Marine Biology office before you leave campus.

Use of Departmental Equipment

Most of the equipment in the research and teaching laboratories is university-owned. It is, however, usually assigned to a particular
faculty member for use in specific courses and research programs. Often this equipment requires considerable skill and care during use
to avoid damage that may be costly to repair and may render the item unusable while parts are ordered or repairs made, or while an item
is being repaired elsewhere. Therefore, you should never use a piece of equipment without first requesting its use from the faculty
member in charge. If it is not clear which faculty member is in charge, see the department chair. Generally, such use will be granted if
the item is not in use and the responsible faculty member is convinced that you know how to use the equipment properly and will give
the equipment proper care during its use. There may be times when equipment is in heavy use and will not be available, and there may
be certain items that faculty members will not allow others to use. If a project is being planned that may require such items of
equipment, discuss their lack of availability with your graduate advisor.

Building Security
You are expected to assist the faculty in maintaining building security. It is the responsibility of any graduate student who is working in
a laboratory during off hours to leave the room secure with lights off and doors locked. On weekends, the outside building doors will be
kept locked.

You should also be prepared to deal with emergencies as effectively as possible. You should locate fire extinguishers, fire blankets,
exits and emergency lights in the building you are working in. Also, in any lab where you will be teaching or working, you should locate
the nearest first aid kit, eyewash station, and shower. If you are working in the building during off hours and an emergency occurs, call
the campus police (911), then call the department chair, and take safety measures that are feasible until help arrives.

Boat Certification
UNCW maintains a fleet of small boats that can be used in your research. Anyone operating a university vessel must have a university
boat certification. Certifications are obtained upon successful completion of university-sponsored short course in boat handling and
water safety. Other boating courses may be acceptable if approved by the boating safety officer. Consult the boating safety officer
(962-2310) for certification information. The University requires that all students that use small boats (whether as operator or
passenger) for their research must have health insurance.

Photography and Illustration Preparation

A darkroom is available, with permission, in Dobo 112 for developing film and printing photographs, as is a separate room for

18
 77

photography and preparation of illustrations.

Poster Printing
If you need to print a poster for a presentation at a scientific conference, a large format printer is available in the microscopy lab in Dobo
Hall. You will need to make arrangements with Mark Gay (gaydm@uncw.edu) for printing. There may be a nominal charge to help
defray costs of paper, ink cartridges and maintenance.

Interlibrary Loan Services (ILL) and the Randall Library

The William Madison Randall Library provides interlibrary loan services by which faculty members and graduate students may borrow
materials that are not available in the Randall Library collections. Although undergraduate students must have their instructor’s
approval and the material must be available in North Carolina, no such restrictions have been placed on graduate students. Interlibrary
loans can be requested on-line via the Randall Library link from the UNCW homepage (www.uncw.edu), they can also be requested in
person by filling out forms at the Library Reference desk. Indicate the maximum cost you are willing to pay to obtain this material.
Ordinarily, no charges are incurred in obtaining loans, but there may be a charge for certain materials. Most books will be loaned to
you, through the library, for a specified period of time. Requested journals articles are usually scanned and sent to you electronically as
pdf files. These items generally incur no cost. If you are unsure about the potential cost of an item, check with Peter Fritzler (Ph: 962-
7807; email fritzlerp@uncw.edu), who serves as a liaison between the library and our department. Our library at UNCW is very good
and will have many of the resources that you require for your research. The library subscribes electronically to many scientific
journals and you can access these from any campus computer through the library website. In addition, the library staff (e.g.,
Peter Fritzler) are tremendously helpful and you should take advantage of the resource that they provide.

Financial Aid
Teaching Assistantships
The Department of Biology and Marine Biology offers teaching assistantships to students enrolled in the biology and marine biology
graduate programs. Students must apply for these assistantships, and selection will be based on an evaluation of academic records,
recommendations, experience, and relevant criteria. In this regard, you should keep your Graduate Student Information sheet as current
as possible.

Each teaching assistant will be assigned duties by the department chair and graduate coordinator. Duties will generally involve
preparing for and helping in the teaching of laboratories and/or performing preparation work for the laboratory. Other duties may be
assigned as appropriate. While serving as a teaching assistant, it is expected that students will also continue to make progress toward the
completion of their MS or PhD degree. Teaching assistants are expected to be on campus and available for work assignments by the
start of classes, and to remain on campus through the period of final examinations. Arrival delays or early departures must be approved
by the department chair. If you have met the 30-hour degree requirement, you can maintain your teaching assistantship by enrolling in
GRC 600.

Teaching assistantships are awarded each semester. You may normally expect to be retained as a TA in subsequent semesters if your
performance is satisfactory. Continuation of the teaching assistantship past the 4th semester is permissible (but not guaranteed)
providing your performance as a teaching assistant is acceptable and that satisfactory progress in your research program has been made.
Research assistantships will be counted as support when determining fifth or sixth semester teaching assistant support awards. Students
failing to perform their duties satisfactorily may have their assistantship revoked any time.

If you were not awarded a teaching assistantship upon admission, you may be considered for a teaching assistantship as positions
become available. You should notify the department graduate coordinator of your interest in being considered for a teaching
assistantship.

The graduate secretary in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology will complete form HR 1.35 to initiate payment to you for
your teaching assistantship. Valid I-9 and W-4 forms must be completed and forwarded to the dean of the Graduate School before you
will receive your paycheck.

Instructor of Record and TA Responsibilities

19
 78

The lab instructor of record, and not TAs, are responsible for course development. The instructor of record should provide all materials,
background, and training necessary for the TAs to set up and execute the labs, and should clearly articulate the expectations and
responsibilities of the TAs. The instructor of record should meet regularly with TAs to ensure that past labs were conducted as
expected, to help them prepare for future labs, and should provide ample opportunity for feedback from the TAs. The instructor of
record is the final authority for dealing with student issues in the course, and is responsible for ensuring that grades are accurate and
submitted to the registrar on time.

TAs are expected to work with the instructor of record to ensure that they have a full understanding of the rights and responsibilities of
their position, as well as the expectations regarding content and execution of each lab. It is the TA’s responsibility to be fully familiar
with every lab and, when necessary, to prepare solutions, specimens, etc. for upcoming labs. TAs must be prompt, respectful and
responsive to their students, and return graded material to students in a timely fashion. TAs must submit final grades to the instructor of
record well before the university deadline (by a date specified by instructor of record) to allow sufficient time for grades to be submitted
to the registrar. Failure to fulfill TA duties may disqualify a student from receiving future TA support.

Research Assistantships
Research assistantships will be offered by the department through individual faculty who have funds available from research grants or
contracts. Selection criteria will be similar to that required for teaching assistantships, but will emphasize the suitability of an applicant
for a particular research program. Stipends are generally the same as for teaching assistantships. Duties will be assigned by the faculty
member administering the particular research project. Research assistantships are typically awarded for a given semester or for the
summer based on funds available to the faculty member.

Similar to a teaching assistantship, the graduate secretary in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology will complete form HR 1.35
to initiate payment to you for your research assistantship. Valid I-9 and W-4 forms must be completed and forwarded to the dean of the
Graduate School before you will receive your paycheck.

Out-Of-State Tuition Remission

Partial out-of-state tuition remissions are available competitively. These remissions are typically offered to out-of-state students for one
year. During the first year of residence, the recipients are encouraged to complete the steps to attain the status of North Carolina
Resident (see section on Establishing North Carolina Residency below).

Scholarships Available to Graduate Students

Students should refer to the Graduate Catalogue http://catalogue.uncw.edu/index.php?catoid=14 for a complete listing of available
scholarships.

Graduate School Summer Research Awards

The dean of the Graduate School annually awards several stipends for summer research during a period when your teaching or research
assistantships lapse. The awards are competitive and require a research proposal. Please discuss the conditions and application
procedures for this award with the departmental graduate coordinator. The current value of this award is $1,000.

Graduate School Travel Awards

The dean of the Graduate School awards several travel grants to graduate students delivering a paper or poster presentation at a national
or regional conference. Your request for support, prepared by you and signed by the chair of the Department of Biology and Marine
Biology, must include evidence of acceptance of your presentation, evidence of matching support and an explicit presentation of the use
of the funds requested. The Biology Graduate Student Association (BIO GSA) also provides support for travel, and students should
participate in the BIO GSA to be eligible.

Student Loans and Applying for Research Grants

Besides teaching and research assistantships, state and federal loan and work study programs are available to qualified graduate students.
Specific information concerning details, applications, changes, and additions may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office:
http://uncw.edu/finaid/ .

20
 79

You are also encouraged to obtain funding for research by independently seeking grant or scholarship funding. The Office of Research
Services and Sponsored Programs can provide assistance with information on sources of funding and with the preparation of application
packages. The Office of Research Services and Sponsored Programs is located in King Hall (910) 962-3810.

Establishing North Carolina Residency

Under North Carolina law, legal residence means more than simply living in the state. More specifically, it means maintaining a
domicile (permanent home of indefinite duration) as opposed to a temporary residence incident to enrollment in a college, university or
technical institute of the state. As a starting point, if you have living parents, your domicile is presumed to be that of your parents but
may be changed to qualify for in-state tuition if your required legal residence can be demonstrated. Marriage does not prevent you from
becoming a legal resident for tuition purposes, nor does marriage ensure that you will become a resident.

To determine whether you can become a legal resident of North Carolina for tuition purposes, you must demonstrate an intent to make
North Carolina your permanent dwelling place of indefinite duration by performing residentiary acts. These acts should be undertaken
immediately upon your arrival to campus and North Carolina (preferably within the first month). The following are some more
important residentiary acts:

1. Convert your automobile registration to North Carolina

2. Obtain a North Carolina drivers license (or NC Identification Card from the Driver’s License office)
3. Register to vote in North Carolina and vote when possible
4. List your personal property at the New Hanover County Tax Office for taxation
5. File a North Carolina tax return as a resident at the next appropriate time
6. Convert your banking, club/organization membership, etc., to North Carolina

Completion of these actions will begin a one-year (12 month) waiting period to attain residency.

To become a North Carolina resident you must demonstrate that you are financially independent of your parents or guardian if your
parents or guardian are non-residents of North Carolina and demonstrate a visible means of support substantiating the claim of financial
independence. If you have not been entirely self-supporting during the last 12 months, a completed affidavit will be required from your
parent(s) to indicate the amount of support provided.

Further and equally important, once you have clearly established the residency intent and financial independence, you must maintain
North Carolina residence for 12 months immediately before the semester the in-state status can be made effective. The only exceptions
to the required 12 months residency period apply in some, but not all, cases to individuals marrying a North Carolina resident who has
maintained residency 12 months or longer, and to individuals whose parents have been North Carolina residents 12 months or longer
and who are legal dependents of their parents.

If you desire a residence change, you must complete a Residence and Tuition Status Application and submit it to the dean of the
Graduate School (Applications can be obtained from the Graduate School). No status change can be made without submission of
this application. The 12-month residency waiting period must be completed before the first day of the semester in which in-state
residency is being requested. Please note that you must submit your application up to 60 days before the start of the semester in which
your in-state status can be become effective although the entire 12 month residency period may not have been satisfied at the time your
application is filed.
In other words, to avoid being billed as an out-of-state resident, you should file for a status change before the tuition bills are due so that
the Graduate School will have time to process the application and notify Student Accounts as to your status change. For example, when
applying for in-state residency for the fall semester of 2006, students may submit their applications starting June 2006, or 60 days before
the semester begins.

A decision on your residency status will be mailed approximately 10 days after being reviewed by the Graduate School. If you are
denied North Carolina residency for tuition purposes, an appeal of the decision is possible. At that time, you can, and should, attend to
clarify points and to present additional arguments in your favor.

Program Assessment
In addition to progress that you make in your course work and your individual research project, your performance as a graduate
student will be assessed at various milestones as part of the Department’s Assessment of our graduate programs as a whole. It is
important for us to assess our graduate programs to ensure that they are robust and functioning as they should. It is important for

21
 80

you to realize that the data gathered during the program assessment process are separated from you as an individual and have no
bearing on your course grades or progress to earning your degree – because the methods used to assess programs are anonymous.
With the exception of Learning Outcomes 1b for MSc students, all evaluations are conducted using an online survey, which is
doubly-blind (i.e. neither the name of the student nor the faculty member are connected to the survey data).

Each year, faculty evaluations of overall student performance in our graduate programs are tabulated and evaluated in the context
of data from previous years, so that we can identify any places in our programs where students might not be performing at
expectation, and can make adjustments to courses and programs accordingly.

You should know what the expectations are in terms of your performance, and who will evaluate students at each point. We have
adopted a series of Student Learning Outcomes (what we expect you to be able to accomplish as a graduate student) and metrics to
evaluate them.

Assessment for M.Sc. Students:

Learning Outcome #1a: A graduate student should be able to develop a research plan.
Assessment #1a: Prospectus is successfully completed and defended to student’s committee. Committee members will
evaluate the prospectus document.

(1) The student’s prospectus was written:

(2) The student synthesized the literature:

(3) The student’s proposed research project was defined:

(4) The methods that the student will employ suit the project:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

Learning Outcome #1b: A graduate student should be able to present and defend a research plan.
Assessment #1b: Prospectus is successfully presented to the department. Faculty present at the Graduate Symposium
evaluate performance using the last question on the evaluation sheet (which is intended to provide feedback to the student).

5. What would be your overall rank of the student’s proposed research project?

Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Commendable

Learning Outcome #2: A graduate student should be able to independently answer questions regarding their research field.
Assessment #2: Oral preliminary exam is successfully completed. Your committee will evaluate your performance.

(1) The student was able to articulate his or her answers:

(2) The student was able to answer a breadth of questions:

(3) The student demonstrated an appropriate depth of knowledge:

(4) The student was able to demonstrate professional poise during the exam:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

Learning Objective #3: A graduate student should be able to communicate his or her research to a broadly-trained public
audience.
Assessment #3: Departmental Seminar presentation of thesis research is successfully completed. Faculty present at the
seminar will evaluate your performance.

22
 81

(1) The student’s presentation was professional and well-organized:

(2) The student’s demonstrated mastery of his or her research was:

(3) The student was able to answer questions from the audience:

(4) The student was able to demonstrate professional poise during the presentation:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Well done

Learning Objective #4: A graduate student should be able to write up his or her research in the form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific journal.
Assessment #4: Thesis is successfully completed. Your committee will evaluate your performance.
(1) The student’s thesis was written:
1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(2) The student’s thesis demonstrated mastery of the research:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Well done

(3) Based upon its quality, the likelihood of the thesis being published is:
1 2 3 4 5
Poor Likely Very likely

Assessment for Ph.D. Students:

Learning Outcome #1: A graduate (Ph.D.) student should be able to develop a research plan.
Assessment #1: Dissertation proposal is successfully completed and defended to student’s committee. Your committee will
evaluate your performance.

(1) The student’s dissertation proposal was written:

(2) The student synthesized the literature:

(3) The student’s proposed research projects were defined:

(4) The methods that the student will employ suit the projects:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Well done

Learning Outcome #2: A graduate (Ph.D.) student should be able to independently answer questions regarding their
research field.
Assessment #2: Oral comprehensive exams are successfully completed (written if requested by your committee). Your
committee will evaluate your performance.
(1) The student was able to articulate his or her answers in a written format:

(2) The student was able to articulate his or her answers orally:

(3) The student was able to answer a breadth of questions:

(4) The student demonstrated an appropriate depth of knowledge:

(5) The student was able to demonstrate professional poise during the exam:

23
 82

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Well done

Learning Objective #3: A graduate (Ph.D.) student should be able to communicate his or her research to a broadly-trained
public audience.
Assessment #3: Departmental Seminar presentation of dissertation research is successfully completed. All faculty present at
the seminar will evaluate your performance.

(1) The student’s presentation was professional and well-organized:

(2) The student’s demonstrated mastery of his or her research was:

(3) The student was able to answer questions from the audience:

(4) The student was able to demonstrate professional poise during the presentation:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Well done
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Learning Objective #4: A graduate (Ph.D.) student should be able to write up his or her research in the form of multiple
manuscripts for publication in scientific journals.
Assessment #4: Multi-chaptered dissertation is successfully completed. Your committee will evaluate your performance.

(1) The student’s dissertation was written:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(2) The student’s dissertation demonstrated mastery of the research:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Very well

(3) Based upon its quality, the likelihood of the dissertation being published is:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Likely Very likely

(4) Has the student already submitted for publication one or more chapters?
Yes No

(5) Has the student already published one or more chapters?

Yes No

Learning Outcome #5: A graduate student should be able to create new teaching materials

Assessment #5: Successful completion of Teaching practicum course and a formal lecture or laboratory presentation in an
undergraduate course. Form used for this assessment is our Evaluation of Teaching form. Our assessment tool will be the
last question on the form. Your advisor and the course instructor will evaluate your performance.

Overall effectiveness of teaching:

Unsatisfactory – cannot keep attention of class; shows little enthusiasm for subject matter; un-organized presentation of material;
does not link lessons with class theme; unresponsive to students.

Satisfactory – generally keeps attention of class; shows enthusiasm for subject matter; presents material in organized fashion; links

24
 83

lessons with class theme; adequate attention to students.

Outstanding – always keeps attention of class; shows great enthusiasm for subject matter; presents material in highly organized
fashion; clearly links lessons with class theme; is very attentive to students; significantly enhances student learning.

25
 84

Appendix 4. Graduate student annual reports.

 85

Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Student Annual Report

2007-2008 Academic Year

Presentations at scientific meetings:

Adam Branson

Branson, A. and Lankford, T. Fish Assemblage structure of estuarine vs. ocean surf habitats in
southeastern North Carolina. American Fisheries Society Tidewater Chapter, March, 2008.

James Casey

Casey, J., Garner, S., and Southwood, A. Stomach temperatures provide evidence of feeding for
leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) at St. Croix, USVI. 28th Annual Symposium on Sea
Turtle Conservation and Biology, January, 2008. Poster presentation.

Katie Chartrand

Chartrand, K., Durako, M. Siderastrea in Florida Bay: Photophysiological response to hyposaline stress in
a marginal coral habitat. Estuarine Research Federation, November, 2007.

Chip Collier

Collier, W.R., Impacts of natural disturbances on the lower Cape Fear River Species Assemblage, 2002-
2007 Oral: Tidewater AFS Meeting Gloucester, VA

Lisa Goshe

Goshe, L.R., Avens, L., and Southwood, A.L. Poster presentation: Is bone growth related to carapace
growth in Atlantic green sea turtles? 28th International Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and
Conservation, January, 2008.

Kristin Hardy

Hardy, K.M., Dillaman, R.M. and Kinsey S.T. Intracellular diffusion constraints may influence organelle
distribution in skeletal muscle. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, January, 2008.
(best student oral presentation winner)

Locke, B.R., S. Dasika, S.T. Kinsey and K.M. Hardy. The Influence of Diffusion on Energy Metabolism
and Cellular Organization in Skeletal Muscle. American Chemical Society Meeting, 2008

Hillary Lane

Lane, H. and Koopman, H. Ontogenetic, seasonal, and annual variation in lipid content and composition
of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) from the Bay of Fundy, Canada. American Fisheries
Society Tidewater Chapter Meeting, March, 2008.

Lane, H. and Koopman, H. Temporal and ontogenetic variation in the nutritional value of Atlantic herring
(Clupea harengus), an important prey species in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Southeast and Mid-
Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, March, 2008.

Tse-Lynn Loh

Pawlik, J.R., Henkel, T.P., Loh, T.L., Lopez-Legentil, S., McMurray, S., and Rohde, S.
Testing an hypothesis on sponge chemical defenses using the wreck of the USS
Spiegel Grove. Presented at the 5th European Conference on Marine Natural
 86

Products, Italy, 2007 (Presented by J.R. Pawlik)

Cassie Martin

Martin, C., and Scharf, F. Intracohort variation in vital rates of age-0 red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) with
evidence for demographic restructuring during winter. Tidewater Chapter meeting of the
American Fisheries Society, March, 2008.

Martin, C., and Scharf, F. Testing for Demographic Restructuring within Cohorts of Age-0 Juvenile Red
Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). American Fisheries Society, August, 2007.

Steve McMurray

McMurray, S.E., Blum, J.E., and Pawlik, J.R. Redwoods of the reef? Growth and age of the Giant Barrel
Sponge, Xestospongia muta. Shoals Marine Laboratory Seminar August, 2007.

Pedro Medina-Rosas

Presentations in the IV Mexican Coral Reefs Meeting, 24 - 26 October 2007, in La Paz, Baja California
Sur, México:

Medina-Rosas, Pedro y Amilcar Cupul-Magaña. Reef corals of Islas Marías, Nayarit, México.

Medina-Rosas, Pedro y Cruz Piñón. Representativity of Mexican Pacific hard corals in scientific
collections.

Calderón-Aguilera, Reyes, Herrero, Cupul, Medina-Rosas. Stability and resilience of Mexican Pacific
coral communities.

Cupul-Magaña, AL, Medina-Rosas, P, Pérez-Lozano, G. Community structure of reef fishes of Islas

Marías, Nayarit.

Chávez Romo, E, Correa, Reyes, Paz, Lopez, Medina-Rosas, Hernández. Genetic variation of leucil
aminopeptidase (EC.3.4.11.1) in Pocillopora damicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) of the Mexican Pacific.

Escobosa-González, L, Cupul, Reyes, Medina-Rosas, Calderón. Community structure of scleractinians in

the Carrizales, Colima coral reef.

Medina-Ortiz, MC, González, Cifuentes, Rodríguez, Medina-Rosas. Aspergillus species isolated from
Pacifigorgia rutila in the Islas Marietas, México reef.

Nava-Bravo, H, Carballo, Cruz, Bautista, Medina-Rosas. Variation in the abundante and diversity of
boring sponges of coral susbtrates at local and regional scales (Mexican Pacific).

Paz-Garcia, Correa, Reyes, Chavez, Lopez, Medina-Rosas, Hernández. Genetic variation of leucil
aminopeptidase in Porites panamensis Verrill, 1866of the Mexican Pacific.

Saavedra-Sotelo, N, Reyes, Calderón, Medina-Rosas, Rocha y Lopez. Genetic structure and flow of
Pavona gigantea (Verrill, 1896) in the Mexican Pacific coast.

Adriane Michaelis

Michaelis, A., Emslie, S., Rotenberg, J. and Golder, W. Winter Ecology of Nelson’s and Saltmarsh Sharp-
tailed Sparrows in Southeastern North Carolina. Waterbird Society, November 2007.
 87

Marina Piscitelli

Piscitelli, M., McLellan, W., Rommel, S., and Pabst, D.A. A plan to compare thoracic
morphology in a shallow (Tursiops truncatus) and deep diving (Kogia spp.)
cetacean. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, March, 2008.

Mike Polito

Polito M.J., Emslie S.D., and Strickland M.E. Temporal variation in resource utilization in Pygoscelis
penguins as inferred from stable isotope analysis. Waterbirds Society Meeting, October, 2007.

Carly Randall

Randall, C., and Szmant A. Effects of Elevated Seawater Temperatures on the Development and
Survivorship of Larvae of the Eklhorn Coral Acropora palmate. International Coral Reef
Symposium, July, 2008.

Mark Sherman

Sherman, M., D. Schmidt, and A. Wilbur. Larval Releases as a Method of Bay Scallop Restoration in
Bogue Sound, North Carolina, March, 2008. [Poster]

Jessica Snoddy

Snoddy, J., Landon, M., Owens, D., Blanvillain, G., and Southwood, A. Physiology and post-release
mortality of sea turtles released from gillnets in the lower Cape Fear River, North Carolina.
International Sea Turtle Symposium, January, 2008.

Zach Swaim

Swaim, Z., Westgate, A., Koopman, H., Rolland, R., and Kraus, S. A wax ester digester? Comparing the
lipid content and composition of right whale fecal material to those of their copepod prey. The
North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, November, 2007.

Christy Visaggi

Visaggi, C.C. and Kelley, P.K. 2007. Relationship between drilling predation and shell morphology of
patellid limpets from southwestern England. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting,
October 2007.

Kelley, P.K., Visaggi, C.C., Mahoney, R.N., Ofalt, K.M., Palmer, S.L., and Payne, D.N. 2008. Comparative
analysis of factors affecting predatory and nonpredatory bioerosion on Stewartia and Dosinia
from the Plio-Pleistocene Caloosachactee Formation of Florida, Geological Society of America
Southeastern Section Meeting, April 2008.

Kelley, P.K., Visaggi, C.C., DePriest, J.R., Lewis, J.D., Mann, R., Reddy, C., Schronce, A.G. and Schub,
E.P. 2008. Spatial variation in predatory and nonpredatory bioerosion in selected bivalves from
the Plio-Pleistocene of the U.S. Coastal Plain, Geological Society of America Southeastern
Section Meeting, April 2008.

Chuck Wilson

Wilson, C. R. Restoring our shorelines. An Updated Look at Estuarine Shoreline Stabilization in Coastal
North Carolina Workshop. NOAA, November 2007.
 88

Wilson, C.R. A biologist’s perspective on coastal restoration. Estuarine Design and Research Needs
Workshop. ERDC, January, 2008

Wilson, C.R. Restoration of coastal ecosystems in North Carolina. Estuarine Design and Research
Needs Workshop. ERDC, January, 2008

Papers:

Lisa Goshe

Avens, L., Goshe, L.R. 2007. Comparative skeletochronological analysis of Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys
kempii) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) humeri and scleral ossicles. Mar. Bio. 152:1309-1317.

Kristin Hardy

Kinsey, S.T, Hardy, K.M. and Locke B.R. 2007. The long and winding road: influences of intracellular
metabolite diffusion on cellular organization and metabolism in skeletal muscle. J. Exp. Biol.
210:3505-3512

Ana Jimenez

Jimenez, A.G., Locke, B., Kinsey, S.T. (In prep). Comparative scaling of a metabolic process (AP re-
synthesis) and metabolic rate (O2 consumption) during exercise recovery in three species of tail-
flipping crustaceans. Journal of Comparative Physiology B.

Jimenez, A.G., Kinsey, S.T., Kapraun, D.F. (In prep). Nuclear DNA content variation in decapod
crustaceans: Does hypertrophy affect genome size in muscle fibers? Comparative
Biochemistry and Physiology: Genomics and Proteomics.

Steve McMurray

Pawlik, J.R., Henkel, T. P., McMurray, S.E., López-Legentil, S., Loh, T., and Rohde, S. (submitted).
Patterns of sponge recruitment and growth on a shipwreck corroborate chemical defense
resource trade-off.

McMurray, S.E., Blum, J.E., and Pawlik, J.R. (submitted). Growth and age of the giant barrel sponge
Xestospongia muta on a Florida coral reef.

McMurray, S.E., and Pawlik, J.R. (submitted). A novel technique for the reattachment of large coral reef
sponges.

López-Legentil S., Song B., McMurray S.E., and Pawlik J.R. 2008. Bleaching and stress in coral reef
ecosystems: Hsp70 expression by the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta. Molecular Ecology.
17: 1840-1849.

Erin Meagher

Meagher, E., McLellan, W., Westgate, A., Wells, R., Blum, J., and Pabst, D. 2008. Seasonal patterns of
heat loss in wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Comparative Physiology B.
178(4): 529-543.
Meagher, E., McLellan, W., Williams, T., Westgate, A., Blum, J., and Pabst, D. (In prep).
Measured and calculated rates of heat loss do not predict O2 consumption rates in captive
bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Experimental Biology. In Prep.
 89

Marina Piscitelli

Cotten, P., Piscitelli, M., McLellan, W., Rommel, S., Dearolf, J., and Pabst, D.A. Accepted. The gross
morphology and histochemistry of respiratory muscles in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops
truncatus). Journal of Morphology.

Mike Polito

Strickland M.E., Polito M.J., and Emslie, S.D. (Submitted) Spatial and seasonal variation in Adélie
penguin diets as inferred from stable isotope analysis of eggshell. Journal of the North Carolina
Academy of Science

Carneiro A.P.B., Polito M.J., Sander M., and Trivelpiece W.Z. (Submitted) Interference
competition reveals spatial trade-offs in sympatrically breeding skuas (Catharacta spp.) at
Admiralty Bay King George Island, Antarctica. Journal of Avian Biology

Polito M.J., and W.Z. Trivelpiece. 2008.Transition to independence and evidence of extended parental
care in the gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua). Marine Biology. 154(2): 231-240.

Christy Visaggi

Visaggi, C.C., Johnson, J.G., Johnson, A.S., Kenworthy, J.P., and Santucci, V.L. (In Review). Amistad
National Recreation Area Paleontological Survey. Technical Reports, Geological Resources
Division, National Park Service. 80 pages.

Alroy, J., Aberhan, M., Bottjer, D.J., Foote, M., Fürsich, F.T., Harries, P.J., Hendy, A.J.W., Holland, S.M.,
Ivany, L.C., Kiessling, W., Kosnik, M.A., Marshall, C.R., McGowan, A.J., Miller, A.I., Olszewski,
T.D., Patzkowsky, M.E., Peters, S.E., Villier, L., Wagner, P.J., Bonuso, N., Borkow, P.S.,
Brenneis, B., Clapham, M.E., Fall,L.M., Ferguson, C.A., Hanson, V.L., Krug, A.Z., Layou, K.M.,
Leckey, E.H., Nürnberg, S., Powers, C.M., Sessa, J.A., Simpson, C., Tomašových, A., and
Visaggi, C.C. (In Revision). Phanerozoic trends in the global diversity of marine invertebrates.
Science.

Santucci, V.L., Kenworthy, J.P., and Visaggi, C.C. 2007. Paleontological Resource Inventory and
Monitoring: Chihuahuan Desert Network. National Park Service Technical Information Center.
105 pages.

Visaggi, C.C. 2007. Letter to the Editor: The Eagle Has Landed. American Scientist
95(1): 5.

Awards and Recognitions:

Kristin Hardy
 Robert C. Terwilliger Best Student Oral Presentation Award in the Division of Comparative
Physiology and Biochemistry- SICB meeting, 2008
 Owen Graham Kenan Scholarship
 Lewis/Wiley Alumni Endowed Fellowship

Tim Henkel
 UNCW Graduate Teaching Award
 Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Student Teaching Award

Hillary Lane
 Best Master’s Student Oral Presentation at SEAMAMMS
 90

Tse-Lynn Loh
 The John Colucci Jr. Memorial Scholarship, UNCW
 UNCW Graduate Tuition Scholarship

Cassie Martin
 Estuaries Section student travel award for travel to San Francisco AFS annual meeting
 Got-em-on Live Bait Scholarship

Janie McAuliffe
 CMS Summer Stipend Award

Steve McMurray
 Recipient of the 2009 Knauss Fellowship

Erin Meagher
 Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellow Finalist, 2008

Adriane Michaelis
 Ralph W. Brauer Fellowship recipient.

Marina Piscitelli
 Best Master’s Poster at Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium

Carly Randall
 UNCW Graduate School Travel Award

Christy Visaggi
 Teaching Award (Dept. of Biology & Marine Biology)
 Teaching Award (Graduate School)

Grants applied for:

Lisa Goshe
 UNCW Graduate School travel grant
 International Sea Turtle Society travel grant

Ana Jimenez
 American Physiology Society’s Portner Fellowship
 NOAA’s Nancy Foster scholarship

Hillary Lane
 CMS Summer Stipend
 Graduate School Summer Stipend
 Sigma Xi
 Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Herring Science Council Research Grant

Tse-Lynn Loh
 Brauer Fellowship
 Sigma Xi GIAR
 Lerner-Gray
 UNCW Graduate School Travel Award
 UNCW BioGSA Travel Award
 91

Janie McAuliffe
 Sigma Xi
 EPA STAR

Pedro Medina-Rosas
 Mexican government grant for PhD program.

Marina Piscitelli
 Sigma – Xi
 North Carolina Maritime Museum ‘Protect Wild Dolphins’ Grant
 Graduate School Travel Grant, UNCW

Mike Polito
 Dr. Ralph W. Brauer Fellowship
 EPA STAR Fellowship
 EPA GRO Fellowship
 NSF - Office of Polar Programs – Antarctic Research Grant

Carly Randall
 CMS Summer Research Scholarship
 UNCW Graduate School Summer Research Scholarship
 North Carolina Association of Environmental Professionals Scholarship

Christy Visaggi
 American Malacological Society
 AMNH Lerner-Gray Fund for Marine Research
 CMS Pilot Project
 Conchologists of America
 Geological Society of America
 Malacological Society of London
 National Geographic
 Paleontological Society
 Sigma Xi
 UNCW Brauer Fellowship
 UNCW Office of International Programs
 Western Society of Malacologists

Grants received:

Chip Collier
 Stock structure of southern kingfish (Menticirrhus americanus): Defining units for stock
assessment and management of North Carolina fisheries. NC Sea Grant (PIs Dr. T. Lankford
and Dr. A. Wilbur).

Lisa Goshe
 UNCW Graduate School travel grant
 Graduate Tuition Scholarship

Hillary Lane
 Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Herring Science Council Research Grant

Tse-Lynn Loh
 Brauer Fellowship
 92

Marina Piscitelli
 North Carolina Maritime Museum ‘Protect Wild Dolphins’ Grant
 Graduate School Travel Grant

Mike Polito
 Dr. Ralph W. Brauer Fellowship

Carly Randall
 CMS Summer Research Scholarship
 UNCW Graduate School Summer Research Scholarship

Christy Visaggi
 Sigma Xi
 UNCW Brauer Fellowship
 UNCW Office of International Programs
(Five Grants Currently Being Reviewed)

Any other information that you would like to share (for example, if you are graduating, where are
you off to?):

Katie Chartrand
 I have already sadly departed but am happy to report I am settled into life Down Under up near
Cairns in Far North Queensland Australia….on the reef daily and can’t get enough!

Chip Collier
 Elected President of the UNCW American Fisheries Society.
 Successfully completed PhD candidacy exams.

Ana Jimenez
 Elected president of the Biology Graduate Student Association for 2008-2009
 Attending Friday Harbor’s invertebrate zoology class over the summer

Tse-Lynn Loh
 Just applied for the UNCW PhD program!

Erin Meagher
 I defended my dissertation in January and am working for the National Marine Fisheries Service
in St. Petersburg, FL as the Southeast Region Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response
Program Administrator and Pelagic Long-line Take Reduction Team Coordinator.

Pedro Medina-Rosas
 I will attend the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium in July 2008, at Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
 Going to Mexico for more coral larvae this summer!

Steve McMurrary

 Presented:

McMurray, S.E., Henkel, T.P., and Pawlik, J.R. Demography of the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia
muta on a Florida coral reef. UNCW Graduate Student Symposium. April, 2008.

Adriane Michaelis

 Also presented at symposiums:

 93

Michaelis, A., Emslie, S., Rotenberg, J. and Golder, W. Winter Ecology of Nelson’s and Saltmarsh
Sharp-tailed Sparrows in Southeastern North Carolina. Sigma Xi, April 2008.

Michaelis, A., Emslie, S., Rotenberg, J. and Golder, W. Winter Ecology of Nelson’s and Saltmarsh Sharp-
tailed Sparrows in Southeastern North Carolina. UNCW Graduate Student Symposium, April
2008

Jeff Overton
 Will begin Ph.D studies in the Dept. of Physiology and Integrative Biology (Rutgers/UMDNJ) on a
Society for Scholars Fellowship.

Zach Swaim
 After graduation in May, I will be working in the Bay of Fundy (for the summer) with the Grand
Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station.

Christy Visaggi
 Shall serve as a mentor in summers of 2008-2010 for the NSF Research Experience for
Undergraduates in Biodiversity Conservation at UNCW
 Ph.D. stipend for 2008-2009 academic year supported by Provost Paul Hosier and Academic
Affairs as part of the UNCW Evolution Learning Community
 Led the foundation of a new UNCW organization: Women in Science & Engineering
 Volunteered for the College Park Elementary School Science Fair, Southeast Regional Science
Fair, and Science Olympiad
 Guest Lecturer in Biology 170, Geology 135, Geology 337, Geology 431
 Ph.D. representative for the Graduate Advisory Committee
 94

Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Student Annual Report

2008-2009 Academic Year

Presentations at scientific meetings:

Laura Bagge

Bagge, L.E., McLellan, W.A., Koopman, H.N., McAlarney, R.J., Nilsson, P.B., Blum, J.E., and Pabst, D.A.
Thermal properties of the blubber of adult female short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala
macrorhynchus). Evolution Learning Community Conference, March 2009.

Bagge, L.E., McLellan, W.A., Koopman, H.N., McAlarney, R.J., Nilsson, P.B., Blum, J.E., and Pabst, D.A.
Thermal properties of the blubber of adult female short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala
macrorhynchus). Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, April 2009.
Award: Best student poster (Master’s category)

Bagge, L.E., McLellan, W.A., Koopman, H.N., McAlarney, R.J., Nilsson, P.B., Blum, J.E., and Pabst, D.A.
Thermal properties of the blubber of adult female short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala
macrorhynchus). Sigma Xi, UNCW Chapter meeting, April 2009.

Cory Dashiell

Dashiell, C. L., and Bailey, J.C. New observations on the biology of eustigmatophytes, with a description
of Microtalis gen. nov. Phycological Society of America, July, 2008.

Joe Facendola

Facendola, J., and Scharf, F. Predation by juvenile red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)
on blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus): estimation of daily ration and seasonal variation in the
contribution of blue crab to the diet. American Fisheries Society national meeting, August, 2008.

Facendola, J., and Scharf, F. Predation by age-0 red drum on juvenile blue crabs: Estimation of daily
ration and ontogenetic variation in the contribution of blue crab to the diet. Tidewater chapter
of the American Fisheries Society annual meeting, March, 2009.

Facendola, J., and Scharf, F. Predation on blue crab by juvenile red drum: estimation of daily ration and
seasonal variation to the diet. North Carolina fisheries Forum, March, 2009.

Julia Jenkins

Shafer, T.H., Knapp, W.E., and Golus, J.M. A new family of crustacean cuticle proteins possibly related to
mineralization of pre-exuvial cuticle. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, January,
2009.
 95

Ana Jimenez

Ana G. Jimenez, Stephen T. Kinsey, Richard Dillaman, and Donald F. Kapraun, Nuclear genome size
variation implicated in decapod crustacean muscle fiber hypertrophic growth, Darwin’s legacy
student conference in Wilmington, NC, March 2009

Ana G. Jimenez and Stephen T. Kinsey. Reduced cost of Na+-K+ pump activity
in large muscle fibers of the lobster, Homarus americanus, Annual Society of Integrative and
Comparative Biology meeting in Boston, MA, January 2009

Ana G. Jimenez, Stephen T. Kinsey, Richard Dillaman, and Donald F. Kapraun, Nuclear genome size
variation implicated in decapod crustacean muscle fiber hypertrophic growth, Annual Society of
Integrative and Comparative Biology meeting in Boston, MA, January 2009

Amanda Kahn

Wavelength-specific photosynthetic responses of the seagrass Halophila johnsonii from marine versus
riverine influenced habitats. Kahn A. E., Durako, M. J. S.E. Estuarine Res. Soc. Semi-Annual
Meeting, Nov. 13-15, 2008, Tampa, FL. **** Received Best Graduate Student Presentation
Award

Diurnal tidal responses of the seagrass Halophila johnsonii physiology in a riverine versus marine
influenced habitat. Kahn A. E., Beal, J. L.,Durako, M. J. S.E. Estuarine Res. Soc. Semi-Annual
Meeting, Nov. 13-15, 2008, Tampa, FL.

Hillary Lane

Lane, H., and Koopman, H. Ontogenetic and temporal variation in the nutritional quality of Atlantic
herring (Clupea harengus) from the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Annual meeting of the Tidewater
chapter of the American Fisheries Society, March, 2009.

Wai Leong

Leong, W. and Pawlik, J. R. Patterns of resource allocation in Caribbean coral reef sponges. Benthic
Ecology Meeting, March, 2009.

Leong, W. and Pawlik, J. R. Sexual reproduction and growth form: trade-offs in two species of
Callyspongia from Florida. Duke University Marine Lab, November, 2008.

Leong, W. and Pawlik, J. R. Is there a trade-off between reproduction and defense in reef sponges? 11th
International Coral Reef Symposium, July, 2008.

Thiago Lima

Lima, T., McCartney, M.A., and Yund, P.O. Results from a blue mussel hybrid zone question the role of
M7 lysin as a speciation gene. ELC Darwin’s legacy, March 2009.
 96

Jessica Lisa

Lisa, J., Song, B. Molecular Detection of Anammox Bacteria in the New River Estuary. South Eastern
Estuarine Research Society. March 2009.

Tse-Lynn Loh

Loh, T.L., Pawlik, J.R. Investigating the association between the Caribbean Orange Icing Sponge and
scleractinian corals- An uneasy truce? Darwin's Legacy: Evolution's Impact on Science and
Culture, UNC Wilmington, North Carolina, March, 2009

Loh, T.L., Pawlik, J.R. Investigating the association between the Caribbean Orange Icing Sponge and
scleractinian corals- Friend or foe? Benthic Ecology Meeting, Corpus Christi, Texas, March, 2009

Loh, T.L., Pawlik, J.R. Investigating the association between the Orange Icing Sponge and Caribbean
corals. Duke University Graduate Student Symposium, Duke University Marine Laboratory,
Beaufort, North Carolina, November, 2008

Loh, T.L., Pawlik, J.R. The association between the Orange Icing Sponge and Caribbean corals- More than
a mutualism? 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July, 2008

Cassie Martin

Martin, C., and Scharf, F. Intracohort variation in vital rates of age-0 juvenile red drum (Sciaenops
ocellatus): testing for selective mortality during winter. American Fisheries Society, August,
2008.

Martin, C., and Scharf, F. Intracohort variation in vital rates of age-0 juvenile red drum (Sciaenops
ocellatus): testing for selective mortality during winter. Tidewater chapter of the American
Fisheries Society, March, 2009.

Janie McAuliffe

McAuliffe, J. and Lankford, T. The effects of residential development and water pollution on fish
community structure and nursery function of saltmarsh tidal creeks in Southeastern North
Carolina. Southeastern Estuarine Research Society (SEERS), March, 2009.

McAuliffe, J. and Lankford, T. The effects of residential development and water pollution on fish
community structure and nursery function of saltmarsh tidal creeks in Southeastern North
Carolina. 23rd Annual Meeting of the Tidewater Chapter of the American Fisheries Society,
March, 2009.

McAuliffe, J., Perillo, A., Destefano, H., and Lankford, T. Fish nursery function of alternative estuarine
habitats in southeastern North Carolina. Darwin’s Legacy: Evolution’s Impact on Science and
Culture Student Conference, March 2009.
 97

Caitlin McKinstry

McKinstry, C.A.E., Westgate, A.J., and H.N. Koopman. Breakfast of Champions: A preliminary analysis of
the annual variation in energy content and lipid composition of the copepod, Calanus
finmarchicus from the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal
Symposium, March, 2009.

Pedro Medina-Rosas

Medina-Rosas, P. Reef Corals of Clipperton Atoll, Eastern Pacific. 11th International Coral Reef
Symposium. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. July 2008.

Carpizo-Ituarte, E., H. Reyes-Bonilla, A. Cupul-Magaña, A. López-Pérez, P. Medina-Rosas, H.E. Chávez-

Romo, P. Rodríguez-Troncoso, V. Vizcaino-Ochoa, M. Mora-Pérez, G. Leyte-Morales, L.E.
Calderónaguilera, G. Chi-Barragán, O. Tapia-Vázquez . Sexual reproduction of hermatypic corals
along the Mexican Pacific coast. 11th International Coral Reef Symposium. Fort Lauderdale,
Florida. July 2008.

Paz-García, D.A., F. Correa-Sandoval, H.E. Chávez-Romo, H. Reyes-Bonilla, R.A. López-Pérez, P. Medina-

Rosas, M.P. Hernández-Cortés. Genetic structure of the massive coral Porites panamensis
(Anthozoa: Scleractinia) from the Mexican Pacific. 11th International Coral Reef Symposium.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida. July 2008.

Chávez-Romo, H.E., F. Correa-Sandoval, D.A. Paz-García, H. Reyes-Bonilla, R.A. López Pérez, P. Medina-
Rosas, M.P. Hernández-Cortés. Genetic structure of a scleractinian coral, Pocillopora damicornis,
in the Mexican Pacific. 11th International Coral Reef Symposium. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. July
2008.

Lisa OGawa

OGawa, L.M., D.R. Blanc-Goldhammer, E.L. Adams, and M. van Tuinen. A first molecular phylogenetic
study of grebes (Aves: Podicipedidae). American Ornithologists’ Union Conference, August,
2008.

OGawa, L.M., D.R. Blanc-Goldhammer, E.L. Adams, and M. van Tuinen. A first molecular phylogenetic
study of grebes (Aves: Podicipedidae). Darwin’s Legacy Conference, March, 2009.

Marina Piscitelli

Piscitelli, M., McLellan, W., Rommel, S., and Pabst, D.A. Comparing lung size in shallow (T. truncatus) and
deep (Kogia spp.) diving cetaceans. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, January
2009, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Conference, April 2009.

Michael Polito

Polito, M.J., Miller, A.K., Trivelpiece, S.G., and Trivelpiece W.Z. Effects of female age, breeding
experience and laying date on clutch and egg size in the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae).
Duke University Marine Lab Graduate Student Research Symposium, November 2008
 98

Polito, M.J., Miller, A.K., Trivelpiece, S.G., and Trivelpiece W.Z. Effects of female age, breeding
experience and laying date on clutch and egg size in the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae).
UNCW “Darwin's Legacy” student conference March 2009

Carly Randall

Randall, C. and Szmant, A. The Effects of Elevated Sea Surface Temperatures on Acropora palmata larval
survival and development. International Coral Reef Symposium, July, 2008.

Victor Schmidt

Schmidt, V., McCartney, M. The evolution of gamete incompatibility in a blue mussel hybrid zone.
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, January 2009.

Schmidt, V., McCartney, M. Sexual conflict may drive speciation in a blue mussel hybrid zone. Darwin’s
Legacy Conference, UNCW. March 2009.

Mark Sherman

M. Sherman, A.E. Wilbur. Genetic Structure of Bay Scallop Populations in North Carolina Coastal Waters.
101st Annual National Shellfish Association Meeting. March, 2009.

M. Sherman, A.E. Wilbur, D. Schmidt. A Genetic Assessment of Bay Scallop Populations in Bogue Sound,
North Carolina. International Conference on Shellfish Restoration. November, 2008

Jessica Snoddy

Snoddy, J., Landon, M., Blanvillain, G., and Southwood, A. Physiology and post-release mortality of sea
turtles released from gillnets in the lower Cape Fear River, NC. North Carolina Sea Turtle Project
Annual Meeting, March, 2009.

Christy Visaggi

Visaggi, C., Kelley, P., and Hansen, T. Latitudinal variation in shell thickness and drilling predation on
Recent Hemimactra of the Eastern U.S. Geological Society of America, October, 2008.

Visaggi, C., Burzynski, G., Kemble, J., Ofalt, K., White, S., and Kelley, P. Ecological structure of the
molluscan fauna of the Plio-Pleistocene Caloosahatchee Formation of Florida, Geological Society
of America, October, 2008.

Kelley, P., Visaggi, C., Boggs, J., Cuff, M., Green, G., Keirn, M., Raymer, R., Smith, B., and Dietl, G.
Outcrop-scale variation in drilling predation in the lower Waccamaw Formation of southeastern
North Carolina, Geological Society of America Southeastern Section, March, 2009.

*Co-authored 12 additional abstracts for GSA Southeastern Section, March, 2009.

 99

Visaggi, C., Kelley, P., Boggs, J., Cuff, M., Green, G., Keirn, M., Raymer, R., Smith, B., and Dietl, G.,
Outcrop‐scale variation in drilling predation in the Lower Waccamaw Formation of Southeastern
North Carolina, Darwin's Legacy: Evolution's Impact on Science and Culture, March, 2009.

Visaggi, C., Dietl, G., Kelley, P., Lambert, J., Poole, J., Selders, K., and Toledo, J., Concordance in rank-
order abundance of living and death assemblages of mollusks from a North Carolina tidal flat,
Darwin's Legacy: Evolution's Impact on Science and Culture, March, 2009.

*Co-authored 5 additional abstracts for Darwin’s Legacy, March, 2009.

Papers:

Brian Balmer

Balmer, B., Wells, R., Nowacek, S., Nowacek, D., Schwacke, L., McLellan, W., Rowles, T., Hansen, L.,
Spradlin, T., and Pabst, D. 2008. Seasonal abundance and distribution patterns of common
bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) near St. Joseph Bay, Florida, USA. J. Cetacean Res.
Manage. 10(2): 157-167.

Cory Dashiell

Bailey, J. C., McElhinney, A., Tatters, A., Dashiell, C., Tomas, C. 2009. Systematics of Goniochloris, with a
description of the Goniochloridaceae fam. nov. (Eustigmatophyceae, Heterokontophyta).
Journal of Phycology. (Selected for Publication)

Lisa Goshe

Goshe, L.R., Avens, L., Bybee, J., and Hohn, A.A. (in prep.). An evaluation of histological techniques used
in skeletochronological age estimation of sea turtles.

Ying Fang

Fang Y., Pinsky, M., Newsome S., Hadly E., and van Tuinen M. Population genetics of Northern Fur Seals
(Callorhinus ursinus) using ancient DNA. SEAMAMMS – Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine
Mammal Symposium, April, 2009

Fang Y., and van Tuinen M. Historical population genetics of Northern Fur Seals (Callorhinus ursinus) in
Aleutian Islands, Evolution Learning Community – Darwin’s legacy in UNCW, March, 2009.

Kristin Hardy

Hardy, K.M., Dillaman, R.M., Locke B.R. and Kinsey, S.T. 2009. Reaction-diffusion constraints influence
cellular design during growth in an extreme skeletal muscle system. American Journal of
Physiology: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology
doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00076.2009.

Hardy, K.M. Lema, S.C, and Kinsey, S.T. 2009. The effect of diffusion on skeletal muscle fiber design: a
comparative analysis of the brachyuran family Portunidae. Marine Biology (in press).
 100

Ana Jimenez

Jimenez, A.G., Locke B.R. and Kinsey, S.T. The influence of oxygen and high-energy phosphate diffusion
on metabolic scaling in three species of tail-flipping crustaceans. Journal of Experimental
Biology. 211: 3214-3225.

Jimenez, A.G., Dillaman, R., Kinsey, S.T. and Kapraun, D.F. Nuclear genome size variation implicated in
decapod crustacean muscle fiber hypertrophic growth (in prep)

Jimenez, A.G. and Kinsey, S.T. Reduced cost of Na+-K+ pump activity in large muscle fibers of the lobster,
Homarus americanus. (in prep)

Amanda Kahn

Kahn, A. E., Durako, M. J., 2009. Photosynthetic tolerances to desiccation of the co-occurring seagrasses
Halophila johnsonii and Halophila decipiens. Aquatic Botany 90: 195-198.

Kahn, A. E., Durako, M. J. 2008. Photophysiological responses of Halophila johnsonii to experimental

hyposaline and hyper-CDOM conditions. J. Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 367: 230-
235.

Jessica Lisa

Witty M, Nickles J, Lisa J and Tiedemann J (2008). Ecology, DNA and the future of Microbial Source
Tracking. Water, Air and Soil Pollution; accepted for publication.

Tse-Lynn Loh

Loh, T.-L., Pawlik, J.R. 2009. Bitten down to size: Fish predation determines growth form of the
Caribbean coral reef sponge Mycale laevis. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. In
press.

Pedro Medina-Rosas

Calderón A., L.E., H. Reyes B., R.A. López Pérez, A.L. Cupul Magaña, M.D. Herrero Perezrul, J.D. Carriquiry
y P. Medina Rosas. 2009. Fauna asociada a arrecifes coralinos del Pacífico Mexicano. Ciencia y
Desarrollo.

Chávez-Romo, H.E., F. Correa-Sandoval, D.A. Paz-García, H. Reyes-Bonilla, R.A. López-Pérez, P. Medina-

Rosas, M.P. Hernández-Cortés. In press. Genetic structure of the scleractinian coral, Pocillopora
damicornis, from the Mexican Pacific. Proceedings of the 11th International Coral Reef
Symposium, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

LaJeunesse T., R. Smith, M. Walther, D. Pettay, M. McGinley, M. Aschaffenburg, P. Medina-Rosas, A.

Cupul-Magaña, A. López-Pérez, H. Reyes-Bonilla, M. Warner. Submitted. Host-symbiont
recombination vs. natural selection in the response of coral-dinoflagellate symbioses to
environmental disturbance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United
States of America.
 101

Reyes Bonilla, H., L.E. Calderón Aguilera, G. Cruz Piñón, R.A. López Pérez y P. Medina Rosas. Submitted.
Evaluación de la diversidad gama de corales arrecifales (Scleractinia) en el Pacífico de México.
Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad.

Michael Polito

Polito, M.J., Miller, A.K., Trivelpiece, S.G., and Trivelpiece W.Z. (In Review) Effects of female age,
breeding experience and laying date on clutch and egg size in the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis
adeliae). Ibis

Polito M.J., Fisher S., Tobias C.R., and Emslie, S.D. 2009. Tissue-specific isotopic discrimination factors in
gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) egg components: Implications for dietary reconstructions
using stable isotopes. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 372(1-2):106-112

Strickland M.E., Polito M.J., and Emslie, S.D. 2008. Spatial and seasonal variation in Adélie penguin diets
as inferred from stable isotope analysis of eggshell. Journal of the North Carolina Academy of
Science, 124(3): 65-71

Carly Randall

Randall, C. J., and Szmant, A. M. 2009. Elevated temperature reduces survivorship and settlement of the
larvae of the Caribbean scleractinian coral, Favia fragum (Esper). Coral Reefs.

Samantha Schmitt

Freshwater, D.W. and Schmitt, S. (Submitted 2009). Utility of FTA cards for the preservation of marine
green and red algal DNA. Journal of the North Carolina Academy of Sciences. In review.

Jessica Snoddy

Snoddy, J., Landon, M., Blanvillain, G., and Southwood, A. (in press) Blood Biochemistry of Sea Turtles
Captured in Gillnets in the Lower Cape Fear River, North Carolina, USA. Journal of Wildlife
Management.

Christy Visaggi

Yanes, Y. and Visaggi, C. (In Review). Feeding behavior and predatory preferences of Lirabuccinum dirum
(Buccinidae) upon limpets under experimental control. Journal of Shellfish Research. 27 p.

Visaggi, C., Johnson, J., Johnson, A., Kenworthy, J., and Santucci, V. (In Revision). Amistad National
Recreation Area Paleontological Survey. Technical Reports, Geological Resources Division,
National Park Service. 80 p.
Visaggi, C. and Godfrey, S. (In Press). Variation in composition and abundance of
Miocene shark teeth from Calvert Cliffs, Maryland. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 37 p.

Visaggi, C. 2009. Starting from Scratch: WiSE Women at UNCW. Gaea 32(1):10-11,13.
 102

Alroy, J., Aberhan, M., Bottjer, D., Foote, M., Fürsich, F., Harries, P., Hendy, A., Holland, S., Ivany, L.,
Kiessling, W., Kosnik, M., Marshall, C., McGowan, A., Miller, A., Olszewski, T., Patzkowsky, M.,
Peters, S., Villier, L., Wagner, P., Bonuso, N., Borkow, P., Brenneis, B., Clapham, M., Fall, L.,
Ferguson, C., Hanson, V., Krug, A., Layou, K., Leckey, E., Nürnberg, S., Powers, C., Sessa, J.,
Simpson, C., Tomašových, A., and Visaggi, C. 2008. Phanerozoic trends in the global diversity of
marine invertebrates. Science. 321(5885):97-100.

Carlos Zavalaga

Zavalaga, C. B., S. Taylor, G. Dell’Omo, D. J. Anderson, and V. Friesen. (In Press). Sexual size dimorphism
in Peruvian boobies: voice and size as traits for sex recognition. Wilson Journal of Ornithology.

Zavalaga, C. B., J. Halls, G. Dell’Omo, G. P. Mori, and S. Taylor. (In Press). At-sea movement patterns and
diving behavior of Peruvian Boobies Sula variegata in northern Peru. Marine Ecology Progress
Series.

Zavalaga, C. B., and R. Paredes. (In Press). Records of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) in
Peru. Marine Ornithology.

Zavalaga, C. B., G. Engblom, J. Alfaro-Shigueto, J. Mangel. (In press). Immature Northern Giant Petrels
(Macronectes halli) visiting the coast of Peru. Marine Ornithology.

Zavalaga, C. B., J. Hardesty, G. P. Mori, A. Tello, C. Chavez. 2009. Current status of Peruvian Terns
Sternula lorata in Peru: threats, conservation and research priorities. Bird Conservation International
19:175-186.

Zavalaga, C.B., M. Plenge and A. Bertolero 2008. The breeding biology of the Peruvian tern (Sternula
lorata) in Peru. Waterbirds 31:550-560.

Zavalaga, C.B., M. Plenge and A. Bertolero 2008. Nesting habitat and numbers of Peruvian terns
(Sternula lorata) at five locations in southern-central Peru. Ornitologia Neotropical 15:587-594

Zavalaga, C.B., S. Benvenuti, L. Dall’Antonia and S. Emslie. 2008. Foraging areas of breeding blue-footed
boobies as determined by direction recorders. Journal of Avian Biology 39: 405-412.

Smith, K.M. W.B. Karesh, P. Majluf, R. Paredes, C.B. Zavalaga, A. Hoogesteijn, M. Stetter, W. Emmett, H.
Braselton and R.A. Cook. 2008. Health evaluation of free ranging Humboldt penguins in Peru. Avian
Diseases 52:130-135.

Awards and Recognitions:

Joseph Facendola
 American Fisheries Society student travel award

Ying Fang
 The Ralph Brauer Graduate Student Fellowship, UNCW
 103

Kristin Hardy
 Lewis/Wiley Alumni Fellowship

Julia Jenkins
 Nominated for the Graduate Teaching Assistant Award

Ana Jimenez
 Nominated for a departmental teaching award

Hillary Lane
 Second best student paper at the annual meeting of the Tidewater Chapter of the American
Fisheries Society, March, 2009.

Wai Leong
 Frances Peter Fensel Memorial Scholarship

Jessica Lisa
 SEERS Travel Award
 American Microbiology Society Travel Award

Lisa OGawa
 Owen Graham Kenan Scholarship

Marina Piscitelli
 Best Master’s Talk award at the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Conference

Michael Polito
 2nd Runner Up – Best Oral Presentation Duke University Marine Lab Graduate Student Research
Symposium, November 2008

Carly Randall
 Working with Marine Quest, Oceans Camp, this summer followed by a move to Pensacola
Florida.

Mark Sherman
 Honorable Mention in the Gordon Gunter scientific poster award competition
 Biology and Marine Biology Departmental Graduate Teaching Award
 UNCW Graduate Teaching Award
 BioGSA Travel Award
 GSA Travel Award

Christy Visaggi
 Cornerstone Distinguished Service Award (UNCW)
 Campus Recreation Exemplary Service Award (UNCW)
 104

Grants applied for:

Brian Balmer
 National Estuarine Research Reserve System Graduate Research Fellowship

James Casey
 The David G. Lindquist Scholarship in Biology
 The Graduate School Summer Stipend Award

Cory Dashiell
 Ralph Brauer Graduate Student Fellowship
 CMS Summer Stipend
 Graduate School Summer Stipend

Julia Jenkins
 Sigma Xi Grants in Aid of Research

Thiago Lima
 Lerner-Gray fund for marine research
 SICB - Libbie H. Hyman memorial scholarship
 Sigma Xi-Grants-in-aid of research programs

Jessica Lisa
 NOAA Marine Debris Prevention and Removal. May 2008. Model Shore Communities: Plastic
Pollution Prevention
 NOAA Marine Debris Prevention and Removal. May 2008. Model Bait Shops: Bring Your Own
Bait Bucket Campaign

Tse-Lynn Loh
 Dr. Ralph W. Brauer Fellowship
 Lerner Gray Fund for Marine Research
 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Short-Term Fellowship

Janie McAuliffe
 Charles L. Cahill Award (Co-Primary Investigator)
 Got-Em-On Live Bait Club Scholarship
 UNCW Professional Development Program-Graduate School Summer Research Award (In
Review)
 UNCW Center for Marine Science Summer Research Award (In Review)
 Lerner-Gray Grants for Marine Research (In Review)
 UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Biology Grants and Fellowships (In Review):
o Frances Peter Fensel Memorial Fellowship
o John Colucci Jr. Memorial Scholarship
o David G. Lindquist Scholarship in Biology

Caitlin McKinstry
 SICB’s Libbie H. Hyman Memorial Scholarship
 105

 Sigma Xi’s Grant-in-Aid of Research

Victor Schmidt
 UNCW graduate school stipend
 UNCW CMS summer stipend

Samantha Schmitt
 Hannah T. Croasdale Fellowship-Phycological Society of America
 Friday Harbor Laboratory-University of Washington tuition waiver
 Center for Marine Science Summer Research Stipend for Graduate Students
 UNCW Graduate School Summer Research Stipend

Meagan Schrandt
 Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research
 SICB Grant-in-Aid of Research
 Lewis/Wiley Alumni Endowed Fellowship

Mark Sherman
 CMS Summer Research Grant
 UNCW Summer Research Grant

Christy Visaggi
 American Malacological Society
 AMNH Lerner-Gray Fund for Marine Research
 Conchologists of America
 Geological Society of America
 Lewis & Clark
 National Geographic
 NOAA Nancy Foster Fellowship
 Paleontological Society
 UNCW Brauer Fellowship

Carlos Zavalaga
 Pacific Seabird Group Craig S. Harrison Conservation Fund
 American Bird Conservancy Conservation Fund.

Grants received:

Cory Dashiell
 Ralph Brauer Graduate Student Fellowship
Julia Jenkins
 Sigma Xi Grants in Aid of Research

Tse-Lynn Loh
 Dr. Ralph W. Brauer Fellowship
 106

Janie McAuliffe
 Charles L. Cahill Award (Co-Primary Investigator)
 Got-Em-On Live Bait Club Scholarship

Lisa OGawa
 Graduate Student Association Travel Award
 Biology Graduate Student Association Travel Award
 Ralph Brauer Special Activities Fellowship

Michael Polito
 National Science Foundation ($503,195) for "Stable Isotope Analyses of Pygoscelid Penguin
Remains from Active and Abandoned Colonies in Antarctica." (Co-PI)

Samantha Schmitt
 Tropical Field Phycology Workshop student support grant
 Hannah T. Croasdale Phycological Society of America
 Friday Harbor Laboratory-University of Washington tuition waiver

Meagan Schrandt
 Lewis/Wiley Alumni Endowed Fellowship

Christy Visaggi
 Geological Society of America
 National Geographic
 UNCW Brauer Fellowship

*Three grants are currently being reviewed.

Ginger Winder
 NERR Graduate Research Fellowship
 UNCW Brauer Award
 Eastern Bird Banding Association Research Award
 Sigma Xi GIAR

Carlos Zavalaga
 Pacific Seabird Group Craig S. Harrison Conservation Fund
 American Bird Conservancy Conservation Fund

Any other information that you would like to share (for example, if you are graduating, where are you
off to?):

Ying Fang
 Enrolling in the Ph.D. program in Department of Biology, Texas A&M University

Lisa Goshe
 Graduating in May 2009 and returning to full-time as a biological technician in the NOAA
Fisheries National Sea Turtle Aging Laboratory in Beaufort, NC.
 107

Kristin Hardy
 I will be beginning a three year NOAA funded (Oceans and Human Health) post-doc at the
Hollings Marine Lab (through the Medical University of South Carolina and the College of
Charleston) September 1, 2009.

Ana Jimenez
 President of the Biology Graduate Student Association
 Attended Friday Harbor Laboratories Invert course in Summer 2008

Hillary Lane
 Graduating in May 2009 and then possibly going to Research Triangle Park to work at the EPA as
a student services contractor.

Wai Leong
 Graduating May 2009 and heading off to the University of Southern California for PhD studies.

Jessica Lisa
 I am the Environmental Editor for Carolina Surf Magazine. Each issue I write about
environmental concerns or facts – anything pertaining to the ocean. I have written about plastic
pollution, stormwater runoff, and phytoplankton so far and welcome any ideas for new article
topics!

Cassie Martin
 Moving to Los Angeles, CA, to work as a field sampler for Pacific States Marine Fisheries
Commission.

Caitlin McKinstry
 Will be going to the Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station this summer to collect
data for thesis.

Pedro Medina-Rosas
 Oceanicscapes. Photo exhibition. Warwick Center. UNCW. February-April 2009.
 Another spawning field trip this summer down in Puerto Rico!

Adriane Michaelis
 Graduating in May 2009 and staying in Wilmington, working as a field biologist for Audubon NC.

Marina Piscitelli
 Graduating in May 2009. Will still be living in Dobo Hall working in the VABLAB and applying for
PhD schools.

Victor Schmidt
 Will be Graduating in July 2009, currently applying for jobs, and will begin PhD searches soon
after.

Samantha Schmitt
 Attended Southeast Phycological Society 2008 meeting.
 108

 Attended the Tropical Field Phycology Workshop offered through the Smithsonian Tropical
Research Institute located in Bocas del Toro, Panama.
 Marine Science graduate student, Nadya Mamoozadeh, and I collected tropical marine algae at
the Keys Marine Lab in Long Key, Florida during the 2008 spring break.
 Wilson Freshwater, Nadya Mamoozadeh and I will be traveling with fellow phycological students
and staff from Roger Williams University to Panama for the collection of marine algae.
 I will be attending the Friday Harbor Laboratory Marine Algae course offered this summer
through the University of Washington.

Meagan Schrandt
 The following abstract was submitted for the UNCW Conference on Health and Related
Sciences, 2008:

Lema, S. and Schrandt, M. 2008. Neuropeptide hormones and early life influences on
aggression: Insights from comparative studies with fish.

Christy Visaggi
 Served as a mentor for the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates in Biodiversity
Conservation at UNCW (and shall continue in that role through the summer of 2010)
 Co-organized an international multi-disciplinary student conference among other events for the
UNCW Evolution Learning Community
 Volunteered for SMEC at the Southeast Regional Science Fair and Science Olympiad
 Invited to give a research seminar at Lafayette College
 Guest Lecturer in Geology 337 at UNCW
 Student Representative for the Paleontological Society
 2008 Ph.D. Representative for the Graduate Advisory Committee
 2008 President of UNCW Women in Science & Engineering
 Advanced to Candidacy!

Ginger Winder
 I am traveling to KS, MO, ND and James Bay near Moosonee, Ontario to sample breeding
populations of Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow which we sample in our local NC marshes
throughout the winter season.

Carlos Zavalaga
 I am currently working on several seabird projects in Peru, which include different topics in
seabird ecology, evolution and conservation:

o Diversification without obvious geographical barriers in Blue-footed boobies, Peruvian

boobies and Peruvian Pelicans (2007-2009) Dr. Dave Anderson (Wake Forest University,
US), Scott Taylor and Dr. Vicki Friesen (Queens University, Ontario, Canada).

o At-sea distribution of Humboldt Penguins, Peruvian Pelicans, Peruvian Diving-petrels

and Inca terns and areas of competition with artisanal fisheries (2008-2010) Dr.
Giacomo Dell’Omo (Technosmart, Ornis italica, Italy), Joanna Alfaro (Pro-delphinus,
Peru).
 109

o Genetic structure of ticks at several colonies of seabirds (2009). Dr. Elena Gómez
(Centtre d’ecologie fonctionell et evolutive, CNRS-France).

 I was accepted as an Adjunct Professor in the Departments of Geography and Geology, and
Biology and Marine Biology at UNCW.
 110

UNCW Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Student Annual Report

2009-2010 Academic Year

Presentations at scientific meetings:

Laura Bagge

Posters:
Bagge, L. E., McLellan, W. A., Koopman, H. N., McAlarney, R. J., Blum, J. E., and Pabst, D. A. Thermal
properties of the blubber of adult female short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala
macrorhynchus). Society for Marine Mammalogy 18th Biennial Conference in Quebec City,
Canada, October, 2009.

Bagge, L. E., McLellan, W. A., Koopman, H. N., McAlarney, R. J., Blum, J. E., and Pabst, D. A. Thermal
properties of the blubber of adult female short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala
macrorhynchus). National Marine Animal Health and Stranding Network Conference in
Shepherdstown, West Virginia, April 2010.

Oral Presentation:
Bagge, L. E., Koopman, H. N., Pokorny, A. A., McLellan, W. A., and Pabst, D. A. Southeast and Mid-
Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium in VA Beach, Virginia, March 2010.

Brian Balmer

Balmer, B., Wells, R., Schwacke, L., Zolman, E., Lane, S., Speakman, T., Kucklick, J., and Pabst, D.
Geographic variation in persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops
truncatus) along the Georgia coast. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium,
March, 2010.

Balmer, B., Wells, R., Schwacke, L., McLellan, W., Rowles, T., Townsend, F., Schwacke, J., Zolman, E.,
and Pabst, D. Combining existing and novel techniques to determine short-term movement
patterns of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Ocean Sciences Meeting, February, 2010.

James Casey

Casey, J., Garner, S., and Southwood, A. Stomach Temperature Recordings Provide Evidence of Feeding
During the Internesting Interval for Leatherback Turtles. Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology, January, 2010.

Nathan Gavin

Gavin, N. and Durako, M. Localization and antioxidant activity of flavonoid compounds in Halophila
johnsonii and Halophila decipiens. Benthic Ecology Meeting, March, 2010.

Gavin, N. and Durako, M. Localization of Flavonoids in Halophila johnsonii Eiseman in Response to

Light and Salinity Variation. South Eastern Phycological Colloquy, October, 2009.

1
 111

Leigh Anne Harden

Harden, L.A., Southwood, A.L, and Blanvillain, G. Seasonal Variation in Blood Biochemistry of
Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in Southeastern North Carolina. Society for
Integrative and Comparative Biology. Seattle, WA. January 2010.

Harden, L.A. and Southwood, A.L. Seasonal Changes in Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin)
Habitat use and Activity in Southeastern North Carolina. Southeast Diamondback Terrapin
Working Group Workshop. Wilmington, NC. December 2009.
Dorcas, M.D., Gibbons, J.W., Harden, L.A. Conservation of diamondback terrapins: What do we know,
not know, and need to know? Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Portland, OR.
July 2009.

Harden, L.A. Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) Habitat Utilization in a North Carolina Salt
Marsh: Assessment of Overlap with Blue Crab Fisheries. Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and
Herpetologists. Portland, OR. July 2009.

Kenneth Hoadley

Hoadley, K., Pyott, S., Szmant, A. Diel and lunar changes in cryptochrome (cry1 and cry2) transcript
abundances in the brooding coral Favia fragum. Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology, January 2010.

Hoadley, K., Szmant, A., Pyott, S. Regulation of the Lunar Reproductive Cycle in the Coral Favia
fragum: Possible role of Cryptochrome Photoreceptors. Benthic Ecology Meeting. March, 2010

Anne-Marie Hodge

Vanderhoff, E. N., Hodge, A. M. C., Arbogast, B. S., Burger, J. R., Camper, J. D., and Knowles, T. W.
The margay (Leopardus wiedii) as a flagship species for conservation in the foothills of the
Andes. Association of Southeastern Biologists, April 2010.

Hodge, A. M. C., Arbogast, B. S., Vanderhoff, E. N., Camper, J. D., Burger, J. R., and Knowles, T. W.
Inventory of a mid-elevation assemblage of mammals in Ecuador’s eastern Tropical Andes
hotspot. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, January 2010.

Hodge, A. M. C. Factors influencing reproductive success of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) in
captivity. Carnivore Conservation Colloquium, November 2009.

Caitlin Kielhorn

Kielhorn, C., McLellan, W., and Pabst, D.A. Locomotor muscle profiles of cetaceans: A comparative
study of aerobic capacity across two taxa, Delphinidae and Kogiidae. South East and Mid-
Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, March, 2010.

McLellan, W., Piscitelli, M., Rommel, S., Kielhorn, C., Williams, T., and Pabst, D.A. Scaling of Large
Whale Locomotor Force Production. NOAA National Marine Animal Health & Stranding
Network Conference, April, 2010.

Pugliese, A., Powell, J., Kohli, E., and Kielhorn, C., and McFee, W. Development of the

2
 112

Fisheries Gear Database for Human Interaction Cases. NOAA National Marine Animal Health &
Stranding Network Conference, April, 2010.
*Please Note: These are all poster presentations.

Sheila Kitchen

Kitchen, Sheila, Andrea Bourdelais, Carmelo Tomas, Alison Taylor. An Electrophysiological

Investigation of Karenia brevis. The International Society of Protistologist: 1st North America
Section Meeting. 2009 June 11-13.

Anne Leaser

Leaser, A., Crawford, E., Gay, D.M., and Dillaman, R.M. Ultrastructure and immunocytochemistry of the
apodemes and associated tissue in the chelae of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. Society for
Integrative and Comparative Biology, January, 2010.

Tse-Lynn Loh

Loh, T.L., and Pawlik, J.R. Fatal attraction? No, the Caribbean Orange Icing Sponge does not prefer to
settle on corals. Benthic Ecology Meeting, March 2010.

Loh, T.L., López-Legentil, S., Song, B., and Pawlik, J.R. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the sponge
genus Mycale (Demospongiae; Poecilosclerida). Society of Intergrative and Comparative Biology
Annual Meeting, January 2010.

Sara McClelland

McClelland, S., Gay, M., Pabst, A., Dillaman, R., Westgate, A., and Koopman, H. Variation in the
vascular patterns of blubber in shallow and deep diving Odontocetes: implications for diving
physiology. The Society for Marine Mammalogy, October, 2009.

Caitlin McKinstry

McKinstry, C.A.E., Koopman, H.N., and A.J. Westgate. Annual variation in energy content of the
copepod Calanus finmarchicus from the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Benthic Ecology Meeting,
March, 2010

McKinstry, C.A.E., Koopman, H.N., and A.J. Westgate. Breakfast of Champions: Annual variation in
energy content of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus from the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Southeast
and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, March, 2010.

Pedro Medina-Rosas

Medina-Rosas, P., R. Whitehead and A. Szmant. Effect of reduced pH seawater in larval development of
Acropora palmata. Mexican Coral Reef Meeting. June 2009, Tuxpan, Veracruz, Mexico.

Chávez-Romo, H.E., F. Correa-Sandoval, D.A. Paz-García, H. Reyes-Bonilla, R.A. López-Pérez, P.

Medina-Rosas, M.P. Hernández-Cortés. Reproductive strategies of Pocillopora damicornis and
Porites panamensis in the Mexican Pacific populations. Mexican Coral Reef Meeting. June 2009,
Tuxpan, Veracruz, Mexico.

3
 113

Paz-García, D.A., H.E. Chávez-Romo,F . Correa-Sandoval, H. Reyes-Bonilla, R.A. López-Pérez, P.

Medina-Rosas, M.P. Hernández-Cortés. Structure and genetic flux of Pocillopora damicornis and
Porites panamensis in the Mexican Pacific. Mexican Coral Reef Meeting. June 2009, Tuxpan,
Veracruz, Mexico.

Steve Midway

Midway, S.R. and Scharf, F. S. Updating size- and age-at-maturity schedules for southern flounder in
North Carolina. Tidewater Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, March, 2010. [poster]

Midway, S.R. and Scharf, F. S. Updating size- and age-at-maturity schedules for southern flounder in
North Carolina. Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society, February, 2010. [poster]

Corey Novak

Novak, Corey S.; Posey, M.H.; Alphin, T.D. Benthic Community Development on Edge vs. Interior of Created
Salt Marshes. Benthic Ecology Meeting, March, 2010.

Mike Polito

Polito M.J., Trivelpiece S.G., Trivelpiece, W.Z., and Emslie, S.E. Inter-annual variation in the pre-
breeding diets of the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) as estimated from stable isotope
analysis of eggshell. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Biology Symposium.
July 2009

Carolina Priester

Priester, C., Morton, L., Kinsey, S., Watanabe, W., Dillaman, R. Distribution of nuclei in white muscle
fibers of juvenile and adult black sea bass, Centropristis striata. Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology, January, 2010.

Meagan Schrandt

Schrandt, M., Hardy, K., Johnson, K., Lema, S. Ecological correlates of intraspecific behavioral variation
in the bicolor damselfish (Stegastes partitus): Interacting influences of physical and social
conditions. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, January, 2010

Schrandt, M., Hardy, K., Johnson, K., Lema, S. Coral reef habitat variation influences the behavior of
bicolor damselfish. Benthic Ecology Meeting, March, 2010.

Lauren Singletary

Singletary, L., Kurtz, B., Kelly, S., Frampton, A. Equus caballus MHC class I is an entry receptor for
equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). Southeastern Regional Virology Conference, March, 2010.

Christy Visaggi

Visaggi, C., Kelley, P., and Hansen, T. Latitudinal variation in drilling frequency, shell thickness, and
microstructural layers of Recent Hemimactra from the U.S. East Coast. North American
Paleontological Convention, June, 2009.

4
 114

*Co-authored 1 additional abstract for NAPC, June, 2009.

Visaggi, C. Latitudinal variation in Recent Hemimactra from the U.S. East Coast: drilling predation, shell
thickness, and proportional thickness of microstructural layers. American Malacological Society,
July, 2009.

*Co-authored 1 additional abstract for AMS, July, 2009.

Visaggi, C. and Kelley, P. Preliminary results: latitudinal variation in drilling predation on bivalves across
four ecoregions in Brazil. Geological Society of America, October, 2009.

Kelley, P., Dietl, G., Visaggi, C., Gould, E., Appleby, C., Badyrka, K., Edie, S., and Plaza Muniz, W.
Diversity patterns of molluscs across the multi-phased Plio-Pleistocene mass extinction in North
Carolina. Geological Society of America Southeastern Section, March, 2010.

*Co-authored 3 additional abstracts for GSA Southeastern Section, March, 2010.

Papers:

Brian Balmer

Balmer, B., Wells, R., Schwacke, L., Rowles, T., Hunter, C., Zolman, E., Townsend, F., Danielson, B.,
Westgate, A., McLellan, W., and Pabst, D. In review. Evaluation of a single-pin, satellite-linked
transmitter deployed on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) along the coast of Georgia,
U.S.A. Marine Mammal Science.

Balmer, B., Schwacke, L., and Wells, R. 2010. Linking dive behavior to satellite-linked tag condition for
a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) along Florida’s northern Gulf of Mexico coast. Aquatic
Mammals. 36:1-8.

Rebecka Brasso

Brasso, R.L., Abdel Latif, M.K., and Cristol, D.A. 2010. Relationship between laying sequence and
mercury concentration in tree swallow eggs. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
29(5):1155-1159.

Anne-Marie Hodge

Hodge, A.M. C. 2009. Not by Design: Retiring Darwin’s Watchmaker [Book Review]. Journal of
Integrative and Comparative Biology 49(6): 723-725.

Ana Jimenez

Jimenez, A.G., Dillaman, R., Kinsey, S.T. and Kapraun, D.F. 2010. Nuclear DNA content variation
associated with muscle fiber hypertrophic growth in decapods crustaceans. Genome. 53: 161-
171.

5
 115

Tse-Lynn Loh

López-Legentil, S., Henkel, T.P., Erwin, P.M., Loh, T-L., and Pawlik, J.R. 2010. Phenotypic plasticity in
the Caribbean sponge Callyspongia vaginalis (Porifera: Haplosclerida). Scientia Marina, in
press.

Pedro Medina-Rosas

LaJeunesse, T.C., R. Smith, M. Walther, J. Pinzón, D. T. Pettay, M. McGinley, M. Aschaffenburg, P.

Medina-Rosas, A.L. Cupul-Magaña, A. López-Pérez, H. Reyes Bonilla, and M.E. Warner. In
Press. Host–symbiont recombination versus natural selection in the response of coral-
dinoflagellate symbioses to environmental disturbance. Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Chávez-Romo, H.E., F. Correa-Sandoval, D.A. Paz-García, H. Reyes-Bonilla, R.A. López-Pérez, P.

Medina-Rosas, M.P. Hernández-Cortés. 2009. Genetic structure of the scleractinian coral,
Pocillopora damicornis, from the Mexican Pacific. Proceedings of the 11th International Coral
Reef Symposium, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. 429-433.

Paz-García, D.A., F. Correa-Sandoval, H.E. Chávez-Romo, H. Reyes-Bonilla, R.A. López-Pérez, P.

Medina-Rosas, M.P. Hernández-Cortés. 2009. Genetic structure of the massive coral Porites
panamensis (Anthozoa: Scleractinia) from the Mexican Pacific. Proceedings of the 11th
International Coral Reef Symposium, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. 449-453.

Reyes Bonilla, H., L.E. Calderón Aguilera, G. Cruz Piñón, R.A. López Pérez y P. Medina-Rosas. 2010.
Evaluation of gamma diversity of reef corals (Scleractinia) in the Mexican Pacific. Revista
Mexicana de Biodiversidad. 81: 113-121.

Steve Midway

Peer-reviewed
Dobbins, D.A., P.A. Strickland, S.R. Midway, and Cailteux, R.L. (In preparation) Impact of
electrofishing removal on an introduced flathead catfish population in the Yellow River,
Florida.

Midway, S.R. and Dunn, R.R.. (In preparation) Carlquist revisited: history, success and applicability of a
natural history model.

Midway, S.R., D.D. Aday, T.J Kwak, and Gross, K. 2010. Cover preference of the Carolina madtom
(Noturus furiosus), an imperiled, endemic southeastern stream fish. Journal of Freshwater
Ecology 25:151–154.

Midway, S.R., T.J. Kwak, and Aday, D.D. 2010. Habitat suitability of the Carolina madtom, and
imperiled, endemic stream fish. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 139:325–338.

Popular Articles
Midway, S.R. 2010. 11 science lessons—from war. The Scientist, April 12, 2010.

6
 116

Mike Polito

Carneiro, A.P.B., Polito M.J., Sander M., and Trivelpiece, W.Z. 2010. Abundance and Spatial
Distribution of Sympatrically Breeding Catharacta Spp. (skuas) in Admiralty Bay, King
George Island, Antarctica. Polar Biology 33:673-682.

Polito M.J., Miller A.K., Trivelpiece S.G., and Trivelpiece, W.Z. 2010. Maturation increases
early reproductive investment in Adélie Penguins Pygoscelis adeliae. Ibis 152:38-47.

Polito M.J., Fisher S., Tobias C.R., and Emslie, S.D. 2009. Tissue-specific isotopic
discrimination factors in gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) egg components:
Implications for dietary reconstructions using stable isotopes. Journal of Experimental
Marine Biology and Ecology 372:106-112.

Carolina Priester

Priester, C., Morton, L., Kinsey, S., Watanabe, W., Dillaman, R. 2010. Growth patterns and nuclear
distribution in white muscle fibers from black sea bass Centropristis striata (Linnaeus): evidence
for the influence of diffusion. Journal of Experimental Biology. (under review)

Meagan Schrandt

Schrandt, M.N., Hardy, K.M., Johnson, K.M., and Lema, S.C. (in prep for Journal of Animal Ecology)
Spatial patterns of intraspecific behavioral variation in the demersal fish Stegastes partitus
associate with physical and social environmental variation on a coral reef.

Schrandt, M.N. and Lema, S.C. (in prep for Marine Ecology Progress Series) Evidence for habitat-
associated intraspecific variation in the stress physiology of a coral reef fish, Stegastes partitus.

Christy Visaggi

Visaggi, C. and Ivany, L. (In Revision). The influence of data type and selection on
interpretations of stability in Oligocene faunas of Mississippi. Palaios. 40 p.

Visaggi, C. and Godfrey, S. 2010. Variation in composition and abundance of

Miocene shark teeth from Calvert Cliffs, Maryland. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
30(1):26-35.

Visaggi, C., Johnson, J., Johnson, A., Kenworthy, J., and Santucci, V. 2009. Paleontological Resource
Survey - Amistad National Recreation Area. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR—
2009/133. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 55 p. (Public Version)

Visaggi, C., Johnson, J., Johnson, A., Kenworthy, J., and Santucci, V. 2009. Paleontological Resource
Survey - Amistad National Recreation Area. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR—
2009/133. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 69 p.

7
 117

Awards and Recognitions:

Brian Balmer
 Best Ph.D. Level Oral Presentation, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium,
March, 2010.

Nathan Gavin
 Second Place Oral presentation, South Eastern Phycological Colloquy

Leigh Anne Harden

 2010. University of North Carolina Wilmington Graduate Student Association award for best
graduate student poster.
 2010. Phi Kappa Phi Academic Honors Society. University of North Carolina Wilmington.
 2009. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Storer Award for best student
herpetology poster. “Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) Habitat Utilization in a North
Carolina Salt Marsh: Assessment of Overlap with Blue Crab Fisheries.”

Kenneth Hoadley
 Sigma Xi Associate Member

Anne-Marie Hodge
 Hodge, A. M. C. Breaking New Trails in the Route to a Career in Research. Keynote Alumnus
Address. Auburn University Undergraduate Research Forum. Auburn, Alabama, April 2010.

Caitlin Kielhorn
 Best Graduate Poster Presentation, SEAMAMMS 2010

Sheila Kitchen
 Poster presentation at International Society of Protistologist conference received Third Place
Honors, June 2009

Sara McClelland
 18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals: Best oral presentation by a non-
Ph.D. student

Caitlin McKinstry
 SEAMAMMS Best Masters Level Oral Presentation

Pedro Medina-Rosas
 GSA Travel Award
 Selected to present a poster at Intercultural Festival, organized by International Programs, UNCW

Steve Midway
 2010 UNCW Graduate School Travel Award

Carolina Priester
 Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Teaching Award
 Graduate School Summer Research Award

8
 118

Christy Visaggi
 James Mulligan Fellowship in Marine Biology (UNCW)

Grants applied for:

Rebecka Brasso
 EPA STAR Fellowship
 Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Fellowship
 NOAA Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship
 NSF Field Station and Marine Laboratories equipment grant
 NC Association of Environmental Professionals Scholarship
 UNCW Public Service Education Fellowship
 SICB Fellowship for Graduate Student Travel

Sandy Camilleri
 AFO Bergstrom Award
 AMNH Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund
 AMNH Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Grant
 Baillie Fund
 CMS summer research grant
 Dr. Nancy Foster Fellowship
 EPA STAR Fellowship
 Morris Animal Foundation
 National Geographic
 New Brunswick Wildlife Grant
 North Carolina Academy of Science
 NSF Fellowship
 SeaWorld/Busch Gardens

Nathan Gavin
 Graduate School Summer Research Award, 2009
 UNCW Center for Marine Science Summer Research Award, 2010

Leigh Anne Harden

 Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research
 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
 Diamondback Terrapin Working Group Research Grant
 Graduate Student Travel Grant, UNCW Graduate Student Association
 Society for Integrative Biology FGST (Travel Grant)
 Nancy Foster NOAA Fellowship
 Ralph Brauer Graduate Student Special Activities Fellowship Application
 Department of Biology and Marine Biology Scholarship Awards (Merit Scholarship, the John
Colucci Jr. Memorial Scholarship, the David G. Lindquist Scholarship in Biology, and the
Frances Peter Fensel Memorial Fellowship)

Anne-Marie Hodge
 American Society of Mammalogists Grants-in-Aid (award decision pending)
 Panthera Small Cat Action Fund

9
 119

 People’s Trust for Endangered Species Research

Ana Jimenez
 Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology Grants-in-Aid of Research
 Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research

Tse-Lynn Loh
 PADI Foundation
 National Geographic-Waitt

Carolina Priester
 Graduate School Summer Research Award
 Center for Marine Science Summer Research Award

Meagan Schrandt
 American Academy of Underwater Sciences Kevin Gurr Scholarship
 Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research
 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Grants in Aid of Research

Katelyn Schumacher
 Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research
 American Museum of Natural History Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Grant (pending approval)
 American Society of Mammalogists Grants-in-Aid of Research (pending approval)

Lauren Singletary
 Graduate School Travel Grant

Christy Visaggi
 AAUW Dissertation Fellowship
 Ford Dissertation Fellowship
 Houston Conchology Society
 AWG Chrysalis Scholarship
 UNCW Brauer Fellowship
 Unitas Malacologica

Ginger Winder
 NSF FSML

Grants received:

Laura Bagge
 North Carolina Maritime Museum “Protect Wild Dolphins” Grant
 Graduate School Travel Grant
 GSA Travel Grant

Rebecka Brasso
 SICB Fellowship for Graduate Student Travel ($2000.00)

10
 120

Sandy Camilleri
 North Carolina Academy of Science
 CMS summer research grant

Nathan Gavin
 Graduate School Summer Research Award, 2009

Leigh Anne Harden

 2010. Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research
 2010. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
 2010. Diamondback Terrapin Working Group Research Grant
 2009. Graduate Student Travel Grant. UNCW Graduate Student Association
 2009. Judith C. Bryan Holden Beach Turtle Watch Fellowship in Marine Biology

Kenneth Hoadley
 PADI Project AWARE

Ana Jimenez
 Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology Grants-in-Aid of Research
 Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research

Tse-Lynn Loh
 SICB travel grant for 2010 annual meeting
 Graduate School Travel Award
 Brauer Fellowship

Mike Polito
 The Company of Biologist Direct Travel Grant (£250): To attend the 2010 Stable
Isotopes in Ecology Summer Course at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City

Carolina Priester
 Graduate School Summer Research Award

Meagan Schrandt
 Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research

Lauren Singletary
 Graduate School Travel Grant

Christy Visaggi
 Ford Dissertation Fellowship (Honorable Mention)
 Houston Conchology Society
 UNCW Brauer Fellowship

*One grant application is currently being reviewed.

Ginger Winder
 Sigma Xi Grant-In-Aid of Research 2010

11
 121

Any other information that you would like to share (for example, if you are graduating,
where are you off to?)

Sandy Camilleri
 Elected Vice President of Bio GSA for the 2010-2011 academic year

James Casey
 Defended master’s thesis titled “Behavior and Habitat of Leatherback Turtles (Dermochelys
coriacea) from the St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Nesting Population: Evidence of Feeding During
the Nesting Season.”
 Relocated to Providence, Rhode Island, is preparing thesis for publication in scientific journals,
and is analyzing data collected from leatherback sea turtles tagged offshore of Nova Scotia,
Canada.

Leigh Anne Harden

 Accepted into Ph.D. marine biology program at UNCW for fall 2010

Anne-Marie Hodge
 First documentation of the endangered white-bellied spider monkey (Ateles belzebuth) in
Sumaco, Ecuador!

Sheila Kitchen
 Will be finishing up degree in July 2010 just in time to begin the Ph.D. program at Oregon State
University in the Department of Zoology this fall.

Pedro Medina-Rosas
 Going to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in May to analyze coral samples.

Meagan Schrandt
 Will begin a Ph.D. program at Dauphin Island Sea Lab, AL, in fall 2010 with the University of
South Alabama.

Katelyn Schumacher
 Elected Biology GSA president for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Christy Visaggi
 Presented at Lafayette College for their weekly department seminar in April 2010
 Ongoing service as a mentor of undergraduate research in ecology and paleontology for the
UNCW NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates in Biodiversity Conservation
 Continues to organize activities for the UNCW Women in Science & Engineering
 Co-designed the paleontology event for the NC Regional Science Olympiad
 Co-judged the 1st year of WiSE awards for the NC Regional Science Olympiad
 Completed Ph.D. fieldwork on the coasts of Brazil and Argentina from 6°S to 52°S

12
 122

Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Student Annual Report

2010-2011 Academic Year

Presentations at scientific meetings:

Laura Bagge

Bagge, L. E., Koopman, H. N., Pokorny, A., McLellan, W. A., and Pabst, D. A. Depth-specific fatty acid
composition and temperature dependent thermal properties of the blubber of short-finned pilot
whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, January,
2011.

Bagge, L. E., Pokorny, A., Koopman, H. N., McLellan, W. A., and Pabst, D. A.
Phase change properties of the blubber lipids of two species of odontocete cetaceans,
Globicephala macrorhynchus and Kogia breviceps. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal
Symposium, April, 2011.

Julie Campbell

Campbell, J. and Wilbur, A. Seasonality and transmission of parasites infecting Ostrea equestris in
Masonboro Sound, NC. National Shellfisheries Association, March, 2011.

Justin Eichinger

Eichinger, J. and Satterlie, R. Neuromuscular Characteristics of Cubomedusan Swim Muscle. Society for
Integrative and Comparative Biology, January, 2011.

Nina Griffin

Griffin, N.E. and M.J. Durako. Determining the minimum salinity tolerance of Halophila johnsonii.
Southeast Phycological Colloquy, October 2010.

Leigh Anne Harden

Harden, L.A., Williard, A.S. Seasonal changes in thermal environment and metabolic enzyme activity in
the diamondback terrapin. Diamondback Terrapin Working Group Workshop, November, 2010.

Harden, L.A., Williard, A.S. Using a spatially-explicit predator prey model to investigate bycatch risk of
terrapins in crab pots. International Sea Turtle Symposium, April, 2011.

Anne-Marie Hodge

Hodge, A. M. C., Vanderhoff, E. N., Burger, J. R., Arbogast, B. S., and Knowles, T. W. Use of remote
camera surveys to determine abundance and temporal activity patterns of the margay
(Leopardus weidii) in the eastern Andes. American Society of Mammalogists, June 2010.

1
 123

Ana Jimenez

Jimenez, A.G., Dillaman, R., Kinsey, S.T. The influence of muscle fiber size on the cost of ion transport.
Annual Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology meeting in Salt Lake City, UT, 2011

Tse-Lynn Loh

Loh, T.-L., Pawlik, J.R. Sponges rising- Sponge communities shift in response to reduced predation
pressure. Benthic Ecology Meeting, Mobile, AL, March, 2011.

Loh, T.-L., Pawlik, J.R. Investigating the specificity of larval settlement in the Caribbean Orange Icing
Sponge Mycale laevis (oral) & Investigating growth forms and color morphs of the Caribbean
Sponge Mycale laevis (poster), VIII World Sponge Conference, Girona, Spain, September, 2010.

Pedro Medina-Rosas

A.L. Cupul-Magaña, J.D. Carriquiry-Beltrán, L.E. Calderón-Aguilera, F.A. Rodríguez-Zaragoza y Pedro

Medina-Rosas. Condition of the coral reefs of Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, seven years after El
Niño 1997-1998. Mexican Oceanography Meeting. November 2010, Ensenada, Baja California,
Mexico.

Michael Polito

Polito M.J., Lynch H.J., Naveen R., and Emslie S.D. Stable isotopes reveal regional heterogeneity in the
pre-breeding distribution and diets of sympatrically breeding Pygoscelis penguins. 1st World
Seabird Conference, Victoria, Canada, August 2010

Polito M.J., and Koopman H.N. The influence of diet on fatty acids in the yolk of Gentoo penguins,
Pygoscelis papua. 7th International Penguin Conference, Boston, July 2011

Katelyn Schumacher

Schumacher, K.I., Arbogast, B.S., Pagels, J.F., Dyer, R.J., and Brown, B.L. Genetic evidence for a new
subspecies of the endangered northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) in southwestern
Virginia: implications for taxonomy and conservation. 91st Annual Meeting of the American
Society of Mammalogists, June 2011.

Lauren Singletary

Lauren B. Singletary, B.M. Kurtz, S.D. Kelly, and Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Equus caballus MHC class I is an
entry receptor for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). 35th International Herpesvirus Workshop,
Salt Lake City, UT, July 24-29, 2010.

Lauren B. Singletary, B.M. Kurtz, S.D. Kelly, and Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Oral Presentation. Equus caballus
MHC class I is an entry receptor for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). North Carolina American
Society for Microbiology 2010 Meeting, East Carolina University, October 2, 2010.

2
 124

Michael J. Courchesne, Calvin R. Justus, Elizabeth W. Freeman, John Y. Bowen, Maria C. White, Lauren B.
Singletary, Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Exploration of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) as an oncolytic
agent for human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). North Carolina American Society for
Microbiology 2010 Meeting, East Carolina University, October 2, 2010.

Lauren B. Singletary, B.M. Kurtz, S.D. Kelly, and Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Equus caballus MHC class I is an
entry receptor for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). Mid-Atlantic Microbial Pathogenesis
Meeting, Wintergreen, VA, January 30-February 1, 2011.

Lauren B. Singletary, B.M. Kurtz, S.D. Kelly, and Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Equus caballus MHC class I is an
entry receptor for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1).Graduate Student Symposium. University
of North Carolina Wilmington, April 28, 2011.

Christy Visaggi

Visaggi, C. and Kelley, P. Geographic variation in predatory drilling on bivalves across four ecoregions in
Brazil. American Malacological Society and Western Society of Malacologists, June, 2010.

Kelley, P. and Visaggi, C. Learning paleontology through doing: integrating a publishable research project
into an invertebrate paleontology laboratory course. Geological Society of America, October,
2010.

Gonnerman, M., Visaggi, C., Dietl, G., Friend, D., and Kelley, P. Variation in feeding behavior by the
naticid gastropod Neverita duplicata in the presence of its predator, the blue crab Callinectes
sapidus. Southeastern Geological Society of America, March, 2011.

Thornberg, H., Visaggi, C., Mason, P., Parnell, B., Kelley, P., and Dietl, G. Using Ostracoda and
Foraminifera for paleoenvironmental analysis of the Duplin (Pliocene) and Waccamaw
(Pleistocene) formations in North Carolina, Southeastern Geological Society of America, March,
2011.

*Co-authored 4 additional abstracts for SEGSA, March, 2011.

Ginger Winder

Winder, V., and Emslie, S. Ecology of Nelson’s, Seaside and Saltmarsh Sparrows (Ammodramus nelsoni,
A. maritimus and A. caudacutus, respectively) and mercury availability at breeding versus non-
breeding sites. Association of Field Ornithologists/Cooper Ornithological Society/Wilson’s
Ornithological Society, March, 1011.

Papers:

Leigh Anne Harden

Williard, A.S., Harden, L.A. in press. Seasonal changes in thermal environment and metabolic enzyme
activity in the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin). Comparative Biochemistry and
Physiology Part B.

3
 125

Ana Jimenez

Jimenez, A.G. and Kinsey, S.T. The influence of muscle fiber size on the cost of ion
transport.

Jimenez, A.G. and Kinsey, S.T. Nuclear DNA content variation associated with muscle
fiber hypertrophic growth in fishes.

Dabruzzi, T.F., Jimenez, A.G., Speaks, J.E., Stoler, S.R., Sutton, M.A., Pomory, C.M.
and Bennett, W.A. Thermal tolerance and metabolic responses of two damselfish species from a
hyperthermic rockpool nursery in Dry Tortugas National Park, USA.

Kinsey, S. T. and Jimenez, A.G. Metabolic regulation. In Natural History of the

Crustacea: Comparative Physiology, Volume IV: Growth, Molting and
Physiology. Editors Drs. Ernie Chang and Martin Thiel.

Tse-Lynn Loh

Loh, T.-L., López-Legentil, S., Song, B.K., Pawlik, J.R. 2011. Phenotypic variability in the Caribbean Orange
Icing sponge Mycale laevis (Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida). Accepted by Hydrobiologia.

López-Legentil S, Henkel TP, Erwin PM, Loh T-L, Pawlik JR. 2010. Phenotypic plasticity in the Caribbean
sponge Callyspongia vaginalis (Porifera: Haplosclerida). Scientia Marina, 74: 445-453.

Pedro Medina-Rosas

LaJeunesse, T.C., R. Smith, M. Walther, J. Pinzón, D. T. Pettay, M. McGinley, M. Aschaffenburg, P.

Medina-Rosas, A.L. Cupul-Magaña, A. López-Pérez, H. Reyes Bonilla, and M.E. Warner. 2010.
Host–symbiont recombination versus natural selection in the response of coral-dinoflagellate
symbioses to environmental disturbance. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 277: 2925–2934.

Carpizo-Ituarte, E, V Vizcaino-Ochoa, G Chi-Barragán, O Tapia-Vázquez, AL Cupul-Magana, P Medina-

Rosas. 2011. Evidence of sexual reproduction in the hermatypic corals Pocillopora damicornis,
Porites panamensis, and Pavona gigantea in Banderas Bay, Mexican Pacific. Ciencias Marinas.
37: 97-112.

Saavedra-Sotelo, N.C., L.E. Calderón-Aguilera, H. Reyes-Bonilla, R.A. López-Pérez, P. Medina-Rosas, A.

Rocha-Olivares. 2011. Limited genetic connectivity of Pavona gigantea in the Mexican Pacific.
Coral Reefs. DOI: 10.1007/s00338-011-0742-6

Michael Polito

Polito M.J., Abel S., Tobias C.R., and Emslie S.D. 2011. Dietary isotopic discrimination in gentoo penguin
(Pygoscelis papua) feathers. Polar Biology (In Press)

Polito M.J., Lynch H.J., Naveen R., and Emslie S.D. 2011. Stable isotopes reveal regional heterogeneity in
the pre-breeding distribution and diets of sympatrically breeding Pygoscelis penguins. Marine
Ecology Progress Series 421:265-277

4
 126

Sander M., Garcia SA., Carneiro A.P.B., Cristofoli S.I., and Polito M.J. 2011. Band recoveries and juvenile
dispersal of Southern Giant-Petrels, Macronectes giganteus (Gmelin, 1789), marked as chicks in
Antarctica by the Brazilian Antarctic program (1984/1993). Marine Ornithology 38:125-127

Polito M.J., and Goebel M.E. 2010. Investigating the use of stable isotope analysis of milk to infer
seasonal trends in the diets and foraging habitats of female Antarctic fur seals. Journal of
Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 395(1-2):1-9

Lauren Singletary

Brian M. Kurtz, L. B. Singletary, S. D. Kelly, and Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Equus caballus MHC class I is an
entry receptor for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). (2010) Journal of Virology 84: 9027-9034

Christy Visaggi

Visaggi, C. and Ivany, L. 2010. The influence of data type and selection on interpretations of stability in
Oligocene faunas of Mississippi. Palaios. 25(12):769-779.

Kelley, P. and Visaggi, C. (Accepted). Learning paleontology through doing: integrating a publishable
research project into an invertebrate paleontology laboratory course. In Lockwood, R. and
Yacobucci, M., editors. Paleontological Society Special Publication. Teaching Paleontology in the
Twenty-First Century: Resources for Teaching Paleontology at the Undergraduate Level.

Ginger Winder

Winder, V., and Emslie, S. 2011. Mercury in breeding and wintering Nelson’s Sparrows (Ammodramus
nelsoni). Ecotoxicology. 20:218-225.

Winder, V., Pennington, P., Hurd, M., and Wirth, E. Fluoxetine effects on sheepshead minnow
(Cyprinodon variegatus) locomotor activity. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B.
In press.

Winder, V., Michaelis, M., and Emslie S. Non-breeding ecology of three coastal sparrow species
(Ammodramus maritimus, A. nelsoni and A. caudacutus). Submitted to The Auk (Feb. 2011).

Awards and Recognitions:

Julie Campbell
 Chosen to be one of the representatives for the UNCW graduates to present my research to the
NC General Assembly in Raleigh for the 2011 Graduate Education Week

Leigh Anne Harden

 April, 2011. International Sea Turtle Symposium Best Student Poster Presentation in the Threats
category. “Using a spatially-explicit predator-prey model to investigate bycatch risk of terrapins
in crab pots.” San Diego, CA. $500.
 December, 2010. Nominated and top-25 finalist for the K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award.

5
 127

Anne-Marie Hodge
 Invited to write a feature guest post for Scientific American’s official blog

Tse-Lynn Loh
 Graduate Teaching Award
 UNCW Alumni Asssociation Scholarship (2011)
 Francis Peter Fensel Memorial Scholarship (2010-2011)

Michael Polito
 Highly Commended Student Oral Paper Award. 1st World Seabird Conference. 2010

Katelyn Schumacher
 UNCW Graduate School Summer Research Award ($1000)

Ginger Winder
 Parnell Award

Grants applied for:

Justin Eichinger
 Sigma Xi

Leigh Anne Harden

 February, 2011. International Sea Turtle Symposium lodging and travel grant. $100.
 February, 2011. Graduate Student Travel Grant. UNCW Graduate Student Association. $250 for
ISTS.
 November, 2010. Graduate Student Travel Grant. UNCW Graduate Student Association. $400
for DTWG.
 September, 2010. North Carolina Sea Grant Minigrant. “Using postcard surveys to investigate
potential interactions between blue crab fisheries and diamondback terrapins in coastal North
Carolina.” Co-PIs: Amanda Southwood Williard and Leigh Anne Harden. $800.

Anne-Marie Hodge

 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Red Wolf Recovery Program Cooperative Funding Agreement
 Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid

Tse-Lynn Loh
 Graduate School Travel Award
 NCEAP Grant

Courtney McClurkin
 Sigma Xi GIAR
 SICB GIAR
 Lerner-Gray Fellowship in Marine Biology (AMNH)
 AMS Student Research Fellowship

6
 128

Michael Polito
 Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research
 American Ornithologist Union Student Research Award
 Antarctic Science Bursary

Katelyn Schumacher
 Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research
 American Society of Mammalogists Grants-in-Aid of Research
 UNCW Graduate School Travel Grant
 UNCW Biology Graduate Student Association Travel Grant

Lauren Singletary
 Graduate School Travel Grant. Fall 2010.
 Graduate School Travel Grant. Spring 2011.
 Mid-Atlantic Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting Travel Grant. Spring 2011.

Christy Visaggi
 AAUW Dissertation Fellowship
 Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship
 UNCW Graduate School Summer Research Award
 UNCW Public Service Educational Fellowship

Grants received:

Leigh Anne Harden

 February, 2011. International Sea Turtle Symposium lodging and travel grant. $100.
 February, 2011. Graduate Student Travel Grant. UNCW Graduate Student Association. $250 for
ISTS.
 November, 2010. Graduate Student Travel Grant. UNCW Graduate Student Association. $400
for DTWG.
 September, 2010. North Carolina Sea Grant Minigrant. “Using postcard surveys to investigate
potential interactions between blue crab fisheries and diamondback terrapins in coastal North
Carolina.” Co-PIs: Amanda Southwood Williard and Leigh Anne Harden. $800.

Anne-Marie Hodge

 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Red Wolf Recovery Program Cooperative Funding Agreement:
$5,000

Tse-Lynn Loh
 Graduate School Travel Award

Pedro Medina-Rosas
 John Colucci scholarship

7
 129

Michael Polito
 Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research

Katelyn Schumacher
 American Society of Mammalogists Grants-in-Aid of Research ($1500)
 UNCW Graduate School Travel Grant ($400)
 UNCW Biology Graduate Student Association Travel Grant ($100)

Lauren Singletary
 Graduate School Travel Grant. Fall 2010.
 Graduate School Travel Grant. Spring 2011.
 Mid-Atlantic Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting Travel Grant. Spring 2011.

Christy Visaggi
 Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship
 UNCW Graduate School Summer Research Award
 UNCW Public Service Educational Fellowship

Any other information that you would like to share (for example, if you are graduating, where
are you off to?):

Laura Bagge
 After graduating in May, I’ll be heading to Duke University to join Dr. Sönke Johnsen’s lab and
work toward a Ph.D. in biology.

Anne-Marie Hodge
 Ground was officially broken on the new scientific research station at my field site, Sumaco,
Ecuador, which is being co-funded by UNCW and Francis Marion University

Ana Jimenez
 Heading to Ohio State University as a post-doctoral researcher to work on birds!

Christy Visaggi
 Twelve students I’ve helped mentor these last 3 years through the UNCW NSF Research
Experiences for Undergraduates in Biodiversity Conservation are now pursuing graduate work at
the following institutions: California State University - Fullerton, Cornell University, East Carolina
University, Ohio University, Pennsylvania State University, University of California - Santa Cruz,
University of Chicago, University of Georgia, University of Puerto Rico - Mayagüez, University of
Southern California, and UNCW.

8
 130

Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Student Annual Report

2011-2012 Academic Year

Presentations at scientific meetings:

Rebecka Brasso

Brasso, R.L., Polito M.J., and Emslie, S.D. Pygoscelis penguins as biomonitors of regional
trends of mercury in the Antarctic Peninsula. 10th International Conference on Mercury
as a Global Pollutant, Nova Scotia, Canada, August 2012.

Kalman Bugica

Cahoon, L., Bailey, J., Khan, A., and Bugica, K. Biomass and productivity of surf zone
phytoplankton. Southeastern Phycological Colloquy, October, 2011.

Leigh Anne Harden

Harden, L.A. and Williard, A Biology and conservation of diamondback terrapins in North
Carolina: implications for crab fisheries interactions. Annual North Carolina Sea Turtle
Meeting, March, 2012.

Harden, L.A. and Williard, A. Seasonal ecology of diamondback terrapins in southeastern North
Carolina: implications for interactions with the blue crab fishery. Society for Integrative
and Comparative Biology, January, 2012.

Harden, L.A. and Williard, A. Using a spatially-explicit predator-prey model to investigate

bycatch risk of terrapins in crab pots. North Carolina Herpetological Society Fall Meeting,
November, 2011.

Jennifer Idol

Bryan Wysor, DW Freshwater, N Leon, C Fernández-García, P Gabrielson, V

Charbonneau, C Green, J Idol, and S Parham. Algal Diversity of the Burica
Peninsula, Pacific Panama. 51st Annual Northeast Algal Society Meeting. April
21st, 2012.

Tse-Lynn Loh

Loh, T.-L., Pawlik, J.R. Death by a thousand bites: Top-down processes structure sponge
communities on Caribbean coral reefs. Benthic Ecology Meeting, March 2012.

Loh, T.-L., Pawlik, J.R. When settlement doesn’t settle it: The pitfalls of still-water larval assays.
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Meeting, January 2012.

Steve McMurray

McMurray, S.E., Finelli, C.M., and Pawlik, J.R. Demographics of the giant barrel sponge
Xestospongia muta and planktonic carbon flux on coral reefs. Graduate Student
Symposium, April, 2012.
 131

McMurray, S.E., Finelli, C.M., and Pawlik, J.R. Demographics of the giant barrel sponge
Xestospongia muta and carbon flux on coral reefs. 41th Annual Benthic Ecology
Meeting, March, 2012.

Steve Thornton

Poster:
Thayer VG, Rittmaster KA, Pabst DA, Thornton SW, Piscitelli MA, Clark KL, Piatak MM,
Doshkov PK, Lovewell GN, Harms CA, and McLellan WA. Neonatal bottlenose dolphin
(Tursiops truncatus) strandings in North Carolina from 1992 to 2011. 19th Biennial
Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. November 27-December 2, 2011.

Christy Visaggi

Visaggi, C. and Dietl, G. Examining the influence of seasonality on drilling frequency of

Neverita duplicata through field and laboratory experiments: implications for patterns of
drilling predation in the fossil record. Geological Society of America, November, 2011.

Visaggi, C. and Kelley, P. Equatorward increase in naticid gastropod drilling on bivalves

across four ecoregions in Brazil. American Malacological Society, June, 2012.

*Co-authored 3 additional abstracts for the Geological Society of America meeting (November,
2011). Two of these abstracts were by students I mentored in research.

*Co-authored 2 abstracts for the Southeastern Geological Society of America meeting (April,
2012).

Maria White

White, M., Courchesne, M., Frampton, A.R. Jr. Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) mediated
oncolysis of human glioblastoma multiforme cells. Southeastern Regional Virology
Conference, March, 2012.

Papers:

Rebecka Brasso

Brasso RL, Abel S, Polito MJ. 2012. Pattern of mercury allocation into egg components is
independent of dietary exposure in Gentoo penguins. Archives of Environmental
Contamination and Toxicology, 62:494-501.

Andrea Dingeldein

Stallings, C. D. and Dingeldein, A.L. 2012. Intraspecific cooperation facilitates synergistic

predation. Bulletin of Marine Science 88:317-318

Leigh Anne Harden

Southwood Williard, A. and Harden, L.A. 2011. Seasonal changes in thermal environment and
metabolic enzyme activity in the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin).
 132

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A – Molecular and Integrative Physiology

158, 477-484.

Jennifer Idol

M Behra, VE Gallardo, J Bradsher, A Torrado, A Elkahloun, J Idol, J Sheehy, S Zonies, L Xu,

KM Shaw, C Satou, S Higashijima, B Weistein, S Burgess. 2012. Transcriptional
signature of accessory cells in the lateral line, using the Tnk1bp1:EGFP transgenic
zebrafish line. BMC Developmental Biology 12:6

Tse-Lynn Loh

Loh, T.-L., Pawlik, J.R. 2012. Friend or foe? No evidence that association with the sponge
Mycale laevis provides a benefit to corals of the genus Montastraea. Marine Ecology
Progress Series, submitted.

Loh, T.-L., Pawlik, J.R. 2012. Specificity of larval settlement of the Caribbean Orange Icing
Sponge Mycale laevis: A mutualistic response? Invertebrate Biology, in review.

Loh, T.-L., López-Legentil, S., Song, B.K., Pawlik, J.R. 2012. Phenotypic variability in the
Caribbean Orange Icing sponge Mycale laevis (Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida).
Hydrobiologia 687: 205-217.

Steve McMurray

McMurray, S.E, Vicente, J., Jabanoski, K.E., and Lewis, T.B. 2012. Spawning of the basketstar
Astrophyton muricatum in the Bahamas. Coral Reefs. In press.

McMurray, S.E., Blum, J.E., Leichter, J.J., and Pawlik, J.R. 2011. Bleaching of the giant barrel
sponge Xestospongia muta on Florida coral reefs. Limnology and Oceanography.
56:2243-2250.

Pedro Medina-Rosas

Medina-Rosas, P. A.M. Szmant, R.F. Whitehead. (In press). CO2 enrichment and reduced
seawater pH had no effect on the embryonic development of Acropora palmata
(Anthozoa, Scleractinia). Invertebrate Reproduction & Development.

Paz-García, D. A., H. E. Chávez-Romo, F. Correa-Sandoval, H. Reyes-Bonilla, A. López-Pérez,

P. Medina-Rosas, M. P. Hernández-Cortés. 2012. Genetic connectivity patterns of corals
Pocillopora damicornis and Porites panamensis (Anthozoa: Scleractinia) along the west
coast of Mexico. Pacific Science. 66: 43-61.

López-Pérez, R. A., L. E. Calderón-Aguilera, H. Reyes-Bonilla, J. D. Carriquiry, P. Medina-

Rosas, A. L. Cupul-Magaña, M. D. Herrero-Pérezrul, H. A. Hernández-Ramírez, M. Á.
Ahumada-Sempoal, B. M. Luna-Salguero. 2012. Coral communities and reefs from
Guerrero, southern Mexican Pacific. Marine Ecology. 1-10. DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-
0485.2011.00505.x
 133

Christy Visaggi

Durham, S., Dietl, G., and Visaggi, C. 2012. The mismeasure of behavior: a natural history
revision of prey preference in the banded tulip snail. Journal of Shellfish Research.
31(1):101-109.

Kelley, P. and Visaggi, C. (In Press). Learning paleontology through doing: integrating a
publishable research project into an invertebrate paleontology laboratory course, in
Lockwood, R. and Yacobucci, M., editors, Teaching Paleontology in the Twenty-First
Century: Resources for Teaching Paleontology at the Undergraduate Level,
Paleontological Society Special Publication.

Awards and Recognitions:

Andrea Dingeldein

 David G. Lindquist Scholarship in Biology (UNCW)

Tse-Lynn Loh

 Graduate Teaching Award (2011)

 UNCW Alumni Association Scholarship (2011/2012)

Brad Parnell

 Sylvia and B. D. Schwartz Graduate Fellowship Award for the 2011-2012 academic year
($2500)

Steve Thornton

 4.0 GPA

Christy Visaggi

 2011 Association for Women Geoscientists Winifred Goldring Award

Maria White

 UNCW Graduate School Travel Award

Grants applied for:

Rebecka Brasso

 Graduate School Travel Grant

Andrea Dingeldein

 NSF GRFP
 134

Leigh Anne Harden

 American Society for Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Gaige Fund Award

 Herpetologists’ League E. E. Williams Research Grant

Jennifer Idol

 UNCW CMS Summer Research Award 2012

Tse-Lynn Loh

 Graduate Student Association Travel Award

 Graduate School Travel Award
 BioGSA Travel Award

Steve McMurray

 UNCW Dr. Ralph W. Brauer Fellowship

 The American Museum of Natural History Lerner Gray Memorial Fund
 UNCW Dept of Bio and Mar Bio Graduate School Association registration grant
 UNCW Graduate School Travel Grant

Zach Siders

 NSF GRFP
 Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund
 Save our Seas Grant
 PADI Research Support Grant
 Explorer’s Club Student Fellowship
 UNCW Grad School Summer Support
 Lerner-Gray Marine Research

Steve Thornton

 Graduate Summer Research Fellowship

Christy Visaggi

 2012 Association for Women Geoscientists Chrysalis Scholarship

Maria White

 North Carolina Horse Council (NCHC) Health and Research Grant

Grants received:

Rebecka Brasso

 Graduate School Travel Grant ($400)

 135

Kalman Bugica

 Research Assistantship in collaboration with SeaGrant

Jennifer Idol

 UNCW CMS Summer Research Award 2012

Tse-Lynn Loh

 Graduate Student Association Travel Award

 Graduate School Travel Award
 BioGSA Travel Award

Steve McMurray

 UNCW Dr. Ralph W. Brauer Fellowship

 The American Museum of Natural History Lerner Gray Memorial Fund
 UNCW Dept of Bio and Mar Bio Graduate School Association registration grant
 UNCW Graduate School Travel Grant

Zach Siders

 UNCW Grad School Summer Support

Christy Visaggi

 2012 Association for Women Geoscientists Chrysalis Scholarship

Any other information that you would like to share (for example, if you are
graduating, where are you off to?):

Rebecka Brasso

 BioGSA: PhD GAC committee member for 2011-2013.

Andrea Dingeldein

 Conducting M.S. research in St. Croix July-August

Tse-Lynn Loh

 I’m graduating this summer, currently applying for postdoctoral positions (and preparing
for an interview!). I’ll be sad to leave UNCW after 6 years, but also excited about what
the future holds.
 136

Courtney McClurkin

 I have been accepted to Temple University’s School of Podiatric Medicine for the fall of
2013.

Brad Parnell

 Offered and accepted a full time Biology Instructor position at Robeson Community
College

Steve Thornton

 Starting a DIS over the summer with Dr. Butch Rommel that will be focusing on
terrestrial and marine mammalian skull asymmetry via specimen measurements and
computer aided design (CAD) software.

Christy Visaggi

 This summer I will be graduating with my PhD. This fall I will join the faculty of the
Department of Geosciences at Georgia State University in Atlanta.
 137

Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Student Annual Report

2012-2013 Academic Year

Presentations at scientific meetings:

Sue Barco

Barco, S., Lockhart, G. and Swingle, W. Using RADAR & AIS to Investigate Ship Behavior in the
Chesapeake Bay Ocean Approach off of Virginia, USA. Oceans ’12 Marine Technology Society
Conference, October 2012.

Bates, E., Barco, S., Lynott, M., Phillips, K. and Swingle, W. Analysis of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops
truncatus) strandings in Virginia Beach, VA to evaluate the potential effects of pound net
modifications. Northeast Regional Stranding Meeting, May, 2013.

Davis, S., Phillips, K., Seney, E., and Barco, S. Diet analysis of stranded loggerhead sea turtles in Virginia,
2011. International Sea Turtle Symposium, January, 2013.
Lockhart, G.,Swingle, W., Bort, J., Lynott, M. and Barco, S. A Crowded Ocean: Including Biological
Monitoring Results in Marine Spatial Planning Efforts. Oral Presentation at the Oceans ’12
Marine Technology Society Conference, October 14-19, Virginia Beach, VA.

Lynott, M., Barco, S., Stolen, M., Phillips, K., and Swingle, W. Temporal trends associated with age in
stranded bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Virginia. Northeast Regional Stranding
Meeting, May, 2013.

Lynott, M., Stolen, M., Bartol, I., Stolen, E., Mazza, T. and Barco, S. Analysis of age, growth and fishery
interaction status of stranded bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Virginia. Southeast
and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium. March, 2013.
Pepe, M., Bort,J., Lockhart, G. Barco, S. and Asmutis-Silvia, R. Can platforms of opportunity in the Mid-
Atlantic be used to supplement broad-scale survey data? Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine
Mammal Symposium. March, 2013.

Phillips, K., Lynott, M., Davis, S., Gannon, D., Barco, S. and Bartol, I. The start of a new life history story
for VAQS: Stomach content analysis of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in Virginia.
Northeast Regional Stranding Meeting, May, 2013.

Rebecka Brasso

Brasso, RL, Polito, MJ, and Emslie SD. Investigating the influence of diet and foraging habitat on mercury
concentrations in Adélie penguins in two geographically distinct Antarctic marine food webs.
Wilson Ornithological Society, March 2013.

Brasso, RL., Chiaradia A., Parson, N., Raya Rey, A., and Emslie, SD. Penguin feathers as a predictive tool
for assessing Hg exposure in marine food webs in the Southern Hemisphere. North American
Ornithological Conference, August 2012.

1
 138

Kalman Bugica

Bugica, Kalman and Lawrence Cahoon. Seasonal Production of Surf Zone Phytoplankton. Southeastern
Phycological Colloquium. October, 2012.

Stephanie Chavez

Chavez, S., Southwood-Willliard, A. Assessment of the Impact of Bycatch Reduction Devices on

Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) and Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) Catch.
International Sea Turtle Symposium, February 2013

Lindsey Deignan

Deignan, L., Pawlik, J. Connecting the dots: examining the spatial relationships of giant barrel
sponges. Benthic Ecology Meeting, March 2013.

Leigh Anne Harden

Harden, L.A. and Southwood Williard, A. Variation in osmotic and metabolic status of overwintering
diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin). Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology,
January 2013.

Harden, L.A. and Southwood Williard, A. Variation in osmotic and metabolic status of overwintering
diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin). International Sea Turtle Symposium, February
2013.

Micah Marty

Marty, M.J., Pawlik, J.R. Promoting bad taste: Does predation by fishes select for greater sponge
chemical defenses? Benthic Ecology Meeting, March, 2013.

Hannon, M.C., Marty, M.J., Chaves, L., Ormond, C.G.A., Cowart, J.R. Distasteful disappearing act:
Evidence for a trade-off between anti-predatory strategies in Sabellid worms. Benthic Ecology
Meeting, March, 2013.

Cowart, J.R., Chaves, L., Marty, M.J., Ormond, C.G.A., Gonzalez, M., Olsson, S., Hannon, M.C. Food
selection and trophic roles of two Atlantic surgeonfish Acanthurus tractus and Acanthurus
chirurgus on coral reefs in Bocas del Toro, Panamá. Benthic Ecology Meeting, March, 2013.

Gonzalez, M.M., Reynolds, N., Chaves, L., Marty, M.J., Ormond, C.G.A., McGinty, E.S., Green, S.J.
Monitoring and managing the invasion of Indo-Pacific lionfish in Bocas del Toro, Panama. 4th
Congresso Brasileiro de Biologia Marinha, May, 2013

Cline, T., Chaves, L., Marty, M.J., Ormond, C.G.A. Determining the Effects of Competition on Territory
Size of the Dusky Damselfish Stegastes adustus off Bocas del Toro Archipelago: a Density-
dependent Scenario. 4th Congresso Brasileiro de Biologia Marinha, May, 2013

2
 139

Steve McMurray

McMurray, S.E., Johnson, Z.I., Hunt, D.E., Pawlik, J.R., and Finelli, C.M. Estimates of pelagic-benthic
planktonic carbon flux for populations of giant barrel sponges on coral reefs. 42th Annual Benthic
Ecology Meeting, March 2013.

McMurray, S.E. Demographics of the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta and planktonic carbon flux
on coral reefs. Invited Speaker, Eastern Carolina University Department of Biology, February,
2013.

Kiersten Newtoff

Newtoff, K. Tern and pelican tissue sample analyses for mercury and stable isotopes. Annual Meeting of
the North Carolina Waterbird Management Committee, March, 2013.
* Note: this was a professionals meeting, not necessarily a conference. My presentation was mainly an overview of my project
and me reaching out to federal/state/local agencies for data collection.

Steve Thornton

Thornton, S., McLellan, W., Rommel, S., Dillaman, R., Nowacek, D., Koopman, H., Pabst, DA. Functional
morphology of dorsal acoustic structures in pygmy (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (K. sima) sperm
whales. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium. March, 2013. (Oral
presentation).

Thornton, S., McLellan, W., Rommel, S., Pabst, DA. Functional morphology of dorsal acoustic structures
in pygmy (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (K. sima) sperm whales. Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology. January, 2013. (Poster).

Maria White

White, M.C., Courchesne, M.J., and Frampton, A.R. Jr. Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) mediated
oncolysis and viral cell-to-cell spread in human glioblastoma multiforme cells are enhanced by
valproic acid. 37th Annual International Herpesvirus Workshop, August, 2012.

White, M.C., Courchesne, M.J., and Frampton, A.R. Jr. Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) mediated
oncolysis and viral cell to cell spread in human glioblastoma multiforme cells are enhanced by
valproic acid. North Carolina American Society for Microbiology Annual Meeting, October, 2012.

White, M.C., Courchesne, M.J., and Frampton, A.R. Jr. Equine herpesvirus type 1-mediated oncolysis and
viral cell to cell spread in human glioma cells are enhanced by valproic acid. Mid-Atlantic
Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting, January, 2013.

3
 140

Papers:

Sue Barco

Moore, K. and Barco, S. In Press. Protocol for examining marine mammals for signs of human
interaction. NOAA SWFSC Technical Memorandum
http://swfsc.noaa.gov//publications/PubBIN/qrypublications.asp?ParentMenuId=32

Barco, S.G., W.J. Walton, C.A. Harms, R.H. George, L.R. D’Eri and W.M. Swingle. 2012. Collaborative
Development of Recommendations for Euthanasia of Stranded Cetaceans. Final Report to
NOAA/NMFS for John H. Prescott Award #NA09NMF4390212. VAQF Scientific Report 2012-06.
Virginia Beach, VA. 183pp.

Moore, M., van der Hoop, J., Barco, S., Costidis, A., Gulland, F., Jepson, P., Moore, K. and McLellan, W.
In press. Criteria and case definitions for serious injury and death of pinnipeds and cetaceans
caused by anthropogenic trauma: Underwater entrapment, chronic entanglement, sharp and
blunt vessel and gunshot. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms.

van der Hoop, J., Moore, M., Barco, S., Cole, T., Daust, P., Henry, A., McAlpine, D., McLellan, W.,
Wimmer, t., and Solow, A. 2012. Assessment of Management to Mitigate Anthropogenic Effects
on Large Whales. Conservation Biology. doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2012.01934.x

2 additional multi-authored papers in review with Fishery Bulletin and Journal of Wildlife Diseases. I am
not first author on either paper

Rebecka Brasso

Brasso RL, Polito MP, Lynch HJ, Naveen R, Emslie SD. 2012. Penguin eggshell membranes reflect
homogeneity of mercury in the marine food web surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula. Science of
the Total Environment, 439:165-171.

Brasso RL., Drummond BE*, Borrett SR, Chiaradia A, Polito MJ, and Raya Rey A. Unique pattern of molt
leads to low intra-individual variation in feather mercury concentrations in penguins,
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, submitted

Brasso RL, Polito MJ, Lang J*, and Jones CD. Increased variation in mercury concentrations with
ontogeny in the Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarcticum), in prep

* indicates undergraduate student

Leigh Anne Harden

Harden, L.A. and Southwood Williard, A. 2012. Using spatial and behavioral data to evaluate the
seasonal bycatch risk of diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in crab pots. Marine
Ecology Progress Series. 467:207-217.

4
 141

Steve McMurray

Pawlik, J.R., Loh, T.-L., McMurray, S.E., and Finelli, C. 2013. Top-down, not bottom-up, control of the
sponge community on a Florida coral reef. PLoS One. accepted.

Kiersten Newtoff

Small, C.J., Newtoff*, K. 2013. Integrating quantitative skills in introductory ecology: Investigations of
wild bird feeding preferences. The American Biology Teacher (Special Emphasis Issue:
Mathematical Application in Learning Biology)75:269-273.
* Note: this paper was from my undergraduate work

Maria White

White, M.C. and Frampton, A.R. Jr. 2013. The histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid enhances
equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1)-mediated oncolysis of human glioma cells. Cancer Gene
Therapy. 20: 88-93.

Awards and Recognitions:

Stephanie Chavez

 2012-2013 Judith C. Bryan Holden Beach Turtle Watch Fellowship in Marine Biology

 2012-2013 Jane Logan Lackey Fellowship

Lindsey Deignan

 Owen Graham Kenan Scholarship - $6,500, August 2012

 John Colucci Jr. Memorial Scholarship - $5,000, August 2012

 UNCW Graduate School Travel Award - $400, March 2013

 Biology Graduate Student Association Travel Award - $100, March 2013

Steve McMurray

 Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society

Kiersten Newtoff

 Department of Biology and Marine Biology Scholarship, UNCW (Spring 2013)

 Dr. James F. and Frances B. Parnell Fellow (Fall 2012 – Spring 2013)

 North Carolina Wildlife Federation Scholarship (Fall 2012)

5
 142

Steve Thornton

 Best Master’s oral presentation at 2013 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal
Symposium

Maria White

 Recipient of the Mary Poston Award for best student presentation at the North Carolina
American Society for Microbiology Annual Meeting (October 2012)

Grants applied for:

Sue Barco

 Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Wildlife Grants to States 2012 & 2013. (4
total)-2 in review

 NOAA Coastal Zone Management Program Projects of Special Merit 2012 & 2013 (2)-1 in review

 NOAA Recovery Grants to States 2013(2)- in review

 Virginia Saltwater Fishing Fund 2012-denied

 Maryland DNR Offshore Wind Energy Fund 2013-in review

 US Navy 2013 (2)-in review

Rebecka Brasso

 Graduate School Travel Award

 NC Sea Grant Fisheries Resource Grant

 Ford Fellowship (results not announced yet)

Kalman Bugica

 The Frances Peter Fensel Memorial Fellowship

Stephanie Chavez

 2012 Graduate Student Travel Grant

 2013 Turtle Conservation Fund

 2013 NCCR Sea Grant Coastal Research Fellowship

6
 143

 2013 Sigma Xi Grants in Aid of Research

Leigh Anne Harden

 Three University of North Carolina Wilmington travel grants: UNCW BioGSA, UNCW Graduate
School, UNCW GSA.

 Seasonal variation in osmotic and metabolic status of diamondback terrapins. North Carolina
Herpetological Society Grant in Herpetology. $360.

Steve McMurray

 UNCW Dept of Bio and Mar Bio Graduate School Association registration grant

 UNCW Graduate School Travel Grant

Kiersten Newtoff

 Mewaldt-King Student Research Award

 Louis Agassiz Fuertes Award

Steve Thornton

 Sigma Xi Grants-in-aid-of-Research

Maria White

 Sigma Xi Grants-in-aid-of-Research

Grants received:

Sue Barco

 Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Wildlife Grants to States 2 received
1) $19,600 Diagnostic testing for stranded and wild caught sea turtles in Virginia-2 years
2) $10,000 Baseline ambient noise measurements in Chesapeake Bay and surrounding waters-
1 year
Documenting Whale Migration off Virginia’s Coast for use in Marine Spatial Planning –Coastal Zone
Management Grant to-Virginia Coastal Programs. S.G. Barco, P.I. $189,000. Oct 2012-Nov 2013

Rebecka Brasso

 Graduate School Travel Award (August 2012, $400.00)

 NC Sea Grant Fisheries Resource Grant (co-PI with Steve Poland, Feburary 2013, $10,000.00)

7
 144

Stephanie Chavez

 2012 Graduate Student Travel Grant

Leigh Anne Harden

 Three University of North Carolina Wilmington travel grants: UNCW BioGSA ($100), UNCW
Graduate School ($400), UNCW GSA ($250).

 Seasonal variation in osmotic and metabolic status of diamondback terrapins. North Carolina
Herpetological Society Grant in Herpetology. $360.

Steve McMurray

 UNCW Dept of Bio and Mar Bio Graduate School Association registration grant

 UNCW Graduate School Travel Grant

Steve Thornton

 Sigma Xi Grants-in-aid-of-Research

Maria White

 Sigma Xi Grants-in-aid-of-Research

Any other information that you would like to share (for example, if you are graduating, where
are you off to?):

Kalman Bugica

 Instructor for Duke University TIP in Near Shore and Ocean Marine Biology this summer at the
Duke University Marine Laboratory.

Lindsey Deignan

 I was accepted to the UNCW PhD in marine biology program last fall.

 In July 2012, I traveled to the Smithsonian research station in Bocas del Toro, Panama to take
the Taxonomy and Ecology of Caribbean Sponges course.

Micah Marty

 I taught a winter field course on Coral Reef Ecology in Bocas del Toro, Panama at the Institute
for Tropical Ecology and Conservation.

8
 145

Courtney McClurkin

 I have been accepted to Temple University’s School of Podiatric Medicine for the fall of 2013.

9
 146

Biology and Marine Biology Condensed Graduate Student Annual Report

2013-2014 Academic Year

Presentations at scientific meetings:

Sue Barco

Barco, S., Burt, L., Lockhart, G., D'Eri, L., DiGiovanni, R. Jr., DePerte, A., Boettcher, R. and M.
Swingle. Abundance estimates for sea turtle in Chesapeake Bay and offshore waters of
Virginia and Maryland. International Sea Turtle Symposium. April 2014.

Phillips, K., Lynott, M., Barco, S., Fauquier, D., Rotstein, D., DiGiovanni, R., Garron, M., and T.
Goldstein. Bring out your dead: Looking at Virginia’s 5-year average stranding trends in
relation to the 2013 mid-Atlantic Tursiops UME. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine
Mammal Symposium. March 2014.

Mallette. S., Lockhart, G., Bort, J., Rabon, A., Pabst, D., McAlarney, R., Cummings,
E., McLellan, W. and S. Barco. A review of three years of large whale survey effort off
the coast of Virginia utilizing multiple research platforms. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic
Marine Mammal Symposium. March 2014.

Molly Gabler

Gabler, M.K., Gay, M. and Koopman, H.N. Microvascularization of the extra and intra
mandibular acoustic fat bodies in odontocetes. South-East Annual Marine Mammal
Society, March, 2014.

Gabler, M.K., Coughlin, D.J. and Fish, F.E. Pectoral fin muscular architecture in relation to
ecological lifestyle. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, January, 2014.

Nathan Gavin

Gavin, N. and Durako, M. Population-based variation in hyposalinity resilience for the

threatened seagrass Halophila johnsonii Eiseman. Coastal and Estuarine Research
Federation, November, 2013.

Gavin, N. and Durako, M. Diurnal Variations in Photosynthesis of Co-occurring Thalassia

testudinum and Halophila johnsonii. Southeastern Phycological Colluquy, September,
2013.
 147

Stephanie Johnstone

Johnstone, S., Arnette, J., Greenawalt, H., Olson, D., Bentz, B., Johnson, D., Laube, A., Le, M.,
Marx, E., Sanchez, A., and Frampton, A. Characterization of glycoproteins B, D, H, and
L from neurologic equine herpesvirus type 1 strains. North Carolina American Society for
Microbiology, October, 2013.

Tiffany Keenan-Bateman

Keenan-Bateman, T., McLellan, W., Harms, C., Barco, S., Thayer, V., Clark, K., Piscitelli, M.,
Potter, C., and Pabst, A. Prevalence and Anatomical Distribution of Crassicauda spp. in
Kogiid Whales. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, January, 2014.

Keenan-Bateman, T., McLellan, W., Harms, C., Barco, S., Thayer, V., Clark, K., Piscitelli, M.,
Potter, C., and Pabst, A. Prevalence and Anatomical Distribution of Crassicauda spp. in
Kogiid Whales. Southeast and Mid Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, March, 2014.

Micah Marty

Marty, M.J., Blum, J., and Pawlik, J.R. 2014. Accounting for taste: Does fish predation select for
greater sponge chemical defenses? Benthic Ecology Meeting, March, 2014

Wooster, M.K., Marty, M.J., Chaves, L., Ormond, C.G.A., Pawlik, J.R. 2014. Quantifying sponge
associational refugia in the absence of spongivores. Benthic Ecology Meeting, March,
2014

Scott, A., Chaves, L., Marty, M.J., Ormond, C.G.A., Nerness, A. 2014. Feeding selection of a
corallivorous and herbivorous parrotfish on a Panamanian coral reef. International
Marine Conservation Congress, August, 2014

Steve McMurray

McMurray, S.E., Pawlik, J.R., and Finelli, C.M. The effects of size and morphology on pumping
rates of Caribbean giant barrel sponges. 43th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, March
2014.

Nina Neill

Neill, N., Elliott, E., Goodman, A., Baden, D., Bourdelais, A. Localization of a Brevisin-
Daunorubicin Conjugate in SJCRH30 Cells. 7th Symposium on Harmful Algae in the US,
October, 2013.
 148

Emily Singleton

Singleton, E., McLellan, W., Koopman, H., Almeida, A., and Pabst, DA. Depth-specific thermal
properties of the blubber of Gervais' beaked whale (Mesoplodon europaeus). Southeast
and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, March, 2014.

Hayley Vatcher

Roer, R., Vatcher, H., and Dillaman, R. Structure of the meso- and urocardiac ossicles of the
blue crab, Callinectes sapidus - molt dynamics and aging. Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology, January, 2014.

Elliot Weston

Weston, E., Posey, M., Meyer, D., and Alphin, T. Assessment of Restored Salt Marsh Function
Using a Key Indicator Species, Fundulus heteroclitus. Benthic Ecology Meeting, March,
2014.

Papers:

Nathan Gavin

Gavin, N. and Durako, M. Population-based variation in resilience to hyposalinity stress in

Halophila johnsonii. 2014. Bulletin of Marine Science. 90(3):781-794.

Steve McMurray

McMurray, S.E., Pawlik, J.R., and Finelli, C.M. In Review. Trait-mediated ecosystem impacts:
How morphology and size affect pumping rates of the Giant Barrel Sponge. Aquatic
Biology.

Pawlik, J.R., McMurray, S.E., Erwin, P., and Zea, S. In Review. Are sponges on Caribbean reefs
food-limited? Marine Ecology Progress Series.
 149

Appendix 5. Assessment forms to be filled out by faculty.

 150

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Assessment for Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Program
Masters of Science Program in Biology

Learning Outcome #1a: A graduate student should be able to develop a research plan.

Assessment #1a: Prospectus is successfully completed and defended to student’s committee.

Form to be filled out by the Thesis Committee after reviewing prospectus. Please add comments
on back of form or extra sheet if you wish.

(1) The student’s prospectus was written:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(2) The student synthesized the literature:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(3) The student’s proposed research project was defined:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(4) The methods that the student will employ suit the project:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well
 151

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Assessment for Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Program
Masters of Science Programs in Marine Biology and Biology

Learning Outcome #1b: A graduate student should be able to present and defend a research plan.

Assessment #1b: Prospectus is successfully presented to the department.

Form used for this assessment is our Graduate Student Prospectus Symposium Evaluation form.
Our assessment tool will be question #5. This form should be filled in by faculty only.

5. What would be your overall rank of the student’s proposed research project?

Unsatisfactory – research question is not interesting or important; research unlikely to yield significant
results; project poorly designed; requires minimal effort on the part of the student

Satisfactory - research question is valid; research likely to yield useful results; project adequately
designed; requires acceptable level of effort on the part of the student

Commendable - research question is novel; research likely to yield significant results; project very well
designed; project requires significant effort on the part of the student

In the box below, tally up the number of times you used each answer for Question #5.

Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Commendable

 152

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Assessment for Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Program
Masters of Science Program in Biology

Learning Outcome #2: A graduate student should be able to independently answer questions
regarding their research field.

Assessment #2: Oral preliminary exam is successfully completed.

Form to be completed by Thesis Committee at end of the exam. Please add comments on back of
form or extra sheet if you wish.

(1) The student was able to articulate his or her answers:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(2) The student was able to answer a breadth of questions:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(3) The student demonstrated an appropriate depth of knowledge:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(4) The student was able to demonstrate professional poise during the exam:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well
 153

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Assessment for Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Program
Masters of Science Program in Biology

Learning Objective #3: A graduate student should be able to communicate his or her research to a
broadly-trained public audience.

Assessment #3: Departmental Seminar presentation of thesis research is successfully completed.

Form to be completed by Thesis Committee at end of the thesis defense. Please add comments on
back of form or extra sheet if you wish.

(1) The student’s presentation was professional and well-organized:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Well done

(2) The student’s demonstrated mastery of his or her research was:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Well done

(3) The student was able to answer questions from the audience:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(4) The student was able to demonstrate professional poise during the presentation:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well
 154

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Assessment for Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Program
Masters of Science Program in Biology

Learning Objective #4: A graduate student should be able to write up his or her research in the
form of a manuscript for publication in a scientific journal.

Assessment #4: Thesis is successfully completed.

Form to be completed by Thesis Committee at end of the thesis defense. Please add comments on
back of form or extra sheet if you wish.

(1) The student’s thesis was written:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(2) The student’s thesis demonstrated mastery of the research:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Well done

(3) Based upon its quality, the likelihood of the thesis being published is:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Likely Very likely
 155

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Assessment for Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Program
Masters of Science Program in Marine Biology

Learning Outcome #1a: A graduate student should be able to develop a research plan.

Assessment #1a: Prospectus is successfully completed and defended to student’s committee.

Form to be filled out by the Thesis Committee after reviewing prospectus. Please add comments
on back of form or extra sheet if you wish.

(1) The student’s prospectus was written:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(2) The student synthesized the literature:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(3) The student’s proposed research project was defined:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(4) The methods that the student will employ suit the project:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well
 156

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Assessment for Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Program
Masters of Science Programs in Marine Biology and Biology

Learning Outcome #1b: A graduate student should be able to present and defend a research plan.

Assessment #1b: Prospectus is successfully presented to the department.

Form used for this assessment is our Graduate Student Prospectus Symposium Evaluation form.
Our assessment tool will be question #5. This form should be filled in by faculty only.

5. What would be your overall rank of the student’s proposed research project?

Unsatisfactory – research question is not interesting or important; research unlikely to yield significant
results; project poorly designed; requires minimal effort on the part of the student

Satisfactory - research question is valid; research likely to yield useful results; project adequately
designed; requires acceptable level of effort on the part of the student

Commendable - research question is novel; research likely to yield significant results; project very well
designed; project requires significant effort on the part of the student

In the box below, tally up the number of times you used each answer for Question #5.

Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Commendable

 157

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Assessment for Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Program
Masters of Science Program in Marine Biology

Learning Outcome #2: A graduate student should be able to independently answer questions
regarding their research field.

Assessment #2: Oral preliminary exam is successfully completed.

Form to be completed by Thesis Committee at end of the exam. Please add comments on back of
form or extra sheet if you wish.

(1) The student was able to articulate his or her answers:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(2) The student was able to answer a breadth of questions:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(3) The student demonstrated an appropriate depth of knowledge:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(4) The student was able to demonstrate professional poise during the exam:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well
 158

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Assessment for Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Program
Masters of Science Program in Marine Biology

Learning Objective #3: A graduate student should be able to communicate his or her research to a
broadly-trained public audience.

Assessment #3: Departmental Seminar presentation of thesis research is successfully completed.

Form to be completed by Thesis Committee at end of the thesis defense. Please add comments on
back of form or extra sheet if you wish.

(1) The student’s presentation was professional and well-organized:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Well done

(2) The student’s demonstrated mastery of his or her research was:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Well done

(3) The student was able to answer questions from the audience:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(4) The student was able to demonstrate professional poise during the presentation:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well
 159

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Assessment for Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Program
Masters of Science Program in Marine Biology

Learning Objective #4: A graduate student should be able to write up his or her research in the
form of a manuscript for publication in a scientific journal.

Assessment #4: Thesis is successfully completed.

Form to be completed by Thesis Committee at end of the thesis defense. Please add comments on
back of form or extra sheet if you wish.

(1) The student’s thesis was written:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(2) The student’s thesis demonstrated mastery of the research:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Well done

(3) Based upon its quality, the likelihood of the thesis being published is:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Likely Very likely
 160

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Assessment for Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Program
PhD Marine Biology

Learning Outcome #1: A graduate student should be able to develop a research plan.

Assessment #1: Dissertation proposal is successfully completed and defended to student’s

committee.

Form to be filled out by the Dissertation Committee member after reviewing dissertation proposal.
Please add comments on back of form or extra sheet if you wish.

(1) The student’s dissertation proposal was written:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(2) The student synthesized the literature:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(3) The student’s proposed research projects were defined:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(4) The methods that the student will employ suit the projects:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well
 161

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Assessment for Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Program
PhD Marine Biology

Learning Outcome #2: A graduate student should be able to independently answer questions
regarding their research field.

Assessment #2: Written candidacy and oral qualifying exams are successfully completed.

Form to be completed by Dissertation Committee at end of oral exam. Please add comments on
back of form or extra sheet if you wish.

(1) The student was prepared for the candidacy exam

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(2) The student was able to articulate his or her answers:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(3) The student was able to answer a breadth of questions:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(4) The student demonstrated an appropriate depth of knowledge:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(5) The student was able to demonstrate professional poise during the exams:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well
 162

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Assessment for Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Program
PhD Marine Biology

Learning Objective #3: A graduate student should be able to communicate his or her research to a
broadly-trained public audience.

Assessment #3: Two Departmental Seminar presentations of dissertation research are

successfully completed.

Form to be completed by Dissertation Committee at end of the each seminar. Please add
comments on back of form or extra sheet if you wish.

(1) The student’s presentation was professional and well-organized:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Well done

(2) The student’s demonstrated mastery of his or her research was:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Well done

(3) The student was able to answer questions from the audience:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(4) The student was able to demonstrate professional poise during the presentation:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well
 163

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Assessment for Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Program
PhD Marine Biology

Learning Objective #4: A graduate student should be able to write up his or her research in the
form of multiple manuscripts for publication in scientific journals.

Assessment #4: Multi-chaptered dissertation is successfully completed.

Form to be completed by Dissertation Committee at end of defense. Please add comments on

back of form or extra sheet if you wish.

(1) The student’s dissertation was written:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(2) The student’s dissertation demonstrated mastery of the research:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Very well

(3) Based upon its quality, the likelihood of the dissertation being published is:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Likely Very likely

(4) Has the student already submitted for publication one or more chapters?

Yes No

(5) Has the student already published one or more chapters?

Yes No
 164

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Assessment for Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Program
PhD Marine Biology

Learning Objective #5: A graduate student should be able to create new teaching materials.

Assessment #5: Successful completion of Teaching Practicum course and a formal lecture or
laboratory presentation in an undergraduate course.

Form to be completed by each faculty member who evaluates student’s teaching. Please add
comments on back of form or extra sheet if you wish.

(1) The student’s presentation was professional and well-organized:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Well done

(2) The student’s demonstrated mastery of his or her subject was:

1 2 3 4 5
Poor Adequate Well done

(3) The student was able to answer questions from students:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(4) The student was able to demonstrate professional poise during the presentation:

1 2 3 4 5
Poorly Adequately Very well

(5) The overall effectiveness of teaching was:

1 3 5
Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Outstanding
 165

Appendix 6. Assessment annual reports.

 166

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(M.Sc. Marine Biology, Dept of Biology & Marine Biology – October 1 2014)
Assessment Plan for 2013 – 2014 (July 1 to June 30)

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, koopmanh@uncw.edu, 962-7199

Program Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW Strategic Goal
What is the intended or
desired effect of your
programming or services?
What Strategic Goal does it
link to?
PO 1: Graduation of M.S.
students within 3 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
Tools or measures of
program outcomes must
address the outcome
directly
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
Identify who will be
responsible for
implementation; what data
will be collected.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
What was learned from What changes were made
the collection and analysis because of what you learned?
of data for the program
outcome?
We have combined data The Graduate School has
for both our Biology and worked to incrementally
Marine Biology MSc increase TA salaries. We
programs. Over 2002- should continue this process
2013, data indicate that to speed up graduation times
62% of our students are for all of our MSc students.
graduating within 3 years,
based on 256 graduates.
We would like to increase
this proportion in future.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
time to graduate.
In 2013-2014, we We have increased core
accepted 16 new students course options for the M.S.
into our program. In program by adding a course in
2012-2013, we accepted 8 evolution. The Graduate
new students into this School has worked to
program. In 2011-2012, incrementally increase TA
we accepted 12 new salaries.
students into this
program. In 2010-2011,
we accepted 15 students.

PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
What will students know or
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
Tools
What tools or measures will
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Implementation
Who will be responsible for
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
recruitment of students.
Faculty members
identified the following
needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
Summary of Findings
What was learned from the
167
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs of
certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty
The continued high level of
performance of departmental
faculty, coupled with high
rates of successful decisions
for reappointment, tenure,
and promotion suggest that
our faculty development
policies are sufficient.
However, we continue to
refine our procedures to
ensure effective
communication between
faculty and administrators.
Actions Taken
What changes were made

be able to do upon
completion of the program?
What UNCW Learning Goal
Does it link to?
SLO 1a: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Inquiry.
SLO 1b: A graduate student
should be able to present
and defend a research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Thoughtful expression
and Information literacy
be used?
Prospectus is successfully
completed and defended to
student’s committee. The
student’s committee
evaluates prospectus with a
form.
Prospectus is successfully
presented to the
department. Form used for
this assessment is our
Graduate Student
Prospectus Symposium
implementation; who will
be assessed; what is the
schedule?
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on
prospectus quality, depth
and breadth are collected.
Implementation of the
assessment of this SLO was
planned to begin in the
2009-2010 year.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010-2011
to improve faculty
participation.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the Graduate
Student Prospectus
symposium. Data on each
collection and analysis of
data for student learning
outcomes?
We are slow to collect data
on this SLO, with 6
respondents in 2012-2013
and 2 in 2013-2014.
Students that are assessed
are performing well on this
SLO (100% performing at
levels 4 or 5 for all elements
of this SLO!). Given the size
of the student body, we
should have more data for
this SLO (i.e. more than one
or two students per year
should be completing their
prospectus). Either
students are not on time
with completion of this SLO,
or the Graduate Secretary is
not being made aware of
completion of the
prospectus. This is an issue
for both of our M.Sc.
programs (see next
column).
During 2013-2014, we had a
total of 162 respondents for
this SLO. Faculty evaluated
students in both M.Sc.
programs as continuing to
perform well on this SLO,
168
because of what you
learned?
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2014 retreat and
decided that our students
are meeting our
expectations in this SLO and
that no action will be taken.
However the Graduate
Assessment Coordinator
plans to work with the
Graduate Secretary to
determine why there are so
few data points for this SLO.
A total of 3 students
(combined for both M.Sc.
programs) were identified
as having completed their
prospectus documents this
year, which explains why
the responses are low. Yet
at this point we do not
know if this reflects low
numbers of prospectus
documents or students not
bringing their prospectus
forms to the Graduate
Secretary in a timely
manner.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2014 retreat and
decided that our students
are meeting our
expectations in this SLO and

SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goal:
Information literacy, critical
thinking, thoughtful
expression.
Evaluation form. Our
assessment tool will be
question #5. This SLO was
created, in part, to help
understand the poor
performance of students on
“breadth of knowledge” in
SLO2 in the 2007-08 year.
Oral preliminary exam is
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exam with a form.
student’s project in terms of
quality, design and
significance are collected.
Assessment of this SLO
began in Spring 2009. By
the nature of data
collection, assessment for
this SLO is pooled with the
Biology M.Sc. program.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information, on
the depth and breadth of
their knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected.
with 97% of students to be
satisfactory (59%) or
commendable (39%). These
numbers are similar to
previous years. In 2012-
2013, we collected 259
responses. Faculty deemed
student performance on this
SLO to be excellent with
98% of students to be
satisfactory (63%) or above
(commendable, 36%).
Faculty compliance
improved significantly for
this SLO this year. In 2013-
2014 we had 40
respondents. Unfortunately
student performance for
this SLO is still low. We do
have >90% of students
performing at the level of
adequate (3 or better) but
the fraction of students
performing at levels 4 or 5
was 60% for articulation,
58% for breadth and 60%
for depth of knowledge.
Professional poise was
assessed at being above
level 3 for 73% of cases. In
2012-2013 we had 25
respondents for this SLO.
Faculty determined that the
fraction of students
performing above the level
of adequate students was
52% in ability to articulate,
50% in breadth, and 48% in
depth of knowledge, and
169
that no action will be taken.
Student performance on
this SLO has been a concern
in the past. Given the small
sample size for this SLO, the
Graduate Assessment
Coordinator recommended
that we carefully monitor
performance for another
year before evaluating
whether any programmatic
changes are warranted. The
fraction of students in 2013-
2014 performing above
adequate for this SLO is
lower than 2012-2013 for
both of our M. Sc.
Programs. The faculty
discussed the results of
assessment to date at the
2014 retreat and decided to
adopt that suggestion. In
addition, the faculty will
discuss levels of expectation
for our programs (i.e. do we
expect our students to be
adequate [3] or better than
adequate [4 or 5]?). At the
 170

60% in professional poise. September 12 2014

No data were returned for department faculty
this SLO in 2011-2012. In meeting, the faculty passed
2010-2011, student the following motion
performance (determined associated with this SLO:
as fraction of students “1. Continued monitoring
performing at levels 4 or 5 of performance on SLO #2
on a scale of 5) on this SLO (oral exam) for M.Sc.
was notably improved over students. The department
previous years. Faculty has made some changes in
determined that students recent years to improve
did better in ability to performance on this SLO,
articulate (78%), which may not have had
demonstrate breadth (78%) adequate time to take
and depth (67%) of effect. We will gather
knowledge, and poise another year of data and
(89%). then evaluate whether
further action is required.”
SLO3: A graduate student Departmental Seminar Each student in the program During 2013-2014, 112 The faculty discussed the
should be able to presentation of thesis is assessed by all faculty respondents deemed results of assessment to
communicate his or her research is successfully members in the department student performance on this date at the 2014 retreat and
attending the seminar. Data SLO to continue to be good. decided that our students
research to a broadly- completed. An assessment
on presentation quality, >79% of students were are meeting our
trained public audience. form is filled out by mastery of research, assessed as being at levels 4 expectations in this SLO and
Link to UNCW Learning departmental faculty professional poise and or 5 for organization, that no action will be taken.
Goal: Thoughtful members after the thesis ability to answer questions mastery and poise. Of slight
expression. seminar. are collected. concern is the ability to
answer questions (only 71%
at levels 4 or 5). In 2012-
2013, student performance
on this SLO was strong
[n=24 respondents].
Presentation quality and
poise were judged at 88%
and 91% (students
performing at level 4 or 5),
mastery of research was
92%, and ability to answer
questions was 96%. In

SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific
journal. Link to UNCW
Learning Goal: thoughtful
expression, information
literacy, critical thinking,
inquiry.
Thesis is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the thesis with a
form.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010-2011
to improve faculty
participation.
171
2011-2012, we received 14
responses for this SLO.
Presentation quality and
poise were judged at 93%
(students performing at
level 4 or 5), mastery of
research was 86%, and
ability to answer questions
was 71%.
Student performance on Performance on this SLO is
this SLO was a bit lower lower than last year,
than last year. In 2013- although still very much
2014, 39 faculty responses
adequate (>82% at 3 or
were recorded. Thesis
quality was at levels 4 or 5 above). The faculty
for 59% of cases, mastery of discussed the results of
research was 64% for levels assessment to date at the
4 or 5, and the likelihood of 2014 retreat and decided to
the thesis being published continue to monitor
was high (4 or 5) for 54% of performance for another
cases. However, 82-97% of
year before deciding if there
cases had students
performing at adequate is a trend over time. At the
(level 3) or higher. In 2012- September 12 2014
2013 we had 9 respondents. departmental faculty
Faculty judged student meeting, the following
performance on thesis motion for an action item
quality at 78%, mastery of was passed by the faculty:
research at 77%, and
“2. Continued monitoring
likelihood of publication at
78%. In 2011-2012 we had of performance on SLO #4
22 respondents. Faculty (thesis quality) for M.Sc.
judged student students in Marine Biology
performance to be to determine whether data
acceptable, with thesis collected from 2013-2014
quality at 86%, mastery of
represents a trend or a
research at 82%, and
likelihood of publication at spurious result.”
91%. For 2010-2011 (n=19),
 172

faculty determined that

students were performing
well on this SLO, in thesis
quality (95%), mastery of
research (89%), and
likelihood of the data being
published (100%).

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(M.Sc. Biology, Dept of Biology & Marine Biology –October 1 2014)
Assessment Plan for 2013 – 2014 (July 1 to June 30)

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, koopmanh@uncw.edu, 962-7199

Program Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW Strategic Goal
What is the intended or
desired effect of your
programming or services?
What Strategic Goal does it
link to?
PO 1: Graduation of M.S.
students within 3 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
Tools or measures of
program outcomes must
address the outcome
directly
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
Identify who will be
responsible for
implementation; what data
will be collected.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
What was learned from the
collection and analysis of
data for the program
outcome?
We have combined data for
both our Biology and
Marine Biology MSc
programs. Over 2002-2013,
data indicate that 62% of
our students are graduating
within 3 years, based on 256
graduates. We would like to
increase this proportion in
future. Financial concerns
have been identified as a
significant concern for time
to graduate.
We accepted 5 new
students into the MSc
What changes were made
because of what you
learned?
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. We
should continue this process
to speed up graduation
times for all of our MSc
students.
We have increased core
course options for the M.S.

students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Biology program in 2013-
2014. In 2012-2013 this
number was also 6, and in
2011-2012 there were 7.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
recruitment of students.
Faculty members identified
the following needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
173
program by adding a course
in evolution. The Graduate
School has worked to
incrementally increase TA
salaries.
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs
of certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty
The continued high level of
performance of
departmental faculty,
coupled with high rates of
successful decisions for
reappointment, tenure, and
promotion suggest that our
faculty development
policies are sufficient.
However, we continue to
refine our procedures to
ensure effective
communication between
faculty and administrators.

Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
What will students know or
be able to do upon
completion of the program?
What UNCW Learning Goal
Does it link to?
SLO 1a: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Inquiry
SLO 1b: A graduate student
Tools
What tools or measures will
be used?
Prospectus is successfully
completed and defended to
student’s committee. The
student’s committee
evaluates prospectus with a
form.
Prospectus is successfully
Implementation
Who will be responsible for
implementation; who will
be assessed; what is the
schedule?
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on
prospectus quality, depth
and breadth are collected.
Implementation of the
assessment of this SLO was
planned to begin in the
2009-2010 year.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010-2011
to improve faculty
participation.
Each student in the program
Summary of Findings
What was learned from the
collection and analysis of
data for student learning
outcomes?
We are slow to collect data
on this SLO, with 2
respondents in 2012-2013
and 5 in 2013-2014.
Students that are assessed
are performing well on this
SLO (80% or more
performing at levels 4 or 5
for all elements of this SLO).
Given the size of the
student body, we should
have more data for this SLO
(i.e. more than one or two
students per year should be
completing their
prospectus). Either
students are not on time
with completion of this SLO,
or the Graduate Secretary is
not being made aware of
completion of the
prospectus. This is an issue
for both of our M.Sc.
programs (see next
column).
During 2013-2014, we had a
174
Actions Taken
What changes were made
because of what you
learned?
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2014 retreat and
decided that our students
are meeting our
expectations in this SLO and
that no action will be taken.
However the Graduate
Assessment Coordinator
plans to work with the
Graduate Secretary to
determine why there are so
few data points for this SLO.
A total of 3 students
(combined for both M.Sc.
programs) were identified
as having completed their
prospectus documents this
year, which explains why
the responses are low. Yet
at this point we do not
know if this reflects low
numbers of prospectus
documents or students not
bringing their prospectus
forms to the Graduate
Secretary in a timely
manner.
The faculty discussed the

should be able to present
and defend a research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Thoughtful expression
and Information literacy
SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goal:
Information literacy, critical
thinking, thoughtful
expression.
presented to the
department. Form used for
this assessment is our
Graduate Student
Prospectus Symposium
Evaluation form. Our
assessment tool will be
question #5. This SLO was
created, in part, to help
understand the poor
performance of students on
“breadth of knowledge” in
SLO2 in the 2007-08 year.
Oral preliminary exam is
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exam with a form.
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the Graduate
Student Prospectus
symposium. Data on each
student’s project in terms of
quality, design and
significance are collected.
Assessment of this SLO
began in Spring 2009. By
the nature of data
collection, assessment for
this SLO is pooled with the
Marine Biology M.Sc.
program.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information, on
the depth and breadth of
their knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected.
total of 162 respondents for
this SLO. Faculty evaluated
students in both M.Sc.
programs as continuing to
perform well on this SLO,
with 97% of students to be
satisfactory (59%) or
commendable (39%). These
numbers are similar to
previous years. In 2012-
2013, we collected 259
responses. Faculty deemed
student performance on this
SLO to be excellent with
98% of students to be
satisfactory (63%) or above
(commendable, 36%).
During 2013-2014 we had
19 respondents for this SLO.
Student performance at
levels 4 or 5 was lower than
last year for articulation
(68%), breadth (63%) and
depth (63%) of knowledge,
and 84% of cases for
demonstrating poise.
In 2012-2013 we had 14
respondents for this SLO.
Faculty assessed students as
performing above the level
of adequate (at levels 4 or
5) in 79% of cases for
articulation, breadth and
depth of knowledge, and in
93% of cases for
demonstrating poise.
In 2011-2012 we had 5
responses to this SLO.
Students were performing
175
results of assessment to
date at the 2014 retreat and
decided that our students
are meeting our
expectations in this SLO and
that no action will be taken.
Student performance on
this SLO has been a concern
in the past. Given the small
sample size for this SLO, the
Graduate Assessment
Coordinator recommended
that we carefully monitor
performance for another
year before evaluating
whether any programmatic
changes are warranted. The
fraction of students in 2013-
2014 performing above
adequate for this SLO is
lower than 2012-2013 for
both of our M. Sc.
Programs. The faculty
discussed the results of
assessment to date at the
2014 retreat and decided to
adopt that suggestion. In
addition, the faculty will
 176

adequately on breadth of discuss levels of expectation

knowledge and poise (80%
at level 4 or 5), but only 60%
on articulation of answers
and depth of knowledge.
for our programs (i.e. do we
expect our students to be
adequate [3] or better than
adequate [4 or 5]?). At the
September 12 2014
department faculty
meeting, the faculty passed
the following motion
associated with this SLO:
“1. Continued monitoring
of performance on SLO #2
(oral exam) for M.Sc.
students. The department
has made some changes in
recent years to improve
performance on this SLO,
which may not have had
adequate time to take
effect. We will gather
another year of data and
then evaluate whether
further action is required.”

SLO3: A graduate student Departmental Seminar Each student in the program Students continue to The faculty discussed the
should be able to presentation of thesis is assessed by all faculty perform well on this SLO. results of assessment to
communicate his or her research is successfully members in the department During 2013-2014, 65 date at the 2014 retreat and
attending the seminar. Data respondents assessed decided that our students
research to a broadly- completed. An assessment
on presentation quality, student performance on this are meeting our
trained public audience. form is filled out by mastery of research, SLO to be excellent, with expectations in this SLO,
Link to UNCW Learning departmental faculty professional poise and >90% of all students at matching the acceptable
Goal: Thoughtful members after the thesis ability to answer questions levels 4 or 5 for all elements performance of previous
expression. seminar. are collected. (professional presentation, years, and that no action
mastery of research, ability will be taken.
to answer questions, and
poise). In 2012-2013 we
had 40 respondents. 80-

SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific
journal. Link to UNCW
Learning Goal: thoughtful
expression, information
literacy, critical thinking,
inquiry.
Thesis is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the thesis with a
form.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010-2011
to improve faculty
participation.
177
90% of students performed
at level 4 or 5 for all
elements of the seminar. In
2011-2012, 80% of students
performed at level 4 or 5 for
all elements of the seminar
(professional presentation,
mastery of research, ability
to answer questions, and
poise; n=5 respondents).
Student performance on The faculty discussed the
this SLO was similar to last results of assessment to
year. During 2013-2014, 18 date at the 2014 retreat and
respondents assessed decided that our students
student performance as are meeting our
being at levels 4 or 5 for expectations in this SLO,
>78% of students. In 2012- matching the acceptable
2013 [n=15 respondents], performance of previous
thesis quality, mastery of years, and that no action
the research and likelihood will be taken.
of publication were
assessed at levels 4 or 5 in
80-86% of all cases. In 2011-
2012, thesis quality was
judged at 78% (fraction of
students performing at level
4 or above), mastery of
research was 67%, and
likelihood of publication was
78% [n=9 respondents].
 178

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(PhD Program, Biology & Marine Biology –October 2014)
Assessment Plan Report for 2013-2014 (July 1 to June 30)

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, Biology & Marine Biology, koopmanh@uncw.edu

Program Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW Strategic Goal
PO 1: Graduation of PhD
students within 5-6 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
PhD students are taking 4.5
years to graduate, well
within our expectation.
Financial concerns have
previously been identified
as a significant concern for
time to graduate. Based on
student comments and
comparisons with other
programs, a need to make
the curriculum more flexible
was identified. For M.S
students in the department
wishing to change to the
PhD program, a need for an
easier transition was
identified.
Data from 2012-2013
indicate that program
enrolment is steady. In
2010-2011 we had 22 PhD
students, in 2011-2012 we
had 20, in 2012-2013 we
had 18, and in 2013-2014
year we accepted 2 new
students into the program.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
In previous years, the
Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. The
PhD core curriculum was
revised to be more flexible.
The progression from the
M.S. program to the PhD
program was made easier
through a Master’s bypass
option. Given our results
we feel that these actions
have been successful.
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. The
PhD core curriculum was
revised to be more flexible.
In addition, in fall 2012 the
Graduate Coordinator,
working with the graduate
students and the Graduate
advisory committee, drafted
a long-term PhD course
offering plan that will better

PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
recruitment of students.
Based on student comments
and comparisons with other
programs, a need to make
the curriculum more flexible
was identified in 2012; this
has been dealt with.
Faculty members identified
the following needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
179
allow our PhD students to
plan their curriculum over a
period of several years. Our
program is steady but not
yet growing. We will
continue to find ways to
attract more students.
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs
of certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty
The continued high level of
performance of
departmental faculty,
coupled with high rates of
successful decisions for
reappointment, tenure, and
promotion suggest that our
faculty development
policies are sufficient.
However, we continue to
refine our procedures to
ensure effective
communication between
faculty and administrators.

Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
SLO 1: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goals: inquiry and
thoughtful expression.
SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goals:
information literacy, critical
thinking, and thoughtful
Tools
Dissertation proposal is
successfully completed and
defended to student’s
committee. The student’s
committee evaluates
proposal with a form.
Written and oral
comprehensive exams are
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exams with a form.
Implementation
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on proposal
quality, synthesis of
literature, definition of
project, and suitability of
methods to be employed
are collected. We began
implementation of the
assessment of this SLO in
the 2010-2011 year.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information in
both oral and written
formats, on the depth and
180
Summary of Findings Actions Taken
During 2013-2014, we had 4 Results were discussed at
respondents for this SLO. the Faculty retreat in August
Student performance was 2014. No actions will be
assessed as strong, with 75- taken at this point as the
100% of responses at levels data are limited to two
4 or 5 for writing, literature years. We will continue to
synthesis, project definition collect these data in the
and methods. We had few coming years.
responses for assessment
for the PhD program in
2012-13, so data were
combined for the longer
two year period of 2011-
2013. There were a total of
14 responses for report for
this SLO in 2011-2013.
Faculty determined that the
Ph.D. students were
generally performing well
on this SLO. Performance
(determined as fraction of
students performing at
levels 4 or 5 on a scale of 5)
on writing skills and project
definitions were at 100%;
literature synthesis was 86%
and methods to be used
was 93%.
During 2013-2014 we had 9 In the August 2014
respondents for this SLO. Departmental Graduate
Faculty assessed student Assessment Report, the
performance as good for Graduate Assessment
written articulation (71% at Coordinator recommended
level 4 or 5), and poise that performance on the
(78%). However, oral candidacy exams be
articulation, breadth and monitored for another few

expression. breadth of his/her
knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected. Implementation
of the assessment of this
SLO was planned for the
2010-2011 year. We started
to collect data in 2011-2012.
SLO3: A graduate student Departmental Seminar Each student in the program
should be able to presentation of dissertation is assessed by all faculty
communicate his or her research is successfully members in the department
research to a broadly- attending the seminar. Data
completed. An assessment
trained public audience. on presentation quality,
Link to UNCW Learning form is filled out by mastery of research,
Goals: thoughtful departmental faculty professional poise and
expression. members after the seminar. ability to answer questions
are collected.
181
depth of knowledge were years. Given the smaller
lower than for the previous sample size for this
reporting period (44-67% at graduate program, it is
levels 4 or 5). We had few difficult to detect trends.
responses for assessment Results were discussed at
for the PhD program in the Faculty retreat in August
2012-13, so data presented 2014. No actions will be
here are for the longer two taken at this point as the
year period of 2011-2013, in data are limited. We will
which there were 4 continue to collect these
responses for this SLO. data in the coming years.
Faculty assessed
performance on this SLO as
generally good (determined
as fraction of students
performing at levels 4 or 5
on a scale of 5), with oral
articulation of answers,
breadth of knowledge and
poise at 100%, and written
articulation and depth of
knowledge at 75%.
During 2013-2014 we had Results were discussed at
51 respondents for this SLO! the Faculty retreat in August
Student performance on the 2014. No actions will be
public seminar was assessed taken at this point as
as excellent, with >90% of student performance was
all responses at levels 4 or 5 strong on this SLO.
for organization, mastery or
research, answering
questions, and poise. This
is much improved over the
last reporting period. We
had few responses for
assessment for the PhD
program in 2012-13, so data
from 2011-2013 were
combined. For 2011-2013

SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of multiple
manuscripts for publication
in scientific journals. Link to
UNCW Learning Goals:
thoughtful expression,
information literacy, critical
thinking) and inquiry.
Multi-chaptered
dissertation is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the dissertation
with a form.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected. In an
effort to better understand
how successful our students
are at publishing their work,
we recently added two
assessment questions to
this SLO that permit us to
monitor the progress each
student has made towards
publication by asking
whether chapters of their
182
we have 27 responses for
assessment of this SLO. In
the areas of presentation
quality, mastery of research,
and ability to answer
questions, 66-69% of
students performed at level
4 or 5 on a scale of 1-5. For
demonstration of
professional poise, 86% of
students performed at
levels 4 or 5. In 2010-2011
our Ph.D. students were
assessed as performing well
on presentation quality and
poise (85% for both), but at
lower levels for mastery of
research and ability to
answer questions (54% for
both).
During 2013-2014, we had 8 Results were discussed at
respondents for this SLO. the Faculty retreat in August
Student performance on the 2014. No actions will be
dissertation was assessed as taken at this point as
excellent, with 100% of student performance was
students writing high- strong on this SLO.
quality dissertations with
chapters already published.
We had few responses for
assessment for the PhD
program in 2012-13, so data
from 2011-2013 were
combined. In 2011-2013 we
had 13 responses for this
SLO. Faculty assessed
student performance as
generally good, with 93-
100% of students at levels 4
or 5 on mastery of research

SLO 5: A graduate student
should be able to create
new teaching materials.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goals: thoughtful
expression, critical thinking,
information literacy, and to
some extent global
citizenship.
Successful completion of
Teaching practicum course
and a formal lecture or
laboratory presentation in
an undergraduate course.
The student’s committee
evaluates the teaching
ability of the student using
the Last question on the
Evaluation of Teaching form
that asks about the overall
effectiveness of teaching.
dissertation have been
submitted for publication or
have already been
published.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on overall
effectiveness of teaching
are collected.
Implementation of the
assessment of this SLO was
planned for the 2010-2011
year.
and likelihood of
publication. Dissertation
quality was high, with 100%
scoring very likely to be
published, and submission
and publication were at
77%.
For 2013-2014 there were 3
respondents for this SLO.
All respondents rated
“student understanding of
teaching responsibilities at
the university level” at level
5. However, we have
identified some confusion
over the evaluation of this
SLO, as the assessment tool
should be a question about
the overall effectiveness of
teaching. The teaching
practicum is not taught
every year, which is one of
the reasons we have not
been able to collect very
much data on student
performance on this SLO. In
2010-2011 we had only one
respondent for this SLO.
The program is small and we
may not necessarily have
any students completing
requirements to be
assessed each year for this
SLO. We will likely need to
wait several years before
we have an adequate
sample size for this SLO.
183
At the 2012-2013 faculty
retreat, the lack of data for
this SLO was discussed. At
the September 2013 faculty
meeting the following
motion was passed by the
department: That the
Graduate Assessment
Coordinator works with the
Graduate Secretary to
better coordinate the
teaching practicum
evaluation for the Ph.D.
program (SLO#5). We have
managed to collect some
data during 2013-2014, but
now need to ensure that the
correct assessment tool is
being used. The Graduate
Assessment Coordinator will
work with the Graduate
Secretary in 2014-2015 and
future years to correct this
issue.
 184

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(M.Sc. Marine Biology, Dept of Biology & Marine Biology – October 1 2013)
Assessment Plan for 2012 – 2013 (July 1 to June 30)

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, koopmanh@uncw.edu, 962-7199

Program Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW Strategic Goal
What is the intended or
desired effect of your
programming or services?
What Strategic Goal does it
link to?
PO 1: Graduation of M.S.
students within 3 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
Tools or measures of
program outcomes must
address the outcome
directly
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
Identify who will be
responsible for
implementation; what data
will be collected.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
What was learned from What changes were made
the collection and analysis because of what you learned?
of data for the program
outcome?
We have combined data The Graduate School has
for both our Biology and worked to incrementally
Marine Biology MSc increase TA salaries. We
programs. Over 2002- should continue this process
2013, data indicate that to speed up graduation times
62% of our students are for all of our MSc students.
graduating within 3 years,
based on 256 graduates.
We would like to increase
this proportion in future.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
time to graduate.
In 2012-2013, we We have increased core
accepted 8 new students course options for the M.S.
into this program. In program by adding a course in
2011-2012, we accepted evolution. The Graduate
12 new students into this School has worked to
program. In 2010-2011, incrementally increase TA
we accepted 15 students. salaries.
Enrollment in this
program has been steady
but is lower this year,

PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
likely because of a
reduction in the number
of TA positions available.
The students wanted to
see more core course
options for the M.S.
program. Financial
concerns have been
identified as a significant
concern for recruitment
of students.
Faculty members
identified the following
needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
185
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs of
certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty
The continued high level of
performance of departmental
faculty, coupled with high
rates of successful decisions
for reappointment, tenure,
and promotion suggest that
our faculty development
policies are sufficient.
However, we continue to
refine our procedures to
ensure effective
communication between

Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
What will students know or
be able to do upon
completion of the program?
What UNCW Learning Goal
Does it link to?
SLO 1a: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Inquiry.
SLO 1b: A graduate student
should be able to present
and defend a research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Tools
What tools or measures will
be used?
Prospectus is successfully
completed and defended to
student’s committee. The
student’s committee
evaluates prospectus with a
form.
Prospectus is successfully
presented to the
department. Form used for
this assessment is our
Implementation
Who will be responsible for
implementation; who will
be assessed; what is the
schedule?
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on
prospectus quality, depth
and breadth are collected.
Implementation of the
assessment of this SLO was
planned to begin in the
2009-2010 year.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010-2011
to improve faculty
participation.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the Graduate
faculty and administrators.
Summary of Findings
What was learned from the
collection and analysis of
data for student learning
outcomes?
We were finally able to
collect some data on this
SLO in 2012-2013, likely
because of moving forms
online and greater
prompting of faculty. We
had 2 respondents to this
SLO, with both respondents
assessing student
performance in all aspects
of this SLO (quality of
writing, literature synthesis,
definition of project and
methods), at level 5.
During 2012-2013, we
collected 259 responses.
Faculty deemed student
performance on this SLO to
186
Actions Taken
What changes were made
because of what you
learned?
Faculty were reminded at
the annual Retreat in
August 2012 that
compliance with
Assessment materials is
mandatory and crucial for
our ability to evaluate the
performance of our
students and whether or
not they are meeting their
SLOs. This step and loving
to online forms seems to
have helped compliance.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2013 retreat and
decided that our students
are meeting our
expectations in this SLO and
that no action will be taken.
Action Item: Continue
collecting data as
prescribed by the approved
SLO assessments.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2013 retreat and
decided that our students

Goal: Thoughtful expression
and Information literacy
SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goal:
Information literacy, critical
thinking, thoughtful
expression.
Graduate Student
Prospectus Symposium
Evaluation form. Our
assessment tool will be
question #5. This SLO was
created, in part, to help
understand the poor
performance of students on
“breadth of knowledge” in
SLO2 in the 2007-08 year.
Oral preliminary exam is
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exam with a form.
Student Prospectus
symposium. Data on each
student’s project in terms of
quality, design and
significance are collected.
Assessment of this SLO
began in Spring 2009. By
the nature of data
collection, assessment for
this SLO is pooled with the
Biology M.Sc. program.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information, on
the depth and breadth of
their knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected.
187
be excellent with 98% of are meeting our
students to be satisfactory expectations in this SLO and
(63%) or above that no action will be taken.
(commendable, 36%) These Action Item: Continue
numbers are similar to collecting data as
previous years. In 2011, prescribed by the approved
faculty deemed student SLO assessments.
performance on this SLO to
be excellent with 99% of
students to be satisfactory
(63%) or above
(commendable, 36%)
[n=123]. In 2011, faculty
determined that 98% of the
students were performing
well in this SLO, with 40% of
projects rated as
“commendable”, 58% as
“satisfactory” and only 2%
as “unsatisfactory” (n=261).
In 2009-2010, the faculty
determined that 98% of the
students were performing
well in this SLO, with 36% of
projects rated as
“commendable”, 62% as
“satisfactory” and only 2%
as “unsatisfactory”.
Faculty compliance This SLO has been
improved significantly for recognized in the past as
this SLO this year. In 2012- being a challenge for our
2013 we had 25 students. Over 2009-2012,
respondents for this SLO. we implemented a series of
Unfortunately student formal (course-related) and
performance was assessed informal changes to our
at lower levels than M.Sc .programs with the
previous years. We still aim of improving student
have 83-96% of students performance on this SLO,
performing at the level of which continued to be the

adequate or above (level 3
or above), but the
proportion of students
assessed as being above
adequate dropped. Faculty
determined that the
fraction of students
performing above the level
of adequate students was
52% in ability to articulate,
50% in breadth, and 48% in
depth of knowledge, and
60% in professional poise.
No data were returned for
this SLO in 2011-2012. In
2010-2011, student
performance (determined
as fraction of students
performing at levels 4 or 5
on a scale of 5) on this SLO
was notably improved over
previous years. Faculty
determined that students
did better in ability to
articulate (78%),
demonstrate breadth (78%)
and depth (67%) of
knowledge, and poise
(89%). Comparable data for
the previous years: ability
to articulate (75% in 2010 vs
57% for 2009), breadth of
knowledge (75% in 2010 vs
57% for 2009), depth of
knowledge (50% in 2010 vs.
59% for 2009). and
professional poise (88% in
2010 vs 73% for 2009).
188
one of concern in our
graduate program. The
Biology master’s students
have improved their
performance on this SLO
but the Marine Biology
levels are not as high, for
reasons we cannot
determine. This result was
dicussed at the faculty
retreat at length in August
2013. Because the
performance of students
varies from year to year
with different cohorts, and
because the majority of
students are performing at
the level of adequate or
better, the department
decided to monitor the
results of this SLO carefully
over the next few
assessment cycles to
determine if any trends
emerge before taking
further action.
At the September 2013
faculty meeting, the
following motion was
passed by the department:
That the Graduate
assessment coordinator,
working with the Graduate
Advisory Committee (GAC),
examine the oral exam
guidance for our M.Sc.
programs and generate a
plan for making sure that
 189

students stay on schedule

and are aware of the time
required to prepare for this
exam.
SLO3: A graduate student Departmental Seminar Each student in the program In 2012-2013, student The faculty discussed the
should be able to presentation of thesis is assessed by all faculty performance on this SLO results of assessment to
communicate his or her research is successfully members in the department was strong [n=24 date at the 2013 retreat and
attending the seminar. Data respondents]. Presentation decided that our students
research to a broadly- completed. An assessment
on presentation quality, quality and poise were are meeting our
trained public audience. form is filled out by mastery of research, judged at 88% and 91% expectations in this SLO and
Link to UNCW Learning departmental faculty professional poise and (students performing at that no action will be taken.
Goal: Thoughtful members after the thesis ability to answer questions level 4 or 5), mastery of Action Item: Continue
expression. seminar. are collected. research was 92%, and collecting data as
ability to answer questions prescribed by the approved
was 96%. In 2011-2012, we SLO assessments.
received 14 responses for
this SLO. Presentation
quality and poise were
judged at 93% (students
performing at level 4 or 5),
mastery of research was
86%, and ability to answer
questions was 71%. In
2010-2011, the faculty
assessed performance of
this learning outcome to be
good for the majority of
students, with 44
respondents, in organization
(86%), mastery of research
(89%), and professional
poise (86%), with the
exception of ability to field
questions from the
audience (74%). In 2009-
2010, the faculty assessed
performance of this learning
outcome to be generally a
bit higher for the majority of

SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific
journal. Link to UNCW
Learning Goal: thoughtful
expression, information
literacy, critical thinking,
inquiry.
Thesis is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the thesis with a
form.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010-2011
to improve faculty
participation.
190
students, in organization
(95%), mastery of research
(90%), ability to field
questions from the
audience (90%) and
professional poise (90%).
Student performance on Performance on this SLO is
this SLO was a bit lower lower than last year,
than last year. In 2012-2013 although still very much
we had 9 respondent. adequate (>89% at 3 or
Faculty judged student above). The faculty
performance on thesis discussed the results of
quality at 78%, mastery of assessment to date at the
research at 77%, and 2013 retreat and decided to
likelihood of publication at continue to monitor
78%. However, 89-100% of performance for another
cases had students year before deciding if there
performing at adequate is a trend over time.
(level 3) or higher. In 2011- Action Item: Continue
2012 we had 22 collecting data as
respondents. Faculty prescribed by the approved
judged student SLO assessments.
performance to be
acceptable, with thesis
quality at 86%, mastery of
research at 82%, and
likelihood of publication at
91%. For 2010-2011 (n=19),
faculty determined that
students were performing
well on this SLO, in thesis
quality (95%), mastery of
research (89%), and
likelihood of the data being
published (100%).
 191

To ensure timely and appropriate action in response to our discussion at the faculty retreat, the following motion was presented to the faculty of the
department at our September 13 faculty meeting.

Motion 2014.05
Motion was made by Dr. Koopman, Graduate Assessment Coordinator and seconded by Dr. Kinsey.
Motion is to adopt the following graduate assessment goals for Academic Year 2013-2014.
Based on the assessment results for Academic Year 2012-2013 and discussion of these results at the annual department retreat, the Graduate Assessment
Coordinator proposes the following goals for the coming academic year:
1. That the Graduate assessment coordinator, working with the Graduate Advisory Committee (GAC), examine the oral exam guidance for our M.Sc.
programs and generate a plan for making sure that students stay on schedule and are aware of the time required to prepare for this exam
2. That the Graduate Assessment Coordinator, in consultation with the GAC, will develop an alternating schedule for assessment of various aspects of the
graduate programs over the 2013-14 academic year, for the next five year period (similar to the schedule developed for assessing undergraduate
performance).
3. That the Graduate Assessment Coordinator work with the Graduate Secretary to better coordinate the teaching practicum evaluation for the Ph.D.
program (SLO#5).

Following discussion the motion passed by unanimous vote with one proxy “abstain” vote on 9/13/2013.

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(M.Sc. Biology, Dept of Biology & Marine Biology –October 1 2013)
Assessment Plan for 2012 – 2013 (July 1 to June 30)

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, koopmanh@uncw.edu, 962-7199

Program Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW Strategic Goal
What is the intended or
desired effect of your
programming or services?
What Strategic Goal does it
link to?
PO 1: Graduation of M.S.
students within 3 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
Tools or measures of
program outcomes must
address the outcome
directly
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
Identify who will be
responsible for
implementation; what data
will be collected.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
What was learned from the
collection and analysis of
data for the program
outcome?
We have combined data for
both our Biology and
Marine Biology MSc
programs. Over 2002-2013,
data indicate that 62% of
our students are graduating
What changes were made
because of what you
learned?
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. We
should continue this process
to speed up graduation
times for all of our MSc

students.
PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
within 3 years, based on 256
graduates. We would like to
increase this proportion in
future. Financial concerns
have been identified as a
significant concern for time
to graduate.
We accepted 6 new
students into the MSc
Biology program in 2012-
2013. In 2011-2012 this
number was 7. The students
wanted to see more core
course options for the M.S.
program. Financial concerns
have been identified as a
significant concern for
recruitment of students.
Faculty members identified
the following needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
192
students.
We have increased core
course options for the M.S.
program by adding a course
in evolution. The Graduate
School has worked to
incrementally increase TA
salaries.
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs
of certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty
The continued high level of
performance of
departmental faculty,
coupled with high rates of

Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
What will students know or
be able to do upon
completion of the program?
What UNCW Learning Goal
Does it link to?
SLO 1a: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Inquiry
Tools
What tools or measures will
be used?
Prospectus is successfully
completed and defended to
student’s committee. The
student’s committee
evaluates prospectus with a
form.
Implementation
Who will be responsible for
implementation; who will
be assessed; what is the
schedule?
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on
prospectus quality, depth
and breadth are collected.
Implementation of the
assessment of this SLO was
planned to begin in the
2009-2010 year.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010-2011
to improve faculty
participation.
Summary of Findings
What was learned from the
collection and analysis of
data for student learning
outcomes?
We were finally able to
collect some data on this
SLO in 2012-2013, likely
because of moving forms
online and greater
prompting of faculty. We
had 2 respondents to this
SLO, with both respondents
assessing student
performance in all aspects
of this SLO (quality of
writing, literature synthesis,
definition of project and
methods), at level 5.
193
successful decisions for
reappointment, tenure, and
promotion suggest that our
faculty development
policies are sufficient.
However, we continue to
refine our procedures to
ensure effective
communication between
faculty and administrators.
Actions Taken
What changes were made
because of what you
learned?
Faculty were reminded at
the annual Retreat in
August 2012 that
compliance with
Assessment materials is
mandatory and crucial for
our ability to evaluate the
performance of our
students and whether or
not they are meeting their
SLOs. This step and loving
to online forms seems to
have helped compliance.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2013 retreat and
decided that our students
are meeting our
expectations in this SLO and

SLO 1b: A graduate student
should be able to present
and defend a research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Thoughtful expression
and Information literacy
Prospectus is successfully Each student in the program
presented to the is assessed by all faculty
department. Form used for members in the department
this assessment is our attending the Graduate
Graduate Student Student Prospectus
Prospectus Symposium symposium. Data on each
Evaluation form. Our student’s project in terms of
assessment tool will be quality, design and
question #5. This SLO was significance are collected.
created, in part, to help Assessment of this SLO
understand the poor began in Spring 2009. By
performance of students on the nature of data
“breadth of knowledge” in collection, assessment for
SLO2 in the 2007-08 year. this SLO is pooled with the
Marine Biology M.Sc.
program.
194
that no action will be taken.
Action Item: Continue
collecting data as
prescribed by the approved
SLO assessments.
During 2012-2013, we The faculty discussed the
collected 259 responses. results of assessment to
Faculty deemed student date at the 2013 retreat and
performance on this SLO to decided that our students
be excellent with 98% of are meeting our
students to be satisfactory expectations in this SLO and
(63%) or above that no action will be taken.
(commendable, 36%) These Action Item: Continue
numbers are similar to collecting data as
previous years. In 2011, prescribed by the approved
faculty deemed student SLO assessments.
performance on this SLO to
be excellent with 99% of
students to be satisfactory
(63%) or above
(commendable, 36%)
[n=123]. In 2011, faculty
determined that 98% of the
students were performing
well in this SLO, with 40% of
projects rated as
“commendable”, 58% as
“satisfactory” and only 2%
as “unsatisfactory” (n=261).
In 2009-2010, the faculty
determined that 98% of the
students were performing
well in this SLO, with 36% of

SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goal:
Information literacy, critical
thinking, thoughtful
expression.
SLO3: A graduate student
should be able to
communicate his or her
research to a broadly-
trained public audience.
Oral preliminary exam is
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exam with a form.
Departmental Seminar
presentation of thesis
research is successfully
completed. An assessment
form is filled out by
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information, on
the depth and breadth of
their knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the seminar. Data
on presentation quality,
projects rated as
“commendable”, 62% as
“satisfactory” and only 2%
as “unsatisfactory”.
In 2012-2013 we had 14
respondents for this SLO.
Student performance was
better than last year.
Faculty assessed students as
performing above the level
of adequate (at levels 4 or
5) in 79% of cases for
articulation, breadth and
depth of knowledge, and in
93% of cases for
demonstrating poise.
In 2011-2012 we had 5
responses to this SLO.
Students were performing
adequately on breadth of
knowledge and poise (80%
at level 4 or 5), but only 60%
on articulation of answers
and depth of knowledge. In
2010-2011 we had 3
respondents for this
assessment tool. Students
were assessed as
performing extremely well,
with 100% at level 4 or 5.
No data were available for
the 2009-2010 year.
Students continue to
perform well on this SLO. In
2012-2013 we had 40
respondents . 80-90% of
students performed at level
195
Students performed better
than 2011-2012 on this SLO
in the Biology program, but
not in the Marine Biology
program, for reasons that
could not be identified.
Given the small sample size
for this SLO, the Graduate
Assessment Coordinator
recommended that we
carefully monitor
performance for another
year before evaluating
whether any programmatic
changes are warranted. The
faculty discussed the results
of assessment to date at the
2013 retreat and decided to
adopt that suggestion.
Action Item: Continue
collecting data as
prescribed by the approved
SLO assessments.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2013 retreat and
decided that our students
are meeting our

Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Thoughtful
expression.
SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific
journal. Link to UNCW
departmental faculty
members after the thesis
seminar.
Thesis is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the thesis with a
form.
mastery of research,
professional poise and
ability to answer questions
are collected.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
196
4 or 5 for all elements of the expectations in this SLO,
seminar (professional matching the acceptable
presentation, mastery of performance of previous
research, ability to answer years, and that no action
questions, and poise. In will be taken.
2011-2012, 80% of students Action Item: Continue
performed at level 4 or 5 for collecting data as
all elements of the seminar prescribed by the approved
(professional presentation, SLO assessments.
mastery of research, ability
to answer questions, and
poise; n=5 respondents). In
2010-2011, we had 8
respondents for this SLO.
the faculty assessed
performance of this learning
outcome to be good for the
majority of students, in
organization (88%), mastery
of research (75%), ability to
field questions from the
audience (75%) and
professional poise (75%).In
2009-2010, the faculty
assessed performance of
this learning outcome to be
good for the majority of
students, in organization
(90%), mastery of research
(70%), ability to field
questions from the
audience (60%) and
professional poise (80%).
Student performance on The performance on this
this SLO improved over last SLO, especially for mastery
year. In 2012-2013 [n=15 of research, has improved
respondents], thesis quality, over the previous year. The
mastery of the research and faculty discussed the results
likelihood of publication of assessment to date at the

Learning Goal: thoughtful
expression, information
literacy, critical thinking,
inquiry.
and likelihood of being were assessed at levels 4 or
published in a peer-review 5 in 80-86% of all cases. In
journal are collected. 2011-2012, thesis quality
Department moved to was judged at 78% (fraction
online forms in 2010-2011 of students performing at
to improve faculty level 4 or above), mastery of
participation. research was 67%, and
likelihood of publication was
78% [n=9 respondents]. No
data were available for
2010-2011. In 2009, faculty
judged thesis quality as
quite good, with 88% of
students at level 4 or 5 in
thesis quality, 90% for
mastery of research, and
83% for likelihood of
publication.
197
2013 retreat and decided
that our students are
meeting our expectations in
this SLO, matching the
acceptable performance of
previous years, and that no
action will be taken.
Action Item: Continue
collecting data as
prescribed by the approved
SLO assessments.
 198

To ensure timely and appropriate action in response to our discussion at the faculty retreat, the following motion was presented to the faculty of the
department at our September 13 faculty meeting.

Motion 2014.05
Motion was made by Dr. Koopman, Graduate Assessment Coordinator and seconded by Dr. Kinsey.
Motion is to adopt the following graduate assessment goals for Academic Year 2013-2014.
Based on the assessment results for Academic Year 2012-2013 and discussion of these results at the annual department retreat, the Graduate Assessment
Coordinator proposes the following goals for the coming academic year:
1. That the Graduate assessment coordinator, working with the Graduate Advisory Committee (GAC), examine the oral exam guidance for our M.Sc.
programs and generate a plan for making sure that students stay on schedule and are aware of the time required to prepare for this exam
2. That the Graduate Assessment Coordinator, in consultation with the GAC, will develop an alternating schedule for assessment of various aspects of the
graduate programs over the 2013-14 academic year, for the next five year period (similar to the schedule developed for assessing undergraduate
performance).
3. That the Graduate Assessment Coordinator work with the Graduate Secretary to better coordinate the teaching practicum evaluation for the Ph.D.
program (SLO#5).

Following discussion the motion passed by unanimous vote with one proxy “abstain” vote on 9/13/2013.

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(PhD Program, Biology & Marine Biology –October 2013)
Assessment Plan Report for 2012-2013 (July 1 to June 30)

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, Biology & Marine Biology, koopmanh@uncw.edu

Program Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW Strategic Goal
PO 1: Graduation of PhD
students within 5-6 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
Based on 15 graduates in
the program as of August
2013, PhD students are
taking 4.5 years to graduate,
well within our expectation.
Financial concerns have
previously been identified
as a significant concern for
time to graduate. Based on
student comments and
comparisons with other
programs, a need to make
In previous years, the
Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. The
PhD core curriculum was
revised to be more flexible.
The progression from the
M.S. program to the PhD
program was made easier
through a Master’s bypass
option. Given our results
we feel that these actions

PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
the curriculum more flexible
was identified. For M.S
students in the department
wishing to change to the
PhD program, a need for an
easier transition was
identified.
Data from 2012-2013
indicate that program
enrolment is steady. In
2010-2011 we had 22 PhD
students, in 2011-2012 we
had 20, and in the 2012-
2013 year we had 18.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
recruitment of students.
Based on student comments
and comparisons with other
programs, a need to make
the curriculum more flexible
was identified in 2012; this
has been dealt with.
Faculty members identified
the following needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
199
have been successful.
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. The
PhD core curriculum was
revised to be more flexible.
In addition, in fall 2012 the
Graduate Coordinator,
working with the graduate
students and the Graduate
advisory committee, drafted
a long-term PhD course
offering plan that will better
allow our PhD students to
plan their curriculum over a
period of several years. Our
program is steady but not
yet growing. We will
continue to find ways to
attract more students.
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs
of certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has

Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
SLO 1: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goals: inquiry and
thoughtful expression.
Tools Implementation
Dissertation proposal is Each student in the program
successfully completed and is assessed by each of
defended to student’s his/her committee
committee. The student’s members. Data on proposal
committee evaluates quality, synthesis of
proposal with a form. literature, definition of
project, and suitability of
methods to be employed
are collected. We began
implementation of the
assessment of this SLO in
the 2010-2011 year.
Summary of Findings
We have few responses for
assessment for the PhD
program in 2012-13, so data
presented here are for the
longer two year period of
2011-2013.
Thus we have a total of 14
responses for report for this
SLO in 2011-2013. Faculty
determined that the Ph.D.
students were generally
performing well on this SLO.
Performance (determined
as fraction of students
performing at levels 4 or 5
on a scale of 5) on writing
200
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty
The continued high level of
performance of
departmental faculty,
coupled with high rates of
successful decisions for
reappointment, tenure, and
promotion suggest that our
faculty development
policies are sufficient.
However, we continue to
refine our procedures to
ensure effective
communication between
faculty and administrators.
Actions Taken
Results were discussed at
the Faculty retreat in
August. No actions will be
taken at this point as the
data are limited to one year.
We will continue to collect
these data in the coming
years.
Action Item: Continue
collecting data as
prescribed by the approved
SLO assessments.

SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goals:
information literacy, critical
thinking, and thoughtful
expression.
SLO3: A graduate student
should be able to
communicate his or her
research to a broadly-
trained public audience.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goals: thoughtful
expression.
Written and oral
comprehensive exams are
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exams with a form.
Departmental Seminar
presentation of dissertation
research is successfully
completed. An assessment
form is filled out by
departmental faculty
members after the seminar.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information in
both oral and written
formats, on the depth and
breadth of his/her
knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected. Implementation
of the assessment of this
SLO was planned for the
2010-2011 year.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the seminar. Data
on presentation quality,
mastery of research,
professional poise and
ability to answer questions
are collected.
skills and project definitions
were at 100%; literature
synthesis was 86% and
methods to be used was
93%.
We have few responses for
assessment for the PhD
program in 2012-13, so data
presented here are for the
longer two year period of
2011-2013.
We have 4 responses for
this SLO. Faculty assessed
performance on this SLO as
generally good (determined
as fraction of students
performing at levels 4 or 5
on a scale of 5), with oral
articulation of answers,
breadth of knowledge and
poise at 100%, and written
articulation and depth of
knowledge at 75%.
We have few responses for
assessment for the PhD
program in 2012-13, so data
presented here are for the
longer two year period of
2011-2013.
For 2011-2013 we have 27
responses for assessment of
this SLO. Performance is at
a slightly lower level than in
previous years. In the areas
of presentation quality,
mastery of research, and
ability to answer questions,
201
Results were discussed at
the Faculty retreat in
August. No actions will be
taken at this point as the
data are limited to one year.
We will continue to collect
these data in the coming
years.
Action Item: Continue
collecting data as
prescribed by the approved
SLO assessments.
Results were discussed at
the Faculty retreat in
August. No actions will be
taken at this point as the
data are limited to one year.
We will continue to collect
these data in the coming
years.
Action Item: Continue
collecting data as
prescribed by the approved
SLO assessments.

SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of multiple
manuscripts for publication
in scientific journals. Link to
Multi-chaptered
dissertation is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the dissertation
with a form.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
202
66-69% of students
performed at level 4 or 5 on
a scale of 1-5. For
demonstration of
professional poise, 86% of
students performed at
levels 4 or 5.
In 2010-2011 our Ph.D.
students were assessed as
performing well on
presentation quality and
poise (85% for both), but at
lower levels for mastery of
research and ability to
answer questions (54% for
both). In the 2009-2010
year, we had no
assessments to report. In
2008-2009 our students
demonstrated higher levels
of performance with
performance >90% for all
parts of this SLO.
However any trends in
these data need to be
viewed with caution as
sample sizes are still small.
We feel that given the
nature of this assessment
tool, a greater number of
responses is required to
fully evaluate student
performance on this SLO.
We have few responses for Results were discussed at
assessment for the PhD the Faculty retreat in
program in 2012-13, so data August. We will continue to
presented here are for the collect data on this SLO in
longer two year period of 2013-2014 and monitor the
2011-2013. performance of our

UNCW Learning Goals:
thoughtful expression,
information literacy, critical
thinking) and inquiry.
SLO 5: A graduate student
should be able to create
new teaching materials.
Link to UNCW Learning
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected. In an
effort to better understand
how successful our students
are at publishing their work,
we recently added two
assessment questions to
this SLO that permit us to
monitor the progress each
student has made towards
publication by asking
whether chapters of their
dissertation have been
submitted for publication or
have already been
published.
Successful completion of Each student in the program
Teaching practicum course is assessed by each of
and a formal lecture or his/her committee
laboratory presentation in members. Data on overall
203
In 2011-2013 we had 13 students on this SLO over
responses for this SLO. several years, and with
Faculty assessed student greater numbers, before
performance as generally making any changes to our
good, with 93-100% of program.
students at levels 4 or 5 on Action Item: Continue
mastery of research and collecting data as
likelihood of publication. prescribed by the approved
Dissertation quality was SLO assessments.
high, with 100% scoring very
likely to be published, and
submission and publication
were at 77%. In 2010-2011
we had only 3 responses for
this SLO. Our students were
assessed as performing at
only 67% on dissertation
quality, mastery of research,
and likelihood of
publication. In addition,
submission and publication
of manuscripts were at level
1. In the 2009-2010 year,
no PhD students defended
their dissertations.
Performance on this SLO
was higher in 2008-2009,
with levels >85% in all
categories. The Ph.D.
program is much smaller
than our other graduate
programs, and as such it will
take longer to accumulate
enough data to see any real
trends in performance.
The teaching practicum is Results were discussed at
not taught every year, the Faculty retreat in
which is one of the reasons August. We will continue to
we have not been able to collect data on this SLO in

Goals: thoughtful
expression, critical thinking,
information literacy, and to
some extent global
citizenship.
an undergraduate course.
The student’s committee
evaluates the teaching
ability of the student using
the Last question on the
Evaluation of Teaching form
that asks about the overall
effectiveness of teaching.
effectiveness of teaching collect very much data on
are collected. student performance on this
Implementation of the SLO. In 2010-2011 we had
assessment of this SLO was only one respondent for this
planned for the 2010-2011 SLO, and since then we have
year. not collected any further
data. The program is small
and we may not necessarily
have any students
completing requirements to
be assessed each year for
this SLO. We will likely need
to wait several years before
we have an adequate
sample size for this SLO.
204
2013-2014 and will improve
the mechanism for faculty
response to this SLO in the
lecture or lab class taught
by the student.
At the September 2013
faculty meeting the
following motion was
passed by the department:
Action Item: That the
Graduate Assessment
Coordinator work with the
Graduate Secretary to
better coordinate the
teaching practicum
evaluation for the Ph.D.
program (SLO#5).
 205

To ensure timely and appropriate action in response to our discussion at the faculty retreat, the following motion was presented to the faculty of the
department at our September 13 faculty meeting.

Motion 2014.05
Motion was made by Dr. Koopman, Graduate Assessment Coordinator and seconded by Dr. Kinsey.
Motion is to adopt the following graduate assessment goals for Academic Year 2013-2014.
Based on the assessment results for Academic Year 2012-2013 and discussion of these results at the annual department retreat, the Graduate Assessment
Coordinator proposes the following goals for the coming academic year:
1. That the Graduate assessment coordinator, working with the Graduate Advisory Committee (GAC), examine the oral exam guidance for our M.Sc.
programs and generate a plan for making sure that students stay on schedule and are aware of the time required to prepare for this exam
2. That the Graduate Assessment Coordinator, in consultation with the GAC, will develop an alternating schedule for assessment of various aspects of the
graduate programs over the 2013-14 academic year, for the next five year period (similar to the schedule developed for assessing undergraduate
performance).
3. That the Graduate Assessment Coordinator work with the Graduate Secretary to better coordinate the teaching practicum evaluation for the Ph.D.
program (SLO#5).

Following discussion the motion passed by unanimous vote with one proxy “abstain” vote on 9/13/2013.

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(M.Sc. Marine Biology, Dept of Biology & Marine Biology – October 1 2012)
Assessment Plan for 2011 – 2012 (July 1 to June 30)

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, koopmanh@uncw.edu, 962-7199

Program Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW Strategic Goal
What is the intended or
desired effect of your
programming or services?
What Strategic Goal does it
link to?
PO 1: Graduation of M.S.
students within 3 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
Tools or measures of
program outcomes must
address the outcome
directly
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
Identify who will be
responsible for
implementation; what data
will be collected.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
What was learned from
the collection and analysis
of data for the program
outcome?
We have combined data
for both our Biology anf
Marine Biology MSc
programs. Over 2002-
What changes were made
because of what you learned?
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. We
should continue this process

powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
2012, data indicate that
63% of our students are
graduating within 3 years.
We would like to increase
this proportion in future.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
time to graduate.
In 2011-2012, we
accepted 12 new students
into this program. In
2010-2011, we accepted
15 students. Enrollment
in this program seems
steady. The students
wanted to see more core
course options for the
M.S. program. Financial
concerns have been
identified as a significant
concern for recruitment
of students.
Faculty members
identified the following
needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
206
to speed up graduation times
for all of our MSc students.
We have increased core
course options for the M.S.
program by adding a course in
evolution. The Graduate
School has worked to
incrementally increase TA
salaries.
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs of
certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
 207

faculty
The continued high level of
performance of departmental
faculty, coupled with high
rates of successful decisions
for reappointment, tenure,
and promotion suggest that
our faculty development
policies are sufficient.
However, we continue to
refine our procedures to
ensure effective
communication between
faculty and administrators.

Student Learning Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW-wide Learning Goal
What will students know or
be able to do upon
completion of the program?
What UNCW Learning Goal
Does it link to?
SLO 1a: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Inquiry.
What tools or measures will
be used?
Prospectus is successfully
completed and defended to
student’s committee. The
student’s committee
evaluates prospectus with a
form.
Who will be responsible for
implementation; who will
be assessed; what is the
schedule?
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on
prospectus quality, depth
and breadth are collected.
Implementation of the
assessment of this SLO was
planned to begin in the
2009-2010 year.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010-2011
to improve faculty
participation.
What was learned from the
collection and analysis of
data for student learning
outcomes?
Despite the change to
online forms, no data are
available for 2010-2011 nor
for 2011-2012.
What changes were made
because of what you
learned?
Faculty were reminded at
the annual Retreat in
August 2012 that
compliance with
Assessment materials is
mandatory and crucial for
our ability to evaluate the
performance of our
students and whether or
not they are meeting their
SLOs. The Graduate
Assessment Coordinator
prepared a “Milestones for
Assessment” document to
remind faculty at which

SLO 1b: A graduate student
should be able to present
and defend a research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Thoughtful expression
and Information literacy
Prospectus is successfully Each student in the program
presented to the is assessed by all faculty
department. Form used for members in the department
this assessment is our attending the Graduate
Graduate Student Student Prospectus
Prospectus Symposium symposium. Data on each
Evaluation form. Our student’s project in terms of
assessment tool will be quality, design and
question #5. This SLO was significance are collected.
created, in part, to help Assessment of this SLO
understand the poor began in Spring 2009. By
performance of students on the nature of data
“breadth of knowledge” in collection, assessment for
SLO2 in the 2007-08 year. this SLO is pooled with the
Biology M.Sc. program.
During 2011-2012, we
collected 123 responses.
Faculty deemed student
performance on this SLO to
be excellent with 99% of
students to be satisfactory
(63%) or above
(commendable, 36%).
These numbers are similar
to previous years. In 2011,
faculty determined that 98%
of the students were
performing well in this SLO,
with 40% of projects rated
as “commendable”, 58% as
“satisfactory” and only 2%
208
points in a student’s
program Assessment is
required, and this was
recirculated. Faculty
mentors were instructed to
inform the Graduate
Secretary when these
events have taken place for
a student, so that she can
send out the assessment
materials to the relevant
individuals. We are
currently seeking to identify
other means by which we
can track assessment
compliance by our faculty,
which continues to be a
challenge for our
assessment programs. We
will therefore start
evaluating student
performance on this SLO in
the 2012-2013 year.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2012 retreat and
decided that our students
are meeting our
expectations in this SLO and
that no action will be taken.

SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goal:
Information literacy, critical
thinking, thoughtful
expression.
Oral preliminary exam is
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exam with a form.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information, on
the depth and breadth of
their knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected.
as “unsatisfactory” (n=261).
In 2009-2010, the faculty
determined that 98% of the
students were performing
well in this SLO, with 36% of
projects rated as
“commendable”, 62% as
“satisfactory” and only 2%
as “unsatisfactory”.
No data were returned for
this SLO in 2011-2012.
Faculty compliance
continues to be one of the
challenges for assessment
of our graduate programs.
In 2010-2011, student
performance (determined
as fraction of students
performing at levels 4 or 5
on a scale of 5) on this SLO
was notably improved over
previous years. Faculty
determined that students
did better in ability to
articulate (78%),
demonstrate breadth (78%)
and depth (67%) of
knowledge, and poise
(89%). Comparable data for
the previous years: ability
to articulate (75% in 2010 vs
57% for 2009), breadth of
knowledge (75% in 2010 vs
57% for 2009), depth of
knowledge (50% in 2010 vs.
59% for 2009). and
professional poise (88% in
2010 vs 73% for 2009).
209
Over 2009-2011, we
implemented a series of
formal (course-related) and
informal changes to our
M.Sc .programs with the
aim of improving student
performance on this SLO,
which continued to be the
one of concern in our
graduate program. Given
that and the results from
the Biology MSc program
this year, it is very
disappointing not to have
any data for this SLO for the
Marine Biology program this
year. Faculty were
reminded at the annual
Retreat in August 2012 that
compliance with
Assessment materials is
mandatory and crucial for
our ability to evaluate the
performance of our
students and whether or
not they are meeting their
SLOs. The Graduate
Assessment Coordinator
prepared a “Milestones for
Assessment” document to
 210

remind faculty at which

points in a student’s
program Assessment is
required, and this was
recirculated. Faculty
mentors were instructed to
inform the Graduate
Secretary when these
events have taken place for
a student, so that she can
send out the assessment
materials to the relevant
individuals. We are
currently seeking to identify
other means by which we
can track assessment
compliance by our faculty,
which continues to be a
challenge for our
assessment programs.
SLO3: A graduate student Departmental Seminar Each student in the program In 2011-2012, we received The ability to answer
should be able to presentation of thesis is assessed by all faculty 14 responses for this SLO. questions appears to be the
communicate his or her research is successfully members in the department Students are generally weakest portion of this SLO.
attending the seminar. Data performing at levels similar The faculty discussed the
research to a broadly- completed. An assessment
on presentation quality, to previous years. results of assessment to
trained public audience. form is filled out by mastery of research, Presentation quality and date at the 2012 retreat and
Link to UNCW Learning departmental faculty professional poise and poinse were judged at 93% decided to monitor student
Goal: Thoughtful members after the thesis ability to answer questions (students performing at performance over the next
expression. seminar. are collected. level 4 or 5), mastery of few years on this SLO before
research was 86%, and considering any other
ability to answer questions changes to our program.
was 71%. In 2010-2011, the
faculty assessed
performance of this learning
outcome to be good for the
majority of students, with
44 respondents, in
organization (86%), mastery
of research (89%), and
 211

professional poise (86%),

SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific
journal. Link to UNCW
Learning Goal: thoughtful
expression, information
literacy, critical thinking,
inquiry.
Thesis is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the thesis with a
form.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010-2011
to improve faculty
participation.
with the exception of ability
to field questions from the
audience (74%). In 2009-
2010, the faculty assessed
performance of this learning
outcome to be generally a
bit higher for the majority of
students, in organization
(95%), mastery of research
(90%), ability to field
questions from the
audience (90%) and
professional poise (90%).
This year we had 22 Performance on this SLO is
respondents. Faculty lower than last year,
judged student although still very much
performance to be acceptable (>80% at 4 or
acceptable, with thesis above). The faculty
quality at 86%, mastery of discussed the results of
research at 82%, and assessment to date at the
likelihood of publication at 2012 retreat and decided to
91%. For 2010-2011 (n=19), continue to monitor
faculty determined that performance for another
students were performing year before deciding if there
well on this SLO, in thesis is a trend over time.
quality (95%), mastery of
research (89%), and
likelihood of the data being
published (100%).

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(M.Sc. Biology, Dept of Biology & Marine Biology –October 1 2012)
Assessment Plan for 2011 – 2012 (July 1 to June 30)

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, koopmanh@uncw.edu, 962-7199
Program Outcome
UNCW Strategic Goal
What is the intended or
desired effect of your
programming or services?
What Strategic Goal does it
link to?
PO 1: Graduation of M.S.
students within 3 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
Tools
Tools or measures of
program outcomes must
address the outcome
directly
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
Implementation
Identify who will be
responsible for
implementation; what data
will be collected.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
Summary of Findings
What was learned from the
collection and analysis of
data for the program
outcome?
We have combined data for
both our Biology and
Marine Biology MSc
programs. Over 2002-2012,
data indicate that 63% of
our students are graduating
within 3 years. We would
like to increase this
proportion in future.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for time
to graduate.
We accepted 7 new
students into the MSc
Biology program in 2011-
2012. In 2010-2011 this
number was 4. The students
wanted to see more core
course options for the M.S.
program. Financial concerns
have been identified as a
significant concern for
recruitment of students.
Faculty members identified
the following needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
212
Actions Taken
What changes were made
because of what you
learned?
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. We
should continue this process
to speed up graduation
times for all of our MSc
students.
We have increased core
course options for the M.S.
program by adding a course
in evolution. The Graduate
School has worked to
incrementally increase TA
salaries.
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as

administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
What will students know or
be able to do upon
completion of the program?
What UNCW Learning Goal
Does it link to?
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
Tools
What tools or measures will
be used?
gathering this information.
Implementation
Who will be responsible for
implementation; who will
be assessed; what is the
schedule?
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
Summary of Findings
What was learned from the
collection and analysis of
data for student learning
outcomes?
213
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs
of certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty
The continued high level of
performance of
departmental faculty,
coupled with high rates of
successful decisions for
reappointment, tenure, and
promotion suggest that our
faculty development
policies are sufficient.
However, we continue to
refine our procedures to
ensure effective
communication between
faculty and administrators.
Actions Taken
What changes were made
because of what you
learned?

SLO 1a: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Inquiry
SLO 1b: A graduate student
Prospectus is successfully
completed and defended to
student’s committee. The
student’s committee
evaluates prospectus with a
form.
Prospectus is successfully
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on
prospectus quality, depth
and breadth are collected.
Implementation of the
assessment of this SLO was
planned to begin in the
2009-2010 year.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010-2011
to improve faculty
participation.
Each student in the program
Despite the change to
online forms, no data are
available for 2010-2011 nor
for 2011-2012.
During 2011-2012, we
214
Faculty were reminded at
the annual Retreat in
August 2012 that
compliance with
Assessment materials is
mandatory and crucial for
our ability to evaluate the
performance of our
students and whether or
not they are meeting their
SLOs. The Graduate
Assessment Coordinator
prepared a “Milestones for
Assessment” document to
remind faculty at which
points in a student’s
program Assessment is
required, and this was
recirculated. Faculty
mentors were instructed to
inform the Graduate
Secretary when these
events have taken place for
a student, so that she can
send out the assessment
materials to the relevant
individuals. We are
currently seeking to identify
other means by which we
can track assessment
compliance by our faculty,
which continues to be a
challenge for our
assessment programs. We
will therefore start
evaluating student
performance on this SLO in
the 2012-2013 year.
The faculty discussed the

should be able to present
and defend a research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Thoughtful expression
and Information literacy
SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goal:
Information literacy, critical
thinking, thoughtful
expression.
presented to the
department. Form used for
this assessment is our
Graduate Student
Prospectus Symposium
Evaluation form. Our
assessment tool will be
question #5. This SLO was
created, in part, to help
understand the poor
performance of students on
“breadth of knowledge” in
SLO2 in the 2007-08 year.
Oral preliminary exam is
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exam with a form.
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the Graduate
Student Prospectus
symposium. Data on each
student’s project in terms of
quality, design and
significance are collected.
Assessment of this SLO
began in Spring 2009. By
the nature of data
collection, assessment for
this SLO is pooled with the
Marine Biology M.Sc.
program.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information, on
the depth and breadth of
their knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected.
215
collected 123 responses. results of assessment to
Faculty deemed student date at the 2012 retreat and
performance on this SLO to decided that our students
be excellent with 99% of are meeting our
students to be satisfactory expectations in this SLO and
(63%) or above that no action will be taken.
(commendable, 36%).
These numbers are similar
to previous years. In 2011,
faculty determined that 98%
of the students were
performing well in this SLO,
with 40% of projects rated
as “commendable”, 58% as
“satisfactory” and only 2%
as “unsatisfactory” (n=261).
In 2009-2010, the faculty
determined that 98% of the
students were performing
well in this SLO, with 36% of
projects rated as
“commendable”, 62% as
“satisfactory” and only 2%
as “unsatisfactory”.
In 2011-2012 we had 5 Given the small sample size
responses to this SLO. for this SLO, the Graduate
Faculty assessed students as Assessment Coordinator
performing at a lower level recommended that we
than last year. This year, carefully monitor
students were performing performance for another
adequately on breadth of year before evaluating
knowledge and poise (80% whether any programmatic
at level 4 or 5), but only 60% changes are warranted. The
on articulation of answers faculty discussed the results
and depth of knowledge. In of assessment to date at the
2010-2011 we had 3 2012 retreat and decided to
respondents for this adopt that suggestion.
assessment tool. Students
were assessed as
 216

performing extremely well,

with 100% at level 4 or 5.
No data were available for
the 2009-2010 year.

SLO3: A graduate student Departmental Seminar Each student in the program In 2011-2012, we had 5 The faculty discussed the
should be able to presentation of thesis is assessed by all faculty respondents for this SLO. results of assessment to
communicate his or her research is successfully members in the department Students are generally date at the 2012 retreat and
attending the seminar. Data performing well, with 80% decided that our students
research to a broadly- completed. An assessment
on presentation quality, at level 4 or 5 for all are meeting our
trained public audience. form is filled out by mastery of research, elements of the seminar expectations in this SLO,
Link to UNCW Learning departmental faculty professional poise and (professional presentation, matching the acceptable
Goal: Thoughtful members after the thesis ability to answer questions mastery of research, ability performance of previous
expression. seminar. are collected. to answer questions, and years, and that no action
poise). In 2010-2011, we will be taken.
had 8 respondents for this
SLO. the faculty assessed
performance of this learning
outcome to be good for the
majority of students, in
organization (88%), mastery
of research (75%), ability to
field questions from the
audience (75%) and
professional poise (75%).In
2009-2010, the faculty
assessed performance of
this learning outcome to be
good for the majority of
students, in organization
(90%), mastery of research
(70%), ability to field
questions from the
audience (60%) and
professional poise (80%).
SLO 4: A graduate student Thesis is successfully Each student in the program In 2011-2012, we had 9 The performance on this
should be able to write up completed. The student’s is assessed by each of respondents for this SLO. SLO, especially for mastery
his or her research in the committee evaluates the his/her committee Faculty judged students as of research, may require
 217

form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific
journal. Link to UNCW
Learning Goal: thoughtful
expression, information
literacy, critical thinking,
inquiry.
quality of the thesis with a
form.
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010-2011
to improve faculty
participation.
performing at levels below
the only other year in which
we have data (2009). Thesis
quality was judged at 78%
(fraction of students
performing at level 4 or
above), mastery of research
was 67%, and likelihood of
publication was 78%. No
data were available for
2010-2011. In 2009, faculty
judged thesis quality as
quite good, with 88% of
students at level 4 or 5 in
thesis quality, 90% for
mastery of research, and
83% for likelihood of
publication.
some attention. Given the
small sample size for this
SLO, the Graduate
Assessment Coordinator
recommended that we
carefully monitor
performance for another
year before evaluating
whether any programmatic
changes are warranted. The
faculty discussed the results
of assessment to date at the
2012 retreat and decided to
adopt that suggestion.

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(PhD Program, Biology & Marine Biology –October 2012)
Assessment Plan Report for 2011-2012 (July 1 to June 30)

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, Biology & Marine Biology, koopmanh@uncw.edu

Program Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW Strategic Goal
PO 1: Graduation of PhD
students within 5-6 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
Based on 13 graduates in
the program as of August
2012, PhD students are
taking 4.5 years to graduate,
well within our expectation.
Financial concerns have
previously been identified
as a significant concern for
time to graduate. Based on
In previous years,the
Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. The
PhD core curriculum was
revised to be more flexible.
The progression from the
M.S. program to the PhD
program was made easier

PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
student comments and
comparisons with other
programs, a need to make
the curriculum more flexible
was identified. For M.S
students in the department
wishing to change to the
PhD program, a need for an
easier transition was
identified.
Data from 2011-2012
indicate that program
enrolment is steady. In
2010-2011 we had 22 PhD
students, and in 2011-2012
we have 20. Financial
concerns have been
identified as a significant
concern for recruitment of
students. Based on student
comments and comparisons
with other programs, a need
to make the curriculum
more flexible was identified.
Faculty members identified
the following needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
218
through a Master’s bypass
option. Given our results
we feel that these actions
have been successful.
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. The
PhD core curriculum was
revised to be more flexible.
In addition, in fall 2012 the
Graduate Coordinator,
working with the graduate
students and the Graduate
advisory committee, drafted
a long-term PhD course
offering plan that will better
allow our PhD students to
plan their curriculum over a
period of several years. Our
program is steady but not
yet growing. We will
continue to find ways to
attract more students.
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs
of certain faculty
- retained modest

Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
SLO 1: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goals: inquiry and
thoughtful expression.
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
Tools Implementation
Dissertation proposal is Each student in the program
successfully completed and is assessed by each of
defended to student’s his/her committee
committee. The student’s members. Data on proposal
committee evaluates quality, synthesis of
proposal with a form. literature, definition of
project, and suitability of
methods to be employed
are collected. We began
implementation of the
assessment of this SLO in
the 2010-2011 year.
Summary of Findings
Although we did have a few
responses for this SLO in
late summer 2011 (n=4;
reported in the 2010-2011
CAS Assessment report for
this program), because of
the small sample size we
have lumped those in with
the rest of the 2011-2012
year. Thus we have a total
of 14 responses for report
for this SLO in 2011-2012.
Faculty determined that the
219
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty
The continued high level of
performance of
departmental faculty,
coupled with high rates of
successful decisions for
reappointment, tenure, and
promotion suggest that our
faculty development
policies are sufficient.
However, we continue to
refine our procedures to
ensure effective
communication between
faculty and administrators.
Actions Taken
Results were discussed at
the Faculty retreat in
August. No actions will be
taken at this point as the
data are limited to one year.
We will continue to collect
these data in the coming
years.

SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goals:
information literacy, critical
thinking, and thoughtful
expression.
SLO3: A graduate student
should be able to
communicate his or her
Written and oral
comprehensive exams are
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exams with a form.
Departmental Seminar
presentation of dissertation
research is successfully
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information in
both oral and written
formats, on the depth and
breadth of his/her
knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected. Implementation
of the assessment of this
SLO was planned for the
2010-2011 year.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
220
Ph.D. students were
generally performing well
on this SLO. Performance
(determined as fraction of
students performing at
levels 4 or 5 on a scale of 5)
on writing skills and project
definitions were at 100%;
literature synthesis was 86%
and methods to be used
was 93%.
This is the first year we have Results were discussed at
data to report for this SLO the Faculty retreat in
as no data were returned on August. No actions will be
this SLO in 2010-2011. In taken at this point as the
Spring 2010 the Graduate data are limited to one year.
Assessment Coordinator We will continue to collect
moved all faculty these data in the coming
assessment forms online, years.
hoping for enhanced
compliance in response. For
2011-2012 we have 4
responses for this SLO.
Faculty assessed
performance on this SLO as
generally good (determined
as fraction of students
performing at levels 4 or 5
on a scale of 5), with oral
articulation of answers,
breadth of knowledge and
poise at 100%, and written
articulation and depth of
knowledge at 75%.
In 2011-2012 the faculty Results were discussed at
assessed our students as the Faculty retreat in
performing well on this SLO August. No actions will be
 221

research to a broadly- completed. An assessment attending the seminar. Data (n=9), with all elements of taken at this point as the
trained public audience. form is filled out by on presentation quality, this SLO (presentation data are limited to one year.
Link to UNCW Learning departmental faculty mastery of research, quality, mastery of research, We will continue to collect
Goals: thoughtful professional poise and ability to answer questions these data in the coming
members after the seminar.
expression. ability to answer questions and poise all at 100%. years.
are collected. These numbers are
improvements over the
previous year. In 2010-2011
our Ph.D. students were
assessed as performing well
on presentation quality and
poise (85% for both), but at
lower levels for mastery of
research and ability to
answer questions (54% for
both). In the 2009-2010
year, we had no
assessments to report. In
2008-2009 our students
demonstrated higher levels
of performance with
performance >90% for all
parts of this SLO.
However any trends in
these data need to be
viewed with caution as
sample sizes are still small –
all faculty members view
this seminar but we still only
have 9 responses here for
2011-2012. We feel that
given the nature of this
assessment tool, a greater
number of responses is
required to fully evaluate
student performance on this
SLO.
SLO 4: A graduate student Multi-chaptered Each student in the program In 2011-2012 we had 9 Results were discussed at
should be able to write up dissertation is successfully is assessed by each of responses for this SLO. the Faculty retreat in

his or her research in the
form of multiple
manuscripts for publication
in scientific journals. Link to
UNCW Learning Goals:
thoughtful expression,
information literacy, critical
thinking) and inquiry.
SLO 5: A graduate student
should be able to create
new teaching materials.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goals: thoughtful
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the dissertation
with a form.
Successful completion of
Teaching practicum course
and a formal lecture or
laboratory presentation in
an undergraduate course.
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected. In an
effort to better understand
how successful our students
are at publishing their work,
we recently added two
assessment questions to
this SLO that permit us to
monitor the progress each
student has made towards
publication by asking
whether chapters of their
dissertation have been
submitted for publication or
have already been
published.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on overall
effectiveness of teaching
222
Faculty assessed student August. We will continue to
performance as generally collect data on this SLO in
good, with 100% of students 2012-2013 and monitor the
at levels 4 or 5 on mastery performance of our
of research and likelihood of students on this SLO over
publication. Dissertation several years, and with
quality was 89%, and greater numbers, before
submission and publication making any changes to our
were at 78%. In 2010-2011 program.
we had only 3 responses for
this SLO. Our students were
assessed as performing at
only 67% on dissertation
quality, mastery of research,
and likelihood of
publication. In addition,
submission and publication
of manuscripts were at level
1. In the 2009-2010 year,
no PhD students defended
their dissertations.
Performance on this SLO
was higher in 2008-2009,
with levels >85% in all
categories. However, it is
important to recognize how
small the sample size was
for 2010-2011. The Ph.D.
program is much smaller
than our other graduate
programs, and as such it will
take longer to accumulate
enough data to see any real
trends in performance.
In 2011-2012 we had no Results were discussed at
data returned for this SLO. the Faculty retreat in
The teaching practicum is August. We will continue to
not taught every year. In collect data on this SLO in
2010-2011 we had only one 2012-2013 and will improve
 223

expression, critical thinking,
information literacy, and to
some extent global
citizenship.
The student’s committee
evaluates the teaching
ability of the student using
the Last question on the
Evaluation of Teaching form
that asks about the overall
effectiveness of teaching.
are collected.
Implementation of the
assessment of this SLO was
planned for the 2010-2011
year.
respondent for this SLO. the mechanism for faculty
The overall effectiveness of response to this SLO in the
teaching was assessed as lecture or lab class taught
very good (level 5). by the student.
However this is only one
data point. The program is
small and we may not
necessarily have any
students completing
requirements to be
assessed each year for this
SLO. We will likely need to
wait several years before
we have an adequate
sample size for this SLO.

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(M.Sc. Marine Biology, Dept of Biology & Marine Biology – September 30 2011)
Assessment Plan for 2010 - 2011

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, koopmanh@uncw.edu, 962-7199

Program Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW Strategic Goal
What is the intended or
desired effect of your
programming or services?
What Strategic Goal does it
link to?
PO 1: Graduation of M.S.
students within 3 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
Tools or measures of
program outcomes must
address the outcome
directly
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
Identify who will be
responsible for
implementation; what data
will be collected.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
What was learned from
the collection and analysis
of data for the program
outcome?
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
time to graduate.
What changes were made
because of what you learned?
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries.

PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
What will students know or
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
Tools
What tools or measures will
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Implementation
Who will be responsible for
The students wanted to
see more core course
options for the M.S.
program. Financial
concerns have been
identified as a significant
concern for recruitment
of students.
Faculty members
identified the following
needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
Summary of Findings
What was learned from the
224
We have increased core
course options for the M.S.
program by adding a course in
evolution. The Graduate
School has worked to
incrementally increase TA
salaries.
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs of
certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty
Actions Taken
What changes were made

be able to do upon
completion of the program?
What UNCW Learning Goal
Does it link to?
SLO 1a: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Inquiry.
SLO 1b: A graduate student
should be able to present
and defend a research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Thoughtful expression
and Information literacy
be used?
Prospectus is successfully
completed and defended to
student’s committee. The
student’s committee
evaluates prospectus with a
form.
Prospectus is successfully
presented to the
department. Form used for
this assessment is our
Graduate Student
Prospectus Symposium
Evaluation form. Our
assessment tool will be
question #5. This SLO was
created, in part, to help
understand the poor
performance of students on
“breadth of knowledge” in
implementation; who will
be assessed; what is the
schedule?
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on
prospectus quality, depth
and breadth are collected.
Implementation of the
assessment of this SLO was
planned to begin in the
2009-2010 year.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010-2011
to improve faculty
participation.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the Graduate
Student Prospectus
symposium. Data on each
student’s project in terms of
quality, design and
significance are collected.
Assessment of this SLO
began in Spring 2009. By
the nature of data
collection, assessment for
collection and analysis of
data for student learning
outcomes?
Despite the change to
online forms, no data are
available for 2010-2011.
At the fall and spring 2011
Prospectus Symposia, we
collected 261 data points.
The faculty determined that
98% of the students were
performing well in this SLO,
with 40% of projects rated
as “commendable”, 58% as
“satisfactory” and only 2%
as “unsatisfactory”.
Performance was similar to,
but a bit better than, 2009-
2010, in which the faculty
225
because of what you
learned?
Faculty were reminded at
the annual Retreat in
August 2011 that
compliance with
Assessment materials is
mandatory and crucial for
our ability to evaluate the
performance of our
students and whether or
not they are meeting their
SLOs. The Graduate
Assessment Coordinator
prepared a “Milestones for
Assessment” document to
remind faculty at which
points in a student’s
program Assessment is
required. We will therefore
start evaluating student
performance on this SLO in
the 2011-2012 year.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2011 retreat and
decided that our students
are meeting our
expectations in this SLO and
that no action will be taken.

SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goal:
Information literacy, critical
thinking, thoughtful
expression.
SLO2 in the 2007-08 year.
Oral preliminary exam is
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exam with a form.
this SLO is pooled with the
Biology M.Sc. program.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information, on
the depth and breadth of
their knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected.
determined that 98% of the
students were performing
well in this SLO, with 36% of
projects rated as
“commendable”, 62% as
“satisfactory” and only 2%
as “unsatisfactory”.
In 2010-2011, student
performance (determined
as fraction of students
performing at levels 4 or 5
on a scale of 5) on this SLO
was notably improved over
previous years. Faculty
determined that students
did better in ability to
articulate (78%),
demonstrate breadth (78%)
and depth (67%) of
knowledge, and poise
(89%). Comparable data for
the previous two years:
ability to articulate (75% in
2010 vs 57% for 2009),
breadth of knowledge (75%
in 2010 vs 57% for 2009),
depth of knowledge (50% in
2010 vs. 59% for 2009). and
professional poise (88% in
2010 vs 73% for 2009).
226
Over 2009-2011, we
implemented a series of
formal (course-related) and
informal changes to our
M.Sc .programs with the
aim of improving student
performance on this SLO,
which continues to be the
one of concern in our
graduate program. The
formal course-related
changes (for BIO 501) were
implemented in Fall 2010
(the first time this course
will be taught since the
changes were accepted by
the faculty). We feel that
we have “closed the loop”
with this SLO issue.
We also encouraged our
students and faculty to
increase the number of
interactions our students
have with non-scripted oral
communication (using oral
testing and discussion in
class, having students
participate in mock oral
examinations, etc.). With
no formal means of
determining how often
these activities are
 227

occurring and therefore

cannot evaluate whether
they are affecting student
performance on this SLO.
Thus in 2010-2011 we were
planning to implement two
new assessment tools; this
has not been done yet and
we will do so in 2011-2012:
1) a questionnaire for all
graduate students to ask
how many times they have
participated in oral
discussions, such as mock
exams or interactions in the
classroom with the
instructor and other
students; 2) a questionnaire
for faculty asking how often
they have incorporated oral
skills and discussion in the
class. We hope that this
information will permit
evaluation of whether these
activities are being carried
out, and if so whether they
are helping our students
reach a higher level of
achievement for this SLO.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2011 retreat and
decided to monitor student
performance over the next
few years on this SLO before
considering any other
changes to our program.
SLO3: A graduate student Departmental Seminar Each student in the program In 2010-2011, the faculty The faculty discussed the
is assessed by all faculty assessed performance of results of assessment to

should be able to
communicate his or her
research to a broadly-
trained public audience.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Thoughtful
expression.
SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific
journal. Link to UNCW
Learning Goal: thoughtful
expression, information
literacy, critical thinking,
inquiry.
presentation of thesis
research is successfully
completed. An assessment
form is filled out by
departmental faculty
members after the thesis
seminar.
Thesis is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the thesis with a
form.
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(M.Sc. Biology, Dept of Biology & Marine Biology –September 30 2011)
members in the department
attending the seminar. Data
on presentation quality,
mastery of research,
professional poise and
ability to answer questions
are collected.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010-2011
to improve faculty
participation.
228
this learning outcome to be date at the 2011 retreat and
good for the majority of decided to monitor student
students, with 44 performance over the next
respondents, in organization few years on this SLO before
(86%), mastery of research considering any other
(89%), and professional changes to our program.
poise (86%), with the
exception of ability to field
questions from the
audience (74%). In 2009-
2010, the faculty assessed
performance of this learning
outcome to be generally a
bit higher for the majority of
students, in organization
(95%), mastery of research
(90%), ability to field
questions from the
audience (90%) and
professional poise (90%).
This year we had 19 The faculty discussed the
respondents. For 2010- results of assessment to
2011, faculty determined date at the 2011 retreat and
that students were decided that our students
performing well on this SLO, are meeting our
in thesis quality (95%), expectations in this SLO and
mastery of research (89%), that no action will be taken.
and likelihood of the data
being published (100%).

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, koopmanh@uncw.edu, 962-7199
Program Outcome
UNCW Strategic Goal
What is the intended or
desired effect of your
programming or services?
What Strategic Goal does it
link to?
PO 1: Graduation of M.S.
students within 3 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
Tools
Tools or measures of
program outcomes must
address the outcome
directly
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
Assessment Plan for 2010 - 2011
Implementation
Identify who will be
responsible for
implementation; what data
will be collected.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
Summary of Findings
What was learned from the
collection and analysis of
data for the program
outcome?
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for time
to graduate.
The students wanted to see
more core course options
for the M.S. program.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
recruitment of students.
Faculty members identified
the following needs:
- a greater need for
229
Actions Taken
What changes were made
because of what you
learned?
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries.
We have increased core
course options for the M.S.
program by adding a course
in evolution. The Graduate
School has worked to
incrementally increase TA
salaries.
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-

develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
What will students know or
be able to do upon
completion of the program?
What UNCW Learning Goal
Does it link to?
SLO 1a: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Inquiry
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
Tools
What tools or measures will
be used?
Prospectus is successfully
completed and defended to
student’s committee. The
student’s committee
evaluates prospectus with a
form.
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Implementation
Who will be responsible for
implementation; who will
be assessed; what is the
schedule?
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on
prospectus quality, depth
and breadth are collected.
Implementation of the
assessment of this SLO was
planned to begin in the
2009-2010 year.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010-2011
to improve faculty
participation.
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
Summary of Findings
What was learned from the
collection and analysis of
data for student learning
outcomes?
Despite the change to
online forms, no data are
available for 2010-2011.
230
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs
of certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty
Actions Taken
What changes were made
because of what you
learned?
Faculty were reminded at
the annual Retreat in
August 2011 that
compliance with
Assessment materials is
mandatory and crucial for
our ability to evaluate the
performance of our
students and whether or
not they are meeting their
SLOs. The Graduate
Assessment Coordinator
prepared a “Milestones for
Assessment” document to
remind faculty at which
points in a student’s

SLO 1b: A graduate student
should be able to present
and defend a research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Thoughtful expression
and Information literacy
SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goal:
Information literacy, critical
thinking, thoughtful
Prospectus is successfully
presented to the
department. Form used for
this assessment is our
Graduate Student
Prospectus Symposium
Evaluation form. Our
assessment tool will be
question #5. This SLO was
created, in part, to help
understand the poor
performance of students on
“breadth of knowledge” in
SLO2 in the 2007-08 year.
Oral preliminary exam is
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exam with a form.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the Graduate
Student Prospectus
symposium. Data on each
student’s project in terms of
quality, design and
significance are collected.
Assessment of this SLO
began in Spring 2009. By
the nature of data
collection, assessment for
this SLO is pooled with the
Marine Biology M.Sc.
program.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information, on
the depth and breadth of
their knowledge, and
231
program Assessment is
required. We will therefore
start evaluating student
performance on this SLO in
the 2011-2012 year.
At the fall and spring 2011 The faculty discussed the
Prospectus Symposia, we results of assessment to
collected 261 data points. date at the 2011 retreat and
The faculty determined that decided that our students
98% of the students were are meeting our
performing well in this SLO, expectations in this SLO and
with 40% of projects rated that no action will be taken.
as “commendable”, 58% as
“satisfactory” and only 2%
as “unsatisfactory”.
Performance was similar to,
but a bit better than, 2009-
2010, in which the faculty
determined that 98% of the
students were performing
well in this SLO, with 36% of
projects rated as
“commendable”, 62% as
“satisfactory” and only 2%
as “unsatisfactory”.
In 2010-2011 we had 3 The faculty discussed the
respondents for this results of assessment to
assessment tool. Students date at the 2011 retreat and
were assessed as decided that our students
performing extremely well, are meeting our
with 100% at level 4 or 5. expectations in this SLO and
We are pleased that our that no action will be taken.
actions in 2009-2011 seem

expression.
SLO3: A graduate student
should be able to
communicate his or her
research to a broadly-
trained public audience.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: Thoughtful
expression.
SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific
Departmental Seminar
presentation of thesis
research is successfully
completed. An assessment
form is filled out by
departmental faculty
members after the thesis
seminar.
Thesis is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the thesis with a
form.
professional poise are
collected.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the seminar. Data
on presentation quality,
mastery of research,
professional poise and
ability to answer questions
are collected.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
232
to have led to
improvements in
performance on this SLO.
See the Assessment Report
for the Marine Biology M.Sc.
program for details on the
changes we made to our
program over the past two
years. No data were
available for the 2009-2010
year.
In 2010-2011, we had 8 The faculty discussed the
respondents for this SLO. results of assessment to
the faculty assessed date at the 2011 retreat and
performance of this learning decided that our students
outcome to be good for the are meeting our
majority of students, in expectations in this SLO and
organization (88%), mastery that no action will be taken.
of research (75%), ability to
field questions from the
audience (75%) and
professional poise (75%).In
2009-2010, the faculty
assessed performance of
this learning outcome to be
good for the majority of
students, in organization
(90%), mastery of research
(70%), ability to field
questions from the
audience (60%) and
professional poise (80%).
Despite the change to Faculty were reminded at
online forms, no data are the annual Retreat in
available for 2010-2011. August 2011 that
compliance with
Assessment materials is

journal. Link to UNCW
Learning Goal: thoughtful
expression, information
literacy, critical thinking,
inquiry.
Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, Biology & Marine Biology, koopmanh@uncw.edu
Program Outcome
UNCW Strategic Goal
PO 1: Graduation of PhD
students within 5-6 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected.
Department moved to
online forms in 2010-2011
to improve faculty
participation.
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(PhD Program, Biology & Marine Biology –September 30 2011)
Assessment Plan Report for 2010-2011
Tools Implementation
Several tools are used for The Graduate Advisory
the assessment process of Committee (GAC) and the
this PO: Graduate coordinator are
- solicitation of information largely responsible for
from alumni gathering this information.
- meetings with graduate Student members of the
students and surveys of GAC are important conduits
graduate student needs of information from the
- review of programs at student body to the GAC.
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
Summary of Findings
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for time
to graduate. Based on
student comments and
comparisons with other
programs, a need to make
the curriculum more flexible
was identified. For M.S
students in the department
wishing to change to the
233
mandatory and crucial for
our ability to evaluate the
performance of our
students and whether or
not they are meeting their
SLOs. The Graduate
Assessment Coordinator
prepared a “Milestones for
Assessment” document to
remind faculty at which
points in a student’s
program Assessment is
required. We will therefore
start evaluating student
performance on this SLO in
the 2011-2012 year.
Actions Taken
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. The
PhD core curriculum was
revised to be more flexible.
The progression from the
M.S. program to the PhD
program was made easier
through a Master’s bypass
option.

PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
SLO 1: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
Tools
Dissertation proposal is
successfully completed and
defended to student’s
committee. The student’s
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Implementation
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on proposal
PhD program, a need for an
easier transition was
identified.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
recruitment of students.
Based on student comments
and comparisons with other
programs, a need to make
the curriculum more flexible
was identified.
Faculty members identified
the following needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
Summary of Findings
2010-2011 was the first year
for data collection on this
SLO. Faculty determined
that the Ph.D. students
234
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. The
PhD core curriculum was
revised to be more flexible.
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs
of certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty
Actions Taken
Results were discussed at
the Faculty retreat in
August. No actions will be
taken at this point as the

Goals: inquiry and
thoughtful expression.
SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goals:
information literacy, critical
thinking, and thoughtful
expression.
SLO3: A graduate student
should be able to
communicate his or her
research to a broadly-
trained public audience.
committee evaluates
proposal with a form.
Written and oral
comprehensive exams are
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exams with a form.
Departmental Seminar
presentation of dissertation
research is successfully
completed. An assessment
form is filled out by
quality, synthesis of
literature, definition of
project, and suitability of
methods to be employed
are collected. We began
implementation of the
assessment of this SLO in
the 2010-2011 year.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information in
both oral and written
formats, on the depth and
breadth of his/her
knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected. Implementation
of the assessment of this
SLO was planned for the
2010-2011 year.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the seminar. Data
on presentation quality,
235
were generally performing data are limited to one year.
well on this SLO, although We will continue to collect
the sample size for this year these data in the coming
was small (n=4 years.
respondents). Performance
(determined as fraction of
students performing at
levels 4 or 5 on a scale of 5)
on writing skills, project
definitions and methods to
be used were all at 100%;
literature synthesis was
75%.
No data were returned on N/A
this SLO. This indicates that
faculty are not being as
compliant as we would like
with Assessment
evaluations. In Spring 2010
the Graduate Assessment
Coordinator moved all
faculty assessment forms
online, hoping for enhanced
compliance in response.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2011 retreat and
were reminded that
compliance with
Assessment reporting is
mandatory and crucial for
evaluation of program
performance.
In 2010-2011 our Ph.D. Results were discussed at
students were assessed as the Faculty retreat in
performing well on August. We will continue to
presentation quality and collect data on this SLO in
poise (85% for both), but at 2011-2012 and monitor the

Link to UNCW Learning
Goals: thoughtful
expression.
SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of multiple
manuscripts for publication
in scientific journals. Link to
UNCW Learning Goals:
thoughtful expression,
information literacy, critical
thinking) and inquiry.
departmental faculty
members after the seminar.
Multi-chaptered
dissertation is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the dissertation
with a form.
mastery of research,
professional poise and
ability to answer questions
are collected.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected. In an
effort to better understand
how successful our students
are at publishing their work,
we recently added two
assessment questions to
236
lower levels for mastery of performance of our
research and ability to students on this SLO over
answer questions (54% for several years, and with
both). In the 2009-2010 greater numbers, before
year, we had no making any changes to our
assessments to report. program.
However, in 2008-2009 our
students demonstrated
higher levels of
performance with
performance >90% for all
parts of this SLO. However
the 2010-2011 data need to
be viewed with caution
because of the small sample
size – all faculty at a seminar
assess the student, and we
had only n=13 respondents
in 2010-2011. We feel that
given the nature of this
assessment tool, a greater
number of responses is
required to fully evaluate
student performance on this
SLO.
In 2010-2011 we had only 3 Results were discussed at
responses for this SLO. Our the Faculty retreat in
students were assessed as August. We will continue to
performing at only 67% on collect data on this SLO in
dissertation quality, mastery 2011-2012 and monitor the
of research, and likelihood performance of our
of publication. In addition, students on this SLO over
submission and publication several years, and with
of manuscripts were at level greater numbers, before
1. In the 2009-2010 year, making any changes to our
no PhD students defended program.
their dissertations.
Performance on this SLO
was higher in 2008-2009,

SLO 5: A graduate student
should be able to create
new teaching materials.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goals: thoughtful
expression, critical thinking,
information literacy, and to
some extent global
citizenship.
Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, koopmanh@uncw.edu, 962-7199
Program Outcome
UNCW Strategic Goal
What is the intended or
desired effect of your
programming or services?
this SLO that permit us to
monitor the progress each
student has made towards
publication by asking
whether chapters of their
dissertation have been
submitted for publication or
have already been
published.
Successful completion of Each student in the program
Teaching practicum course is assessed by each of
and a formal lecture or his/her committee
laboratory presentation in members. Data on overall
an undergraduate course. effectiveness of teaching
The student’s committee are collected.
evaluates the teaching Implementation of the
ability of the student using assessment of this SLO was
the Last question on the planned for the 2010-2011
Evaluation of Teaching form year.
that asks about the overall
effectiveness of teaching.
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(M.Sc. Marine Biology, Dept of Biology & Marine Biology – revised October 15 2010)
Assessment Plan for 2009 - 2010
Tools Implementation
Tools or measures of Identify who will be
program outcomes must responsible for
address the outcome implementation; what data
237
with levels >85% in all
categories. However, it is
important to recognize how
small the sample size was
for 2010-2011. The Ph.D.
program is much smaller
than our other graduate
programs, and as such it will
take longer to accumulate
enough data to see any real
trends in performance.
In 2010-2011 we had only Results were discussed at
one respondent for this SLO. the Faculty retreat in
The overall effectiveness of August. We will continue to
teaching was assessed as collect data on this SLO in
very good (level 5). 2011-2012 and will improve
However this is only one the mechanism for faculty
data point. The program is response to this SLO in the
small and we may not lecture or lab class taught
necessarily have any by the student.
students completing
requirements to be
assessed each year for this
SLO.
Summary of Findings Actions Taken
What was learned from What changes were made
the collection and analysis because of what you learned?
of data for the program

What Strategic Goal does it
link to?
PO 1: Graduation of M.S.
students within 3 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
directly
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
will be collected.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
outcome?
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
time to graduate.
The students wanted to
see more core course
options for the M.S.
program. Financial
concerns have been
identified as a significant
concern for recruitment
of students.
Faculty members
identified the following
needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
238
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries.
We have increased core
course options for the M.S.
program by adding a course in
evolution. The Graduate
School has worked to
incrementally increase TA
salaries.
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs of
certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has

Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
What will students know or
be able to do upon
completion of the program?
What UNCW Learning Goal
Does it link to?
SLO 1a: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: creative inquiry
(inquiry).
SLO 1b: A graduate student
should be able to present
and defend a research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).
Tools
What tools or measures will
be used?
Prospectus is successfully
completed and defended to
student’s committee. The
student’s committee
evaluates prospectus with a
form.
Prospectus is successfully
presented to the
department. Form used for
this assessment is our
Graduate Student
Prospectus Symposium
Evaluation form. Our
assessment tool will be
question #5. This SLO was
Implementation
Who will be responsible for
implementation; who will
be assessed; what is the
schedule?
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on
prospectus quality, depth
and breadth are collected.
Implementation of the
assessment of this SLO was
planned for the 2009-2010
year.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the Graduate
Student Prospectus
symposium. Data on each
student’s project in terms of
quality, design and
significance are collected.
239
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty
Summary of Findings Actions Taken
What was learned from the What changes were made
collection and analysis of because of what you
data for student learning learned?
outcomes?
No data were available for N/A
the 2009-2010 year as of
July 19 2010.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2010 retreat and
decided that the Graduate
Assessment Coordinator will
explore options for online
assessment form reporting,
rather than the return of
paper forms, in the 2010-
2011 year with the hopes
that this will improve faculty
participation in the
Assessment process.
At the fall and spring 2010 The faculty discussed the
Prospectus Symposium, we results of assessment to
collected 261 data points. date at the 2010 retreat and
The faculty determined that decided that our students
98% of the students were are meeting our
performing well in this SLO, expectations in this SLO and
with 36% of projects rated that no action will be taken.
as “commendable”, 62% as
“satisfactory” and only 2%

SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goal:
critical thinking (information
literacy and critical thinking)
and thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).
created, in part, to help
understand the poor
performance of students on
“breadth of knowledge” in
SLO2 in the 2007-08 year.
Oral preliminary exam is
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exam with a form.
Assessment of this SLO was
implemented in Spring
2009.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information, on
the depth and breadth of
their knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected.
as “unsatisfactory”.
Performance in 2009-2010
was slightly lower than
2008-2009, in which 45% of
projects rated as
“commendable”, 54% as
“satisfactory” and only 1%
as “unsatisfactory”.
During the 2009-2010 year,
faculty determined that our
students have made
improvements on some
elements of this SLO but are
still not performing as well
as we would like them to as
a whole. Performance was
better this year (determined
as fraction of students
performing at levels 4 or 5
on a scale of 5) in ability to
articulate (75% vs 57% for
2009), breadth of
knowledge (75% vs 57% for
2009), and professional
poise (88% vs 73% for
2009). However, depth of
knowledge declined (50%
vs. 59% for 2009).
240
We have implemented a
series of formal (course-
related) and informal
changes to our MSc
programs (see attached
report on Graduate
Assessment for the
Departmental Faculty
retreat) with the aim of
improving student
performance on this SLO,
which continues to be the
one of concern in our
graduate program. The
formal course-related
changes (for BIO 501) will
be implemented in Fall 2010
(the first time this course
will be taught since the
changes were accepted by
the faculty). We have also
encouraged our students
and faculty to increase the
number of interactions our
students have with non-
scripted oral
communication (using oral
testing and discussion in
class, having students
participate in mock oral
examinations, etc.).

SLO3: A graduate student
should be able to
communicate his or her
research to a broadly-
trained public audience.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: thoughtful expression
Departmental Seminar Each student in the program
presentation of thesis is assessed by all faculty
research is successfully members in the department
attending the seminar. Data
completed. An assessment
on presentation quality,
form is filled out by mastery of research,
departmental faculty professional poise and
members after the thesis ability to answer questions
are collected.
The faculty assessed
performance of this learning
outcome to be good for the
majority of students, in
organization (95%), mastery
of research (90%), ability to
field questions from the
audience (90%) and
professional poise (90%).
241
However we have no formal
means of determining how
often these activities are
occurring and therefore
cannot evaluate whether
they are affecting student
performance on this SLO.
Thus in 2010-2011 we are
going to implement two
new assessment tools: 1) a
questionnaire for all
graduate students to ask
how many times they have
participated in oral
discussions, such as mock
exams or interactions in the
classroom with the
instructor and other
students; 2) a questionnaire
for faculty asking how often
they have incorporated oral
skills and discussion in the
class. We hope that this
information will let you
evaluate whether these
activities are being carried
out, and if so whether they
are helping our students
reach a higher level of
achievement for this SLO.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2010 retreat and
decided that our students
are meeting our
expectations in this SLO and
that no action will be taken.
 242

(thoughtful expression). seminar.

SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific
journal. Link to UNCW
Learning Goal: thoughtful
expression (thoughtful
expression), critical thinking
(information literacy and
critical thinking) and
creative inquiry (inquiry).
Thesis is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the thesis with a
form.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected.
No data were available for None.
the 2009-2010 year as of
July 19 2010.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2010 retreat and
decided that the Graduate
Assessment Coordinator will
explore options for online
assessment form reporting,
rather than the return of
paper forms, in the 2010-
2011 year with the hopes
that this will improve faculty
participation in the
Assessment process.

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(M.Sc. Biology, Dept of Biology & Marine Biology –revised October 15 2010)
Assessment Plan for 2009 - 2010

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, koopmanh@uncw.edu, 962-7199

Program Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW Strategic Goal
What is the intended or
desired effect of your
programming or services?
What Strategic Goal does it
link to?
PO 1: Graduation of M.S.
students within 3 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Tools or measures of
program outcomes must
address the outcome
directly
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
Identify who will be
responsible for
implementation; what data
will be collected.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
What was learned from the
collection and analysis of
data for the program
outcome?
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for time
What changes were made
because of what you
learned?
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries.

Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
to graduate.
The students wanted to see
more core course options
for the M.S. program.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
recruitment of students.
Faculty members identified
the following needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
243
We have increased core
course options for the M.S.
program by adding a course
in evolution. The Graduate
School has worked to
incrementally increase TA
salaries.
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs
of certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty

Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
What will students know or
be able to do upon
completion of the program?
What UNCW Learning Goal
Does it link to?
SLO 1a: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: creative inquiry
(inquiry).
SLO 1b: A graduate student
should be able to present
and defend a research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).
Tools
What tools or measures will
be used?
Prospectus is successfully
completed and defended to
student’s committee. The
student’s committee
evaluates prospectus with a
form.
Prospectus is successfully
presented to the
department. Form used for
this assessment is our
Graduate Student
Prospectus Symposium
Evaluation form. Our
assessment tool will be
question #5. This SLO was
created, in part, to help
understand the poor
performance of students on
“breadth of knowledge” in
SLO2 in the 2007-08 year.
Implementation
Who will be responsible for
implementation; who will
be assessed; what is the
schedule?
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on
prospectus quality, depth
and breadth are collected.
Implementation of the
assessment of this SLO was
planned for the 2009-2010
year.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the Graduate
Student Prospectus
symposium. Data on each
student’s project in terms of
quality, design and
significance are collected.
Assessment of this SLO was
implemented in Spring
2009. By the nature of data
collection, assessment for
this SLO is pooled with the
244
Summary of Findings Actions Taken
What was learned from the What changes were made
collection and analysis of because of what you
data for student learning learned?
outcomes?
No data were available for N/A
the 2009-2010 year as of
July 19 2010.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2010 retreat and
decided that the Graduate
Assessment Coordinator will
explore options for online
assessment form reporting,
rather than the return of
paper forms, in the 2010-
2011 year with the hopes
that this will improve faculty
participation in the
Assessment process.
At the fall and spring 2010 The faculty discussed the
Prospectus Symposium, we results of assessment to
collected 261 data points. date at the 2010 retreat and
The faculty determined that decided that our students
98% of the students were are meeting our
performing well in this SLO, expectations in this SLO and
with 36% of projects rated that no action will be taken.
as “commendable”, 62% as
“satisfactory” and only 2%
as “unsatisfactory”.
Performance in 2009-2010
was slightly lower than
2008-2009, in which 45% of
projects rated as

SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goal:
critical thinking (information
literacy and critical thinking)
and thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).
SLO3: A graduate student
should be able to
communicate his or her
research to a broadly-
trained public audience.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).
SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific
journal. Link to UNCW
Learning Goal: thoughtful
expression (thoughtful
Oral preliminary exam is
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exam with a form.
Departmental Seminar
presentation of thesis
research is successfully
completed. An assessment
form is filled out by
departmental faculty
members after the thesis
seminar.
Thesis is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the thesis with a
form.
Marine Biology M.Sc.
program.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information, on
the depth and breadth of
their knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the seminar. Data
on presentation quality,
mastery of research,
professional poise and
ability to answer questions
are collected.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
245
“commendable”, 54% as
“satisfactory” and only 1%
as “unsatisfactory”.
No data were available for Note: see the Assessment
the 2009-2010 year as of report for the Marine
July 19 2010 for the M.Sc. in Biology M.Sc. program for
Biology. changes we are making to
The faculty discussed the our program to improve
results of assessment to performance on this SLO.
date at the 2010 retreat and
decided that the Graduate
Assessment Coordinator will
explore options for online
assessment form reporting,
rather than the return of
paper forms, in the 2010-
2011 year with the hopes
that this will improve faculty
participation in the
Assessment process.
The faculty assessed The faculty discussed the
performance of this learning results of assessment to
outcome to be good for the date at the 2010 retreat and
majority of students, in decided to collect another
organization (90%), mastery year of data before making
of research (70%), ability to any changes to our program
field questions from the in relation to this SLO.
audience (60%) and
professional poise (80%).
No data were available for N/A
the 2009-2010 year as of
July 19 2010.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2010 retreat and
decided that the Graduate
Assessment Coordinator will
 246

expression), critical thinking journal are collected. explore options for online
(information literacy and assessment form reporting,
critical thinking) and rather than the return of
creative inquiry (inquiry). paper forms, in the 2010-
2011 year with the hopes
that this will improve faculty
participation in the
Assessment process.

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(PhD Program, Biology & Marine Biology –revised October 18 2010)
Assessment Plan Report for 2009-2010

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, Biology & Marine Biology, koopmanh@uncw.edu

Program Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW Strategic Goal
PO 1: Graduation of PhD
students within 5-6 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for time
to graduate. Based on
student comments and
comparisons with other
programs, a need to make
the curriculum more flexible
was identified. For M.S
students in the department
wishing to change to the
PhD program, a need for an
easier transition was
identified.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
recruitment of students.
Based on student comments
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. The
PhD core curriculum was
revised to be more flexible.
The progression from the
M.S. program to the PhD
program was made easier
through a Master’s bypass
option.
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. The
PhD core curriculum was
revised to be more flexible.
 247

experience possible for our
students.
PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
and comparisons with other
programs, a need to make
the curriculum more flexible
was identified.
Faculty members identified
the following needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs
of certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty

Student Learning Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW-wide Learning Goal
SLO 1: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goals: creative inquiry
(inquiry) and thoughtful
expression (thoughtful
expression).
Dissertation proposal is
successfully completed and
defended to student’s
committee. The student’s
committee evaluates
proposal with a form.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on proposal
quality, synthesis of
literature, definition of
project, and suitability of
methods to be employed
are collected. We will begin
implementation of the
assessment of this SLO in
the 2009-2010 year.
In the 2009-2010 year, we N/A
have no assessments to
report. The faculty
discussed the results of
assessment to date at the
2010 retreat and decided
that the Graduate
Assessment Coordinator will
explore options for online
assessment form reporting,
rather than the return of
paper forms, in the 2010-

SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goals:
critical thinking (information
literacy and critical thinking)
and thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).
SLO3: A graduate student
should be able to
communicate his or her
research to a broadly-
trained public audience.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goals: thoughtful
expression (thoughtful
expression).
Written and oral
comprehensive exams are
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exams with a form.
Departmental Seminar
presentation of dissertation
research is successfully
completed. An assessment
form is filled out by
departmental faculty
members after the seminar.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information in
both oral and written
formats, on the depth and
breadth of his/her
knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected. Implementation
of the assessment of this
SLO was planned for the
2009-2010 year.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the seminar. Data
on presentation quality,
mastery of research,
professional poise and
ability to answer questions
are collected.
248
2011 year with the hopes
that this will improve faculty
participation in the
Assessment process.
In the 2009-2010 year, no N/A
PhD students took their
comprehensive exams.
In the 2009-2010 year, we N/A
have no assessments to
report. Even though several
PhD students presented a
seminar, no data on
performance was returned.
This indicates that faculty
are not being as compliant
as we would like with
Assessment evaluations.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2010 retreat and
decided that the Graduate
Assessment Coordinator will
explore options for online
assessment form reporting,
rather than the return of
paper forms, in the 2010-

SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of multiple
manuscripts for publication
in scientific journals. Link to
UNCW Learning Goals:
thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression),
critical thinking (information
literacy and critical thinking)
and creative inquiry
(inquiry).
SLO 5: A graduate student
should be able to create
new teaching materials.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goals: thoughtful
expression (thoughtful
expression), critical thinking
(information literacy and
critical thinking), and to
some extent responsible
citizenship (global
Multi-chaptered
dissertation is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the dissertation
with a form.
Successful completion of
Teaching practicum course
and a formal lecture or
laboratory presentation in
an undergraduate course.
The student’s committee
evaluates the teaching
ability of the student using
the Last question on the
Evaluation of Teaching
form.
249
2011 year with the hopes
that this will improve faculty
participation in the
Assessment process.
Each student in the program In the 2009-2010 year, no N/A
is assessed by each of PhD students defended
his/her committee their dissertations.
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected. In an
effort to better understand
how successful our students
are at publishing their work,
we recently added two
assessment questions to
this SLO that permit us to
monitor the progress each
student has made towards
publication by asking
whether chapters of their
dissertation have been
submitted for publication or
have already been
published.
Each student in the program None yet. The program is N/A
is assessed by each of small and we may not
his/her committee necessarily have any
members. Data on overall students completing
effectiveness of teaching requirements to be
are collected. assessed each year for this
Implementation of the SLO.
assessment of this SLO was
planned for the 2009-2010
year.
 250

citizenship)

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(Master’s Program, Marine Biology)
Assessment Plan for 2008 - 2009

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, Biology & Marine Biology, koopmanh@uncw.edu

Program Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW Strategic Goal
PO 1: Graduation of M.S.
students within 3 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for time
to graduate.
The students wanted to see
more core course options
for the M.S. program.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
recruitment of students.
Faculty members identified
the following needs:
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries.
We have increased core
course options for the M.S.
program by adding a course
in evolution. The Graduate
School has worked to
incrementally increase TA
salaries.
We have implemented the
following actions:

Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
SLO 1a: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: creative inquiry
(inquiry).
SLO 1b: A graduate student
should be able to present
and defend a research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
Tools
Prospectus is successfully
completed and defended to
student’s committee. The
student’s committee
evaluates prospectus with a
form.
Prospectus is successfully
presented to the
department. Form used for
this assessment is our
Graduate Student
Prospectus Symposium
Evaluation form. Our
assessment tool will be
question #5. This SLO was
created, in part, to help
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Implementation
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on
prospectus quality, depth
and breadth are collected.
We will begin
implementation of the
assessment of this SLO in
the 2009-2010 year.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the Graduate
Student Prospectus
symposium. Data on each
student’s project in terms of
quality, design and
significance are collected.
Assessment of this SLO was
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
Summary of Findings
None yet.
At the spring 2009
Prospectus Symposium, 17
students presented their
work and were evaluated by
20 faculty members. The
faculty determined that
99% of the students were
performing well in this SLO,
with 45% of projects rated
as “commendable”, 54% as
251
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs
of certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty
Actions Taken
N/A
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2009 retreat.
Faculty were heartened by
these results and decided to
continue with this
assessment tool. The
introduction of this SLO
represents a “closing of the
loop” for problems

SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goal:
critical thinking (information
literacy and critical thinking)
and thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).
understand the poor
performance of students on
“breadth of knowledge” in
SLO2 in the 2007-08 year.
Oral preliminary exam is
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exam with a form.
implemented in Spring
2009.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information, on
the depth and breadth of
their knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected.
252
“satisfactory” and only 1% identified by assessment of
as “unsatisfactory”. SLO2 (see below); however
we have not yet identified
the changes we need to
make to enhance
performance on SLO 2 and
continue to seek ways to do
this (see below).
During the 2008-09 year, 14 Performance at the oral
students completed the oral examination was identified
preliminary exam. Faculty earlier as an area of concern
determined that our for our Master’s students
students are still not during the 2007-08
performing as well as we assessment period. We
would like them to on this began to assess the ability
student learning outcome. of our students to speak and
Only a little more than half answer questions in public
the students were assessed through another measure,
as performing well in ability SLO1b (see above) this year,
to articulate (57%), breadth and the students were
(57%) and depth (59%) or assessed as performing well
knowledge, while 72% of on that SLO; therefore oral
students demonstrated communication itself does
professional poise. It is not seem to be the problem
useful to point out that but rather knowledge and
none of the students was understanding of material,
assessed as performing and the ability to convey
“poorly”, but rather that this information, in the
there were more students in setting of the oral
the “adequate” category examination. The faculty
than we would like to see. discussed the results of
assessment to date at the
2009 retreat and decided
that student performance
on this SLO is still of
concern. The faculty passed
a motion at the retreat to
refer this SLO and
assessment tool back to the

SLO3: A graduate student
should be able to
communicate his or her
research to a broadly-
trained public audience.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).
SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific
journal. Link to UNCW
Learning Goal: thoughtful
expression (thoughtful
expression), critical thinking
(information literacy and
critical thinking) and
creative inquiry (inquiry).
Departmental Seminar
presentation of thesis
research is successfully
completed. An assessment
form is filled out by
departmental faculty
members after the thesis
seminar.
Thesis is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the thesis with a
form.
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
Assessment Plan for 2008 - 2009
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the seminar. Data
on presentation quality,
mastery of research,
professional poise and
ability to answer questions
are collected.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected.
(Master’s Program, Biology)
253
Graduate Advisory
Committee, so that the GAC
can bring suggestions to the
faculty for how to improve
student performance on this
learning goal.
In the 2008-09 year, 12 The faculty discussed the
seminars were presented to results of assessment to
the department by M.Sc. date at the 2009 retreat and
students and evaluated by decided to continue the
the faculty. The faculty assessment of this learning
assessed performance of goal.
this learning outcome to be
high for the majority of
students, in organization
(94%), mastery of research
(86%), ability to field
questions from the
audience (86%) and
professional poise (91%).
In the 2008-09 year, 12 The faculty discussed the
theses were completed and results of assessment to
evaluated. Faculty assessed date at the 2009 retreat and
performance of this decided to continue the
Learning outcome as high, assessment of this learning
with writing quality, goal.
mastery of research, and
likelihood of publication
being high for the majority
of students (88%, 90% and
83%, respectively).

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, Biology & Marine Biology, koopmanh@uncw.edu
Program Outcome
UNCW Strategic Goal
PO 1: Graduation of M.S.
students within 3 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
Tools
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
Implementation
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Summary of Findings
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for time
to graduate.
The students wanted to see
more core course options
for the M.S. program.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
recruitment of students.
Faculty members identified
the following needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
254
Actions Taken
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries.
We have increased core
course options for the M.S.
program by adding a course
in evolution. The Graduate
School has worked to
incrementally increase TA
salaries.
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs
of certain faculty
- retained modest

Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
SLO 1a: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: creative inquiry
(inquiry).
SLO 1b: A graduate student
should be able to present
and defend a research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
Tools
Prospectus is successfully
completed and defended to
student’s committee. The
student’s committee
evaluates prospectus with a
form.
Prospectus is successfully
presented to the
department. Form used for
this assessment is our
Graduate Student
Prospectus Symposium
Evaluation form. Our
assessment tool will be
question #5. This SLO was
created, in part, to help
understand the poor
performance of students on
“breadth of knowledge” in
SLO2 in the 2007-08 year.
Implementation
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on
prospectus quality, depth
and breadth are collected.
We will begin
implementation of the
assessment of this SLO in
the 2009-2010 year.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the Graduate
Student Prospectus
symposium. Data on each
student’s project in terms of
quality, design and
significance are collected.
Assessment of this SLO was
implemented in Spring
2009.
Summary of Findings
None yet.
At the spring 2009
Prospectus Symposium, 17
students presented their
work and were evaluated by
20 faculty members. The
faculty determined that
99% of the students were
performing well in this SLO,
with 45% of projects rated
as “commendable”, 54% as
“satisfactory” and only 1%
as “unsatisfactory”.
255
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for
untenured, tenure-track
faculty
Actions Taken
N/A
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2009 retreat.
Faculty were heartened by
these results and decided to
continue with this
assessment tool. The
introduction of this SLO
represents a “closing of the
loop” for problems
identified by assessment of
SLO2 (see below); however
we have not yet identified
the changes we need to
make to enhance
performance on SLO 2 and
continue to seek ways to do

SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goal:
critical thinking (information
literacy and critical thinking)
and thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).
Oral preliminary exam is
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exam with a form.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information, on
the depth and breadth of
their knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected.
During the 2008-09 year, 14
students completed the oral
preliminary exam. Faculty
determined that our
students are still not
performing as well as we
would like them to on this
student learning outcome.
Only a little more than half
the students were assessed
as performing well in ability
to articulate (57%), breadth
(57%) and depth (59%) or
knowledge, while 72% of
students demonstrated
professional poise. It is
useful to point out that
none of the students was
assessed as performing
“poorly”, but rather that
there were more students in
the “adequate” category
than we would like to see.
256
this (see below).
Performance at the oral
examination was identified
earlier as an area of concern
for our Master’s students
during the 2007-08
assessment period. We
began to assess the ability
of our students to speak and
answer questions in public
through another measure,
SLO1b (see above) this year,
and the students were
assessed as performing well
on that SLO; therefore oral
communication itself does
not seem to be the problem
but rather knowledge and
understanding of material,
and the ability to convey
this information, in the
setting of the oral
examination. The faculty
discussed the results of
assessment to date at the
2009 retreat and decided
that student performance
on this SLO is still of
concern. The faculty passed
a motion at the retreat to
refer this SLO and
assessment tool back to the
Graduate Advisory
Committee, so that the GAC
can bring suggestions to the
faculty for how to improve
student performance on this
learning goal.
 257

SLO3: A graduate student
should be able to
communicate his or her
research to a broadly-
trained public audience.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).
SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific
journal. Link to UNCW
Learning Goal: thoughtful
expression (thoughtful
expression), critical thinking
(information literacy and
critical thinking) and
creative inquiry (inquiry).
Departmental Seminar
presentation of thesis
research is successfully
completed. An assessment
form is filled out by
departmental faculty
members after the thesis
seminar.
Thesis is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the thesis with a
form.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the seminar. Data
on presentation quality,
mastery of research,
professional poise and
ability to answer questions
are collected.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected.
In the 2008-09 year, 12 The faculty discussed the
seminars were presented to results of assessment to
the department by M.Sc. date at the 2009 retreat and
students and evaluated by decided to continue the
the faculty. The faculty assessment of this learning
assessed performance of goal.
this learning outcome to be
high for the majority of
students, in organization
(94%), mastery of research
(86%), ability to field
questions from the
audience (86%) and
professional poise (91%).
In the 2008-09 year, 12 The faculty discussed the
theses were completed and results of assessment to
evaluated. Faculty assessed date at the 2009 retreat and
performance of this decided to continue the
Learning outcome as high, assessment of this learning
with writing quality, goal.
mastery of research, and
likelihood of publication
being high for the majority
of students (88%, 90% and
83%, respectively).

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(PhD Program, Biology & Marine Biology)
Assessment Plan for 2008 - 2009

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, Biology & Marine Biology, koopmanh@uncw.edu

Program Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW Strategic Goal
PO 1: Graduation of PhD Several tools are used for The Graduate Advisory Financial concerns have The Graduate School has

students within 5-6 years.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #1: Create the most
powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO2: Targeted recruitment
and enhanced retention of
students. Links to UNCW
Strategic Goal #1: Create
the most powerful learning
experience possible for our
students.
PO3: Faculty development.
Links to UNCW Strategic
Goal #2: Recruit, retain and
develop quality faculty,
administration and staff in
appropriate numbers.
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- monitoring of time to
graduation
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- solicitation of information
from alumni
- meetings with graduate
students and surveys of
graduate student needs
- review of programs at
other institutions
- periodic outside review
Several tools are used for
the assessment process of
this PO:
- review of trends in annual
faculty productivity
- annual meetings with each
faculty member
- monitoring of faculty
workloads, including
relative efforts put into
service, scholarly and
training activities.
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Graduate Advisory
Committee (GAC) and the
Graduate coordinator are
largely responsible for
gathering this information.
Student members of the
GAC are important conduits
of information from the
student body to the GAC.
The Chair of the
department, and the Chair’s
Advisory Committee (CAC)
are largely responsible for
gathering this information.
been identified as a
significant concern for time
to graduate. Based on
student comments and
comparisons with other
programs, a need to make
the curriculum more flexible
was identified. For M.S
students in the department
wishing to change to the
PhD program, a need for an
easier transition was
identified.
Financial concerns have
been identified as a
significant concern for
recruitment of students.
Based on student comments
and comparisons with other
programs, a need to make
the curriculum more flexible
was identified.
Faculty members identified
the following needs:
- a greater need for
flexibility for in-class
instruction.
- support for faculty travel
- peer support for
new/untenured faculty
258
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. The
PhD core curriculum was
revised to be more flexible.
The progression from the
M.S. program to the PhD
program was made easier
through a Master’s bypass
option.
The Graduate School has
worked to incrementally
increase TA salaries. The
PhD core curriculum was
revised to be more flexible.
We have implemented the
following actions:
- instituted flexibility for in-
class instruction, such as
heavy vs. light semesters for
some faculty, when needed,
to meet the research needs
of certain faculty
- retained modest
departmental support for
faculty travel
- the department has
implemented a peer
monitoring system for

Student Learning Outcome
UNCW-wide Learning Goal
SLO 1: A graduate student
should be able to develop a
research plan.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goals: creative inquiry
(inquiry) and thoughtful
expression (thoughtful
expression).
SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goals:
critical thinking (information
literacy and critical thinking)
and thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).
SLO3: A graduate student
should be able to
communicate his or her
research to a broadly-
trained public audience.
Tools
Dissertation proposal is
successfully completed and
defended to student’s
committee. The student’s
committee evaluates
proposal with a form.
Written and oral
comprehensive exams are
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exams with a form.
Departmental Seminar
presentation of dissertation
research is successfully
completed. An assessment
form is filled out by
259
untenured, tenure-track
faculty
Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken
Each student in the program None yet. N/A
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on proposal
quality, synthesis of
literature, definition of
project, and suitability of
methods to be employed
are collected. We will begin
implementation of the
assessment of this SLO in
the 2009-2010 year.
Each student in the program None yet. N/A
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information in
both oral and written
formats, on the depth and
breadth of his/her
knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected. We will begin
implementation of the
assessment of this SLO in
the 2009-2010 year.
Each student in the program In the 2008-09 year, 2 The faculty discussed the
is assessed by all faculty seminars were presented to results of assessment to
members in the department the department by PhD date at the 2009 retreat and
attending the seminar. Data students and evaluated by decided to continue the
on presentation quality, the faculty. The faculty assessment of this learning

Link to UNCW Learning
Goals: thoughtful
expression (thoughtful
expression).
SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of multiple
manuscripts for publication
in scientific journals. Link to
UNCW Learning Goals:
thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression),
critical thinking (information
literacy and critical thinking)
and creative inquiry
(inquiry).
SLO 5: A graduate student
should be able to create
new teaching materials.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goals: thoughtful
expression (thoughtful
departmental faculty
members after the seminar.
Multi-chaptered
dissertation is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the dissertation
with a form.
Successful completion of
Teaching practicum course
and a formal lecture or
laboratory presentation in
an undergraduate course.
The student’s committee
mastery of research,
professional poise and
ability to answer questions
are collected.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected. In an
effort to better understand
how successful our students
are at publishing their work,
we recently (2008-09)added
two assessment questions
to this SLO that permit us to
monitor the progress each
student has made towards
publication by asking
whether chapters of their
dissertation have been
submitted for publication or
have already been
published.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on overall
effectiveness of teaching
are collected. We will begin
260
assessed performance of goal.
this learning outcome to be
high for the majority of
students, in organization
(100%), mastery of research
(92%), ability to field
questions from the
audience (92%) and
professional poise (100%).
In the 2008-09 year, 4 The faculty discussed the
dissertations were results of assessment to
completed and evaluated. date at the 2009 retreat and
Faculty assessed decided to continue the
performance of this assessment of this learning
Learning outcome as high, goal. Faculty were pleased
with writing quality, with the introduction of the
mastery of research, and two additional questions
likelihood of publication regarding publications
being high for the majority submitted/published.
of students (92%, 85% and
92%, respectively). In
addition, 100% of students
had already submitted a
chapter for publication at
the time of completing the
thesis, and 77% had already
published a chapter.
None yet. N/A
 261

expression), critical thinking evaluates the teaching implementation of the

(information literacy and
critical thinking), and to
some extent responsible
citizenship (global
citizenship)
ability of the student using assessment of this SLO in
the Last question on the the 2009-2010 year.
Evaluation of Teaching
form.

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Educational Program Assessment Plan and Report
(Master’s Program, Biology & Marine Biology)
Assessment Plan for 2007 - 2008

Primary Contact Name/Info: Heather Koopman, Biology & Marine Biology, koopmanh@uncw.edu

Program Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW Strategic Goal
We did not have any
program outcomes in place
in 2007-08.

Student Learning Outcome Tools Implementation Summary of Findings Actions Taken

UNCW-wide Learning Goal
SLO2: A graduate student
should be able to
independently answer
questions regarding their
research field. Link to
UNCW Learning Goal:
critical thinking (information
literacy and critical thinking)
and thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).
Oral preliminary exam is
successfully completed. The
student’s committee
evaluates performance in
the exam with a form.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
student’s ability to
articulate information, on
the depth and breadth of
their knowledge, and
professional poise are
collected.
In the 2007-08 year, 5 oral
examinations were
completed and assessed.
While faculty determined
that student performance
was good for three of the
expectations of the exam
(ability to articulate 80%,
depth of knowledge 80%
and professional poise
100%), students did not
meet faculty expectations in
terms of demonstrating the
ability to answer a breadth
of questions (60%).
The findings on the 2007-08
year were reported to the
department and discussed
at the faculty retreat. The
faculty were made aware of
this weakness in our
program. As a result, many
advisors took informal
steps to correct this
problem, such as
encouraging students to
interact more with
committee members,
helping to focus studying,
practicing the presentation
 262

of their work in public, and

the implementation of
“mock” (practice) oral
exams with fellow graduate
students. Graduate
Advisory Council was also
charged with creating
specific strategies to
improve the performance of
our students and the two
student members of the
GAC were encouraged to
share discussions with other
students at BIO GSA
meetings. The faculty
discussed the option of
creating a test bank for
students to utilize in
preparation for the exam,
and after much thought and
conferring decided not to
adopt such a strategy but
instead that students would
be better served by
discussing expectations with
each of the committee
members. We also initiated
Masters of Science Learning
Outcome 1b (assessment
tool for this implemented in
2009; see 2008-09 report)
to evaluate the students’
ability to present and
discuss their research, in an
attempt to better
understand the poor
performance of the student
for SLO2.

SLO3: A graduate student
should be able to
communicate his or her
research to a broadly-
trained public audience.
Link to UNCW Learning
Goal: thoughtful expression
(thoughtful expression).
SLO 4: A graduate student
should be able to write up
his or her research in the
form of a manuscript for
publication in a scientific
journal. Link to UNCW
Learning Goal: thoughtful
expression (thoughtful
expression), critical thinking
(information literacy and
critical thinking) and
creative inquiry (inquiry).
Departmental Seminar
presentation of thesis
research is successfully
completed. An assessment
form is filled out by
departmental faculty
members after the thesis
seminar.
Thesis is successfully
completed. The student’s
committee evaluates the
quality of the thesis with a
form.
Each student in the program
is assessed by all faculty
members in the department
attending the seminar. Data
on presentation quality,
mastery of research,
professional poise and
ability to answer questions
are collected.
Each student in the program
is assessed by each of
his/her committee
members. Data on the
quality of the writing,
mastery of the research,
and likelihood of being
published in a peer-review
journal are collected.
In the 2007-08 year, 16
seminars were presented to
the department by M.Sc.
students and evaluated by
the faculty. The faculty
assessed performance of
this learning outcome to be
high for the majority of
students, in organization
(88%), mastery of research
(88%), ability to field
questions from the
audience (88%) and
professional poise (94%).
In the 2007-08 year, 15
theses were completed and
evaluated. Faculty assessed
performance of this
Learning outcome as high,
with writing quality,
mastery of research, and
likelihood of publication
being high for the majority
of students (87%, 93% and
93%, respectively).
263
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2008 retreat and
decided that students were
meeting this Learning
Outcome satisfactorily. The
decision was made to take
no action at that time.
The faculty discussed the
results of assessment to
date at the 2008 retreat and
decided that students were
meeting this Learning
Outcome satisfactorily. The
decision was made to take
no action at that time.
 264

Appendix 7. UNCW equal employment opportunity and

affirmative action plan 2014-15.
 265

THE UNIVERSITY OF
NORTH CAROLINA WILMINGTON

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN

Part I: Policies and Procedures

As of January 1, 2014

UNC Wilmington Human Resources

601 S. College Road
Wilmington, NC 28403-5960
 266

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY / AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES (PART I)
JANUARY 1, 2014

Table of Contents Page

EEO/AA Policy Statement UNC Wilmington 1

Statement of North Carolina Policy 1

Assignment of Responsibility and Accountability 2

Dissemination of Affirmative Action Policy 6

Implementation of Affirmative Action Program 9

Development and Execution of Action-Oriented Programs 9

Reduction in Force Impact Analysis 17

Diversity Initiatives 14

Representation Analysis Methodology 21

Methodology to Establish Placement Goals 23

Methodology to Evaluate Prior Year’s Goals 23

Identification of Problem Areas 24

Internal Accountability and Reporting Systems 24

Compliance with Guidelines on Discrimination Because of

Religion or National Origin 25

Compliance with Guidelines on Sex Discrimination 26

Specific Provisions Concerning Individuals with Disabilities

and Qualified Veterans 27

Cost Reduction Mechanisms and Records Availability 29

Addendum 1: Harassment Prevention Policy 30

Addendum 2: Harassment Resolution Procedures 33

 267

COMMITMENT TO EQUAL EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

[41CFR 60-2.10]
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington is committed to and will provide equality of
educational and employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex (such as
gender, marital status, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), creed,
religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, or relationship to
other university constituents -- except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide
educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established
eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs.
This affirmative action plan is published in accordance with 41 CFR Part 60 and is
implemented in accordance with the following laws and their amendments: Title VII and Title
IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; The Equal Pay Act of 1963; Executive Order 11246; the
Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance
Act of 1974; the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1988; NC General Statutes Chapters 116 and
126 and Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008.

To ensure that equal educational and employment opportunity exists throughout UNC
Wilmington, a results-oriented equal opportunity/affirmative action program has been
implemented to overcome the effects of past discrimination and to eliminate any artificial
barriers to educational or employment opportunities for all qualified individuals that may
exist in any of our programs. UNC Wilmington is committed to this program and is aware
that with its implementation, positive benefits will be received from the greater utilization and
development of previously under-utilized human resources.

STATEMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA POLICY

Equal Employment Opportunity as a concept, philosophy, principle and practice is an integral
aspect of North Carolina State Government's personnel system. The provision of equal
employment opportunity to all persons regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, national
origin, age or disability has long been recognized by state government and the North Carolina
State Personnel Commission as a social, legal and economic obligation involving all aspects
of employment.
As an employer, North Carolina State Government is committed to equal employment
opportunity for applicants and employees and has and will continue to take full advantage of
all the talents, skills and abilities of all available human resources. The State supports a work
environment that fosters respect and values all people.
The Office of State Personnel is charged with the responsibility of leading State government's
EEO and diversity efforts by developing programs and policies to promote equal employment
opportunity, diversity, fair and impartial treatment of all employees in all terms and
conditions of employment throughout all aspects of the workforce.

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 1

 268

ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY

[41 CRF 60-2.17]
Governor of the State of North Carolina
The Governor of the State of North Carolina has overriding responsibility for the State’s equal
employment opportunity policies and programs. The responsibility or the actual development
and implementation of individual equal employment opportunity plans and programs is
delegated by the Governor to each university chancellor.
Office of State Personnel
The Office of State Personnel shall develop and implement a State Equal Employment Plan to
promote equal opportunity throughout state government. The Office of State Personnel shall
provide technical assistance, training, monitoring, oversight, evaluation and support
programs.
UNCW Chancellor
The chancellor of UNC Wilmington is responsible for implementing UNC Wilmington's
commitment to equal employment opportunity and affirmative action through leadership, the
adoption of EEO and AA policy statements, and setting specific hiring goals for racial/ethnic
minorities and women. The chancellor will report to the Board of Trustees on an annual basis
documenting UNC Wilmington’s progress toward realizing its hiring goals. The chancellor
shall appoint a senior-level employee to serve as UNC Wilmington’s EEO/AA officer and
shall use the chancellor’s cabinet as an EEO/AA Advisory Committee.
UNCW EEO/AA Advisory Committee
The administrative cabinet consisting of the chancellor, the provost, and vice chancellors shall
constitute the university's EEO/AA advisory committee. Sitting as the EEO/AA Advisory
Committee, the cabinet is responsible for reviewing the university's EEO/AA Plan and
adopting annual good faith hiring objectives.
UNC Wilmington's standing grievance committees will continue to provide an avenue of
redress for employees or applicants who believe they have been discriminated against because
of their race, sex (such as gender, marital status, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin
(including ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran
status, or relationship to other university constituents.
UNCW EEO/AA Officer
The UNC Wilmington EEO/AA officer is responsible for:
 Advising the chancellor on affirmative action policy.
 Developing UNC Wilmington's EEO/AA Plan in compliance with federal and state laws and
regulations and university guidelines.
 Ensuring search committees for faculty and senior administrative positions are trained on
EEO/AA policies, affirmative action preferences in hiring (if appropriate), and the evaluation
of "substantially equally qualified" applicants.

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 2

 269

 Reviewing all recruitment processes and exercising approval authority on behalf of the
chancellor for all employment and promotional decisions with respect to ensuring such
recruitment processes comply with UNC Wilmington's EEO/AA Plan.
 Coordinating internal responses to employee complaints of personal discrimination.
 Documenting UNC Wilmington's progress towards realizing its EEO/AA goals regarding
employment in annual reports to the chancellor.
Contact information: JoAnn McDowell, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Business
Affairs - Human Resources, 601 S. College Rd., Wilmington, NC 28403,
mcdowellj@uncw.edu, 910-962-3160

UNCW Deans, Department Chairs, Directors, and other Hiring Officials

Deans, department chairs, directors, and other hiring officials are responsible for working
toward the balanced representation of racial/ethnic minorities and women within the work
force and the elimination of barriers to equal employment opportunities for persons with
disabilities.
Hiring officials determine vacancy-specific qualifications required for entry to the position (in
addition to any state required minimum qualifications) and desired for full-performance in the
position (preferred qualifications). They ensure advertisements for the position reasonably
describe principal duties to be performed and cite both minimum and preferred qualifications.
Hiring officials recruit a pool of qualified candidates with good-faith efforts to ensure racial,
ethnic, and gender diversity; all the while ensuring that the screening and selection process is
free from bias related to race, sex (such as gender, marital status, and pregnancy), age, color,
national origin (including ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political
affiliation, veteran status, or relationship to other university constituents -- except where sex,
age, or ability represents bona fide job–related occupational qualifications.
Further the hiring official will select, hire, place, train, and promote persons in all
employment categories without regard to race, sex (such as gender, marital status, and
pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual
orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, or relationship to other university constituents -
- except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational
qualifications. The hiring official selects the candidates for hire from the pool of the most
qualified applicants for employment based upon job related qualifications using fair and valid
selection criteria.
All selection decisions and hiring salaries are contingent on approval by the EEO/AA officer
(or designee) for conformance to UNC Wilmington's EEO/AA Plan. SPA positions require
approval by the Office of Human Resources. EPA positions require approval by the provost
for faculty positions, and division vice chancellor for administrative, instructional and
research positions. Hiring officials are not authorized to offer positions prior to receiving
these approvals.
UNCW Human Resources
In coordination with the EEO/AA officer, the Office of Human Resources is operationally
responsible for ensuring that:

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 3

 270

 Recruitment procedures for EPA (including nine-month teaching faculty) and SPA positions
comply with UNC Wilmington’s equal employment opportunity and affirmative action
policies.
 Hiring officials and search committees understand their roles in supporting UNC
Wilmington’s affirmative action hiring objectives.
 Applicants and employees are provided accurate information about the recruitment process
and avenues of redress available to them should they believe they have been discriminated
against because of their race, sex (such as gender, marital status, and pregnancy), age, color,
national origin (including ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation1, political
affiliation, veteran status, or relationship to other university constituents -- except where sex,
age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications.
 Each hiring recommendation and the applicant's qualifications for the position and hiring
salary are reviewed and approved before any commitment is extended to a prospective
employee for SPA and EPA (including nine-month teaching faculty) positions.
STATEMENT ON DIVERSITY IN THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY
In the pursuit of excellence, UNC Wilmington actively fosters, encourages, and promotes
inclusiveness, mutual respect, acceptance, and open-mindedness among students, faculty,
staff, and the broader community. Diversity is an educational benefit that enhances the
academic experience and fosters free exchange of ideas from multiple perspectives. Diversity
includes, but is not limited to, race, sex, age, color, national origin (including ethnicity),
creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran’s status, gender,
educational disadvantage, socio-economic circumstances, language, and history of
overcoming adversity.
UNLAWFUL HARASSMENT, DISCRIMINATION, AND RETALIATION
UNC Wilmington affirms that students and employees are entitled to an educational and
employment environment free from unlawful harassment or discrimination based on that
individual’s race, sex (such as gender, marital status, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin
(including ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran
status, or relationship to other university constituents, and expressly prohibits unlawful
harassment or discrimination of any individual among the university community engaged in
educational or employment pursuits. Further, no student or employee shall be subject to
retaliation for bringing a good faith complaint pertaining to unlawful harassment or
discrimination or for protesting such behavior directed against another member of the university
community.
For more information concerning ways in which our multicultural learning community may be
nurtured and protected contact the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, or to utilize
complaint resolution procedures, contact the Office of the Dean of Students, the Office of
Academic Affairs, the Office of Human Resources, the Title IX coordinator, or the ADA
coordinator.

1
For complaints of sexual orientation, please refer to the university policy for internal review.

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 4

 271

DISCIPLINARY PROCESS
UNCW policy on disciplinary procedures and processes follows the Office of State Personnel
policy. Further information and the UNCW policy can be found at:
http://www.uncw.edu/policies/documents/08.510_SPA_Disciplinary_Action.082806.pdf

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES
UNCW policy on grievance procedures follows the Office of State Personnel policy. Further
information and the UNCW policy can be found at:
http://www.uncw.edu/policies/documents/08.520SPAGrievanceFinalSeptember09.pdf

http://www.uncw.edu/policies/documents/08_521_EPA_ReviewandAppeal.revSept2009.pdf

Scope and Application of EEO/AA Policy and Plan

UNC Wilmington's EEO/AA policy and plan apply to all employees of UNC Wilmington. The
policies and plan apply to all departments of UNC Wilmington -- located in Wilmington, North
Carolina or elsewhere.

In furtherance of its Equal Employment Opportunity policies, UNC Wilmington will:

1. Using the concepts of Affirmative Action, recruit a pool of qualified candidates with good
faith efforts to ensure racial, ethnic, and gender diversity.

2. In compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, and the NC General Statutes
select, hire, place, train, and promote persons in all employment categories without regard
to race, sex (such as gender, marital status, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin
(including ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation,
veteran status, or relationship to other university constituents -- except where sex, age, or
ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications. Base selection,
hiring, and promotion decisions on valid requirements related to job performance and
necessary upon entry to the position.

3. Administer all employment practices including compensation, benefits, promotion, training,

educational assistance, termination, transfer, demotion, and reduction-in-force fairly and
objectively without regard to race, sex (such as gender, marital status, and pregnancy), age,
color, national origin (including ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation,
political affiliation, veteran status, or relationship to other university constituents.

4. Provide, when necessary, reasonable accommodations for an applicant’s or an employee’s

disabilities within the meaning of federal and state laws and regulations.

5. Not intimidate, interfere with, or retaliate against employees or applicants for employment
who make a charge of employment discrimination or who testify, assist, or participate in
any manner in a hearing, proceeding, or investigation of employment discrimination.

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 5

 272

6. Strive for a work environment that is free from discrimination based on race, sex (such as
gender, marital status, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity),
creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, or
relationship to other university constituents.

STATUTORY AND REGULATORY AUTHORITY

UNC Wilmington's EEO/AA Plan is derived from the following statutory and regulatory
authorities:
North Carolina Statutes and Policies
o G.S. 126-12
o G.S. 126-14.2
o G.S. 126-16
o G.S. 126-17
o G.S. 126-36
o G.S. 127B-10-15
o G.S. 168A-5-11
Compliance Services
Discrimination in Hiring Based on Political Activity
Equal Employment Opportunity
Prohibits Retaliation
Establishes Appeal Rights for Applicants
Discrimination Against Military Personnel
Handicapped Persons Protection Act

Federal Laws and Regulations (including all amendments)

o Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
o Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972
o Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1988
o Executive Order 11246
o Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967
o Equal Pay Act of 1963
o Section 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
o Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1972 and 1974
o Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, Section 102
o Civil Rights Act of 1991
o Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
o ADA Amendments Act (2009)
o Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008

DISSEMINATION OF THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION POLICY

[41 CFR 60-2.10]

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington makes known its commitment to affirmative
action by disseminating broadly its equal employment opportunity policy and information about
its affirmative action program. Ultimate responsibility for adequate communication of the
institution's commitment rests with the chancellor and the Equal Employment Opportunity/
Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) officer who must emphasize the importance of continued
discussion of the policy and provisions of the affirmative action program at all levels of UNC
Wilmington. The following specific actions have been instituted and will continue:

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 6

 273

Internal Notice and Distribution

The university publishes this annual EEO/AA Plan and it is available to university employees
and applicants for university employment in the following locations: Office of Human
Resources, Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and the Reserve
Desk of Randall Library. The EEO/AA Plan is also published on the Human Resources Web
site. http://www.uncw.edu/hr/employment.html
UNC Wilmington’s "Reaffirmation of Commitment to Equal Education and Employment
Opportunity" is posted on bulletin boards across campus, and on the Human Resources Web
site, and is provided to all faculty and senior officer search committees at the onset of a
search.
UNC Wilmington’s Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action policy is posted
on the university’s policy Web site. http://www.uncw.edu/policies/
UNC Wilmington's commitment to equal employment opportunity and affirmative action is
emphasized during all orientation programs and supervisory and management training and
with appropriate hiring officials and faculty and senior officer search committees. The
reaffirmation of commitment to equal education and employment opportunities is distributed
to the campus annually.
External Notice and Distribution
An Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) statement is contained in
all Web and print advertisements for vacant positions: either "Equal Opportunity/Affirmative
Action Employer" for brief pointer advertisements or “UNC Wilmington actively fosters a
diverse and inclusive working and learning environment and is an equal opportunity
employer. Qualified men and women from all racial, ethnic, or other minority groups are
strongly encouraged to apply.”
A summary of UNC Wilmington’s EEO/AA policy and recruitment procedures is available
on the UNC Wilmington Human Resources Web site. Printed versions are available in the
UNC Wilmington Office of Human Resources.
UNC Wilmington has adopted the following equal opportunity / non-discrimination
affirmation statement:
UNC Wilmington is committed to and will provide equality of educational and
employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex (such as gender,
marital status, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), creed,
religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, or
relationship to other university constituents -- except where sex, age, or ability
represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status
is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit
programs.
The following equal opportunity / non-discrimination statement (or an approved abbreviation)
appears within university publications distributed to the general public.
To ensure that equal educational and employment opportunity exists throughout the
university, a results-oriented equal opportunity/affirmative action program has been
implemented to overcome the effects of past discrimination and to eliminate any

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 7

 274

artificial barriers to educational or employment opportunities for all qualified

individuals that may exist in any of our programs. UNC Wilmington is committed to
this program and is aware that with its implementation, positive benefits will be
received from the greater utilization and development of previously under-utilized
human resources.
The following publications are examples of such publications.
UNC Wilmington Code of Student Life
UNC Wilmington Graduate Catalogue
UNC Wilmington Undergraduate Catalogue
UNC Wilmington Magazine
UNC Wilmington Pathways Lifelong Learning Catalog
The executive director for university relations makes a consistent and conscientious effort to
publish articles covering activities related to the affirmative action program, including
progress reports, promotions and achievements of women, racial/ethnic minorities, persons
with disabilities, and covered veterans, when appropriate.
When photographs of university employees or students are included in publications, the
executive director for university relations ensures that photographs reflect the diversity of
UNC Wilmington community by including males and females, racial/ethnic minorities and
non-minorities, and persons with disabilities in educational, employment, and social settings.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce – Division of Employment Security and the
Office of State Personnel are informed of UNC Wilmington's commitment to equal
employment opportunity and affirmative action. These sources are asked to recruit actively
for UNC Wilmington and to refer racial/ethnic minorities, women, persons with disabilities,
and covered veterans.
UNC Wilmington "EEO/AA" statement or "Equal Opportunity/Non-Discrimination"
statement (or a version thereof) is printed or appended to purchase orders and contracts for
goods or services in order to communicate UNC Wilmington’s status to vendors, suppliers,
contractors, and subcontractors.
Outreach Activities
UNC Wilmington encourages representation by faculty and administrative staff on
community councils, boards, and organizations which promotes the employment of women,
racial/ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans.
In addition, UNC Wilmington encourages its members to participate at the state and national
level in professional organizations that address issues of minorities, women, and persons with
disabilities. University employees regularly participate in conferences sponsored by their
professional organizations which focus on issues of campus diversity. Though most of these
organizations do not conduct formal job fairs, the contacts made allow for both specific and
general recruitment activities. Some of these organizations offer formal placement centers at
national and regional meetings, special training programs, mailing lists of individuals who are
in the target groups, and publications which are likely to reach members of those groups.

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 8

 275

For all staff job categories, vacancy announcements are sent to the local North Carolina
Employment Security Commission; the Office of State Personnel; and posted to the UNC
Wilmington Human Resources Web site.

IMPLEMENTATION OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAM

[41 CFR 60-2.10]
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
UNC Wilmington's EEO/AA policy and plan applies to all employees and all departments of
UNC Wilmington and other locations where UNC Wilmington has established worksites. In
furtherance of its Equal Employment Opportunity policies, UNC Wilmington will use the
concepts of affirmative action to recruit a pool of qualified candidates with good faith efforts
to ensure racial, ethnic, and gender diversity.
In compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, NC General Statutes, and
related policies, UNC Wilmington selects, hires, places, trains, and promotes persons in all
employment categories without regard to race, sex (such as gender, marital status, and
pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual
orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, or relationship to other university constituents -
- except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational
qualifications. Further, selection is from the pool of most qualified applicants for university
employment based upon job-related qualifications for employment using fair and valid
selection criteria.
UNC Wilmington administers all employment practices including compensation, benefits,
promotion, training, educational assistance, termination, transfer, demotion, and reduction-in-
force fairly and objectively without regard to race, sex (such as gender, marital status, and
pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual
orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, or relationship to other university constituents.
UNC Wilmington, when necessary, provides reasonable accommodations for an applicant’s
or an employee’s disabilities within the meaning of federal and state laws and regulations.
UNC Wilmington does not intimidate, interfere with, or retaliate against employees or
applicants for employment who make a charge of employment discrimination or who testify,
assist, or participate in any manner in a hearing, proceeding, or investigation of employment
discrimination. Further, UNC Wilmington does not tolerate any employee who engages in
any related intimidation or retaliatory behaviors as noted in the previous sentence.
UNC Wilmington strives for a work environment that is free from discrimination based on
race, sex (such as gender, marital status, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including
ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, or
relationship to other university constituents.

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 9

 276

DEVELOPMENT AND EXECUTION OF ACTION ORIENTED PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES

[41 CFR 60-2.17 (c)]
UNC Wilmington’s action oriented Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action
programs are designed to identify, prevent, and correct related problem areas, and to support
the attainment of goals identified in the annual report. UNC Wilmington’s programs consist
of well defined recruitment procedures to attract individuals to its faculty and staff positions;
career planning and professional development programs to increase promotional
opportunities; reduction-in-force impact analysis; outreach activities to increase general
awareness of UNC Wilmington’s interest in recruiting racial/ethnic minorities, women,
persons with disabilities, and veterans; exit surveys to understand the reason employees leave
UNC Wilmington; and significant diversity initiatives to increase diversity among employees
and students.
RECRUITMENT PROCEDURES
UNC Wilmington has established well-defined recruitment procedures for both EPA
(including nine-month teaching faculty) and SPA positions which require the posting or
advertising of all vacant positions which may result in benefit-earning appointments. Under
limited circumstances, however, a waiver of recruitment for an EPA position (including nine-
month teaching faculty) may be approved by the chancellor and the EEO/AA Officer. These
exceptional circumstances include efforts to obtain special skills not expected to be attainable
through an open search, and/or other compelling circumstances in the best interest of the
university.
Recruitment procedures do not apply to reclassification of positions or title changes based on
changes in work assignments or attainment of a new competency level. These typically result
from either a reorganization or reallocation of university resources, or changes in work duties
or skill development, which evolve over time.
Increasing the numbers of underrepresented groups of people and achieving employment
diversity on campus are two extremely important goals to UNC Wilmington. Nevertheless,
because equal employment opportunity laws prohibit discrimination, even benign
discrimination in favor of underrepresented groups, there are certain steps that UNC
Wilmington cannot take to achieve its goals. These concepts remain confusing to many in
higher education because legal decisions in the area of student admissions tend to allow some
use of a person’s diverse status as a "plus factor." However, the area of student admissions is
legally distinct from employment decisions and has no impact on these decisions.
Diversity and affirmative action are related concepts, but the terms have different origins and
legal connotations. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has stated that
“workplace diversity is a business management concept under which employers voluntarily
promote an inclusive workplace.” But while Title VII permits diversity efforts designed to
open opportunities to everyone, hiring departments cannot make employment decisions such
as whom to interview or select for the position based on the candidate's protected status.
Instead, search committee members must carefully examine each applicant's qualifications
and experiences to determine which applicants are best qualified to serve UNC Wilmington’s
interests, as articulated in the position description and vacancy announcement, without regard
to the applicant's race, sex, age, or other protected status. The argument that an individual of

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 10

 277

a particular race or sex will be better suited to the position is generally not legally sustainable
because it is based on assumptions about the person's experiences that may or may not be
valid. Instead, the committee must rely on tangible evidence of the person's actual
experiences and qualifications.
Furthermore, a candidate’s race, sex or disability cannot be used as a tie-breaker. Hiring
officials must make their recommendations based on the candidate’s qualifications in relation
to the stated requirements for the position, and not based on the person’s protected status.
EPA Recruitment Procedures (including nine-month teaching faculty)
Vice chancellors have oversight responsibility for the recruitment of EPA positions within
their respective divisions. The provost has oversight responsibility for the recruitment and
appointment of faculty, though recommendations are made by academic department chairs
through the academic deans.
The procedures for recruiting and making appointments to EPA administrative and faculty
positions are summarized as follows:
1. The position is defined in terms of duties required, level of appointment, and
approximate salary or salary range. Authorization to initiate recruitment is provided by the
division vice chancellor for EPA administrative positions and by the respective dean for
faculty positions.
2. The official vacancy announcement is advertised on the UNC Wilmington Human
Resources’ Web site. In addition, the vacancy may be advertised nationally in appropriate
media, with national professional job services, or professional associations. Nine-month
teaching and research faculty positions, however, must be advertised in a national
professional journal. Administrative appointments, supplemental assignments, and similar
opportunities for faculty members are typically advertised internally to current UNC
Wilmington faculty. UNC Wilmington’s commitment as an affirmative action / equal
opportunity employer is noted prominently in all advertisements.
3. Announcements may be made with organizations that are likely to have contact with
minority and women candidates. Search committee members for EPA (including nine-month
teaching faculty) positions are required to contact five colleagues from other institutions and
seek nominations of racial/ethnic minorities and women who would be competitive for the
given position. These individuals are contacted by the committee and encouraged to submit
their application.
4. Applicants are given the opportunity to identify their race and ethnicity, gender,
disability, and veteran’s status on UNC Wilmington’s PeopleAdmin and Consensus™ on-line
application systems.
5. A properly constituted search committee screens the qualified applicant pool to
determine the best qualified applicant pool, which is then referred to the hiring official. The
dean or vice chancellor and the EEO/AA officer (or designee) are responsible for reviewing
and approving the recommended interview pool. Race and sex information on specific
applicants is released to the search committee when it is necessary to identify individual(s) for
a “second look” as part of our variance analysis.
6. As part of each recommendation for a new appointment, a search summary is filed that

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 11

 278

details the recruiting efforts and explains reasons for the recommended appointment. The
EEO/AA officer exercises final approval authority on behalf of the chancellor for all EPA and
faculty appointments with respect to compliance with UNC Wilmington’s EEO/AA Plan.
SPA Recruitment Procedures
The Associate Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs - Human Resources exercises oversight
responsibility for the recruitment of SPA staff throughout UNC Wilmington. Principal
EEO/AA components of the SPA recruitment policy are noted below.
1. Job Structuring Position descriptions provide a bona-fide definition of position
duties and responsibilities and include job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities considered
essential to satisfactory job performance. Job descriptions are audited by Human Resources
and appropriate classification levels are assigned for each SPA position.
UNC Wilmington does not permit job factors to be incorporated in position descriptions
which discriminate against minorities, women, or persons with disabilities -- except where
sex, age, or physical ability are bona fide occupational qualifications.
2. Advertising The official vacancy announcement is advertised on the UNC
Wilmington Human Resources’ Web site, with the NC Department of Commerce – Division
of Employment Security and the Office of State Personnel. Vacancies may be advertised in
appropriate electronic or print media. Departments can advertise internally, with only current
UNC Wilmington permanent or time limited employees eligible to apply, if Human Resources
expects a viable applicant pool (with regard to racial/ethnic minorities and women) will result.
Internal job postings support the State's policy encouraging internal promotion. Where it does
not appear that a viable applicant pool will result from an internal job posting, UNC
Wilmington advertises externally.
Typically, UNC Wilmington recruits SPA employees within the Wilmington/New Hanover
County area. When applicants are unlikely to be available in significant numbers in the local
labor market, positions may be advertised regionally, state-wide, or nationally to supplement
the UNC Wilmington Website listing.
The deadline for receipt of applications will be indicated in the vacancy announcement. The
deadline will be a minimum of seven work days from the last public advertisement or a
minimum of five work days for an internal posting. Longer recruitment periods are
encouraged if needed to ensure a diverse applicant pool.
When consultants, search firms, or employment agencies are utilized for recruitment
assistance, they will be required to refer persons without regard to race, sex (such as gender,
marital status, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), creed,
religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, or relationship to
other university constituents.
3. Application Processing UNC Wilmington utilizes a web-based vacancy
announcement and application system. Applications must be submitted electronically for a
specific position vacancy. Applications are accepted at any time during the posting period. A
separate application is required for each vacancy for which the applicant wishes to be
considered.
Applicants are asked to provide birth date, sex, race/ethnicity, veteran’s status and disability

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 12

 279

status on a voluntary basis. This information is used for affirmative action and equal
employment opportunity analysis within the Office of Human Resources. The hiring official
has access to information concerning the race/ethnicity and sex distribution of the overall
applicant pool. The race/ethnicity and/or sex of applicants is released to the hiring official
when it is necessary to identify that individual for a “second look” as part of our variance
analysis.
4. Applicant Screening Applicants are screened into two pools: qualified applicant pool
and referred applicant pool. A member of the employment services team in the Office of
Human Resources screens the total applicant pool for minimum advertised qualifications.
Applications which meet minimum advertised requirements form the "qualified applicant
pool." The same member of the employment services team or a properly constituted search
committee screens the qualified applicant pool to determine the best qualified applicant pool,
which is then referred to the hiring official. Consistent with NC General Statue 126-14.2,
only applicants within the referred applicant pool are available to the hiring official.
SELECTION PROCEDURES
Interview Pool and Hiring Recommendation
The "Hiring Official" is the individual charged by the department director with the
responsibility for reviewing the referred applicant pool, determining the interview pool,
interviewing candidates, and making the primary hiring recommendation. As noted
previously, authority to hire cannot be delegated below the department director level, is
subject to at least one level of administrative review above the hiring official (regardless of
level), and is contingent on approval by the Office of Human Resources.
EEOC Variance Analysis
The referred applicant pool and the interview pool are subjected to EEOC-defined variance
analysis by a member of the employment services team who compares the representation of
women and minority applicants at successive stages in the screening, referral, and interview
process. If women or minority applicants do not progress to successive levels at a percentage
rate consistent with their representation in the total applicant pool, then a “second look” is
conducted to determine if any racial/ethnic minorities or women no longer under
consideration are substantially equally qualified to the least qualified of the applicants still
under consideration. If this is the case, the minority or woman applicant is added to the pool
still under consideration.
This variance analysis alerts the employment services team member to the possibility of
adverse selection criteria at work in the screening process and provides an opportunity to
discuss UNC Wilmington’s affirmative action objectives with the interviewer(s) or
department director to assure appropriate consideration of minority or women applicants.
EEO/AA REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF HIRING DECISION
The Associate Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs - Human Resources (or designee) serves
as the EEO/AA Officer and reviews the statistical analyses of the applicant pool at the
following junctures to ensure compliance with UNC Wilmington’s Equal Employment
Opportunity / Affirmative Action Plan:
Composition of the referred applicant pool

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 13

 280

Composition of the interview pool

Selection of the candidate to be hired
The EEO/AA officer (or designee) must approve each hiring decision and the salary to be
offered prior to any commitment being extended to an applicant by the hiring department.
Formal appointment letters are prepared by the Office of Human Resources.
Both EPA and SPA recruitment procedures conform to the Uniform Guidelines on Employee
Selection Procedures [41 CFR 60-3.1 through 3.18].
Hiring Preferences
Nothing in UNC Wilmington’s EEO/AA plan is to be construed as preventing UNC
Wilmington's compliance with hiring preferences established by the North Carolina General
Assembly for state employees previously reduced in force who are eligible for priority re-
employment consideration, current state employees seeking promotion, and eligible veterans
(and spouses of veterans) who have served honorably during recognized periods of national
conflict.
PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
UNC Wilmington encourages all employees to seek promotional opportunities and in
accordance with North Carolina law, extends priority consideration and hiring preference for
promotions for SPA employees who are substantially equally qualified to a non-state
employee.
Faculty positions allow progression to higher levels of the professorate according to policies
published in the UNC Wilmington Faculty Handbook and the codes and policies of University
of North Carolina. Faculty are selected for award of tenure and for promotion to higher rank
regardless of race, sex (such as gender, marital status, and pregnancy), age, color, national
origin (including ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation,
veteran status, or relationship to other university constituents -- except where sex, age, or
ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications. It is the responsibility
of the provost, the deans, and department chairs to apply nondiscriminatory criteria for
promotion and for tenure.
Supervisors of SPA classified positions are asked to monitor the employee’s duties and to
seek a classification review if the work changes. Reclassifications are recommended
whenever the position study indicates that position duties have changed substantially over
time. The reclassification of an SPA position to higher competency level or career band
(though not subject to competitive recruitment procedures) is construed as a promotion under
OFCCP guidelines. Reclassification decisions are based on job content, increased
competencies and market considerations, and are made regardless of race, sex (such as
gender, marital status, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), creed,
religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, or relationship to
other university constituents.
CAREER PLANNING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Training is a vital tool in achieving equal employment opportunity and in strengthening
affirmative action efforts. UNC Wilmington is committed to providing opportunities for
employees to acquire new skills and to update and enhance existing ones. Faculty and staff

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 14

 281

employees are provided opportunities for professional development.

Performance Management
All employees receive annual performance evaluations in accordance with UNC Wilmington
and State Personnel policies on employee performance management for SPA employees or
administrative guidelines for EPA and faculty employees. Effective performance
management is the first step in career planning and professional development as it provides an
opportunity for employee and supervisor to agree on specific training and developmental
courses which will enhance the employee's value to the organization and increase the
likelihood of promotion.
Effective performance management integrates performance management, competency
assessment and career development to ensure a competent workforce to meet UNC
Wilmington’s goals and objectives. Since 2009, performance management links the annual
performance evaluation with the employee’s competency assessment to ensure employees
have and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and abilities required to make the organization
successful. The evaluation is based on specific job duties and performance standards related
to competencies and established by the supervisor at the beginning of the performance review
period and discussed with the employee.
Employee performance ratings are reviewed by the rater's supervisor and reviewed by the
Office of Human Resources for SPA employees.
Career Planning and Staff Development
Supervisors and managers are responsible for providing developmental opportunities for their
employees including access to on-campus seminars, courses, and training without regard to
race, sex (such as gender, marital status, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including
ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status or
relationship to other university constituents. Career development planning provides a
systematic way to build critical competencies and develop individuals.
The State of North Carolina encourages internal promotion when feasible. When evaluating
recruitment options and considering internal promotion, managers will evaluate employees
regardless of race, sex (such as gender, marital status, and pregnancy), age, color, national
origin (including ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation,
veteran status or relationship to other university constituents -- except where sex, age or
ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications.
Management Training
Training is provided to managers in the following areas:
EEO/AA Plan
Performance Management
Supervisory and Management Skills
Employee Selection
Managing Diversity
Unlawful Workplace Harassment Awareness
Leadership Development
Competency Assessment

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 15

 282

Employee Training
UNC Wilmington offers training opportunities for staff employees consisting of skills and
development workshops. Typical types of workshops include:
Clerical and Office Management Skills
Foundations of Supervision
Fiscal Resource Management
Customer Service
Office Computer Applications Training
Valuing Diversity
Examples of training programs with particular EEO/AA benefits include:
 New Employee Orientation welcomes new employees to the university and provides
information on the university structure, mission, goals, and policies including a
diversity training module.
 PeopleAdmin Training for Hiring Managers provides training on the electronic
software used for establishing and recruiting positions and develops manager skills in
identifying competencies required for the position; evaluation of applicant’s
competencies and determining applicant pay based on competencies.
 Career Banding for Supervisors provides training to understand UNC Wilmington’s
compensation goals, identify position competencies, apply pay factors to determine
salary and salary progression, set maximum recruitment salary and process pay
changes.
 Computer Competency Program is designed to introduce non-computer users to key
board skills using self-directed programs to gain competency and confidence.
Targeted toward non-clerical staff seeking career progression to positions which
require terminal or data entry use.
 Supervisory Development Workshops adapted for service and maintenance employees
whose work schedules do not permit them to attend traditionally scheduled classroom
training.
 Harassment Awareness training is required for faculty and staff. This training
educates and introduces the campus community to the unlawful harassment policy and
resolution procedures; raise awareness among employees about responsibility they
have in treating others with civility and respect; and increase participants’
understanding of how to respond to and report harassment.
 Equal Employment Opportunity Institute, provided by the NC Office of State
Personnel, addresses federal and state EEO laws and issues of workplace diversity in
state government.
 Leadership Enhancement and Administrative Development (LEAD) provides eight
training modules for senior administrators including legal and ethical issues, employee
relations and diversity.

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 16

 283

Exit Surveys
Since July 2007, UNC Wilmington’s Office of Human Resources has a program to survey
separated employees with regard to their reasons for leaving the university. Former
employees (who left voluntarily) are contacted and asked a series of questions designed to
help determine their motivation for leaving the university. Results of the survey are tabulated
and analyzed. Patterns which suggest a workplace that disenfranchises employees are
discussed with supervisors of those areas.
REDUCTION IN FORCE IMPACT ANALYSIS
When budgetary constraints or changes in operational requirements necessitate, UNC
Wilmington may abolish positions and separate employees under provisions of its Reduction
in Force (RIF) Policy and state law.
As a matter of university practice, all reasonable means of avoiding a reduction in force will
be explored prior to separating permanent employees -- including, for example, reducing non-
salary expenditures, reducing salary expenditures, reallocating resources within UNC
Wilmington, and abolishing vacant positions.
In accordance with current federal and state law, reduction-in-force decisions must be made
regardless of an employee's demographic category. However, to assess the potential adverse
impact on the diversity of the work force, an adverse impact analysis will be performed for
the purpose of determining the effects of an impending reduction in force on the
demographics of the university's work force -- with respect to the representation of
racial/ethnic minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.
Where reduction-in-force criteria are applied uniformly and lead to the separation of minority
or female employees, UNC Wilmington will immediately review the race/sex composition of
the remaining work force in order to determine whether the current year's affirmative action
objectives need to be revised under its federally approved EEO/AA Plan.

DIVERSITY INITIATIVES
Statement on Diversity in the University Community
In the pursuit of excellence, UNC Wilmington actively fosters, encourages, and promotes
inclusiveness, mutual respect, acceptance, and open-mindedness among students, faculty,
staff, and the broader community. Diversity is an educational benefit that enhances the
academic experience and fosters free exchange of ideas from multiple perspectives. Diversity
includes, but is not limited to, race, sex (such as gender), age, color, national origin (including
ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran’s status,
gender, educational disadvantage, socio-economic circumstances, language, and history of
overcoming adversity.
UNC Wilmington diversity initiatives have evolved with progress toward a bold and inclusive
organizational cultural change based on collaboration and relationship building. Chancellor
Gary L. Miller maintains a Diversity Council with campus-wide representation to lead
diversity planning efforts. UNC Wilmington’s Diversity Initiative Plan provides guidance for
the campus. These essential steps fostered the initial infrastructure to create the Diversity
Council and the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, an office with specific
operational duties for this initiative. The associate provost for institutional diversity and

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 17

 284

inclusion provides enhanced program offerings for the university community. The council
reviews and refreshes the progress on the initiatives annually.
For more information concerning ways in which our multicultural learning community may
be nurtured and protected contact the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, or to
utilize complaint resolution procedures, the Office of the Dean of Students, the Office of
Academic Affairs, the Office of Human Resources, the Title IX coordinator, or the ADA
coordinator.
Diversity Council Plan’s Key Features
Implementation of the UNC Wilmington Diversity Council recommendations are outlined and
monitored in a matrix reporting process with eight functional areas: Web-presence, Campus
Awareness, Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, Admissions, Academic Affairs,
Human Resources, Administration, and Student Affairs.
Enhance the Web Presence of Diversity Initiatives.
The Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion is responsible for monitoring and
promoting a prominent diversity Web site with links to related activities and campus
information both to and from division, college, and school diversity Web sites.
General Campus Awareness
Under the leadership of the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, these initiatives
will be continued:
 Include topic of diversity in the chancellor’s annual State of the University Address
 Hold Annual Diversity Symposium on campus
 Conduct climate survey and disseminate survey findings to faculty, students, and staff
 Develop Speakers Bureau from which orientation and training planners can draw
programs and expert presenters
 Communicate broadly UNC Wilmington’s diversity definition and vision, including
incorporation into appropriate documents
 Communicate broadly the Campus Respect Compact, which describes expectations for
interactions among students, administrators, faculty, and staff implemented on
campus.
 The Arts in Action Performance Series seeks to culturally enrich, educate and
entertain students, faculty, staff, and the general public through the presentation of
diverse programs featuring professional, high-quality performing artists.
 The Leadership Lecture Series invites nationally-known speakers who enlighten,
challenge, inspire and demonstrate that all people have the ability to lead if they have
the desire to make a difference.
Specific campus operations are engaged in diversity activities.
 Admissions identified resources to institute a mentoring program for racial/ethnic minority
students upon admission.

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 18

 285

 Academic Affairs instituted a diversity module as a required component of all orientation

programs for new and transfer students, administrators, faculty, and staff with a refresher
curriculum. Also, Academic Affairs works with academic departments to identify how
diversity is addressed in required coursework for their majors and charges the Basic Studies
Committee with curriculum revision to incorporate diversity.
 The Director of International Student & Scholar Services coordinates cultural programs,
excursions, international student recruitment, etc. and established funds dedicated to
international student scholarships.
 EEO/AA briefings for each search committee at UNC Wilmington.
 Programs created in University College to support diverse students, addressed targeted needs
and established a summer residential student fellows program.
In response to the call of university leadership, UNC Wilmington’s Office of Institutional
Diversity and Inclusion, in an effort to better serve our constituency, was charged to launch a
robust effort in the establishment of cultural centers to address the needs of underrepresented
groups. As a whole, these centers strive to coordinate and implement programs that support
our diverse student population, assist in the development of diversity policies and procedures,
provide academic and social guidance to students, engage in grant writing and fundraising
efforts related to diversity initiatives, and assume responsibility for the enhancement of the
overall cultural and academic enrichment experiences of UNC Wilmington students.
In support of these efforts, the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion is mindful of its
preamble: In the pursuit of excellence, UNC Wilmington actively fosters, encourages, and
promotes inclusiveness, mutual respect, acceptance, and open-mindedness among students,
faculty, staff, and the broader community. Diversity is an educational benefit that enhances
the academic experience and fosters free exchange of ideas from multiple perspectives.
Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
The vision of the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion is to become a national model
for diversity and inclusion services based on research and best practices for an institution with
our designation as master’s comprehensive university. The mission is to provide diversity
and inclusion initiatives and strategies that contribute to UNCW’s mission and strategic
direction to facilitate a powerful learning experience for all students. The office also has an
institutional role in providing guidance related to diversity and inclusion initiatives campus
wide. The initiatives and strategies are based on research and best practices, and clustered in
the five key areas of Climate, Leadership, Excellence, Access and Representation (CLEAR)
framework.

Upperman African American Cultural Center

The Upperman African American Cultural Center supports UNC Wilmington’s commitment
to diversity and inclusion, and its mission to offer “powerful academic experiences” through
the successful execution of three primary goals:
1. Development and presentation of programs that explore and educate students, staff
and community about the historical, cultural, social and artistic experiences of African
Americans and other people of the African Diaspora.

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 19

 286

2. Support development and maintenance of programs and resources that support quality
of life, academic excellence, social well-being and a positive over-all experience for
Black students at UNC Wilmington.
3. Maintain a level of expertise about the Black student experience that affirmatively
informs the policies, practices and programs of UNC Wilmington administration,
Academic Affairs and Student Affairs.

Centro Hispano
The mission of Centro Hispano is to nurture students into becoming strong leaders
representative of all the core values of UNC Wilmington, through the promotion of academic
excellence, cultural representation, and leadership development. Centro Hispano serves as a
link between students and all available resources needed for their academic growth, as well as
for their development as future professionals. The focus is on embracing and nurturing
diversity, on developing student leadership, and on promoting best practices and best use of
resources needed for academic success. The emphasis on diversity is exemplified by a goal of
increasing the representation of the diversity within the Hispanic culture through students,
faculty, staff, campus events, curriculum, and community engagement. The focus on student
leadership development provides students with enrichment opportunities including leadership
conference, leadership seminars and certificates, as well as leadership roles within our campus
and community.
Women’s Studies and Resource Center
The Women’s Studies and Resource Center strives to create an interdisciplinary community
of scholars working in the areas of sex, gender, and women’s issues. The center offers
research, programming, education, and advocacy to promote gender equality, both locally and
globally. The Center also provides information and referrals for a variety of UNC
Wilmington and community services and resources. The Women’s Studies and Resource
Center provides students, faculty, staff, and those in the greater Wilmington community with
opportunities to experience the diverse facets of women’s lives, hopes and concerns from
artistic, historical, and other perspectives. The center offers an interdisciplinary Women’s and
Gender Studies minor, opportunities for community outreach and an ongoing calendar of co-
curricular activities which include workshops, lectures and scholarly panels.
LGBTQIA Resource Office
The LGBTQIA Resource Office at the University of North Carolina Wilmington supports
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex and allied students, faculty, staff, and
alumni. The office works to create a safe and inclusive environment for the LGBTQIA
community and contribute to a culturally rich campus. Additionally, the office works both to
raise awareness and inclusion of sexual and gender minorities and to provide information,
referral, support, and programming to the UNCW Community. We do this through
community building, advocacy, social justice and diversity education and the development of
global citizens. All members of the UNCW campus are welcome, regardless of gender
identity or other factors.

REPRESENTATION ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 20

 287

[41 CFR 60-2.11]

In compliance with regulations of the OFCCP, UNC Wilmington compiles an annual report of
the representation of women and racial/ethnic minorities consisting of the following
components: Work Force Analysis, Job Group Analysis, Availability Analysis and
Representation Analysis.
In performing these analyses, UNC Wilmington uses “AA Planner" software designed and
developed by Peopleclick Corporation to facilitate the representation analysis as specified in
41 CFR 60-2.15. This section of the EEO/AA plan will outline the methodology employed in
undertaking UNC Wilmington’s representation analysis and summarize the resulting
representation of women and racial/ethnic minorities in our work force.
WORK FORCE ANALYSIS
[41 CFR 60-2.11]
Data for all permanent and time limited employees is extracted annually from UNC
Wilmington’s Human Resources system. The data represents persons employed at UNC
Wilmington on December 31 of each year, and is downloaded to AAPlanner to initiate the
work force analysis.
A Work Force Analysis (organizational profile) is then prepared which details each
organizational unit of UNC Wilmington by listing all positions assigned to the unit and
providing the count and percentage representation of women and racial/ethnic minorities for
the unit as a whole -- as well as providing subtotals and percentages for each minority group.
The Work Force Analysis is included in Part II of the annual EEO report.

JOB GROUP ANALYSIS

[41 CFR 60-2.12 and 41 CFR 60-2.13]
Job groups for all permanent full-time or part-time employees are determined by reviewing
each employee's job and classification to determine: (l) similar content, (2) similar rates of
pay, and (3) similar opportunities.
A job group analysis is then prepared which details each job group by total female and total
minority representation -- and provides subtotals and percentages for each minority group. In
the job group analysis, position titles are listed from the highest individual salary or salary
range to the lowest. This analysis is included in Part II of the annual EEO/AA Report. [Note:
While the chancellor's and chancellor emeritus’s positions are included in the work force
analysis, both are excluded from the job group analysis because hiring decisions for these
positions are made at the UNC system level rather than at UNC Wilmington.]

AVAILABILITY ANALYSIS
[41 CFR 60-2.14]
UNC Wilmington uses Factor I (the percentage of racial/ethnic minorities or women with
requisite skills in the reasonable recruitment area) exclusively for determining race and sex

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 21

 288

availability for all job groups. Factor II (the percentage of racial/ethnic minorities or women
among those promotable, transferable, and trainable within the contractor's organization) is
not used because of UNC Wilmington’s preference that its internal distribution of racial/
ethnic minorities and women should not influence our goal for the UNC Wilmington
workforce to equate to the labor market.
Because all of the job groups for staff are composed of job titles with different availability
rates, a composite availability figure for the job group must be calculated. UNC Wilmington
determines the availability for each job title within the job group by assigning an occupational
code from the 2000 census, and then determines the proportion of job group incumbents
employed in each job title using the Peopleclick AA Planner software. This software weighs
the availability for each job title by the proportion of job group incumbents employed in that
job group. The sum of the weighted availability estimates for all job titles in the job group
indicates the composite availability for the job group.
UNC Wilmington uses the best available information to determine the percentage of
racial/ethnic minorities and women in occupations that correspond to UNC Wilmington’s job
groups. The best available information for our staff positions and Tier II senior officers is the
2000 federal census. For Tier I senior officers and faculty job groups, UNC Wilmington uses
data provided by the US Department of Education. This data indicates the race and sex of
employees in educational institutions similar to UNC Wilmington. UNC Wilmington may
use nation-wide, state-wide or Wilmington area census data based on the predominate
recruitment strategies used for vacancies within the job group. The specific availability data
is found in Part II of the EEO/AA plan.
COMPARING INCUMBENCY TO AVAILABILITY
[41 CFR 60-2.15]
Under-representation of women or racial/ethnic minorities exists in a job group when the
actual number of employees is less than the number that would reasonably be expected by
their availability in the labor market. The OFCCP’s definition of under-representation relies
on a standard of reasonableness. Institutions may select among three recognized standards:
the Any Difference Test; 80% Test; and Standard Deviations Test.
UNC Wilmington has adopted the most stringent of these standards, the Any Difference Test,
to guide our affirmative action planning. The Any Difference Test documents whenever the
representation of women or racial/ethnic minorities among the UNC Wilmington workforce is
at least one whole person less than the expected representation of these groups in relation to
their availability in the relevant labor market. This is done by comparing the UNC
Wilmington workforce percentage to the availability percentage and calculating the number of
persons UNC Wilmington would need to recruit in order to bring the representation of women
or racial/ethnic minorities in the job group into parity with the labor market.
The comparison and analysis of the work force and availability percentages generated in the
Job Group Analysis and Availability Analysis, respectively, enable us to develop a clear
picture concerning the relative representation of women and racial/ethnic minorities at UNC
Wilmington. The final step in the analysis is to compare the work force percentages and
market availability for women and racial/ethnic minorities by job group. Wherever the work
force percentage is equal to or exceeds market availability, women or racial/ethnic minorities

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 22

 289

are "fully represented" within the UNC Wilmington work force. Wherever the work force
percentage is less than market availability (and the difference equates at least to one whole
person), women or racial/ethnic minorities are "under-represented."

PROCEDURES FOR MONITORING

METHODOLOGY TO ESTABLISH PLACEMENT GOALS
[41 CFR 60-2.16]
The goal of UNC Wilmington’s Affirmative Action planning is for women and racial/ethnic
minorities to be represented on our campus to the same extent as they are represented in the
appropriate labor market -- or for the work force percentage to equal the availability
percentage.
Relying on the current year’s comparison between the UNC Wilmington work force
percentage and the labor market availability for both women and racial/ethnic minorities by
job group, UNC Wilmington establishes an affirmative action goal wherever the work force
percentage is less than the availability percentage and the difference is at least one whole
person. No goals are established for job groups with under-representation of less than one
whole person.
METHODOLOGY TO EVALUATE PRIOR YEAR'S GOALS
[41 CFR 60-2.16]
Evaluation by Comparing Net Change in Representation
Where work force counts are below labor market, UNC Wilmington establishes a goal to
increase the representation of women or racial/ethnic minorities (incumbency) to bring their
representation in line with the labor market (availability). Each job group is evaluated against
the previous year’s representation as one means of evaluating the prior year’s goal
accomplishment (Part II, Tables 3 and 4). As a quantitative measure, this picture of gains and
losses in each job group helps administrators understand where we have made progress in
recruiting and retaining women and racial/ethnic minorities and where we need to make further
progress to achieve a fully balanced and diverse work force.
Evaluation by Comparing Percentage Change in Availability and Representation
For job groups that require a closer examination of under-representation, comparisons are made
between the current and previous year’s availability and the current and previous year’s
incumbency (Part II, Tables 5 and 6). In some cases, this may indicate that even though UNC
Wilmington is using good faith efforts to hire and retain women and racial/ethnic minority
employees, the percentage of women and racial/ethnic minority employees in the labor market
may be rising at a pace faster than at UNC Wilmington.

IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEM AREAS

[41 CFR 60-2.17]
UNC Wilmington is committed to and will provide equality of educational and employment
opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex (such as gender, marital status, and

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 23

 290

pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual
orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, or relationship to other university constituents.
The Office of Human Resources consistently evaluates impediments to equal employment
opportunity by ensuring non-discriminatory practices in personnel activity such as selection,
recruitment, compensation, training, and hiring. In addition, the Office of Human Resources
annually evaluates the representation of women and racial/ethnic minorities by job group and
monitors all employment activity. Situations that indicate an adverse condition are typically
identified early in the recruitment and selection process and the hiring official is advised on
corrective actions.

INTERNAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND REPORTING SYSTEMS

[41 CFR 60-2.17]
Supervisory Accountability for Affirmative Action Efforts
Every supervisor is charged with carrying out the program of equal employment opportunity and
affirmative action.
Monitoring and Assessment of Good Faith Efforts to Obtain Goals
The affirmative action program is evaluated in two ways:
1. Monitoring UNC Wilmington’s commitment and good faith efforts, and
2. Comparison of numerical goals and progress toward accomplishing those goals.
Both of these functions are the responsibility of the EEO/AA officer in conjunction with the
chancellor and the EEO/AA Advisory Committee (cabinet). To evaluate adherence, the
EEO/AA officer (or designee) requires reports from those involved in the search and selection
process and, when necessary, consults with them at important steps in the employment process.
Reports and consultations also occur whenever there appears to be an insufficient number of
racial/ethnic minorities or women in the pool of candidates or whenever a substantial portion of
such applicants has been eliminated.
The EEO/AA officer has published reporting requirements for faculty members and
administrative officers participating in the hiring process.
1. When the search is initiated, the department must notify the EEO/AA officer (or
designee) of the type of position and of specific plans for advertising the position.
2. Each applicant for the position is asked to voluntarily identify his or her race and
ethnicity, gender, disability, and/or veteran status on UNC Wilmington’s PeopleAdmin
and Consensus™ on-line application systems. The results of each search are made
available to the EEO/AA officer (or designee) who may, in some searches, recommend
that the search be extended to reach additional racial/ethnic minorities and women in
percentages more reflective of availability for the applicant pool.
3. In any search, if the EEO/AA officer (or designee) perceives the possibility of
deficiencies in the application of the affirmative action process, the officer may request
a review by the academic dean of the affected unit, or by the appropriate vice
chancellor. If appropriate, the division vice chancellor for EPA positions, the provost

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 24

 291

for faculty positions, or the EEO/AA officer for any position may suspend a search and
report the suspension to the chancellor.
4. Before a search leader extends an offer of employment, the EEO/AA officer shall have
received a report which describes the recruiting and advertising efforts; and states the
reason or reasons for preferring the person chosen for the position. This report should
include a summary report on compliance with the affirmative action process. The
EEO/AA Officer (or designee) will confirm the EEO/AA certification of the search
process to the hiring official in writing with a concurrent copy to the search reviewer.
For SPA appointments, the EEO/AA officer ensures that procedures published by the North
Carolina Office of State Personnel are followed. In addition, the EEO/AA officer requires that a
report be filed in the Office of Human Resources describing the reasons for selection of one
applicant over the other applicants who were interviewed.
In overseeing UNC Wilmington’s affirmative action program, the EEO/AA officer makes
regular reviews of the work force complement. Those job groups which demonstrate under-
representation are scrutinized carefully. Hiring decisions made in the various units are assessed
on an ongoing basis as they relate to the progress toward accomplishing the percentage goal
within job groups. The provost and vice chancellors who oversee positions affected by the
under-utilization are regularly informed of the progress toward attaining those goals.
Further, the Director of Internal Audit incorporates formal audit procedures into UNC
Wilmington’s on-going audit protocols to monitor compliance issues with respect to UNC
Wilmington's EEO/AA program.

COMPLIANCE WITH GUIDELINES ON DISCRIMINATION BECAUSE OF

RELIGION OR NATIONAL ORIGIN
[41 CFR 60-50]
UNC Wilmington has reviewed its employment practices to ensure that members of various
religious and/or ethnic groups receive fair consideration for employment opportunities. In
addition, UNC Wilmington makes reasonable accommodation to religious observances and
practices.

COMPLIANCE WITH GUIDELINES ON SEX DISCRIMINATION

[41 CFR 60-20]
Recruitment and Advertisement
UNC Wilmington will continue its policy of equal employment opportunity for members of both
sexes. UNC Wilmington has no job positions reserved for members of one sex only due to a
bona fide occupational qualification. UNC Wilmington actively recruits both men and women
for all jobs. Advertisements for university positions express no sex preference. Print
advertisements do not appear under headings labeled "male" or "female."
Job Policies and Practices
Written personnel policies clearly indicate that there shall be no discrimination against
employees on the basis of sex or gender. All employees have equal opportunity for any job for

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 25

 292

which they are qualified. UNC Wilmington makes no distinction based on sex or gender in
employment opportunities, wages, hours, benefits, or other conditions of employment and places
no restrictions on a women's ability to work that are not placed on a men's ability in the same
setting. There is no distinction between the hiring, employment treatment or termination of a
woman or a man based on marital status (except where marital status is a statutorily established
eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs). UNC Wilmington does not
deny employment to women with young children nor does it treat male and female employees
differently as to retirement or termination because of age. Seniority at UNC Wilmington is not
based in any way on sex. UNC Wilmington provides appropriate and comparable physical
facilities for female and male employees. There is no distinction based on sex in determining
eligibility for any training and development program offered by UNC Wilmington. Women are
encouraged to participate in such opportunities both within and outside UNC Wilmington.
Pregnancy and Medical Conditions
Women are not discriminated against in their employment because of time spent away for
childbearing or related medical conditions. Disabilities resulting from pregnancy are treated like
any other temporary disability suffered by an employee. Female employees who are pregnant
are not subjected to limitations on their employment rights before childbirth. After a leave for
pregnancy or related conditions, entitlements are retained in the same manner as for any
employee returning from disability leave. Under UNC Wilmington’s health insurance coverage
and disability programs, a disability contributed to or caused by pregnancy or related medical
conditions is treated the same as a disability contributed to or caused by other medical
conditions.
Sexual Harassment and Undue Favoritism Based on Sex
Sexual harassment and/or the assignment or suggestion of rewards and punishments on the basis
of sex are prohibited. Intimate consensual sexual relations between supervisors and subordinates
and between faculty members and students are a cause for concern. Those relationships are
improper when they influence or could reasonably be expected to influence decisions or actions
related to employment and/or academic success. UNC Wilmington has specific conduct policies
prohibiting improper relationships, sexual harassment and conflict of interest.
http://www.uncw.edu/policies/
Upon allegations that raise reasonable apprehension of prohibited activity that violates this
policy, careful inquiry and investigation--with appropriate safeguards insuring individual rights
and confidentiality--will be carried out. Appropriate penalties will be given under normal
procedures ensuring due process. Those who invoke the policy are protected from retaliatory
acts. Information concerning complaints arising under it will be treated responsibly. Malicious
or frivolous claims of harassment or favoritism are also prohibited and, if substantiated, will
result in disciplinary action.
This policy applies to all applicants for employment or for admission to university programs; to
all officers, employees, and students; and to persons who serve UNC Wilmington as agents and
are under the control of UNC Wilmington.
The Office of Human Resources, the Office of General Counsel, and the Dean of Students'
Office provide training to faculty and staff on ways to identify and correct sexual harassment.

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 26

 293

That training focuses especially on relevant state and federal laws, court decisions, grievance and
disciplinary procedures, and useful mediation strategies.
All faculty and staff are required to attend harassment awareness educational sessions.

Title IX Coordinator

Dr. Terrance Curran is the Title IX Coordinator.

Contact Information: Dr. Terrance Curran, Associate Provost Academic Affairs/Enrollment
Management, 601 S. College Rd, Wilmington, NC 28403. currant@uncw.edu , 910-962-3876

SPECIFIC PROVISIONS CONCERNING INDIVIDUALS WITH

DISABILITIES AND QUALIFIED COVERED VETERANS
[41 CFR 60-250 and 60-741]
UNC Wilmington does not discriminate against persons with disabilities and is committed to
taking affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with
disabilities and qualified covered veterans. This affirmative action program applies to the
recruitment, employment, compensation, and advancement of persons with disabilities and
qualified covered veterans.
Outreach Activities
In seeking persons with disabilities and qualified covered veterans, UNC Wilmington identifies
agencies and organizations which may refer applicants. Specifically, UNC Wilmington regularly
seeks the aid of the following sources in the interest of identifying and giving employment
consideration to qualified covered veterans and to persons with disabilities:
Director
N.C. Department of Commerce – Division of Employment Security
717 Market Street
Wilmington, NC 28401

Unit Manager
NC Vocational Rehabilitation Services
709 Market Street
Wilmington, NC 28402
Employees with disabilities and qualified covered veterans may appropriately identify
themselves as such to facilitate accommodation. Job applicants are advised, during the
recruitment process, to contact the UNC Wilmington employment services manager if they
require an accommodation if called for an interview.
Personnel Practices
UNC Wilmington makes reasonable accommodation to the physical and mental limitations of an
employee or applicant. Information obtained from applicants and employees concerning a
physical or mental condition is kept confidential, except that (l) supervisors and managers may
be informed regarding the necessity for accommodation or restrictions on work or duties; (2) first

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 27

 294

aid and safety personnel may be informed, when appropriate; and (3) government officials
investigating compliance with equal employment opportunity laws may be informed.
The applications of employees and veterans who make their disability status known to the Office
of Human Resources are reviewed to ensure that qualified individuals are given equal
consideration for opportunities for hire, promotion, and transfer.
Employment procedures for EPA (including faculty) and SPA positions include careful attention
to evidence of self identification in these categories and require thoughtful consideration of such
applicants for initial employment and promotions and for participation in training opportunities.
Periodic reviews of employment procedures allow monitoring of affirmative action activities and
responses to these populations. Recruitment staff in the Office of Human Resources address
issues involved in placing persons with disabilities in employment and respond to requests for
accommodation by such persons. The Office of Human Resources provides information to
supervisors on affirmative action principles and recruitment policies affecting persons with
disabilities and disabled veterans.
So that qualified persons with disabilities are not screened out unnecessarily for UNC
Wilmington’s jobs, the Office of Human Resources reviews job descriptions of positions to
ensure that physical and mental job qualifications are job-related, are consistent with business
necessity, and will ensure the safe performance of the job.
In offering employment or promotions to individuals with disabilities or qualified covered
veterans, UNC Wilmington does not reduce the amount of compensation offered because of any
disability income, pension, or other benefits the applicant or employee receives from other
sources.
Facilities
All buildings were subjected to a compliance review by the Office of Civil Rights of the Atlanta
regional office of the U. S. Department of Education in 1991 and suggested corrections were
made. Since that time, UNC Wilmington has maintained an ongoing program to both improve
facilities and ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA and ADAAA)
as needs are identified and funding becomes available. In addition, all plans for new
construction projects and renovations involving the reorientation of building components are
submitted for review and approval by the NC Department of Insurance Fire Fund Division. The
NC Department of Insurance reviews the plans for compliance to the NC Building Code, which
includes the North Carolina Accessibility Code and meets ADA requirements.
ADA Coordinator
The ADA Coordinator is David Todd.
Contact Information: David Todd, Safety & Accessibility Specialist, Environment Health &
Safety, 601 South College Rd., Wilmington, NC 28403, toddd@uncw.edu, 910-962-4287

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 28

 295

COST REDUCTION MECHANISMS AND RECORDS AVAILABILITY

[41 CFR 60-2.32]

In order to reduce the cost of publishing, UNC Wilmington publishes the EEO/AA Plan in
three parts. Part I is distributed to the North Carolina Office of State Personnel, the Office of
the Provost and the Reserve Desk of Randall Library. Part I is updated as needed and posted
to the UNC Wilmington Human Resources Web site. Part II is produced annually, and posted
to the UNC Wilmington Human Resources Web site and distributed to the NC Office of State
Personnel, and the Office of the Provost. Part III is produced annually as supporting tables
for Part II and is maintained in the Office of Human Resources. All three parts also are
available for inspection during regular working hours in the Office of Human Resources, 601
S. College Road, , Wilmington, NC 28403 for a period of three years after they are produced.

Part I: EEO/AA Policies and Procedures

 EEO/AA Policy Statement
 Dissemination of The Affirmative Action Policy
 Implementation of Affirmative Action Program
 Development and Execution of Action-Oriented Programs
 Utilization Analysis Methodology
 Methodology to Establish Placement Goals
 Methodology to Evaluate Prior Year’s Goals
 Identification of Problem Areas
 Internal Accountability and Reporting Systems
 Compliance with Guidelines on Discrimination Because of Religion or National Origin
 Compliance with Sex Discrimination Guidelines
 Specific Provisions Concerning Persons with Handicapping Conditions Disabled Veterans and
Vietnam Era Veterans
 Cost Reduction Mechanisms and Records Availability

Part II: EEO/AA Annual Report

 Reaffirmation of EEO/AA Policy Statement
 Executive Summary
 Utilization Observations by Job Group
 Summary Observations by EEO6 Category
 Utilization Analysis
 Placement Goals
 Good Faith Efforts
 Supporting Tables and Graphs

Part III: EEO/AA Supporting Documentation

 Factor Availabilities
 Job Group, EEO Codes, and Census Occupation Codes Assigned to Job Titles
 Job Group Analysis
 Work Force Analysis (Organizational Profile)

UNC Wilmington EEO/AA Plan Part I January 2014 Page 29

 296

Appendix 8. Faculty curricula vitae.

 297

BRIAN S. ARBOGAST
Associate Professor Phone: 910-962-2644
Department of Biology and Marine Biology Fax: 910-962-4066
University of North Carolina Wilmington Email: arbogastb@uncw.edu
Wilmington, NC 28403 (USA) http://people.uncw.edu/arbogastb/

EDUCATION
1999 Ph. D. Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
1996 M. S. Zoology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
1992 B. S. Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS
2011-present: Associate Professor, Dept. of Biology & Marine Biology, UNC Wilmington,
Wilmington, NC
2011-present: Assistant Director, Wildsumaco Biological Station, Ecuador
2013-present: Research Associate, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University
2008-2011: Assistant Professor, Dept. of Biology & Marine Biology, UNC Wilmington,
Wilmington, NC
2006-2008: Associate Professor & Curator of Mammals, Department of Biological Sciences,
Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA
2001-2006: Assistant Professor and Curator of Mammals, Department of Biologic Sciences,
Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA
1999-2001: Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Department of Zoology and Burke Museum
of Natural History, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

PUBLICATIONS SINCE 2007 (*Undergraduate; **Graduate Student)

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
**Hodge, AMC and BS Arbogast. High carnivore diversity at a mid-elevation site in Ecuador's
Gran Sumaco biosphere reserve: implications for conservation and niche partitioning. In Review.
Chavez, AS, SP Maher, BS Arbogast, and GJ Kenagy. 2014. Diversification and gene flow in
nascent lineages of island and mainland North American pine squirrels (Tamiasciurus spp.).
Evolution 68:1094-1106.
*Manly, B, BS Arbogast, DS Lee, and M Van Tuinen. 2013. Mitochondrial DNA analysis reveals
substantial population structure within the endangered Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata).
Waterbirds 36:228-233.
Lovette, IJ, BS Arbogast, RL Curry, RM Zink, CA. Botero, JP Sullivan, AL Talaba, RB Harris, DR
Rubenstein, RE Ricklefs, and E Bermingham. 2012. Phylogenetic relationships of the
mockingbirds and thrashers (Aves: Mimidae). Molecular Phylogenet. & Evolution 63: 219-229.
Vanderhoff, EN., A-MC Hodge, BS Arbogast, J Nilsson, and TW Knowles. 2011. Abundance and
 298

activity patterns of the margay (Leopardus wiedii) at a mid-elevation site in the Eastern Andes of
Ecuador. Journal of Neotropical Mammalogy 18:271-279.

Kerhoulas, NJ and BS. Arbogast. 2010. Molecular Systematics and Pleistocene Biogeography of
Mesoamerican Flying Squirrels. Journal of Mammalogy 91:654-667.
Arbogast, BS. 2007. A brief history of the New World flying squirrels: Phylogeny, biogeography
and conservation genetics. Journal of Mammalogy 88:840-849.

RESEARCH REPORTS SINCE 2007 (*Undergraduate; **Graduate Student)

Arbogast, BS, **K Curry-Lindahl, TW Knowles, and SF Burneo. 2013. Summary of camera-trap
survey of Sumaco-Napo Galeras, National Park, Ecuador. Report to the Ministerio del Ambiente
de Ecuador.
**Garner, BA, BS Arbogast, and M van Tuienen. 2012. Conservation genetics of an endemic and
threatened species of West Virginia snail: the flat-spired three-toothed land snail, Triodopsis
platysayoides. Final Report to West Virginia Dept. of Natural Resources.
Arbogast, BS, and K Schumacher**. 2012. Conservation Genetics of the Northern Flying Squirrel
(Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus) in West Virginia. Final Report to WV Dept. of Natural Resources.

Arbogast, BS, K Curry-Lindahl**, TW Knowles, and SF Burneo. 2012. Summary of camera-trap

survey of Sumaco-Napo Galeras, National Park, Ecuador. Report to Sumaco National Park.

Webster, WD, BS Arbogast, MK Clark, L Gatens, MC Kalcounis-Rueppell, C McGrath, and

Rabon. 2010. Reevaluation of Status Listings for Jeopardized Mammals in North Carolina. Report
of the Scientific Council on Mammals. North Carolina Natural Heritage Program/ Natural
Resources Commission.

Arbogast, BS. 2010. External Review for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of “An Account of
the taxonomy of North American wolves from current morphological and genetic analyses,” by
Chambers, SM, SR Fain, B Fazio and M Amaral.

Arbogast, BS, and WD Webster. 2010. Conservation Status Report for the eastern spotted skunk
(Spilogale putorius) in North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

Arbogast, BS, and WD Webster. 2010. Conservation Status Report for the southeastern fox
squirrel (Sciurus niger) in North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

POPULAR PUBLICATIONS
Arbogast, BS. Human population and the future of biodiversity. Ecology Global Network. October
29, 2011. Available online at: http://www.ecology.com/2011/10/29/human-population-future-
diversity/

2
 299

SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS (2007-present)

Arbogast, BS. Invited Seminar. Department of Biology, Wake Forest University. Volcano at the
edge of two worlds: Mammalian Biodiversity of Sumaco Volcano, an unstudied peak at the
Amazonian-Andean Junction in eastern Ecuador. September, 2013.

Arbogast, BS. Invited Seminar. Department of Biology, The College of William and Mary.
Volcano at the edge of two worlds: Mammalian Biodiversity of Sumaco Volcano, an unstudied
peak at the Amazonian-Andean Junction in eastern Ecuador. October, 2013.

**Curry-Lindahl, K, BS Arbogast, TW Knowles, and SF Burneo. Using camera trap surveys to

address terrestrial mammal biodiversity and conservation in Sumaco National Park, Ecuador.
93rd Annual Meetings of the American Society of Mammalogists, Philadelphia, PA. June, 2013.

Arbogast, BS, KI Schumacher**, A Bidlack, J Cook, and GJ Kenagy. Analysis of nuclear and
mitochondrial DNA reveals cryptic speciation in North American flying squirrels (Glaucomys).
93rd Annual Meetings of the American Society of Mammalogists, Philadelphia, PA. June, 2013.

**Hodge, AMC, and BS Arbogast. Biogeographic patterns, life-history trends and conservation
status of wild canids. 93rd Annual Meetings of the American Society of Mammalogists,
Philadelphia, PA. June, 2013.

Kenagy, GJ, AS Chavez, JR Whorley, and BS Arbogast. Three squirrel tales: varying
mitochondrial and nuclear DNA signals reflect different phylogeographic and taxonomic
scenarios. 93rd Annual Meetings of the American Society of Mammalogists, Philadelphia, PA.
June, 2013.

AS Chavez, BS Arbogast, SP Maher, and GJ Kenagy. Diversification and gene flow in island
and mainland Tamiasciurus spp. – unraveling the mystery of Vancouver Island’s squirrels. 93rd
Annual Meetings of the American Society of Mammalogists, Philadelphia, PA. June, 2013.

**Schumacher, KI, BS Arbogast, JL Sparks, JF Pagels, RJ Dyer, BL Brown. Conservation

genetics of the endangered northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) across the Appalachian
Mountains. First Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology. Ottawa, Ontario. July, 2012.

Arbogast, B. Invited Seminar. Humboldt State University, Department of Biological Sciences,

Arcata, CA. Cryptic diversity in an iconic Australian marsupial: the Greater Glider, Petauroides
volans. February, 2012.

Arbogast, B. Invited Seminar. Humboldt State University, Wildlife Department, Arcata, CA.
Volcano at the edge of two worlds: Mammalian Biodiversity of Sumaco Volcano, an isolated
and unstudied peak at the Amazonian-Andean Junction in eastern Ecuador. February, 2012.

Arbogast, BS (speaker), K Aplin, K Armstrong, L Ogawa**, and A Taylor. Featured

Symposium Speaker. Cryptic diversity in an iconic Australian marsupial: the Greater Glider,
Petauroides volans. 91st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists, Portland
St. University, Portland, OR. June, 2011.

**Hodge, A. M. C., BS Arbogast, TW Knowles, and EN Vanderhoff. Interspecific spatial overlap

and other factors affecting camera-trap success for the margay (Leopardus wiedii). 91st Annual
Meetings of the American Society of Mammalogists. Portland, Oregon. June, 2011.

**Schumacher, KI, BS Arbogast, JL Sparks, JF Pagels, RJ Dyer, BL Brown. Genetic 3

evidence for a new subspecies of the endangered northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)
 300

in southwestern Virginia: implications for taxonomy and conservation. 91st Annual Meetings of
the. American Society of Mammalogists. Portland, Oregon. June, 2011.

Arbogast, BS. Invited Seminar. The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL. Cryptic
Diversity and Speciation in Gliding Mammals. April, 2011.

Arbogast, BS Invited seminar, College of Natural Resources, University of Nevada, Reno.

The Conservation Challenges of Documenting Cryptic and Elusive Species: Examples from
Gliding Mammals and Tropical Andean Carnivores. October, 2010.

Vanderhoff, EN, AMC **Hodge, BS Arbogast, **JR Burger, JD Camper, and TW Knowles. The
margay (Leopardus wiedii) as a flagship species for conservation in the foothills of the Andes.
Association of Southeastern Biologists, Asheville, North Carolina. April, 2010.

**Hodge, AMC, BS Arbogast, EN Vanderhoff, J. Camper, JR Burger, and TW Knowles. Inventory

of a mid-elevation assemblage of mammals in Ecuador’s eastern Tropical Andes hotspot.
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Seattle, WA. January, 2010.

Arbogast, BS. Adaptive Radiation in the Galapagos and Beyond. Invited speaker, UNCW
Evolution Learning Community Symposium "Darwin and the Origin of Species: A Twenty-First
Century Perspective." UNC Wilmington. Wilmington, NC. November, 2009.

Knowles, TW, BS Arbogast, EN Vanderhoff, JD Camper, JR Burger** and L Soetens. 2009.

Mammal inventory of a new wildlife sanctuary in Ecuador’s tropical Andes hotspot. 89th Annual
Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK. June,
2009.

**Callahan, CM and BS. Arbogast. Molecular Systematics and Historical Demography of Gray
Whale Lice: What Can They Tell Us About Gray Whales? 88th Annual Meeting of the American
Society of Mammalogists, Brookings, South Dakota. June, 2008.

Kerhoulas, NK and BS Arbogast. Molecular Systematics and Biogeography of Mesoamerican

Flying Squirrels. 88th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists, Brookings,
South Dakota. June, 2008.

Cardona, MA, and BS Arbogast. Phylogeography of Ringtails: A Comparison between

populations from Texas and northern California. SACNAS (Society for Advancement of
Chicanos/Latinos and Native Americans in Science) National Conference, University of Utah, Salt
Lake City, Utah. 2008.

RECENT GRANT SUPPORT

2013-2016 Conservation Genetics of the Cheat Mountain Salamander. West Virginia
Department of Natural Resources. $34,800. PI: BS Arbogast.
2013-2014 Documenting the Mammalian Biodiversity of Sumaco National Park, Ecuador.
Riverbanks Zoo Conservation Support Fund. $7,890. Co-PI’s: BS Arbogast and TW
Knowles
2010-2012 Conservation genetics of an endemic and threatened species of West Virginia snail:
the flat-spired three-toothed land snail, Triodopsis platysayoides. West Virginia
Department of Natural Resources. $32,610. Co-PI’s: BS Arbogast and M van
Tuinen
2010-2011 Cracking the Gliding Code: Applying modern genomic approaches to identify 4new
species, understand phenotypic variation, and unravel the great mystery of how
 301

gliding mammals are “built”. UNCW Faculty Min-grant Program. $9,300. PI: BS
Arbogast
2010-2012 Use of Stable Isotope Analysis to Elucidate Differences in Prey Selection by Red
Wolves and Coyotes. Red Wolf Recovery Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
$5,000. Lead PI: BS Arbogast; Co -PI: Anne-Marie C. Hodge
2009-2011 Conservation Genetics of the northern flying squirrel and Allegheny woodrat. West
Virginia Department of Natural Resources. $30,500. PI: BS Arbogast
2009-2011 Conservation Genetics of the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) in North
Carolina and Virginia. NC Wildlife Resources Commission. $4,750. PI: BS Arbogast
2010 Cryptic and undocumented diversity in the mammals of Australasia: Symposium
Proposal for the 2011 joint meetings of the American and Australian Mammal
Societies, Portland, OR. $4,300. Co-PI’s: BS Arbogast and K Armstrong
2009 Conservation of Rainforest Mammals in the Tropical Andes of Ecuador: a Scientific
and Educational Approach. UNCW Charles M. Cahill Award. $3,000. PI: BS
Arbogast
2008 UNCW Center for Teaching Excellence Summer Pedagogy Initiative Grant: Using
Remote Camera Trap Technology to Bring Tropical Rainforest Diversity into the
Classrooms at UNCW. $3,000. PI: BS Arbogast

2005-2008 Systematics and Evolutionary Ecology of New and Old World Avian Sister
Radiations [Aves: Mimidae and Sturnidae]. NSF, Systematic Biology. $145,816.
PI: IJ Lovette, Cornell Univ. I was ‘Senior Personnel’ on this grant

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE (2007-PRESENT)

2008-present : Member of the Conservation Committee, American Society of Mammalogists
2008-present: Coordinator of the Conservation Option for Biology Majors, UNC Wilmington,
Wilmington, NC.
2008-present: Member of the North Carolina Scientific Council on Mammals
2008-present: Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State
University, Arcata, CA.
2011-2012: Associate Editor, Journal of Mammalogy
2011-2012: Science Advisor, Ecology.com (Ecology Global Science Network)

STUDENT MENTORSHIP
GRADUATE STUDENTS- MAJOR ADVISOR:
M. Novillo Niche partitioning in nectivorous bats at Sumaco Volcano, EC (MS, UNCW, In progress).
L. Rowan Conservation genetics of the Cheat Mountain Salamander (MS, UNCW, In progress)
R. Hanson Diversity and biogeography of amphibians at Sumaco Volcano, Ecuador (MS, UNCW, In
progress)
K. Curry-Lindahl Species diversity and elevational structuring of medium-large mammals in the cloud
forest of Sumaco Volcano, Ecuador (MS, UNCW, 2013)
A-M., Hodge Ecological interactions among Andean forest carnivores (MS, UNCW, 2012)
K. Schumacher Conservation genetics of the northern flying squirrel (MS, UNCW, 2012)
C. Callahan Systematics and biogeography of whale lice (MS, Humboldt St., 2008)
N. Kerhoulas Molecular Systematics of Mesoamerican Flying Squirrels (MS, Humboldt St. 2008)

GRADUATE STUDENTS- CO-ADVISOR

5
L. Ogawa Conservation Genetics of the Eared-Grebe. (MS, UNCW, 2010)
B. Garner Conservation Genetics of the Cheat three-tooth Lands Snail (MS, UNCW, 2012)
 302

GRADUATE STUDENTS- COMMITTEE MEMBER (2008-PRESENT)

C. Torres Systematics and morphological evolution in flamingos (MS, UNCW, In progress)
S. Chavez Assessment of exclusion devices on reducing by-catch of Diamondback terrapins in
southeastern North Carolina (MS, UNCW, In progress)
J. Pinson Phylogeography of Appalachian ferns (MS, UNCW, In progress)
JE Williams Species richness of bats (Chiroptera) in western South Carolina (MS, UNCW, 2013)
A. Millis Seasonal patterns of reproduction in male evening bats (MS, UNCW, 2013)
L. Jarvis Sperm preference and hybridization in blue mussels, Mytilus spp. (MS, UNCW, 2012)
K. Freeman Behavior of Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (MS, Humboldt State, 2012)
B. McClean Stable isotope analysis of enamel in fossil and modern mammals (MS, UNCW, 2011)
JP Kennedy Bat Activity across a vertical gradient of an old-growth redwood forest (MS, HSU 2011)
S. Hutchinson Phylogeography of Cryptotis parva (MS, UNCW, 2010)
S. Schmitt Genetic and morphological variation in the Udoteaceae (MS, UNCW, 2010)

UNDERGRADUATE HONORS-PRIMARY MENTOR (UNCW 2008-PRESENT)

M. Taig-Johnston Mammal diversity in managed and unmanaged longleaf pine forests (2014)
K. Dodds Genetic variation in the Allegheny woodrat (2012)
S. Chavez Comparative phylogeography of Great Basin Mammals (2012)
A. Taylor-Smith Assessing urban stream quality (2011)
C. Goldchain Comparative feeding morphology in marine carnivores (2011)
B. Manly Conservation genetics of the black-capped petrel. (2010)

UNDERGRADUATE HONORS- COMMITTEE MEMBER (UNCW 2008-PRESENT)

M. Yeager Herpetological survey of the longleaf pine forest on the UNCW campus.
E. Probst Egg size and development rates in American lobsters (Homarus americanus): relationship
to female size (2010).
A. Tomerdahl Blood biochemistry of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) entangled in longline
fishing gear in the western Mediterranean (2010).
B. Reuhland Reconstruction of the Evolutionary History of Parrots (Aves: Psittaciformes) from
retroelement insertion events (2010).

TEACHING (2007-PRESENT)
Conservation Biology (Full Undergraduate Course, UNCW)
Mammalogy and Lab (Full Undergraduate Course, UNCW & HSU)
Advanced Conservation Biology and Lab (Full Graduate Course, UNCW)
Tropical Ecology and Biodiversity in Ecuador (UNCW; 3-week Field Course at Wildsumaco
Biological Station, Sumaco Volcano, Napo, Ecuador)
Advanced Ecology and Lab (Full Graduate Course, UNCW)
Ice-Age Biodiversity and Loss (Senior Seminar, UNCW)
Biology of Marsupials (Senior Seminar; UNCW & HSU)
Conservation Biology of Carnivores (Senior Seminar, UNCW)
Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Graduate Seminar, UNCW)
Advanced Mammalogy and Lab (Full Graduate Course, HSU)

RECENT AWARDS & HONORS (2007-PRESENT)

6
2013 Appointed as Research Associate, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard
 303

University
2013 University of North Carolina Wilmington Grant Writing Incentive Program Award.
Cracking the Gliding Code: Applying modern genomic approaches to unravel the
mystery of how gliding mammals are “built.”
2011 Featured Symposium Speaker, Joint Meetings of the American Society of
Mammalogists and the Australian Mammal Society, Portland, OR. Cryptic speciation in
an iconic Australian marsupial, the greater glider (Petauroides volans)
2011 Global Citizenship Course Development Award, UNCW-International Programs

7
 304

CURRICULUM VITAE

Timothy A. Ballard, Ph. D.

Associate Professor
Department of Biology and Marine Biology
University of North Carolina Wilmington
(910) 962-7263 ballardt@uncw.edu

EDUCATION: 1978 B.S. Department of Biology, Appalachian

State University, Boone, NC
1983 Ph. D. Department of Anatomy, Bowman
Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest
University, Winston-Salem, NC

RESEARCH TRAINING:

Ph. D. Dissertation entitled “The Morphology and Hormonal Responsiveness of

Isolated Embryonic Cells from the Developing Skeletal System of Chick Limb Buds,”
under the direction of Dr. David M. Biddulph, Department of Anatomy, Bowman
Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University

POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING:

Research Associate, Developmental Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of

Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, under the direction of Dr. William A. Elmer.
Research concerned with the biochemical and physiological effects of hormones
and growth factors on the differentiation of normal and Brachypod mutant mouse
embryo limb buds.

GRANT PROPOSALS:

2008 National Science Foundation -- $148,952 – Human Physiology Laboratory for

Non-Science Majors , Co-investigator with Dr. Richard Satterlie

HONORS and AWARDS:

2013 BEN Scholar (Bioscience Educational Network), American

Association for the Advancement of Science nominated for UNC
Board of Governors Teaching Excellence Award and Chancellor’s
Excellence in Teaching Award

2012 BEN Scholar, American Association for the Advancement of Science

nominated for UNC Board of Governors Teaching Excellence Award
and Chancellor’s Excellence in Teaching Award

2011 BEN Scholar, American Association for the Advancement of

8
Science
 305

nominated for UNC Board of Governors Teaching Excellence Award

and Chancellor’s Excellence in Teaching Award

2010 nominated for Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award

2008 Freshman convocation speaker

nominated for Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award

UNIVERSITY SERVICE:

Graduate thesis advisor:

Thomas J. Perrault, Jr. (1996 - 1998) James Mangum (1992 - 1995)

Vance R. Oertel (1996 - 1998) Keith Hughes (1989 - 1991)

Graduate thesis committee member:

Kristen Andrews Lisa Elliott-Lewis Leslie Moore

Meg Baish Mark Gay Nancy Norcross
Jean Benton Joseph Gouveia Renee Pearsall
Erin Caldwell Brad Jenkins Marina Piscitelli
Tony Capehart Ana Jimenez Laura Reuss
Holly Cate Charlene Kozerow Cathy Songer
Amy Cherry-Millis Christine Lisiewski Macy Toedt
Shauna Dalton Pam Madden Donna Ugucioni
Chris DePalo Lisa Mazzaro Brent Winner

PUBLICATIONS:

T. A. Ballard. Study Guide for Human Anatomy and Physiology. Kendall-Hunt

Publishing Company. (in press)

T. A. Ballard. Surviving in the Large Enrollment Classroom. Best Practices In

College Teaching. (in press)

T. A. Ballard. Histological Review of Bone Tissue. American Physiological

Society. (2013) http://www.apsarchive.org/resource.cfm?submissionID=8987.

T. A. Ballard. Histological Review of Connective Tissues. American

Physiological Society. (2013)
http://www.apsarchive.org/resource.cfm?submissionID=9054

T. A. Ballard. Histological Review of Epithelia. American Physiological Society.

(2013) http://www.apsarchive.org/resource.cfm?submissionID=8985.
9
 306

. T. A. Ballard. Histological Review of Muscle Tissue. American Physiological

Society. (2013) http://www.apsarchive.org/resource.cfm?submissionID=8992.

T. A. Ballard. Histological Review of Nervous Tissue. American Physiological

Society. (2013) http://www.apsarchive.org/resource.cfm?submissionID=8993.

T. A. Ballard. Histological Review of the Blood. American Physiological Society.

(2013) http://www.apsarchive.org/resource.cfm?submissionID=8995.

T. A. Ballard. Histological Review of the Eye and Ear. American Physiological

Society. (2013) http://www.apsarchive.org/resource.cfm?submissionID=8994.

T. A. Ballard. Histological Review of the Gastrointestinal Tract. American

Physiological Society. (2013)
http://www.apsarchive.org/resource.cfm?submissionID=9052.

T. A. Ballard. Histological Review of the Respiratory System. American

Physiological Society. (2013)
http://www.apsarchive.org/resource.cfm?submissionID=9051.

T. A. Ballard. Histological Review of the Skin. American Physiological Society.

(2013) http://www.apsarchive.org/resource.cfm?submissionID=8988.

T. A. Ballard. Histological Review of the Vasculature. American Physiological

Society. (2013) http://www.apsarchive.org/resource.cfm?submissionID=8996.

T. A. Ballard. Histological Review of the Accessory Organs of Digestion.

American Physiological Society. (2014)
http://www.apsarchive.org/resource.cfm?submissionID=9053.

T. A. Ballard. Histological Review of the Lymphatic System. American

Physiological Society. (2014)
http://www.apsarchive.org/resource.cfm?submissionID=9036.

T. A. Ballard. Histological Review of the Urinary System. American Physiological

Society. (2014) http://www.apsarchive.org/resource.cfm?submissionID=9124.

MEETINGS ATTENDED and PAPERS PRESENTED:

2012 BEN Scholars Institute, Washington, DC

10
 307

Stuart R. Borrett
Associate Professor, Dept. of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403
email: borretts@uncw.edu work: 910.962.2411 fax: 910.962.4066 web: http://people.uncw.edu/borretts

EDUCATION
2005 Doctor of Philosophy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
1997 Bachelor of Arts (Biology Major, Environmental Studies Minor), Austin College, Sherman, TX

APPOINTMENTS
Associate Professor (Quantitative Ecologist) July 2013-present. Department of Biology and Marine
Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Visiting Research Fellow. 2013-present. Duke Network Analysis Center, Social Science Research
Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC.
Assistant Professor (Quantitative Ecologist). 2007–2013. Department of Biology and Marine
Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington. Full time tenure-track position.
Adjunct Assistant Professor. 2008-2012. Biology Department, Western Kentucky University.
Research mentor for graduate and undergraduate students in collaboration with Dr. Albert Meier.
Postdoctoral Research Scientist. 2005-2007. Computational Learning Laboratory, Center for the Study
of Language and Information, Stanford University, Stanford, CA. Computational Induction of
Scientific Process Models. Advisors: P. Langley and K.R. Arrigo.
Assistant Staff Scientist. 1997–1998. ENTRIX, Inc. Houston, TX. Environmental impact assessment
and environmental management planning, primarily for oil and gas exploration and development in the
US Gulf Coast and Latin America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

PUBLICATIONS (SINCE 2007)

* postdoc, ** graduate student, *** Undergraduate student Link to my profile on Google Scholar

Borrett, S.R., J. Moody, J, A. Edelmann*. 2014. The rise of network ecology: Maps of the topic diversity
and scientific collaboration. Ecological Modelling. Preprint: arXiv:1311.1785 [q-bio.QM]
Hines, D.E. **, S.R. Borrett. 2014. Comparison of network, neighborhood, and node levels of analysis in
two models of nitrogen cycling in the Cape Fear River Estuary. Ecological Modelling. Preprint: doi:
10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2013.11.013

Brasso**, R., B. Drummond***, S.R. Borrett, A. Chiaradia, M. Polito, A. Raya-Rey. 2013. Unique pattern
of molt leads to low intra-individual variation in feather mercury concentrations in penguins.
Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry. 32: 2331–2334. doi:10.1002/etc.2303
Borrett, S.R. 2013. Throughflow centrality is a global indicator of the functional importance of species in
ecosystems. Ecological Indicators 32:182–196. doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.03.014 Preprint: arXiv:1209.0725 [q-
bio.QM] .

Borrett, S.R., R.R. Christian, R., R.E. Ulanowicz. 2012. Network Ecology (Revised). In: A.H. El-Shaarawi
and W.H. Piegorsch (Eds.). Encyclopedia of Environmetrics (2nd edition). John Wiley and Sons:
Chinchester, pp. 1767-1772. doi:10.1002/9780470057339.van011.pub2
Lau**, M. Borrett, S.R., and Hines**, D.E. 2012. enaR: Tools for Ecological Network Analysis. R
package version 1.01. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=enaR
Hines**, D.E., J.A. Lisa**, B. Song, C.R. Tobias, S.R. Borrett. 2012. A network model shows the
importance of coupled processes in the microbial N cycle in the Cape Fear River Estuary. 11
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 20: 45–75. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2012.04.018
 308

Fann***, S.L. and S.R. Borrett. 2012. Environ centrality reveals the tendency of indirect effects to
homogenize the functional importance of species in ecosystems. Journal of Theoretical Biology 294:
74–86. doi:10.1016/j.jtbi.2011.10.030 arXiv:1110.5385v1 [q-bio.PE]
Borrett, S.R, M.A. Freeze, and A.K. Salas**. 2011. Equivalence of the ecological network analysis
realized input and output oriented indirect effects metric. Ecological Modelling 222:2142–2148. doi:
10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2011.04.003

Borrett, S.R. and M.A. Freeze. 2011. Reconnecting environs to their environment. Ecological Modelling
222: 2293–2403. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2010.10.015
Salas**, A.K. and S.R. Borrett. 2011. Evidence for dominance of indirect effects in 50 trophic ecosystem
networks. Ecological Modelling 222: 1192-1204. arXiv:1009.1841v1 [q-bio.PE]; doi: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2010.12.002
Borrett, S.R., S.J. Whipple, & B.C. Patten. 2010. Rapid development of indirect effects in ecosystem
networks. Oikos 119: 1136–1148. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.18104.x
Borrett, S.R., A.K. Salas**. 2010. Evidence for resource homogenization in 50 trophic ecosystem network.
Ecological Modelling 221: 1710–1716. doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2010.04.004.
Kaufman***, A.G. & S.R. Borrett. 2010. Ecosystem network analysis indicators are generally robust to
parameter uncertainty in a phosphorus model of Lake Sidney Lanier, USA. Ecological Modelling 221:
1230-1238 doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2009.12.018
Bata, S.A., S.R. Borrett, B.C. Patten, S.J. Whipple, J.R. Schramski, D.K. Gattie. 2007. Equivalence of
throughflow– and storage–based environs. Ecological Modelling. 206: 400–406
doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2007.04.005

Bridewell, W., S.R. Borrett, & L. Todorovski. 2007. Extracting constraints for process modeling.
Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Knowledge Capture (pp. 87-94). Whistler,
BC.
Schramski, J.R., D.K. Gattie, B.C. Patten, S.R. Borrett, B.D. Fath, S.J. Whipple. 2007. Indirect effects and
distributed control in ecosystems: Distributed control in the environ networks of a seven-compartment
model of nitrogen flow in the Neuse River Estuary, USA: Time series analysis. Ecological Modelling
206: 18-30. doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2007.03.023
Whipple, S.J., S.R. Borrett, B.C. Patten, D.K. Gattie, J.R. Schramski, S.A. Bata. 2007. Indirect effects and
distributed control in ecosystems: Comparative network environ analysis of a seven-compartment
model of nitrogen flow in the Neuse River Estuary: Time series analysis. Ecological Modelling 206:
1-17. doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2007.03.002
Whipple, S.J., B.C. Patten, P.G. Verity, M.E. Frischer, J.D. Long, J.C. Nejstgaard, J.T. Anderson, A.
Jacobsen, A. Larsen, J. Martinez-Martinez, and S.R. Borrett. 2007 Gaining integrated understanding
of Phaeocystis spp. through model-driven laboratory and mesocosm studies. Biogeochemistry
83:293–309. doi:10.1007/s10533-007-9089-z
Borrett, S.R., W. Bridewell, P. Langley, K.R. Arrigo. 2007. A method for representing and developing
process models. Ecological Complexity 4: 1–12. doi:10.1016/j.ecocom.2007.02.017
Borrett, S.R., B.D. Fath, B.C. Patten. 2007. Functional integration of ecological networks through pathway
proliferation. Journal of Theoretical Biology 245: 98–111. doi:10.1016/j.jtbi.2006.09.024
Borrett, S.R. and O.O. Osidele. 2007. Environ indicator sensitivity to flux uncertainty in a phosphorus
model of Lake Sidney Lanier, USA. Ecological Modelling 200: 371–383. doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2006.08.011

PRESENTATIONS
* postdoc, ** graduate student, *** Undergraduate student
88. Borrett, S. R. Hines**, D.E., Singh**, P., Lau*, M.K. 2014. enaR: a tool for ecosystem network
analysis. Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute workshop on Mathematical and
Statistical Ecology. Research Triangle, NC. (Poster) 12
 309

87. Borrett, S. R., Lau**, M.K., Hines**, D.E. 2014. enaR: An R package that facilitates comparison of
ecosystem structure and function with network analysis. 43rd Benthic Ecology Meeting, Jacksonville,
FL.
86. Hines**, D.E., Lisa**, J.A., Song, B., Tobias, C.R., Borrett. 2014. A network model comparison
predicts how seawater intrusion will alter coupling among estuarine nitrogen cycling processes. 43rd
Benthic Ecology Meeting, Jacksonville, FL.
85. Oxe**, E.A., Borrett, S.R., Hines**, D.E., Lisa**, J.A., Song, B., Tobias, C.R. 2014. Comparison of
process coupling in the nitrogen cycle between the New River and Cape Fear River estuaries. 43rd
Benthic Ecology Meeting, Jacksonville, FL.
84. Borrett, S. R., 2014. Connecting the dots: Developments in ecosystem network theory and the impact of
climate change on estuarine N cycling. Invited presentation. Department of Zoology, University of
Calcutta, Calcutta, India. (Mar. 1)
83. Borrett, S. R., Carter***, M., Hines, D.E**. 2014. Environ properties tend to be more intense in
biogeochemical cycling models than in trophic networks. Invited presentation. International
Conference on Environmental Biology and Ecological Modelling, Visva-Bharati University,
Santiniketan, India (Feb. 26).
82. Lau**, M., Borrett, S.R. 2013. enaR: Free, open-source tools for ecological network analysis.
Ecological Society of America Meeting (ESA), Minneapolis, MN, August 2013
81. Borrett, S.R., Moody, J. 2013. Topics in network ecology and the scientific community that studies
them. Systems Ecology: A Network Perspective and Retrospective. University of Georgia. (April).
80. Hines**, D.E., Borrett, S.R. 2013. Node-level and whole-network indicators of the impacts of sea level
rise on an estuarine nitrogen cycle. Systems Ecology: A Network Perspective and Retrospective.
University of Georgia. (April).
79. Oxe**, E.A., Hines**, D.E., Borrett, S.R. 2013. Network mutualism and synergism in a model of
nitrogen cycling in the Cape Fear River Estuary, NC. Systems Ecology: A Network Perspective and
Retrospective. University of Georgia. (April).
78. Whipple, S.J., Patten, B.C., Borrett, S.R. 2013. Evaluation of model size, topology, and currency in
systems analysis: comparative network environ analysis and nitrogen model time series of the Neuse
River estuary, USA. Systems Ecology: A Network Perspective and Retrospective. University of
Georgia. (April).
77. Borrett, S.R. 2013. Throughflow centrality reveals important species in ecosystems and environmental
impacts of shrimp trawling in Core Sound, NC. Invited presentation. Duke Network Analysis Center,
Social Science Research Institute, Duke University. (Feb. 26).
76. Borrett, S.R. 2012. Connecting the dots: Developments in ecosystem network theory and the impact of
climate change on estuarine N cycling. Invited presentation. Department of Biology, University of
North Carolina Charlotte. (Oct. 26)
75. Mejaski**, J., Borrett, S.R. 2012. Network analysis of the urban water metabolism of Wilmington,
North Carolina: Evaluating alternative recycling scenarios for city sustainability. 4th International
EcoSummit, Columbus, Ohio. (Poster, Oct, 4)
74. Hines**, D.E., Lisa**, J.A., Song, B., Tobias, C.R., Borrett, S.R. 2012. Simulating the impact of sea
level rise on the microbial nitrogen cycle in tidally influenced regions of the Cape Fear River Estuary,
NC, USA. 4th International EcoSummit, Columbus, Ohio. (Oct, 4)
73. Borrett, S.R., Lau**, M.K. 2012. An R package for Ecological Network Analysis. 4th International
EcoSummit, Columbus, Ohio. (Oct, 5)
72. Whipple, S.J., Patten, B.C., Borrett, S.R. 2012. Evaluation of Model Size and Currency in Systems
Analysis: Comparative Network Environ Analysis of Carbon and Nitrogen Model Time Series for
the Neuse River Estuary, USA. 4th International EcoSummit, Columbus, Ohio. (Oct, 5) 13
 310

71. Borrett, S.R. 2012. Connecting the Dots: Development in ecosystem theory and applications of
ecosystem network analysis. Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North
Carolina Wilmington. (August 31)
70. Borrett, S.R., Deehr, R., Johnson, J.C., Luczkovich, J. 2012. Centrality Analysis Shows Ecosystem
Impact of Trawling in Core Sound, North Carolina, USA. American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting,
St. Paul, MN.
69. Beblo, J.***, Borrett, S.R. 2012. A network analysis comparison of energy flow through the Dublin
Bay and Baie de Somme intertidal ecosystem. Undergraduate Research Showcase, UNCW. (Poster)
Winner of Biology and Marine Biology undergraduate poster award.
68. Hines**, D.E., Lisa**, J.A., Song, B., Tobias, C.R. and Borrett, S.R. 2012. Environ analysis of a
nitrogen mass balance network model. 112th General meeting of American Society for Microbiology,
San Francisco, CA
67. Hines**, D.E., Lisa**, J.A., Song, B., Tobias, C.R., Borrett, S.R. 2012. Environ analysis of a nitrogen
mass balance network model: quantifying microbial interactions in an estuarine nitrogen cycle.
UNCW Graduate Student Symposium, UNCW and Wilmington Information Technology Expo
(WITX), Department of Computer Science, UNCW.
66. Borrett, S.R. 2012. Connecting the dots: Developments in ecosystem theory and an application of
ecosystem network analysis to investigate nitrogen cycling in the Cape Fear River Estuary, NC.
Invited presentation. Department of Biology, Eastern Carolina University. (Feb. 23)
65. Borrett, S.R. 2012. Ecological network analysis: recent work and future opportunities at UNCW.
Invited presentation. Department of Computer Science, UNCW.
64. Borrett, S.R. 2011. Undergraduate learning through biological research, Center for Teaching
Excellence, Teaching Celebration, UNCW.
63. Hines**, D.E., Lisa**, J.A., Song, B., Tobias, C.R., Borrett, S.R. 2011. Modeling the effects of sea level
rise on estuarine nitrogen cycle: examining the fate and transport of nitrogen in the Cape Fear River
Estuary, NC, USA. 21st Biennial Conference of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation.
Daytona Beach, FL.
62. Hines**, D.E., Lisa**, J.A. Song, B., Borrett, S.R. 2011. Sea level rise and the alternative fates of
nitrogen in the Cape Fear River Estuary, NC, USA: a microbial view. Biennial Meeting, International
Society for Ecological Modelling, Beijing, China.
61. Carter***, M., Borrett, S.R. 2011. Indirect effects, network homogenization, and network aggradation
are stronger in biogeochemical networks than in trophic ecosystem models. Biennial Meeting,
International Society for Ecological Modelling, Beijing, China. (Poster)
60. Borrett, S.R. 2011. Node throughflow is a global centrality measure of species importance in
ecosystem flow networks. Biennial Meeting, International Society for Ecological Modelling, Beijing,
China.
59. Missik***, J., Coates, K., Meier, A.J., Kessler, B., Borrett, S.R. 2011. Influences of microbial networks
on food webs. Annual Meeting, Ecological Society of America. Austin, TX. (Poster)
58. Borrett, S.R. 2011. Importance of indirect effects in ecosystems revealed by network analysis. Invited
presentation. Northern Arizona University. Flagstaff, AZ.
57. Borrett, S.R. 2010. Network Analysis Exposes Hidden Relationships in Ecological Systems. Invited
presentation. Duke Network Analysis Center, Duke University. Durham, NC.
56. Himes, M., Metwally***, A. Borrett, S.R., Bourdelais, A. Taylor, A.R. 2010. Do algal toxins affect
sensory behavior of marine ciliates? Southeaster Phycologial Colloquy, UNCW Center for Marine
Science, NC. (Poster)

14
 311

55. Borrett, S.R. Whipple, S.J., Patten, B.C. 2010. Rapid Development of Indirect Effects in Ecological
Networks. Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute workshop on Complex Networks.
Research Triangle, NC. (Poster)
54. Borrett, S.R., Salas**, A.K. 2010. Evidence for resource homogenization in 50 trophic ecosystem
networks. Annual Meeting, Ecological Society of America. Pittsburgh, PA.
53. Missik***, J.E., Meier, A.J., Borrett, S.R., Ayers, K., Kessler, B. 2010. Addition of microbial loops to
food webs: Increases in connectivity, pathway proliferation, and dominant eigenvalues. Annual
Meeting, Ecological Society of America. Pittsburgh, PA. (Poster)
52. Borrett, S.R. 2009. Resource roadmaps reveal how ecosystem connectivity influences species and
whole –system functioning. Biology Department, University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Wilmington, NC.
51. Borrett, S.R. 2009. Network models for (soil) ecology. Invited presentation. NIMBioS Investigative
Workshop: New Soil Black Box Math Strategies, NIMBioS, Knoxville, TN.
50. Borrett, S.R. 2009. Dominance of indirect effects in ecological networks: Holoecology Emerging.
Invited presentation. Institute of Marine Science, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Morehead
City, NC.
49. Borrett, S.R., Freeze, M.A., Salas**, A. K. 2009. Reconnecting environs to their environments.
Meeting of the International Society for Ecological Modelling, Quebec City, Canada.
48. Freeze, M.A., Borrett, S.R., Salas**, A. K. 2009. Sufficient conditions for threshold insensitivity of
network environ analysis dominance of indirect indicators to boundary input. Meeting of the
International Society for Ecological Modelling, Quebec City, Canada.
47. Salas**, A.K., Borrett, S.R. 2009. Evidence for the dominance of indirect effects in trophically-based
ecosystem networks. Meeting of the International Society for Ecological Modelling, Quebec City,
Canada.
46. Whipple, S.J., Borrett, S.R., Patten, B.C. 2009. Storage-based comparative network environ analysis
of a seven-compartment model of nitrogen flow in the Neuse River estuary, USA—Time series analysis.
Meeting of the International Society for Ecological Modelling, Quebec City, Canada.
45. Fann***, S.L., Borrett, S.R. 2009. Positional importance of species in ecosystems: considering direct
and indirect effects through a network environ analysis approach. Meeting of the International
Society for Ecological Modelling, Quebec City, Canada.
44. Kaufman***, A., Borrett, S.R. Ecosystem network analysis indicators are generally robust to
parameter uncertainty in a phosphorus model of Lake Sidney Lanier, USA. Meeting of the
International Society for Ecological Modelling, Quebec City, Canada. and UNCW CSURF Annual
Showcase.
43. Borrett, S.R. 2009. Network architecture and the development of indirect effects. Invited
presentation. North Carolina State University, Biomath group, Raleigh, NC (April 16th)
42. Fann***, S.L. Borrett, S.R. 2009. Quantifying species potential for controlling ecosystem dynamics.
UNCW CSURF Annual Showcase.
41. Fann***, S.L. Borrett, S.R. 2009. Measuring control in ecosystems: interpreting the eigenspectrum of
the ecological network analysis flow intensity matrix. CAA Undergraduate Research Conference
Towson, MD.
40. Salas**, A.K, Borrett, S.R. 2009. Modeling indirect selective in a co-evolving community: preliminary
work. Darwin’s Legacy: Evolution’s Impact on Science & Culture: A multidisciplinary conference,
Wilmington, NC.
39. Muzyczek**, L.A., Borrett, S.R., Finelli, C.M. 2009. Feeding behavior of Upogebia affinis: Food
source partitioning and effects on benthic-pelagic coupling. 38th Benthic Ecology Meetings, 15
Corpus Christi, TX.
 312

38. Borrett, S.R. Whipple*, S.J., Patten, B.C. 2008. Rapid development of indirect effects in ecological
networks. Annual Meeting, Ecological Society of America. Milwaukee, WI. and at UGA Ecological
Network Analysis Meeting, Athens, GA.
37. Bowers**, J.L., Meier, A.J., and Borrett, S.R. 2008. Eigenvector analysis of connectivity in food webs.
Annual Meeting, Ecological Society of America. Milwaukee, WI.
36. Bowers**, J.L., Meier, A.J., and Borrett, S.R. 2008. Use of eigenvector and network environ analysis
(NEA) in the quantification of keystone species. Annual Meeting, Society for Conservation Biology.
Chattanooga, TN.
35. Borrett, S.R. 2008. Hidden links that sustain ecosystems: the rapid development of indirect effects in
the Neuse River Estuary. Invited Presentation, Eastern Carolina University, NC. Jan. 24th.
34. Borrett, S.R. 2007. Network architecture determines the development of indirect effects in ecosystems.
Invited Presentation, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY. Nov. 30
33. Borrett, S.R. 2007. Searching for ecosystem models that explain phytoplankton dynamics in the Ross
Sea. Invited Presentation, University of Georgia, Athens, GA.
32. Borrett, S.R. 2007. Searching for ecosystem models that explain phytoplankton dynamics in the Ross
Sea. Invited Presentation, USGS, Menlo Park, CA.
31. Borrett, S.R., W. Bridewell, P. Langley, K.R. Arrigo. 2007. Value of information in modeling the
Ross Sea ecosystem. Polar Marine Science Gordon Research Conference. Ventura, CA.

GRANTS
UNCW Office for International Programs travel grant ($1000) to attend the 2014 International
Conference on Environmental Biology and Ecological Modelling, Visva-Bharati University,
Santiniketan, India.
UNCW Cahill Award: Creating interdisciplinary capacity and collaborations for ecological network
analysis through an immersion at the Duke Network Analysis Center. Borrett, S.R. $2,331 for
1/2013-12/2013.
Center for Teaching Excellence Summer Pedagogy Development Initiatives. Development of a Systems
Thinking Learning Module for UNCW. UNCW. $3500. Borrett, S.R (PI). 2013.
Friends of UNCW. Funds to purchase the ELMO TT-12 Interactive Document Camera. PIs Pabst, A.
Borrett, S.R. $885. 2013.
Duke-UNC Oceanography Consortium. Proposal for 1-week of ship time in aid of research in Onslow
Bay, NC. Finelli, C. Freshwater, W., Long, Z., Borrett, S.R. Estimated ~$100,000 value. 2013.
UNCW Quality Enhancement Plan Pilot Grant. UNCW: Enhancing applied learning through
explorations of the natural world, PIs: Frampton, A., Emslie, S, Finelli, C, Van Tuinen, M., Long, Z,
Pyott, S., Pabst, A. and Borrett, S.R. $13,390. 2011.
UNCW Quality Enhancement Plan Pilot Grant. Experience Research: Enhancing the CSURF program
to promote engagement in research as applied learning. PIs: Bruce, K. E., Atwill, W. D., Kelley,
P.H., Borrett, S.R. $31,500.
NSF: Collaborative Research: Impact of sea level rise on sedimentary nitrogen removal processes in
tidal freshwater ecosystem. B.K. Song (Lead PI), S.R. Borrett (CoPI Responsible for Modelling).
$500,411 for 2010-2013.
NECSent Catalysis Meeting. Ecological Models and Social Networks: How evolutionary forces shape
networks and communities. Duke Network Analysis Center (Moody, J lead PI with 11 collaborators
including S.R. Borrett). Workshop Funded for 2012-2013.
UNCW Office for International Programs travel grant ($1500) to attend the 2011 International Society
for Ecological Modelling meeting in Beijing, China. I escorted one graduate and one undergraduate
student to the meeting.
UNCW College of Arts and Sciences, Summer Curriculum Development Initiative. Proposal to 16
revise the Ecology Laboratory (BIOL366) to (1) Better align the course activities and assessment
 313

with the departmental and university learning outcomes; (2) Formalize the laboratory report format
so that it is consistent across labs in BIOL 366 and makes use of a biological writing text recently
adopted by the department; and (3) Integrate the use of spreadsheets (e.g. Microsoft Excel) to teach
the students to organize, manage, and analyze biological data, $3,500.
UNCW Biology and Marine Biology Equipment Committee. We requested funds for a departmental
video camera to record departmental seminars so that students can practice critiquing science
presentations and witness and critique their own presentations. This purchase was targeted to help
students in senior seminars, BIO495, $600. 2008
UNCW Special Tenure-Track Faculty Travel Fund ($1000) and Office for International Programs ($600)
for travel to 2009 International Society for Ecological Modelling Meeting, UNCW. I Escorted one
graduate and one undergraduate student to the meeting.
University of Georgia. University-wide Dissertation Completion Award, Ten months of funding
($15,000) to complete dissertation. University of Georgia, Athens, GA.
University of Georgia OVPR International travel funds.. (a) 2004. Fourth European Conference for
Ecological Modelling. Bled, Slovenia. (b) 2001. International Society for Ecological Modelling,
European Chapter meeting. Dubrovnik, Croatia. (c) 2000. Ecosummit2000. Halifax, Canada.

HONORS, AWARDS, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

Honors/Awards
2014 Plenary Speaker. International Conference on Environmental Biology and Ecological
Modelling, Santiniketan, India
2009–present Recognized by one or more graduating senior at UNCW as a person whose impact on them
was significant. 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2011 Research Reassignment, Dept. of Biology and Marine Biology, UNCW (1 semester without
teaching to focus on research, completed Spring 2013)
2009 Chancellor’s Discere Aude Award for outstanding mentorship, UNCW.
2009 Invited Participant. Investigative Workshop: New Soil Black Box Math Strategies. NIMBioS,
Knoxville, TN.
1997 Austin College, cum laude
1997 , Biology Honor Society
1997 Austin College, M.D. “Bud” Bryant Fellowship, Outstanding Biology Student
1993–1997 Austin College, Trustees Scholarship ($3000 per year)
1997 Austin College, Leadership Honor Society
1989 Eagle Scout, Troop 2, El Paso, TX

Professional Service
Reviewer. Ecological Modelling, Environmental Modelling & Software, Oikos, Ecology Monographs,
Ecology Letters, Ecological Indicators, Acta Ecologica Sinica, Environmental Management,
Landscape and Urban Planning, Environmetrics.
Guest Editor, Special Issue, Ecological Modelling (2013-2014). 17 papers. Systems Ecology: A Network
Perspective and Retrospective.
Judge, Best Student Presentation/Poster. (2014) 43rd Benthic Ecology Meeting, Jacksonville, FL
Judge, Science Fair, Wrightsville Elementary (Dec. 2013).
Organizing Committee. Systems Ecology: A Network Perspective and Retrospective. A workshop in
honor of the 45th anniversary of Professor Bernard C. Patten at the University of Georgia (April 12-
14, 2013). One of 3 co-organizers (Stuart J. Whipple, Brian D. Fath).
Judge, Theory Section Award for best student presentation. (2010). 95st Annual Meeting, Ecological 17
Society of America. Pittsburgh, PA.
 314

Organizing committee. University of Georgia Ecological Network Analysis Conference (2008). Athens,
GA
Moderator. Contributed Session, Ecological Society of America Meeting, August 2008.
Workshop Leader. Ecological Network Analysis: A workshop (2011). Northern Arizona University. 1-
Day workshop for graduate students and faculty
Workshop Leader. Network Environ Analysis: Windows into Eco-System Environments (2007). Western
Kentucky University. 1-Day workshop for graduate students and faculty.
Advisory Board Member. Cape Fear Economic Development Council (2013-2014), Wilmington, NC.
Advisory Board Member. Cape Fear Museum of Science and History (2010-present), New Hanover
County, NC.
Invited Lecturer. Ecological address and neighbors of the Lower Cape Fear Region. Osher Lifelong
Learning Institute at UNCW. (Sept. 30, 2013); and Cape Fear River Watch, First Saturday public
lecture series. (June 2, 2012).
Assembly Representative. UNCW representative to University of North Carolina System Faculty
Assembly (2014 – present)
Faculty Senator. UNCW. (2013 – present).
Panel Discussant. Out of Print: Film Screening & Discussion. Writers Week 2013 (Nov. 8, 2013)
Organizing Committee. Walking Tour of UNCW’s Natural Areas, an Osher Life Long Learning Institute
event held for UNCW Chancellor Miller’s Installation. One of 6 committee members and tour
leaders.
External Advisor. University Institutional Effectiveness Committee (2009). Advised with modeling the
university planning process for SACHS review. Facilitated two participatory modeling meetings with
university administrators.
Administrative Search Committees
ETEAL Director Search Committee. UNCW 2014. Successfully recruited Dr. J. Boersma.
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Search Committee (2012). UNCW. Successfully
recruited Dr. D. Battles
ITSD Search Committee for Academic Research Systems Analyst. (2011). Reviewed 13 full
applications, interviewed 3 candidates.
Faculty Search Committees
Coastal and Marine Biologist (4 Faculty Positions). UNCW Dept. of Biology and Marine Biology.
Reviewed ~300 applications. Successfully recruited S. Brander, S. Lopez-Legentil, R. Condon,
and S. Kamel.
Plant Biologist (2 Faculty Positions). UNCW Dept. of Biology and Marine Biology. Reviewed ~200
applications. Successfully recruited D. Penneys.
Coastal Plant Ecologist (2008–2009). UNCW Dept. of Biology and Marine Biology. Reviewed ~60
applications and interviewed 4 candidates for the position. I hosted one candidate reception at my
home. Successfully recruited Dr. Z. Long.
UNCW Center for Teaching Excellence and Center for Faculty Leadership
Advisory Board, Center for Teaching Excellence, UNCW. (2010-present).
Panel Discussant. College: What It Was, Is, and Should Be. UNCW CTE (Nov. 19, 2013)
Panelist. Center for Teaching Excellence round-table discussion on Teaching Innovation. (Oct. 6,
2011)
Co-Led (with Roger Shew and Amanda Willard) CTE Workshop. A Tour of UNCW's Outdoor
Classrooms. March 12, 2013
Hosted and assisted Matt Lau for a campus wide R Tutorial, UNCW Center for Teaching Excellence
(2011).
UNCW Honors College
Honor Scholars Program Cultural Dinner (2010). Hosted dinner and cultural experience for 7 UNCW
freshman. 18
 315

Advisory Board, Center for the Support of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. UNCW. (2009-
2013).

19
 316

Susanne M. Brander, Ph.D.

University of North Carolina, Wilmington
Dept of Biology and Marine Biology
601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403
branders@uncw.edu

Education
2011 Ph.D. Pharmacology and Toxicology. University of California, Davis
2005 M.S. Environmental Science and Policy. Johns Hopkins University, MD
1999 B.S. Business Administration, Minor: Biology. Elizabethtown College, PA

Employment
2013 – present Assistant Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of
North Carolina, Wilmington

2012 – 2013 Research Assistant Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology,
University of North Carolina, Wilmington.
2012 – 2013 Post-Doctoral Scholar, School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Anatomy,
Physiology and Cell Biology, University of California, Davis.
2011 – 2012 Adjunct Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of
North Carolina, Wilmington.
2007 – 2011 Delta Science Pre-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Environmental Toxicology and
Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis.
2009 – 2010 National Science Foundation, CAMEOS, GK-12 Pre-Doctoral Fellow, Bodega
Marine Laboratory, University of California, Davis.
2007 Graduate Student Researcher, Water Quality Objectives Methodology, Department
of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Davis.
2005 – 2006 Project Scientist, Weston Solutions, Inc., Tiburon, CA.
2004 – 2005 Environmental Analyst, Weston Solutions, Inc., Tiburon, CA.

Publications
in prep Brander S.M., J.W. White, B.C. Cole, B.M. DeCourten**, R.E. Connon. Scaling up
the individual-level effects of endocrine disruptors: How many males does a
population need? Planned submission to the Journal of Applied Ecology.

in prep Goff A.D.**, S.M. Brander, J.M. Hadley, R.Benner. Evaluating water quality in the
lower Cape Fear: Effects on the health and survival of migratory fishes. Planned
submission to Environmental Biology of Fishes.

in prep Brander S.M., B.J. Cole, K.M. Jeffries, B.M. DeCourten**, N.A. Fangue, R.E.
Connon. Alterations to the transcriptome and proteome correlate with reduced
fecundity in an estuarine model species exposed to bifenthrin. Planned submission
to Aquatic Toxicology.
20
 317

in review Jeffries K.M., S.M. Brander, M.T. Britton, N.A. Fangue, R.E. Connon. Chronic
exposures to low and high concentrations of ibuprofen elicit different gene response
patterns in a euryhaline fish. Environmental Science and Pollution Research (invited,
special edition: FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IRSES).

in revision Brander S.M., S. Hecht, J. Incardona, K. Kidd, K. Kuivila, S. Kullman, N. Scholz.

“Bridging the gap” with fish: Advances in assessing exposure and effects across
biological scales. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

in revision Heintz M.M.**, S.M. Brander, J.W. White. Endocrine disrupting compounds alter
risk-taking behavior in fish. Ethology.

2014 DeGroot B.D.*, S.M. Brander. The role of metabolism in the estrogenicity of
bifenthrin. Aquatic Toxicology 156: 17-20.

2013 Brander S.M., R.E. Connon, G. He , J.A. Hobbs, K.L. Smalling, S.J. Teh, J.W.
White, I. Werner, M.S. Denison, G.N. Cherr. From ‘omics to otoliths: Correlated
responses of an estuarine fish to endocrine disrupting compounds across biological
scales. PLoS One 8(9): e74251. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0074251
2013 Brander S.M. Thinking outside the box: Assessing endocrine disruption in aquatic
life. In: Ajuha, S., editor. Monitoring water quality: Pollution assessment, analysis, and
remediation. Elsevier. pp. 395. (invited contribution)
2012 Brander S.M., G. He, K.L. Smalling, M.S. Denison, G.N. Cherr. The in vivo
estrogenic and in vitro anti-estrogenic activity of permethrin and bifenthrin.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 31: 2848-2855.
2012 Brander S.M., C.M. Mosser, J.P. Geist, M.L. Hladik, I. Werner. Esfenvalerate
toxicity to the cladoceran Ceriodaphnia dubia in the presence of the green algae,
Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata. Ecotoxicology 21: 2409-2418.
2012 Brander S.M., B.J. Cole, G.N. Cherr. An approach to detecting estrogenic
endocrine disruption via choriogenin expression in an estuarine model fish species.
Ecotoxicology 21: 1272-1280.
2011 Brander S., R. Fontana, T. Mata, S. Gravem, A. Hettinger, J. Bean, A. Szoboszlai,
M. Marrero, C. Keiper. The Ecotoxicology of Marine Debris. Journal of the
American Biology Teacher 73: 474-478.
2009 Brander S.M., I. Werner, J.W. White, L.A. Deavonic. Toxicity of a pyrethroid
mixture to Hyalella azteca at environmentally relevant concentrations.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 28: 1493-1499.
2008 S. Bodensteiner, Zinkl M., McCloskey J., Brander S., Grabow L., Sellier P. Effects
of desalination brine waste blended with treated wastewater in the aquatic
environment of San Francisco. Water Practice 2: 1-9.
2007 Brander S.M., J.A. Royle, M. Eames. Evaluation of the status of anuran populations
on a refuge in suburban Maryland. Journal of Herpetology 41: 51-59.

* undergraduate student **graduate student

21
 318

Technical Reports
2010 Palumbo, A.J., Fojut, T.L., Brander, S.M., and Tjeerdema, R.S. Methodology for
derivation of pesticide water quality criteria for the protection of aquatic life. Phase
III: Bifenthrin criteria derivation. Prepared for the Central Valley Regional Water
Quality Control Board. Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of
California, Davis, CA.
2007 Werner, Inge, Linda Deavonic, Joy Kamphanh, Juergen Geist, Dan Markiewicz,
Kevin Reece, Marie Stillway, and Susanne Brander. Pelagic organism decline: acute
and chronic invertebrate and fish toxicity testing. Progress Report II. Aquatic
Toxicology Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California,
Davis, California.

Press Coverage
2013 Urban fish masculinized by hormone-mimicking chemicals. Davis Enterprise,
Contra Costa Times, Underwater Times, Daily Democrat, eScienceNews, FishBio,
Phys.org, Technology.org. (Press release: PLoS One 8(9): e74251. doi:10.1371/
journal.pone.0074251).

2011 Aquatic Science Center. The Pulse of the Delta: Monitoring and Managing Water
Quality in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. Re-thinking Water Quality
Monitoring. Contribution 630. Aquatic Science Center, Oakland, CA.

Invited Presentations
2014 Use of an estuarine model teleost to evaluate pollutant impacts at multiple
biological scales. S Brander, K Jeffries, B Cole, B DeCourten**, B DeGroot*, J
White, N Fangue, R Connon. Society for Environmental Toxicology and
Chemistry Europe, Nashville, TN

2014 Validating inland silversides as a bioindicator species for the San Francisco Estuary.
R. Connon, K Jeffries, B Cole, B DeCourten**, B DeGroot*, J White, N Fangue, S
Brander. Interagency Ecological Program Annual Workshop, Folsam, CA.

2013 Effects of bifenthrin and bifenthrin metabolite exposure on the endocrine system of
Menidia beryllina. S Brander, K Jeffries, B Cole, B DeCourten**, B DeGroot, J
White, N Fangue, R Connon. Society for Environmental Toxicology and
Chemistry, Nashville, TN.

2013 Mechanistic effects of exposure to ibuprofen on inland silversides (Menidia

beryllina). K Jeffries, S Brander, B De Courten**, N Fangue, R Connon, Society for
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Nashville, TN.

2013 Linking the benchtop to the bay: Menidia species as indicators of endocrine
disruption. S Brander, K Jeffries, B Cole, B DeCourten**, B DeGroot*, J White, G
Cherr, N Fangue, R Connon. Biomarkers Workshop. University of California,
Davis.

2013 From molecules to metapopulations: Using native model organisms to assess

endocrine disruption. Cape Fear River Watch, Wilmington, NC.
22
 319

2013 From ‘omics to otoliths: Using Menidia species to assess endocrine disruption at
multiple biological scales. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
2013 From molecules to metapopulations: Assessing endocrine disruption in aquatic life.
Davidson College, Davidson, NC.
2012 From ‘omics to otoliths: Using Menidia species to assess endocrine disruption.
Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Long Beach, CA.
2012 From ‘omics to otoliths: Using responses to endocrine disrupting compounds at
multiple biological scales to predict population dynamics. Ecological Society of
America, Portland, OR.
2011 From ‘omics to otoliths: Linking responses to estrogenic and androgenic endocrine
disrupting compounds at multiple biological scales. Office of Environmental Health
Hazard Assessment, Sacramento, CA.
2010 Pyrethroids as endocrine disruptors: bifenthrin and permethrin act as estrogens and
anti-estrogens. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Portland,
OR.
2010 Pyrethroids as endocrine disruptors: bifenthrin and permethrin acting as estrogens
and anti-estrogens. California Department of Pesticide Regulation, Sacramento,
CA.
2010 Linking environmentally relevant responses to EDCs at multiple scales. Northern
CA Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Berkeley, CA.
2010 Endocrine disruption in a California estuary: Individual and population level effects
in a resident fish species. San Francisco Estuary Interagency Ecological Program,
Sacramento, CA.

Other Presentations
Oral

2014 Physiological effects of exposure to ibuprofen in Menidia beryllina. Jeffries, K.,

Brander, S., Cole, B., Fangue, N., Connon, R. SETAC Europe 2014, Society of
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Europe, Basel, Switzerland.

2014 Use of an estuarine model teleost to evaluate pollutant impacts at multiple

biological scales. Brander, S., Jeffries, K., Cole, B., DeCourten, B.**, DeGroot, B.*,
White, J., Fangue, N., Connon, R. SETAC Europe 2014, Society of Environmental
Toxicology and Chemistry Europe, Basel, Switzerland

2014 Generalized mixed models for ecotoxicology: avoiding pseudoreplication and

unnecessary data transformations. White, J., Brander, S. SETAC Europe 2014,
Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

2013 Guppy gladiators: endocrine disrupting compounds alter risk-taking behaviors

when facing a predator in the arena. Heintz, M. M.**, Brander, S., White, J. 42nd
Benthic Ecology Meeting, Savannah, GA.

Poster
23
 320

2014 The potential for endocrine disruption in the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus . Goff,
A.**, Ryan, L.**, Covi, J., Brander, S. North Carolina Sea Grant Review, NC Sea
Grant, Raleigh, NC.
2014 Examining the impact of endocrine disrupting compounds on sex determination
and development in the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus . Goff, A.**, Ryan, L.**, Covi,
J., Brander, S. North Carolina Sea Grant Symposium, NC Sea Grant, Raleigh, NC.
2014 Multiple stressors over multiple generations: assessing the combined effects of
climate change and endocrine disruptors. DeCourten, B.**, Brander, S. Carolinas
SETAC Annual Meeting, Carolinas Society of Environmental Toxicology and
Chemistry, Clemson, SC.
2014 The effects of toxicants on the production of ecdysteroids by the Y-organ in
Callinectes sapidus. Ryan, L.**, Brander, S., Chang, E., Chang, S., Covi, J. SICB
Annual Meeting, Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin, TX.
2013 The effects of bifenthrin exposure on initial phase Thalassoma bifasciatum
(bluehead wrasse) brain aromatase (CYP19A2) expression and aggression.
Burnsed, K.*, Brander, S. SETAC North America, 24th Annual Meeting, Society of
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Nashville, TN.
2013 The effects of bifenthrin exposure on initial phase Thalassoma bifasciatum (bluehead
wrasse) brain aromatase (CYP19A2) expression and aggression. Burnsed, K.*,
Brander, S. SNCURCS 2013, State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and
Creativity Symposium, Charlotte, NC.
2013 Development of molecular tools to assess fish health in the San Francisco Estuary
Jeffries, K. M., Brander, S., Fangue, N. A., Connon, R. E. The 11th Biennial State of
the San Francisco Estuary Conference, Delta Science Council, Oakland, CA, "
2013 Impacts of endocrine disrupting chemicals on Menidia beryllina, a resident fish in the
SSJ Delta. Cole, B. J., Brander, S., Jeffries, K. M., Connon, R. E., Cherr, G. N. The
11th Biennial State of the San Francisco Estuary Conference, Delta Science Council,
Oakland, CA.
2013 The effects of sub-lethal chronic exposure to the pesticide bifenthrin on inland
silversides
(Menida beryllina). Jeffries, K.M., Brander, S., DeCourten, B. M.*, Stillway, M. V.,
Deanovic, L. A., Fangue, N. A., Connon, R.E. American Fisheries Society Cal-Nev,
AFS California and Nevada, Davis, CA.
2013 Endocrine disrupting compounds alter risk-taking and anti-predator behavior in
fish (Poecilia reticulata). Heintz, M.**, Brander, S., White, J. Carolinas Society of
Environmental Technology and Chemistry Annual Meeting, Raleigh, NC.

2013 The role of metabolism in the estrogenicity of bifenthrin in Menidia beryllina.

DeGroot, B.C.*, Brander, S. Carolinas Society of Environmental Technology and
Chemistry Annual Meeting, Raleigh, NC.

2012 Transfected vs. native: The potential for conflicting measurements of endocrine
activity from different cell lines. Brander, S., Davies, B. H., He, G., Connon, R. E.,
Denison, M. S., Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, SETAC,
Long Beach, CA. 24
 321

2012 Transfected vs. native: The potential for conflicting measurements of endocrine
activity from different cell lines. Brander, S., Davies, B. H., He, G., Connon, R. E.,
Denison, M. S., Bay Delta Science Conference, Delta Science, Sacramento, CA.

Grants and Awards

2014 University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Center for Marine Science Pilot
Project. What flips the switch?: The role of aromatase in the sex determination of
protandrous fishes. PI ($20,000)

2014 University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Cahill grant. The

neuroendocrinological basis for sex change and social behavior in Amphiprion
ocellaris. PI ($2,969)

2013 University of North Carolina, Wilmington. eTEAL Supported Pedagogy Initiative.

Applied Environmental Endocrinology. PI ($3,000)

2012 North Carolina Sea Grant. Developing an approach to monitoring potential

endocrine disruption in Callinectes sapidus. PI ($5,000)
2012 Friends of UNCW. Research on the impact of hormone-disrupting pollutants on
fish in the Cape Fear River. PI ($1,000)
2012 - 2015 California Department of Fish and Game. A systems biology assessment of EDCs
in the Delta. (with co-PI Richard Connon) ($486,000)
2011 University of North Carolina, Wilmington, Center for Marine Science. Scaling up
endocrine disruption effects in the Lower Cape Fear: from individual behavior to
population dynamics. (with co-PI W. White) ($35,000)
2010 Northern California Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. First
Place Student Platform Presentation.
2010 University of California, Davis. Graduate Student Association Travel Grant.
2009 – 2010 National Science Foundation CAMEOS GK-12 Graduate Fellowship.
2009 University of California, Davis. Research Scholarship. ($1,000)
2009 Sacramento County Sanitation and Wastewater District. Research Grant.
($5,000)
2007 - 2011 Delta Science. Pre-Doctoral Fellowship.
2007 University of California, Davis. Jastro-Shields Research Scholarship. ($3,000)
2007 - 2011 Phi Sigma, Graduate Honors Society.
2006 University of California Davis. Pharmacology and Toxicology Graduate Group
Block Grant.
1995 - 1999 Elizabethtown College. Provost Scholarship.
1995 - 1999 Elizabethtown College. Departmental Scholarship.

25
 322

Teaching
2014 Guest Lecturer, Honors 120, Honors Principles of Biology: Cells, Behavioral
Ecology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington
2013 - present Instructor, Applied Learning in Environmental Endocrinology, University of
North Carolina, Wilmington
2014 Instructor, Teaching Assistantship in Cell Biology, University of North Carolina,
Wilmington
2013 – present Instructor, Beyond DNA: Gene Expression and the Environment, University of
North Carolina, Wilmington.
2012 - present Instructor, Principles of Biology: Cells, University of North Carolina, Wilmington.
2011 - present Instructor, Endocrinology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington.
2009 – 2010 Graduate Student Mentor, Biology, El Molino High School, Sonoma County, CA.
2008 Teaching Assistant, Physiology of Marine Organisms, University of California,
Davis.
2007 Teaching Assistant, Biological Effects of Toxicants, University of California, Davis.

Mentoring
2014 – present Co-Mentor, Postdoctoral Research. University of California, Davis. Occurrence
and effects of microplastics in Menidia species. Chelsea Rochman (Smith Fellow).

2014 – present Faculty Supervisor, Masters Thesis. University of North Carolina, Wilmington.
Endocrine disruption in Callinectes sapidus. Andrew Goff.

2014 – present Faculty Supervisor, Undergraduate Honors Project. University of North Carolina,
Wilmington. Trophic transfer of Macondo oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill,
effects on swimming behavior and gene expression in Menidia beryllina. Jacqueline
Gross.

2014 – present Faculty Supervisor, Undergraduate Honors Project. University of North Carolina,
Wilmington. Effects of the trophic transfer of styrene on Menidia beryllina.
Samantha Albotra.

2013 – present Faculty Supervisor, Masters Thesis. University of North Carolina, Wilmington.
Multiple stressor effects in Menidia beryllina. Bethany DeCourten.

2013 – present Faculty Supervisor, Undergraduate Honors Project. University of North Carolina,
Wilmington. The effect of the endocrine disrupting pesticide bifenthrin at varied
salinities on larval Menidia beryllina. Roxanne Diaz.

26
 323

2013 – present Committee Member, Masters Thesis. University of North Carolina, Wilmington.
The effects of toxicants on the production of ecdysteroids by the Y-organ in
Callinectes sapidus. Lauren Ryan.

2013 – 2014 Committee Member, Undergraduate Honors Project. University of North Carolina,
Wilmington. Assessment of susceptibility to lipophilic toxicants in local
zooplankton embryos. Jamie Gerlach.

2012 – present Faculty Supervisor, Undergraduate Honors Project. University of North Carolina,
Wilmington. The effect of an estrogenic pesticide on gene expression and behavior
in Thalassoma bifasciatum. Kelsey Burnsed.

2012 - present Faculty Supervisor, Directed Individual Study. University of North Carolina,
Wilmington. The effect of endocrine disrupting compounds on vertebrates and
invertebrates. Brooke Conner, Brian Graham, Amanda Jones, Maria Bent,
Alexandra Teague, Emily Welch, Courtney Coleman, Rachael Cannon, David
Huffman, Rachel Pollara, Jaclyn Zerbato, James Andrews, Andrew Goff, Paige
Millsap, Hannah Sipe, Amanda Cobb, Corinne Linder, Ameilia Sosnowski, Andrew
Piper, Michael Simmonds, Amanda Cobb, Nicole Burkhead, Jordan Critcher,
Samantha Albotra, Julie Hurst, Jacob Rennert, Samian Roy, Christopher Cantrell,
William Squires, Jacqueline Gross, Kelsey McManus, Nikolas Newton, Nick Burns,
Kelsey Mueller, Nicholas Jernack, Savannah Kennedy, Jonathan Cowart, James Lee,
Cessely Gordon, Kory Enneking.

2012 – 13 Committee Member, Masters Thesis. University of North Carolina, Wilmington.

Endocrine disrupting compounds affect fish (P. reticulata) risk-taking behavior.
Melissa Heintz.

2012 – 13 Faculty Supervisor, Undergraduate Honors Project. University of North Carolina,

Wilmington. The role of metabolism in the endocrine activity of bifenthrin in
fishes. Breanna Degroot.

2011 – 12 Committee Member, Undergraduate Honors Project. University of North Carolina,

Wilmington. Methylmercury accumulation in Antarctic krill and silver fish.
Jennifer Lang.

Professional Activities
Leadership Carolinas Society of Toxicology and Chemistry, Chapter Vice President (2013-14)
Carolinas Society of Toxicology and Chemistry, Chapter President (2014-15)

Peer Review Environmental Science and Technology; Aquatic Toxicology; Environmental Pollution;
Journal of Freshwater Ecology; Asian Journal of Andrology, GAIA, Pesticide Biochemistry
27
 324

and Physiology; Science of the Total Environment; PLoS ONE; Toxicology Letters,
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

Memberships Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (National and NC),

Southeastern Estuarine Research Society, North Carolina Water Resources
Association

Workshops Let’s Publish This Summer (ALTC / eTEAL, UNCW, 2014)

“Lean In” book circle (UNCW Center for Teaching Excellence, 2014)
The Art and Science of Negotiation (Women in SETAC, 2013)
eTEAL-Supported Pedagogy Initiative Workshop (ALTC / eTEAL, UNCW,
2013)
Service
2014 Equipment and Biotechnology Committees, University of North Carolina,
Wilmington
2013 Seminar Committee, University of North Carolina, Wilmington

2013 Wrightsville Beach Elementary, Wrightsville Beach, NC: Science Fair Judge
2012 Hoggard High School, Wilmington, NC: Faculty Mentor for Senior Project
2011 Holly Shelter Middle School, Castle Hayne, NC: Science Fair Judge

28
 325

LAWRENCE B. CAHOON

EDUCATION:
Ph.D., 1981, Duke University (Zoology)
B.S., 1975, summa cum laude, Washington & Lee University (Biology)

POSITIONS HELD:
Professor, 1993-
Certified Senior Ecologist, Ecological Society of America, 2002-present
Graduate Faculty, 1991-
Adjunct Graduate Faculty, North Carolina State University, 1991-2001
Associate Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences, UNC Wilmington, 1987-1993
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences, UNC Wilmington, 1982-1987
Visiting Summer Faculty, Duke University Marine Laboratory
1982-1985, 1990-1991, 1995, 1997, 1999
Temporary Instructor, Duke University Zoology Dept., 1981-1982

PUBLICATIONS (PR=peer reviewed):

IN PRESS
Cahoon, L.B. Coal ash as a cause of water quality impairment. Invited chapter in Food,
Energy, and Water: The Nexus, S. Ahuja, ed. Elsevier.
Cahoon, L.B. Microphytobenthos. Invited Chapter, In press, “Encyclopedia of
Estuaries”, M. Kennish, ed., Springer.
Cahoon, L.B. Tychoplankton. Invited Chapter, In press, “Encyclopedia of Estuaries”,
M. Kennish, ed., Springer.
PUBLISHED (GRADUATE STUDENTS IN BOLD)

PR 97. Cahoon, L.B. 2014. Socratic Oceanography, pp. 165-172 in “Best Practices in University
Teaching”, 2nd Ed., D. Ashe and C. Clements, eds. Center for Teaching Excellence, UNC
Wilmington.

99. Dr. Lawrence Cahoon on Hurricanes in relation to Global Warming, Cooling Effects, and
Strength Reduction from Offshore Wind Farms.
July 16, 2014 . http://brunswickgreen.com/dr-lawrence-cahoon-on-hurricanes-in-relation-to-global-
warming-cooling-effects-and-strength-reduction-from-offshore-wind-farms/.

PR 96. Koopman, H.N., A.J. Westgate, Z.A. Siders, and L.B. Cahoon. 2014. Rapid subsurface
ocean warming in the Bay of Fundy as measured by free-swimming basking sharks. Oceanography
27(2):14–16, http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2014.32

98. Cahoon, L.B. Getting ahead of ourselves on oil drilling in NC

Raleigh News & Observer, April 26, 2014.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/04/26/3811519/getting-ahead-of-ourselves-on.html

PR 95. Roman, M.D., and L.B. Cahoon. 2014. Composition and distribution of phosphorus forms in
sediments of Greenfield Lake, Wilmington, North Carolina. JNCAS. 129: 172–179.

PR 94. Arfken, A.M., M.A. Mallin, L.B. Cahoon, and B. Song. Monitoring swine fecal
29
contamination in the Cape Fear River Watershed based on the detection and quantification of
 326

hog-specific Bacteroides-Prevotella 16S rRNA genes. Final Report for UNC Water Resources
Research Institute.

PR 93. Chudoba, E.A., M.A. Mallin, L.B. Cahoon, and S.A. Skrabal. 2013. Stimulation of fecal
bacteria in ambient waters by experimental inputs of organic and inorganic phosphorus. Water
Research 47: 3455-3466.

PR 92. Sahinoglu, M., S. Morton, S. Simmons, and L. Cahoon. 2012. Ecological Risk-O-Meter (Eco-
RoM): Quantitative ecological risk assessor and manager software for better decision making.
Environmetrics 23: 729-737.

97. Brownell, A., K. Burdette, L. Cahoon, and R. Shew. Cape Fear River and Watershed Annual
Report – 2012. Cape Fear River Watch, Feb. 2013.

96. Dr. Lawrence Cahoon on Sea Level Rise, January 8, 2013. BrunswickGreen.com
HTTP://BRUNSWICKGREEN.COM/DR-LAWRENCE-CAHOON-ON-SEA-LEVEL-RISE/

PR 91. Cahoon, L.B. and M.A. Mallin. 2013. Water quality monitoring and environmental risk
assessment in a developing coastal region, southeastern North Carolina. Chapter 6, in “Monitoring
Water Quality - Pollution Assessment, Analysis and Remediation”, pp. 149-169. S. Ahuja, ed.,
Elsevier.

PR 90. Cutting, R.H., L.B. Cahoon, and J. Hall. 2012. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION"
should be “ENVIRONMENT, ENVIRONMENT, ENVIRONMENT!”: A Market-Based Tool to
Simplify Environmental Considerations in Residential Real Estate. Golden Gate University
Environmental Law Journal 6: 83-122.

PR 89. Cahoon, L.B. 2012. El Niño – Southern Oscillation effects on river discharge in the Cape
Fear River watershed, North Carolina. J.N.C.A.S. 128: 74-80.

PR 88. Cahoon, L.B., C.J. Halkides, B. Song, C.M. Williams, G. R. Dubay, A.S. Fries, J. Farmer,
W. Fridrich and C. Brookshire. 2012. Swine waste as a source of natural products: a carotenoid
antioxidant. Agricultural Science 3(6): 806-815.

95. Leise, E.M., and L.B. Cahoon. 2012. Neurotransmitters, benthic diatoms and metamorphosis in
a marine snail; Chapter 1, pp. 1-43, in: E. Hämäläinen and S. Järvinen, editors, Snails: Biology,
Ecology and Conservation, Nova Publishers.

PR 87. Kahn, A.E., and L.B. Cahoon. 2013. Phytoplankton productivity in the surf zone of sandy
beaches estimated by simultaneous in situ 14C incubations and Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometry.
Estuaries and Coasts 35:1393–1400.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/3k05471685376638/?MUD=MP

94. Cahoon, L.B. Face the facts on sea-level rise. Op-ed, Wilmington Star-News, July 22, 2012.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20120721/ARTICLES/120729928/-
1/sports01?Title=Lawrence-Cahoon-Face-the-facts-on-sea-level-rise

PR 86. Cahoon, L.B., Erin S. Carey and James H. Blum. 2012. Benthic microalgal biomass on
ocean beaches: Effects of sediment grain size and beach renourishment. J. Coastal Research
30
28: 853-859.
 327

PR 85. Cahoon, L.B., M.T. Antonini, P.J. Blackmon, D.J. Devito, R.K. Earp, K.D. Marshburn, J.D.
Robbins, D.A. Sawyer, W.D. Thompson, and M.L. Walch. 2011. Effects of “ShellBond” on water
quality: II. Effects on phytoplankton growth. J. N.C.A.S. 127 (4)259-263.

PR 84. Cutting, R.H., L.B. Cahoon, J.F. Flood, L. Horton. 2011. Spill the Beans: GoodGuide,
Walmart and EPA use Information as Efficient, Market-Based Environmental Regulation. Tulane
Environmental Law Journal 24(2): 291-334.

PR 83. Cutting, R.H., L.B. Cahoon, and J. Hall. 2011. If the tide is rising, who pays for the Ark?
Coastal Management 39 (3): 282-295.

93. Cahoon, L.B., and C. Dumas. 2011. Preface to “Making the Connection: Translating Science
into Effective Coastal Policy”, Coastal Management 39: 223-224.

92. Cahoon, L.B. “Homebuilders took risks, now want us to pay”. Op-ed, Wilmington Star-News,
Mar. 27, 2011

PR 82. Flood, J., and L.B. Cahoon. 2011. Risks to coastal wastewater collection systems from sea
level rise and climate change. J. Coastal Research 27(4): 652-660. Published online, Feb. 23, 2011
doi: 10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-10-00129.1

PR 81. M.G. Sanilkumar, A.V. Saramma, K.J. Joseph, and L.B. Cahoon. 2011. Monsoon effects on
biomass and distribution of microphytobenthos in the Cochin Estuary, southwest India. J. NCAS.
127(1):1-12.

91. Cahoon, L. Offshore drilling no sure thing. Op-ed, Wilmington Star-News, Dec. 31, 2010.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20101231/ARTICLES/101239924/-1/opinion?Title=Offshore-
drilling-no-quick-fix

90. Flood, J.F., and L.B. Cahoon. 2010. Sea level rise and coastal public infrastructure: Risks to
coastal sewage collection systems. TCS 22 Symposium; Shifting Shorelines: Adapting to the
Future, online publication: http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/coastalsociety/TCS22/papers/Flood_abstracts.pdf

89. Cutting, R.H., L.B. Cahoon, and J. Hall. 2010. If the tide is rising, who pays for the Ark? TCS
22 Symposium; Shifting Shorelines: Adapting to the Future, online publication:
http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/coastalsociety/TCS22/papers/Cutting_papers.pdf

88. Cutting, R.H., and L.B. Cahoon. If the Tide is Rising, Who Pays for the Ark? The Coastal
Society Bulletin 32(3):1-3.

87. Mallin, M.A., and L.B. Cahoon. 2010. Cement plant’s threat to NC fish. Raleigh News and
Observer, Feb. 17, 2010.

86. Mallin, M.A., and L.B. Cahoon. 2010. Wildlife at risk: Adding pollutants to atmosphere will have a
major impact on animals. Wilmington Star-News, Feb. 10, 2010.

PR 80. Cahoon, L.B., K.M. Hardy, and D.M. Allen. Exploring relationships between river
discharge and coastal ocean phytoplankton biomass. Validated in EcoEdNet, Nov. 9, 2009.
http://esa.org/ecoed/index.php?P=FullRecord&ResourceId=84
31
 328

Also:
http://www.ecoed.net/browse/browseRecords/detail?type=search&query=&data%5Bs%5D%5Bsear
ch_all%5D=Using%20on-
line%20data%20sources%20to%20allow%20students%20to%20test%20hypotheses%20about%20r
iver%20flow%20and%20effects%20on%20remotely%20sensed%20coastal%20ocean%20propertie
s.&page=1&recordId=653

85. Cahoon, L.B. Consequences of global warming real. Wilmington Star-News, Letter to the Editor,
Nov. 7, 2009.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20091107/ARTICLES/911069911/1107/LETTERS?Title=L
etters-to-the-editor-Nov-7-2009.

PR79. Toothman, B.R., L.B. Cahoon, and M.A. Mallin. 2009. Phosphorus and carbohydrate
limitation of fecal coliform and fecal enterococcus within tidal creek sediments, Hydrobiologia
636:401-412. http://www.springerlink.com/openurl.asp?genre=article&id=doi:10.1007/s10750-009-
9969-4

PR78. Leise, E.M., S.J. Froggett, J.E. Nearhoof, and L.B. Cahoon. Extracts of diatom
cultures induce and inhibit larval metamorphosis in the marine gastropod Ilyanassa obsoleta (Say).
2009. Published online, 9/21/2009 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2009.08.007; J. Exp. Mar. Biol.
Ecol.379:51-59.
PR77. Cahoon, L.B., and B.K. Song. 2009. Microbial hazards to water quality, Chap. 8, pp. 181-
196, in S. Ahuja, ed., Handbook of Water Quality and Purity, Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-
374192-9

PR76. Cahoon, L.B., and R.H. Cutting. 2009. Forensic Water Quality Investigations:
Identifying Pollution Sources and Polluters, Chap. 6, pp. 131-145, in S. Ahuja, ed., Handbook of
Water Quality and Purity, Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-374192-9

84. Cahoon, L.B. “Intelligent Design”: Shilling for theocracy”, 2009. UNCW Ecotone.

PR75. Cutting, R.H., and L.B. Cahoon. 2009. The “gift” that keeps on giving: Global warming
meets the common law, Vermont Journal of Environmental Law 10(1):109-179.
http://www.vjel.org/journal/pdf/VJEL10077.pdf

PR74. Cahoon, L.B., and R. Casteel. 2009. Effects of “ShellBond” on water quality: I.
Laboratory Experiments. J. N.C. Academy of Science 125(1):16-22.

83. Bingham, F.M., L.B. Cahoon, W.J. Cleary, E.K. Covan, R.H. Cutting, C.F. Dumas, D.W.
Gamble, J. Lambert, L. Leonard, S.L. McFarland, M.H. Posey, R.D. Shew, S.A. Skrabal, A.M.
Szmant, C.R. Tobias, C.R. Tomas, and W.D. Webster. 2008. The Potential Impacts of Climate
Change on Coastal North Carolina: A Report by the Faculty of the University of North Carolina
Wilmington. UNC Wilmington, 124 pp.
http://www.uncw.edu/aa/documents/UNCW%20Global%20Climate%20Change%20Final%20Repo
rt.pdf

82. Cutting, R.H., and L.B. Cahoon. Cape Fear Voices: Offshore drilling or clean energy?
Wilmington Star-News op-ed, Sept. 4, 2008.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20080904/ARTICLES/809040324 32
 329

81. Cahoon, L.B., and R.H. Cutting. Pollution is a property rights issue, Wilmington Star-
News (op-ed), June 14, 2008.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20080613/ARTICLE/806130328/-
1/opinion&title=Pollution_is_a_property_rights_issue

80. Cahoon, L.B., North Carolina drought: Hope is not a plan. Cape Fear Climate Action Network
web site, May 15, 2008:
http://capefearcan.com/pages/blog_files/3d6af1536f5e595d2fdf8f3c72f182b0-2.html

PR73. Cahoon, L.B. 2008. Designing and executing nutrient limitation experiments in aquatic
ecology. BiosciEdNet:
http://www.biosciednet.org/portal/search/searchResults.php?pageNumber=1&searchType=basic&s
ort=Relevance&pageNumber=1&searchType=basic&sort=Relevance&query=Designing+and+Exec
uting+Nutrient+Limitation+Experiments&gradeLevels=0

PR72. McGee, D., R.A. Laws, and L.B. Cahoon. 2008. Live benthic diatoms from the upper
continental slope: Extending the limits of marine primary production. Marine Ecology Progress
Series 356:103-112.

PR71. Cahoon, L.B., M.A. Mallin, B.R. Toothman, M. Ortwine, R.N. Harrington, R.S.
Gerhart, S.M.K. Gill, and J. Knowles. 2007. Is There a Relationship Between Phosphorus and
Fecal Microbes in Aquatic Sediments? UNC Water Resources Research Institute Report #366, 56
pp.

PR70. Loucaides, S., L.B. Cahoon, and E.J. Henry. 2007. Urbanization impacts on dissolved silica
loading in stormflow. Journal of the American Water Research Association 43:841-849.

PRESENTATIONS TO PROFESSIONAL/PUBLIC AUDIENCES

387. Mallin, M.A., J.M. Burkholder, L.B. Cahoon, W.K. Strangman, J.L Wright, M.R.
McIver, J.D. Metheny, J.D. Isaacs, and P.V. Zimba. 2014. “Unprecedented toxin-producing
cyanobacterial blooms in the Cape Fear River: a nutrient-overload tipping point?” Joint Aquatic
Sciences Meeting, Portland, OR.
386. Cahoon, L.B. Coal and water don’t mix. Coastal Water Watch/ eastern NC ACS
Section. June 10, 2014.

385. Cahoon, L.B. Climate change: Why should I worry? Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship, May 18, 2014.

384. Cahoon, L.B., M.H. Posey, T.E. Lankford, L.A. Leonard, and T.D. Alphin. Key
parameters for assessing beach functionality. UNC Sea Grant Research Symposium: Investments and
Opportunities. April 16, 2014.

383. Udvare, E., D. Huffman, and L.B. Cahoon. Factors Driving Summertime
Cyanobacteria Blooms on the Cape Fear River in Bladen County, NC. UNC WRRI conference, March
19, 2014.

382. Robuck, A.R., M.A. Mallin, L.B. Cahoon and M. Hayes. 2014. “Consideration
33
of stormwater infrastructure in urbanized watersheds and subsequent correlation of geospatial
 330

characteristics to stormwater and receiving water observational data.” Water Resources Research
Institute Annual Conference, Raleigh, NC.

381. Cahoon, L.B. Our “fragile” coast? American Association of University Women,
March 8, 2014.
380. Alphin, T., Cahoon, L.B., Posey, M.H., and Markwith, A. The eastern oyster
(Crassostrea virginica) as a modifier of epizooic microalgal biomass: the influence of oyster reef
characteristics and associated particulates. Southeast Tidal Creeks Summit, Dec. 16-17, 2013.

379. Robuck, A., M.A. Mallin, L.B. Cahoon and M.R. McIver. 2013. “The impacts of
urban and suburban stormwater runoff on selected metabolic processes within southeastern North
Carolina tidal creeks.” Southeastern Tidal Creeks Summit, Wilmington, N.C.

378. Bohrer, L.E., M.A. Mallin, M.R. McIver and L.B. Cahoon. 2013. “Productivity
and respiration in three North Carolina oligohaline tidal creeks.” Southeastern Tidal Creeks
Summit, Wilmington, N.C.

377. Cahoon, L.B., T. Lankford, and T.D. Alphin. Ocean Beaches: Nourishment effects
and ecosystem roles. N.C. Beaches, Inlets and waterways Association meeting, Nov. 18, 2013.

376. Robuck, A., M.A. Mallin, M.R. McIver and L.B. Cahoon. 2013. The impacts of
urban, suburban and rural stormwater runoff on selected metabolic processes within southeastern
North Carolina tidal creeks. Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Meeting, San Diego, CA.
Nov. 2013.

375. Cahoon, L.B. Sea Level Rise. UNCW Student Chapter of The Coastal Society, Sept.
4, 2013.

374. Cahoon, L.B. A God’s Eye View… NC Interfaith Power and Light, July 13, 2013.

373. Cahoon, L.B. Sea Level rise: Complex science and challenging policy options.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, May 2, 2013.

372. Bohrer, L.E., M.A. Mallin, M.R. McIver and L.B. Cahoon. 2013. “Primary
productivity and respiration in fresh-to-oligohaline tidal creeks”, Meeting of the Southeastern
Estuarine Research Society, Charleston, S.C. April 9, 2013.

371. Huffman, D., E. Udvare, and L.B. Cahoon. Phosphate pollution leading to blue-
green algae blooms in the Cape Fear River. UNC WRRI conference. March 20, 2013.

370. Roman, M. and L.B. Cahoon. Composition and distribution of phosphorus forms in
sediments of Greenfield Lake. UNC WRRI conference, March 20, 2013. 3rd place winner.

369. Cahoon, LB. A God’s eye view of the southeastern NC environment. Cape Fear
Sierra Club, March 18, 2013.

368. Cahoon, LB. A God’s eye view of the southeastern NC environment. Church of the
Servant Adult Education class, Feb. 17, 2013.
34
 331

367. Cahoon, L.B., Cyanobacteria blooms in the Cape Fear River. Cape Fear River Watch
Striper Foundation Board, Feb. 8, 2013.

366. Cahoon, L.B. Water quality in the Cape Fear River: A report card. Cape Fear River
Watch First Saturday panel, Oct. 6, 2012.

365. Cahoon, L.B. Waste treatment systems in coastal regions: Time for a change? Coastal
Water Watch, May 24, 2012.
364. Cahoon, L.B. (Invited) Our dynamic estuarine shoreline – effects of sea level rise.
NC Division of Coastal Management Estuarine Shoreline Management Workshop, May 2, 2012.
363. Bohrer, L., M.A. Mallin, M.R. McIver and L.B. Cahoon. 2012. “Primary
productivity and respiration in fresh-to-oligohaline tidal creeks”. Meeting of the Southeastern
Estuarine Research Society, Beaufort, N.C.

362. Alphin, T., L. Cahoon, and M. Posey. Observations on the levels of oyster
(Crassostrea virginica)-associated BMA as a function of organic content and particle size
distribution in intertidal environments of southeastern North Carolina. Benthic Ecology Meeting,
March, 2012.

361. Cahoon, L.B. Common law and free market perspectives on climate change. UNC
OLLI, Dec. 15, 2011.

360. Alphin,T.D.; Cahoon, L. B; Posey, M.H.:A.L. Markwith. Living OysterReefs as a Significant Source/Modifier of
EpizooicMicroalgal Biomass in Tidal Creek Systems: Implications ofParticulate Inputs.Tidal Creeks Summit, Dec. 5, 2011.

359. Kahn,A.E., and L.B. Cahoon. Phytoplankton productivity in the surf zone of sandy beaches
estimated by simultaneous in situ 14C incubations and fast repetition rate fluorometry. CERF
meeting, Nov. 15, 2011.
358. Cahoon, L.B. The Future of Water. UNC Wilmington College Day, Nov. 12,
2011.
357. Cahoon, L.B. Sewage Management: A challenge for New Hanover County.
Leadership Wilmington, Nov. 8, 2011
356. Bugica, K., Cahoon, L.B., and J.C. Bailey. Biomass and Productivity of Surf
Zone Phytoplankton. Southeastern Phycological Colloquoy, Oct. 15, 2011.
355. Cahoon, L.B. The Cape Fear River in Human and Ecological Contexts, First
Saturday seminar, Cape Fear River Watch, Oct. 1, 2011.
354. Cahoon, L.B. Demand for water vs. Water quality, drought and climate change.
NC Center for Public Policy Research, Sept. 16, 2011 (Invited).
353. Cahoon, L.B. Climate change and coastal plain impacts, Cape Fear Arch
meeting, May 18, 2011.
352. Cahoon, L.B. Responding to climate change: Exploring future scenarios,
35
UNCW Center for Marine Science, Planet Ocean series, Apr. 12, 2011.
 332

351. Cahoon, L.B. Responding to climate change: Exploring future scenarios,

American Association of University Women, UNCW Chapter, Apr. 9, 2011.
350. Steffy, E.A., M.A. Mallin, M.R. McIver and L.B. Cahoon. 2011. “Effects of
organic and inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus on the survivability of fecal coliform bacteria in two
watersheds in Wilmington, N.C.” Water Resources Research Institute Annual Conference, Raleigh,
N.C.
349. Alphin, T.D., Cahoon, L.B, and Posey, M.H. DO BACKGROUND LEVELS OF
ORGANIC AND INORGANIC DEPOSITS INFLUENCE BMA PRODUTION ASSOCIATED
WITH OYSTERS (Crassostrea virginica) IN THE TIDAL CREEK SYSTEMS OF
SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA? Benthic Ecology meetings, March 17, 2011.
348. Cahoon, L.B. Responding to climate change: Exploring future scenarios, Osher
Lifelong Learning Institute Wednesdays in Nature, March 16, 2011.
347. DARNELL, Cory B., HENRY, Eric J., CAHOON, Lawrence B., and GAMBLE,
Douglas W., TIDAL CREEK TEMPERATURE BEHAVIOR AND CONTROLLING FACTORS,
WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA. GSA Southeastern Section Meeting, March, 23, 2011.
346. Cahoon, L.B. Responding to climate change: Exploring future scenarios, Department
of Biology and Marine Biology, March 11, 2011.
345. Cahoon, L.B. A new alternative for swine waste management, invited seminar for
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Feb. 11, 2011.
344. Steffy, E.A., M.A. Mallin, M.R. McIver and L.B. Cahoon. 2010. Nutrients limiting
fecal bacteria growth in the estuarine environment. Meeting of the Southeastern Estuarine Research
Society, St. Augustine, FL.
343. Cahoon, L.B., A.E. Kahn, K.J. Stull, Y. Shirazi, M. Young, C. McPeters, E.W.
Cummings. Primary production in the surf zone. D/UNCOC 24th Annual Symposium, Nov. 20, 2010.
342. Cahoon, L.B., and J.C. Gore. (Invited) Sediment phosphorus and algae blooms in
Lake Waccamaw, NC Lake Management Society, Nov. 18, 2010.
341. Cahoon, L.B. (Invited) Microbiological threats to water quality. Miller-Motte
College, Microbiology course, Nov. 16. 2010.
340. Cahoon, L.B. (Invited) Global warming: What’s in store for us. New Hanover County
League of Women Voters, Oct. 22, 2010.
339. Cahoon, L.B. (Invited) Coastal Wastewater Management, Leadership Wilmington:
Environment, Oct. 19, 2010.
338. Cahoon, L.B. (Invited) Global warming: What’s in store for us. Osher Lifelong
Learning Institute, Oct. 7, 2010.
337. Cahoon, L.B. (Invited) Coastal Sewer Systems: Inflow and Infiltration and Sea Level,
Wilmington Kiwanis, Oct. 6, 2010.
336. Cahoon, L.B. (Invited) Global warming: What’s in store for us. Brunswick Master
Gardener’s Club, Sept. 23, 2010.
335. Ann Arfken, Mary I. Haltom, Michael A. Mallin, Lawrence Cahoon and Bongkeun Song.
Molecular Detection and Quantification of Swine Fecal Contamination in the Northeast Cape Fear
River and Black River. ACS meeting, Aug. 23, 2010.
334. Cahoon, L.B., R.H. Cutting, and S. Ahuja. Forensic Environmental Investigations:
Identifying Pollution Sources and Polluters. ACS meeting, Aug. 23, 2010.
333. Cutting, R.H., L.B. Cahoon and J. Hall. A sea change: using the common law to protect
coastal properties from effects of greenhouse gases. TCS 22, June 15, 2010.
332. Flood, J.H., and L.B. Cahoon. Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) in
36
Coastal Sewage Systems: Vulnerability to Climate Change? TCS 22, June 15, 2010.
 333

331. Cahoon, L.B. Offshore oil drilling, BP, and what we’re up against. Surf Riders Foundation
meeting, May 17, 2010.
330. Vance, D.A., P.J. Seaton, J. Morgan, L.B. Cahoon, and B. Song. Biodiesel production
from Bacterial Isolates from Hog Waste Lagoons, ASM meeting, May, 2010.
329. Arfken, A., M.I. Haltom, M.A. Mallin, L.B. Cahoon, and BK Song. Molecular detection
and quantification of swine fecal contamination in the Northeast Cape Fear River and Black River.
WRRI Annual Meeting, Mar. 30, 2010.
328. Flood, J., and L.B. Cahoon. Sea level rise and coastal public infrastructure: risks to coastal
sewage collection systems. WRRI Annual Meeting, Mar. 30, 2010.
327. Shirazi, Y., M.A. Mallin, and L.B. Cahoon. Performance of a constructed stormwater
wetland in rducing fecal coliform bacteria in Wilmington, NC. WRRI Annual Meeting, Mar. 30, 2010.
326. Alphin, T.D., L.B. Cahoon, A.L. Markwith, and M.H. Posey. Oyster (Crassostrea
virginica) health and ecosystem function among tidal creek estuaries in southeast North Carolina.
Benthic Ecology Meetings, March 11, 2010.
325. Stull, K.J., and L.B. Cahoon. Zooplankton Abundance and Chlorophyll a Biomass in the
Surf Zone of Renourished Beaches at Wrightsville, Carolina and Kure Beach, North Carolina. Benthic
Ecology Meetings, March 11, 2010.
324. Cahoon, L.B. What have we done with God’s creation? Pathways to a Greener Planet: A
faith based perspective, Church of the Servant Episcopal. Feb. 27, 2010.
323. Cahoon, L.B. Coastal sewage systems: Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) with a larger take
home message. Wilmington Regional Office Permittee and Operator Training NPDES & Collection
Systems, Feb. 18, 2010.
322. Cahoon, L.B. Coupling of Equatorial Pacific Conditions with the Southeast U.S.
Coastal Ocean. D/UNCOC 23rd annual Symposium, Nov. 21, 2009.
321. Cahoon, Lawrence. New projections of sea level rise. UNCW ECO club, Nov. 18, 2009.
320. Cahoon, Lawrence. Dr. Strangelove revisited: Or how I learned to stop hating hog waste
and appreciate its inner beauty. UNCW SEA and Coffee, Oct. 22, 2009.
319. Cahoon, Lawrence. Coupling of Equatorial Pacific Conditions with Southeast U.S.
River Discharge. Carolinas and Virginia Climate Conference, Oct. 21, 2009
318. Lawrence Cahoon, M.G. Sanilkumar, A.V. Saramma, and K.J. Joseph, Monsoon effects
on biomass and distribution of microphytobenthos in the Cochin Estuary, southwest India. SEERS
Annual Meeting, March 21, 2009.
317. Cahoon, Lawrence. Effects of beach renourishment. UNCW Odyssey, Feb. 23, 2009.
316. Cahoon, Lawrence. Managing North Carolina’s Ocean resources: Draft Report of the
Ocean Policy Steering Committee, D/UNCOC Annual Meeting, Nov. 21, 2008.
315. Cahoon, Lawrence. Is “Drill, baby, drill” ‘dumb, baby, dumb’ for NC? NC Beaches,
Inlets, and Waterways Association 18th annual meeting, Nov. 18, 2008.
314. Cahoon, Lawrence, Michael Mallin. Fecal Indicator Bacteria in Aquatic Sediments.
Abstract for UNCW Public Health conference, Nov. 7, 2008.
313. Cahoon, Lawrence, Christopher Halkides, Bongkeun Song, Michael Williams,
George Dubay. Microbial anti-oxidants from swine waste lagoons. Abstract for UNCW Public
Health conference, Nov. 7, 2008.
312. Song, Bongkeun, Mallin, Michael and Cahoon, Lawrence. Public health risk
assessment of bacterial contamination from swine concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
Abstract for UNCW Public Health conference.
311. Cahoon, L.B., R.H. Cutting, and M.A. Mallin. Water pollution is a property rights
issue. WRRI Annual Conference, Oct. 9, 2008.
310. Cahoon, L.B. Global warming: The Challenge of Adaptation. Wilmington Senior
Men’s Club, May 16, 2008
37
 334

309. Cahoon, L.B. Benthic ecology and sand resources, NC DCM Ocean Policy Steering
Committee, May 8, 2008.
308. Cahoon, L.B. Global warming: The Challenge of Adaptation. Take Action Tour, May
3, 2008.
307. Fries, A.S., and L.B. Cahoon. Microbial anti-oxidants from swine waste lagoons.
CSURF poster presentations, April 16, 2008.
306. Fries, A.S., and L.B. Cahoon. Microbial anti-oxidants from swine waste lagoons.
UNCW Sigma Xi chapter annual meeting, April 9, 2008.
305. Fries, A.S., and L.B. Cahoon. Microbial anti-oxidants from swine waste lagoons.
NCAS Annual Meeting, March 29, 2008.
304. DuRant, E.A., M.A. Mallin and L.B. Cahoon. 2008. “The Cape Fear River
plume as a localized region of zooplankton aggregation. “Meeting of the Southeastern Estuarine
Research Society, Charleston, S.C. Mar 14, 2008
303. Cahoon, L.B. A Primer on Climate Change, UNCW Odyssey, Feb. 25, 2008
302. Cahoon, L.B. Global warming, southeastern US drought, and local challenges.
Women’s Professional Education Organization, Jan. 16, 2008
301. Cahoon, L.B. Investigating fecal contamination sources at castle Hayne, Castle Hayne
Steering Committee, Jan. 14, 2008.
300. Cahoon, L.B., and R. Huber. “River Run” demonstration, Cape Fear River Watch First
Saturday program, Jan. 5, 2008
299. Cahoon, L.B. Is the river safe? Castle Hayne Steering Committee, Dec. 4, 2007
298. DuRant, E.A., M.A. Mallin and L.B. Cahoon The Cape Fear River Plume as a
Localized Region of Zooplankton Aggregation, ERF Meeting, Nov., 2007
297. Cahoon, L.B. IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHOSPHORUS AND
FECAL INDICATOR BACTERIA IN AQUATIC SEDIMENTS? Invited seminar, UNC IMS, Sept.
11, 2007
296. Cahoon, L.B. Storm water impacts at Lake Waccamaw, Lake Waccamaw State Park,
Aug. 15, 2007.
295. Cahoon, L.B. Coping with climate change. Society of American Military Engineers,
July 19, 2007.
294. Cahoon, L.B. Global warming: Consensus, uncertainties, and misconceptions.
Society of American Military Engineers, June 21, 2007.
293. Cahoon, L.B. Living in a Warmer World: Heaven or Hell? UNCW Global Warming
Conference, June 8, 2007 (invited)

GRANTS:
PENDING:

Determining Seed Population and Nutrient Sources Supporting Toxic Blue-Green Algal Blooms in
the Cape Fear River, and Finding Solutions, Mallin, Cahoon and Bailey, Duke Energy Progress,
$87,800

Analyses of NERRS long-term data sets as tools for understanding dissolved oxygen dynamics in
NC estuaries. Cahoon, Blum and Toothman, UNC Sea Grant, $27,932

Impacts of Elements from Coal Combustion Residues on the Resurrection of Zooplankton from
Dormant Egg-Banks: Filling a Critical Gap in our Understanding of Bottom-up Effects on the
Stability of Freshwater Ecosystems and Recreational Fishing Stocks. Covi and Cahoon, WRRI,
$59,973
38
 335

FUNDED (>$10 million total)

(2014)
Quantification of Fecal Bacteria Removal by Micro-zooplankton

Grazing in Stormwater BMPs, UNC WRRI, Mallin and Cahoon, $58,272

(2012)
Vulnerability of coastal central sewer systems to sea level rise, UNC Sea Grant, $5,800 + graduate
stipend

(2011)
Evaluating the invasive seaweed, Gracilaria vermiculophylla, as a source of plant growth promoter
compounds, UNC Sea Grant ($5040), L.B. Cahoon and B.R. Toothman

Bacterial consortia in swine waste lagoons: The role of purple phototrophic bacteria and anaerobic
ammonium oxidation (anammox) in odor control and natural products synthesis. NC Pork Council
(Cahoon and Song, $25,000; Year 3)

Evaluating high primary production in the surf zone: expanding the toolbox, CMS Pilot Project,
$25,000, with Craig Bailey

(2010)
MRI: Acquisition of an LC/MSn (Ralph Mead, PI, LBC co-PI, among many others, 187,884) NSF,
CHE - MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION

Response to BP Oil Spill: Baseline Beach Sampling for North Carolina (Cahoon, Lankford and
Alphin, $6000, Sea Grant)

Bacterial consortia in swine waste lagoons: The role of purple phototrophic bacteria and anaerobic
ammonium oxidation (anammox) in odor control and natural products synthesis. NC Pork Council
(Cahoon and Song, $25,000; Year 2)

(2009)
Bacterial consortia in swine waste lagoons: The role of purple phototrophic bacteria and anaerobic
ammonium oxidation (anammox) in odor control and natural products synthesis. NC Pork Council
(Cahoon and Song, $25,000; Year 1)

Biodiesel production from hog lagoon microbial communities, NC Biotechnology Center (Song and
Cahoon, $31,000)

Key parameters for assessing beach functionality, UNC Sea Grant (Cahoon, Posey, Leonard, Lankford,
and Alphin, $14,357 + $23,395 + $21,762, year 2)

Environmental assessment of Calabash Creek (Stanaland LLC, $10,052)

Using PCR-based methods to assess microbial contamination from swine CAFOs in surface and
groundwaters, UNC WRRI (Song, Cahoon and Mallin, $50,000)

39
 336

(2008):
Key parameters for assessing beach functionality, UNC Sea Grant (Cahoon, Posey, Leonard, Lankford,
and Alphin, $14,357 + $23,395 + $21,762, year 1)

(2007):
Microbial anti-oxidants from swine waste lagoons, UNC Research Competitiveness Fund, w/Song,
Halkides, M. Williams, and G. Dubay, $116,507, 1 year

HONORS, AWARDS, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE:

UNCW Faculty Engagement in Sponsored Research (FESR) Proposal Development Fellow, 2008
Rated “Exemplary” in 5-year Post-Tenure Review, 2008, 2013

UNCW Graduate Mentor Award, 2010

Member, Legislative Study Subcommittee on offshore energy exploration, 2009-2010

Member, OCEAN POLICY STEERING COMMITTEE (NC Division of Coastal Management),
2008
Member, Board of Directors, Cape Fear River Watch, 2007-

President, American Chemical Society Eastern NC Section, 2011-2013

Journal Reviewer: Limnology & Oceanography, Journal of Coastal Research, Marine Ecology
Progress Series, Estuaries and Coasts, Water Science and Technology, Environmental Monitoring and
Assessment, ISRN Oceanography

Guest Editor: Journal of Coastal Management special issue: “Making the Connection: Translating
Science into Effective Coastal Policy”, Coastal Management Volume 39.

40
 337

CURRICULUM VITAE

Hsiang-Yin Chen
Lecturer
Department of Biology Marine Biology
University of North Carolina Wilmington
e-mail: chenh@uncw.edu

EDUCATION
2007-2012 Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Ph.D. (Dec 2012)
2002-2005 Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan;
M.S. (June 2005)
1998- 2002 Department of Biology, National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan;
B.S. (June 2002)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
National Changhua University of Education
Teaching Assistant, Animal Physiology and Lab (2004 - 2005)
Intern in Senior Industrial Vocational School, National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan
(2005 - 2006)
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Teaching Assistant, Topics in Contemporary Biology, BY102 (2008)
Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Human Physiology, BY116 (2009, 2011-2013)
Teaching Assistant, Principles of Human Physiology, BY409 (2010)

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Lecturer, Biochemistry Lab, BY465 (2013-present)
Lecture, Human Anatomy Lab, BY201 (2014-present)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Guest lecture: Invertebrate Zoology, BY255, University of Alabama at Birmingham (2012, 2013)

AWARD

1. National Science Council Grant for Undergraduate Student’s Research Project (NSC 90-2815-C-
018-005-B; July, 2002 – March, 2003).
2. First place poster of Annual Graduate Student Competition, Department of Biology, National
Changhua University of Education. 2005.
3. Travel Grant Award, Graduate Student Association, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2010.
4. Charlotte Mangum Student Support Program, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology,
2010.
5. Second place poster in the Biological Science Section at the 88th Annual Meeting of the Alabama
Academy of Science, 2011.

PUBLICATIONS
Chen HY, Watson RD, Chen JC, Liu HF, Lee CY. 2007. Molecular characterization and gene
expression of two putative molt-inhibiting hormones from Litopenaeus vannamei. Gen
Comp Endocrinol 151: 72-81. 41
 338

Zheng J, Chen HY, Choi CY, Roer RD, Watson RD. 2010. Molecular cloning of a putative
crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) isoform from extra-eyestalk tissue of the blue crab
(Callinectes sapidus), and determination of temporal and spatial patterns of CHH gene
expression. Gen Comp Endocrinol 169: 174-181.

Chen HY, Watson RD. 2011. Changes in intracellular calcium concentration in crustacean
(Callinectes sapidus) Y-organs: relation to the hemolymphatic ecdysteroid titer. J Exp Zool A
Ecol Genet Physiol 315: 56-60.

Chen HY, Dillaman RM, Roer RD, Watson RD. 2012. Stage-specific changes in calcium
concentration in crustacean (Callinectes sapidus) Y-organs during a natural molting cycle, and
their relation to the hemolymphatic ecdysteroid titer. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr
Physiol. 163:170-173.

Chen HY, Roer RD, Watson RD. 2013. Molecular cloning of a plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase
(PMCA) from Y-organs of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), and determination of spatial and
temporal patterns of PMCA gene expression. Gene. 522:8-17.

42
 339

Robert Howard Condon

Assistant Professor
Department of Biology and Marine Biology
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
601 South College Rd., Wilmington NC 28403
Phone: +1 251 654-3464
Skype: mnemiopsis007
Email: condonr@uncw.edu
Date of Birth: 27 May 1974
Nationality & Resident Status: Australian, US Permanent Resident

Professional Preparation

2010: Post-Doctoral Researcher, Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL)

2008 – 2009: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS)
2002 – 2008: Ph.D., Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), College of William & Mary
1992 – 1997: B.Sc. (Hons.), University of Melbourne, Australia

Scientific Appointments

2014 – Assistant Professor, UNCW

2010 – 2013: Research Senior Marine Scientist, DISL
2009 – 2010: Assistant Research Scientist, BIOS
2008: Senior Research Scientist, VIMS
2001 – 2002: Faculty Research Assistant II, Horn Point Laboratory, University of
Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)
1999 – 2001: Faculty Research Assistant I, Horn Point Laboratory, UMCES

Research Interests
 Biological and chemical oceanography and plankton ecology
 Global jellyfish blooms, societal perceptions and effects on socio-economics and role in
biogeochemical cycles
 Global oil spills and effects on food web processes, ecosystem resilience and functioning
 Role of phytoplankton, microbes and zooplankton in carbon export, food web processes, and
ecosystem metabolism. Feeding ecology and metabolism of planktonic communities.
 Marine science outreach programs with early childhood and elementary school students

Scientific Experience and Skills

 Research Assistant Professor, USA & Research Senior Marine Scientist, DISL: May 2010 –
Dec 2013

Global Jellyfish Blooms and Food Web Interactions Research:

- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) Global Jellyfish
Project - Lead PI of NCEAS global jellyfish working group, consisting of 30 scientists 43
from around the world. The objective of the project is to examine the magnitude and global
 340

jellyfish blooms and effects on biogeogechemical cycles and socioeconomics. (see ‘Funding
and Proposals’). Primary duties:
o Coordinated five workshops at NCEAS
o Led two major papers analyzing the paradigm of global jellyfish blooms (BioScience
and PNAS) and co-authored five additional manuscripts
o Hosted/participated in two public outreach events in Santa Barbara and Madrid,
Spain
o Conducting International Jellyfish Art contest resulting in the preparation of a
coffee-table style book comparing science with artwork (see publications)
o Constructed the Jellyfish Database Initiative (JEDI) with over 500,000 records
o Interviews for global media agencies.
- Trophic BATS – Co-PI of a NSF collaborative project examining the role of zooplankton as
mediators of carbon export and planktonic food web processes across different mesoscale
eddies. Conducted four cruises over the past two years in the vicinity of the Bermuda
Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site in the Sargasso Sea where grazing by crustacean
and gelatinous zooplankton were quantified across production gradients and related to the
biological pump.

Deepwater Horizon and Global Oil Spill Research:

- Fisheries Oceanography of Coastal Alabama (FOCAL) program – Monthly monitoring

of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in northern Gulf of Mexico waters. Primary duties:
o Coordinated water quality and nutrient component of FOCAL measuring: stable
(13C and 15N) and radio (14C) isotopes, inorganic nutrients, zooplankton, microbial
production and respiration, chlorophyll, flow cytometry, nutrients, particulate and
dissolved organic carbon, chromophoric dissolved organic matter spectra, methane,
oxygen, CTD profiles, and hydrocarbon analysis of oil and zooplankton.
o Disseminated results of monitoring through daily reports to funding agencies and
stakeholders, presentations at conferences and writing publications on the oil spill
effects on food web processes.
- Metabolism of oil by plankton communities – Lead PI on a collaborative project
examining the effects of dispersed oil on carbon pathways in pelagic food webs, microbial
metabolism (e.g., ‘priming effect’ research) and zooplankton production. Primary duties:
o Management of two large-scale, multidisciplinary mesocosm experiments involving
co-PIs, postdocs, graduate students, research technicians and interns
o Conducted independent and collaborative research on effects of dispersed oil on
community metabolism and ecosystem resilience
- Effects of dispersants on Sargassum mats – Conducted three mesocosm experiments with
DISL colleagues examining effects of dispersed oil on removal of essential fish habitat in
the Gulf of Mexico, specifically measuring sinking of Sargassum mats caused by reduced
oxygen diffusion. This work will be submitted to Science as a brevia article.
- Global oil spill database – constructed a database of global oil spills with over 8,000
records for the past century to be made publically available in 2013. Global analysis of oil
spills being conducted (manuscript in preparation) as a means of assessing oil as an
anthropogenic stressor on coastal and open-ocean systems by comparing oil carbon to
primary production, riverine carbon inputs and volatile organic fluxes on a global scale.
- NCEAS ecotoxicology oil group – active participant in the global oil working group
that was established to examine environmental and management issues surrounding the 44
Deepwater Horizon incident and to provide policy documents for future deep water vs.
 341

surface spills and the application of dispersant (see BioScience article – Anderson et al.
2012).

Teaching and Advisor Duties:

- Instructor for ‘Introduction to Oceanography’ course: 2010, 2012 & 2013 (4 credits)
- Guest lecturer for graduate level ‘Biological Oceanography’ class
- TEAMS (Toward Elementary Advancement Module in Science) program with direct and
virtual classroom visits to US and international (e.g., Bermuda) elementary and early
childhood classrooms. TEAMS objectives:
o To educate young children and nurture their interest in science
o To teach students the process of science and to involve them in the research
o To assist teachers and educators in developing marine science curriculum

 Assistant Research Scientist, Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS): May 2009 – May
2010
Research tasks:
- Responsible for analysing the zooplankton time-series at BATS and the implications of
zooplankton for biogeochemical cycling and the biological pump. Participated in BATS
cruises and led the zooplankton component on two process-oriented, transect cruises (BVal)
- Established blue-water diving sampling program to monitor delicate open-ocean gelatinous
zooplankton
- Environmental & biogeochemical controls on phytoplankton and microbial metabolism
(production & respiration) & community structure.
- Examining microzooplankton and flagellate grazing & viruses on picoautotrophs and
heterotrophic bacteria and anchialine caves of Bermuda.
- Examining the role of picoautotrophs (Synecochoccus & Prochlorococcus) & attached
bacteria in carbon and nitrogen cycling using stable isotopes & flow cytometry sorting
Teaching Duties:
- Co-instructor of fall classes: Marine Invertebrate Zoology (5 credits) and Marine Biology &
Oceanographic Research (6 credits) conducted through Roger Williams University and
University of Rhode Island (teaching syllabus available upon request).
- Co-instructor of Biological Oceanography module, POGO Center of Excellence program.
- Seminars to REU students on jellyfish blooms, experimental design and statistical analyses
 Post-doctoral Fellow, BIOS: Aug 2008 – May 2009
Supervisor: Dr Michael Lomas

- Flow cytometry project examining picoautotrophs & attached bacteria

- Conducted two week lecture & discussion course on biological oceanography observing
systems to POGO Center of Excellence graduate students.

 Post Doctoral Researcher, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and
Mary: May 2008 – Aug 2008
Supervisor: Dr. Deborah Bronk, Physical Sciences
Research tasks:
- Isolation of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and development of a method to measure
DON
45
 342

 Graduate Student, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary: Aug
2002 – April 2008
Major Advisor: Dr. Deborah Steinberg, Zooplankton ecologist
Research tasks and responsibilities:
- Monitoring blooms of jellyfish and ctenophores in Chesapeake Bay
- Conducting lab experiments designed to determine (1) the rates of dissolved organic matter
(DOM) excretion by phytoplankton, jellyfish and ctenophore blooms and, (2) the impacts of
jellyfish on bacterioplankton metabolism and growth efficiencies in Chesapeake Bay
- Determination of carbon and nitrogen composition of phytoplankton and zooplankton using a
Coulter CHN elemental analyser
- Characterization and environmental regulation of spring phytoplankton blooms, role of
mixotrophy in sustaining dinoflagellate (Cochlodinium) bloom.
- Measurement of bacterial abundance, cell activity, communities and metabolism using flow
cytometry, radioisotopes, membrane inlet mass spectrometry and fluorescence in situ
hybridization (FISH)
- Measurement of dissolved organic carbon using a Shimadzu TOC 5000 high temperature
combustion system; responsible for maintenance of instrument for lab
- Measurement of dissolved inorganic and organic nitrogen and phosphorus using a Lachet
nutrient autoanalyzer and Shimadzu spectrofluorometer

VIMS field experience and cruises:

- 2002 – Present: Jellyfish Survey Program, Chesapeake Bay, USA. Designed and led
biweekly sampling program measuring gelatinous zooplankton blooms, mesozooplankton,
bacterioplankton, chlorophyll, particulate organic carbon and nitrogen, and dissolved organic
and inorganic nutrients. Program objectives to determine factors controlling jellyfish blooms
and impacts on the environment.
- 2005 – 2006: Dissolved Organic Matter in Ocean environments (DOMINO, National Science
Foundation, Biocomplexity program), Chesapeake Bay, USA and North Pacific. Cruises
investigated impacts of zooplankton, phytoplankton blooms, and viruses on DOM cycling.
- June 2004: Vertical Transport in the Global Ocean (VERTIGO, National Science
Foundation), subtropical North Pacific. Cruises measured biological and physical factors
controlling carbon flux in the mesopelagic ocean. Collected zooplankton using a multiple
plankton net (MOCNESS) system; assisted with deployment and recovery of sediment trap
samples.

Teaching experience:
- Teaching assistant for first year Chemical, Physical, Biological and Geological
Oceanography classes (VIMS MS 501A–D)
- Presented lectures on methods used in microbial ecology, zooplankton ecology, and topics in
biological oceanography to VIMS graduate students
- Conducted pre-exam review sessions for first year students
- Coordinated discussion sessions on current topics in estuarine, coastal and ocean science
- Responsible for grading exams and homework assignments in Chemical Oceanography
 Faculty Research Assistant (FRA) II, Horn Point Laboratory (HPL), University of Maryland
Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), Maryland, USA: Jan 2001 – Aug 2002
Supervisor: Dr. Paul del Giorgio, Microbial Ecologist.
- Determination of bacterial phylogenetic groups using FISH
- Determination of microbial respiration rates using membrane inlet mass spectrometry 46
- Quantification of bacterial production and respiration
 343

- Identification of microzooplankton and bacterial groups using epifluorescence, phase contrast

and immersion microscopy
- Primary production and bacterial production using radioactive incorporation techniques
- Bacterial production and abundance determination using flow cytometry
- Preparation and upkeep of bacterial and nanoflagellate cultures
- Laboratory maintenance and administration
 Faculty Research Assistant I, HPL, UMCES: Jan 2000 – Dec 2000
Supervisor: Dr. Jenny Purcell, Zooplankton Ecologist.
- Identification and gut content analyses of Chesapeake Bay and Alaskan jellyfish and
zooplankton
- Performing experiments investigating the effects of hypoxia on jellyfish polyps
- Field sampling of plankton within the mid-Atlantic region
- Sampling apparatus included: Underwater video, Tucker and mid water trawls, benthic
sleds, Bongo nets, Niskin bottles, zooplankton pumps
- Organization and everyday maintenance of laboratory and field equipment
- Figure and text preparation for scientific presentations, papers and reports
 Research Assistant, MoV: November 1995 - June 1996.
Supervisor: Dr. C.C. Lu, former Senior Curator Invertebrate Zoology.

- Dissection, electron microscopy, and photography of cephalopod radulae for publication in

Fauna of Australia - Mollusca (2001)
 Research Assistant, The University of Melbourne: July 1995 - June 1996.
Supervisor: Dr. Mark Norman, Zoology Department.
- Assistance in day and night SCUBA diving to collect, photograph and video cephalopods
- Maintenance of octopus and squid in aquaria for behavioural studies
- Taxonomic description of octopus housed in the Museum of Victoria collections
- Provided professional expertise and conducted field collection of jellyfish for the Marine
and Freshwater Resources Institute, Surf Life Saving Victoria, Australian Venom Research
Unit
 Public Volunteer Program, Museum of Victoria: Sept 1994 – Dec 1997.
- Over 350 hours work for the Invertebrate Zoology, Ichthyology & Crustacean departments
- Identification and maintenance of specimens housed in the jellyfish, ctenophore,
cephalopod, crustacean, fishes and polychaete collections
- Participation in a MoV field sampling program aimed at documenting the distribution of
introduced fish species in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria
- Interpretation of museum exhibits to the public
- Dissection and illustration of undescribed cephalopod and crustacean species
- Literature searches of species descriptions for exhibits and publications

 Voluntary Field and Laboratory Work: 1996 – Present.

Voluntary field and laboratory assistance to Dr. Jenny Purcell (UMCES), Graduate students
and Marine Research Group of Victoria. Work experience included:
- Over 300 hours marine and estuarine based fieldwork.
- Identification of inter & sub-tidal benthic flora, invertebrates and fishes 47
 344

- SCUBA diving and snorkelling, often in cold or rough conditions, in waters with poor
visibility and in remote locations
- Use of small boats and trawling vessels to undertake benthic & plankton trawls
- Regular monitoring of settlement plates
- Acquiring sediment cores and water samples for nutrient and phytoplankton studies
- Supervision and instruction of first year science students during biology practicals.
- Weekly collection and husbandry of marine invertebrates from Port Phillip Bay and
Southern Ocean waters for Invertebrate Zoology class

Additional Experience and Skills

 Assistant Team Manager, State Revenue Office of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia : Dec 1997
– Dec 1999
- Management of 30 employees, produced procedure manual
- Analysis of section statistics and compilation of team and revenue reports for State Treasury
- Recipient of the State Commissioner’s Monthly Excel Award
- Answering complex customer inquiries relating to state legislation

 Computer experience

- Word processing programs including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)

- Statistical, database and graphics software including: ArcView GIS, Minitab, JMP, Sigma
Stat, Ocean Data View, Sigma Plot, Surfer Plot, Adobe Photoshop, Morpho metadata
software, Graph Click

 Microscopy Experience

- Dissecting, light and scanning electron microscopes

- Phase contrast and epifluorescent microscopy using FISH
- Histological and microscopy preparation of soft bodied and microscopic tissue samples
- Critical point drying

 SCUBA Experience

- Blue-water diving experience

- SCUBA certified, NASDS Open Water Diver, with approx. 200 logged dives
- Underwater photography and video
- Scientific collection of jellyfish and other marine species

Professional Development, Community Service & Awards

May 2013: Contributing Editor, Marine Ecology Progress Series

April 2012: VIMS Best Publication by a PhD Student (for 2011 PNAS paper, research
conducted during PhD)
Dec 2011: Member of the DISL Estuarium Advisory Committee
Sept 2011: Current Chair of the ASLO Image Library Committee
Nov 2009: Lead PI of the NCEAS Global Jellyfish Group, construction of the Jellyfish
Database Initiative (JEDI)
June 2007: Best Student Oral Presentation, 2nd International Jellyfish Blooms
Symposium 48
 345

April 2007: VIMS Art & Auction Award ($11,000)

March 2007: College of William & Mary Student Activities Conference Fund ($250)
February 2007: College of William & Mary Reves Center International Fund ($500)
January 2007: VIMS Graduate Student Association Conference Fund ($100)
December 2006: VIMS Dean & Directors Office Travel Fund ($500)
May 2006: Craig L. Smith Memorial Educational Scholarship. Virginia Institute of
Marine Science, College of William & Mary ($800)
Publications (547 citations, H-index = 14, see Google profile)
* Denotes lead PI on project and also contributed equally to the preparation of the manuscript
 * Ortmann, A.C., Shelton, N.L. & Condon, R.H. (In Review) Nutrient limitation alters the
response of Bacteria to oil and dispersants in coastal surface water. Environ. Microbiol.

 Condon, R.H., Bouvier, T.C. & Steinberg, D.K. (In Review). Phylogenetic changes in natural
bacterioplankton communities in a jellyfish dominated estuary. Aquatic Microbial Ecology.
Reviewers comments received, revised manuscript in preparation.
 Condon, R.H., Lucas, C.H., Pitt, K.A. & Uye, S-I. (2014) Jellyfish blooms and ecological
interactions Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 510: 107-288

 Condon, R.H., Lucas, C.H., Pitt, K.A. & Uye, S-I. (2014) Introduction: Jellyfish blooms and
ecological interactions Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 510: 109-110
 Pitt, K. A., Budarf, A. C., Browne, J. G., Condon, R.H. (2014). Chapter 4. Bloom and bust:
why do blooms of jellyfish collapse? In: Jellyfish Blooms Pitt, K.A. & Lucas, C.H. (eds.)
Springer.
 Lucas, C.H., Hollyhead, C.J., Condon, R.H., Duarte, C.M., Robinson, K.L., Graham, W.M. &
Pitt, K.A. (2014) Gelatinous biomass in the global ocean. Global Ecol. Biogeogr. DOI:
10.1111/geb.12169
 Powers, S.P., Hernandez, F.J., Condon, R.H., Drymon, J.M. & Free, C. (2013) Novel pathways
for injury from offshore oil spills: Direct, sublethal and indirect effects of the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill on Sargassum communities. PLoS ONE
 Anderson, S.S., Peterson, C.H., Cherr, G.N., Ambrose, R.F., Anghera, S., Bay, S., Blum, M.,
Condon, R.H. and 15 others. (In Review). Understanding and properly interpreting the 2010
Deepwater Horizon blowout. Book chapter for upcoming oil policy book.
 Pitt, K.A., Duarte, C.M., Lucas, C.H., Sutherland, K.R., Condon, R.H. and 4 others. (In
Review). Allomteric anomalies of jellyfish are not explained by their low carbon content. PLoS
ONE.

 Condon, R.H. and 20 others. (2013). Global oscillations foretell recurrent jellyfish blooms.
Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 110: 1000-1005. doi:10.1073/pnas.1210920110
 Condon, R.H. (2012). ASLO Image Library: A picture tells a thousand words. Limnology &
Oceanography Bulletin. 21:106-107
 * Ortmann, A.C., Anders, J., Shelton, N.L., Moss, A.C. & Condon, R.H. (2012). Dispersed oil
disrupts microbial pathways in pelagic food webs. PLoS ONE. 7: e42548
 * Duarte, C.M., Pitt, K.A., Lucas, C., Purcell, J.E., Uye, S., Robinson, K.A., Brotz, L., 49
Decker, M.B., Sutherland, K.R., Malej, A., Madin, L.P., Mianzan, H., Gili, J.M., Fuentes, V.,
 346

Atienza, D., Pages, F., Breitburg, D., Malek, J.C., Graham, W.M. & Condon, R.H. (2012).
Global ocean sprawl as a Trojan horse for jellyfish blooms. Frontiers in Ecology and the
Environment. 2012: doi:10.1890/110246
 Lebrato, M., Pitt, K.A., Sweetman, A.K., Jones, D.O.B., Cartes, J.E., Oschlies, A., Condon
R.H. and 5 others (2012). Jelly-falls historic and recent observations: a synthesis to drive future
research directions. Hydrobiologia doi:10.1007/s10750-012-1046-8
 Condon, R.H., and 16 others. (2012). Questioning the rise of gelatinous zooplankton in the
world’s oceans. BioScience. 62: 160-169
 Peterson, C.H., Anderson, S.S., Cherr, G.N., Ambrose, R.F., Anghera, S., Bay, S., Blum, M.,
Condon, R.H. and 15 others. (2012). A tale of two spills: Novel science and policy implications
of an emerging new oil spill model. BioScience. 62: 461–469.
 Condon, R.H., Steinberg, D.K., Del Giorgio, P.A., Bouvier, T.C., Bronk, D.A., Graham, W.M.,
& Ducklow, H.W. (2011). Jellyfish blooms result in a major microbial respiratory sink of
carbon in marine systems. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 108: 10225–10230.
doi:10.1073/pnas.1015782108
 * Brotz, L., Lebrato, M., Robinson, K. L., Sexton, M., Sweetman, A. K., Pitt, K. and Condon,
R.H. (2011). Implications of increased carbon supply for the global expansion of jellyfish
blooms. Limnology & Oceanography Bulletin 20: 38-39.
 del Giorgio, P.A., Condon, R.H., Bouvier, T., Longnecker, K., Bouvier, C.. Sherr, E.B. &
Gasol, J.M. (2011). Coherent patterns in bacterial growth, growth efficiency and leucine
respiration and incorporation along a North Pacific inshore- offshore transect. Limnol.
Oceanogr. 56: 1-16.
 Lebrato, M., Pahlow, M., Oschlies, A., Pitt, K. A., Jones, D.O.B., Molinero, J.C., & Condon,
R.H. (2011). Depth attenuation of organic matter export associated with jelly falls. Limnol.
Oceanogr. 56: 1917–1928.
 Lucas, C.H., Pitt, K.A., Purcell, J.E., Lebrato, M. & Condon, R.H. (2011). What’s in a
jellyfish? Proximate and elemental composition and biometric relationships for use in
biogeochemical studies. Ecology 92:1704 (Supplemental material in Ecological Archives E092-
144)
 Graham, W.M., Condon, R.H., Carmichael, R.H. et al. Oil carbon entered the coastal
planktonic food web during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (2010). Environ. Res. Letters. 5:
045301 (6pp)
 IIikchyan, I.N., McKay, R.M.L., Kutovaya, O.A., Condon, R.H. & Bullerjahn, G.S. (2010).
Seasonal expression of the picocyanobacterial phosphonate transporter gene phnD in the
Sargasso Sea. Frontiers in Microbiology. Dec 2010, 1: Article 135
 Lomas, M.W., Steinberg, D.K., Carlson, C.A., Nelson, N.B., Condon, R.H. & Bates, N.R.
(2010). Multi-year increases in shallow biological carbon export are mitigated by enhance
mesopelagic attenuation in the Sargasso Sea. Biogeoscience. 7: 57–70.
 Condon, R.H., Steinberg, D.K. & Bronk, D.A. (2010). Production of dissolved organic matter
and inorganic nutrients by gelatinous zooplankton in the York River estuary, USA. Journal of
Plankton Research. 32: 153–170.
 Steinberg, D.K. & Condon, R.H. (2009). Zooplankton of the York River. Journal of 50
Coastal Research. SI (57): 66-79.
 347

 Pitt, K.A., Welsh, D.T. & Condon, R.H. (2009). Influence of jellyfish blooms on nutrient
cycling and plankton production. Hydrobiologia. 616: 133-149. doi: 10.1007/s10750-008-9584-
9
 Condon, R.H. & Steinberg, D.K. (2008). Development, biological regulation, and fate of
ctenophore (Mnemiopsis leidyi) blooms in the York River estuary, USA. Marine Ecology
Progress Series. 369: 153-168. doi: 10.3354/meps07595
 Steinberg, D.K. & Condon, R.H. (2008). “Zooplankton” chapter. Special report for National
Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) publication into flora and fauna of the York River
estuary, Virginia, USA.
 Pace, M.L., P.A. del Giogio, D. Fischer, R.H. Condon & H. Malcolm. (2004). Estimates of
bacterial production using leucine incorporation method are influenced by protein retention of
microcentrifuge tubes. Limnology & Oceanography Methods. 2: 55-61.
 Condon, R.H., Decker, M.B. & Purcell, J.E. (2001). Effects of low dissolved oxygen on
survival and asexual reproduction of scyphozoan polyps (Chrysaora quinquecirrha).
Hydrobiologia 451: 89-95
 Condon, R.H. & Norman, M.D. (1999). Commensal associations between the pelagic
amphipod Themisto australis and the scyphomedusan Cyanea capillata. Mar. Fresh. Beh. Phys.
32: 261-267
Funding & Proposals

 NSF, Bio OCE. Condon, R.H., Lomas, M.W., Longnecker, K. & Cowen, R. Collaborative
Research: Connecting jelly-plankton communities, microbial dynamics, and biogeochemical
cycling in the oligotrophic North Atlantic Ocean. 3-yr program, pending ($1.4 million)
 US Australia Joint Commission Meeting Funding. Condon, R.H. & Duarte, C.M. US and
Australia Oil Research Partnership. 2-yr program, pending ($50,000)
 NGI, Phase II Funding. Condon, R.H. & W.M. Graham. Does the “primer effect” caused by the
DWH oil spill result in increased microbial and zooplankton consumption of labile and
refractory DOC? 2-yr program, completed. ($104,000)
 MESC-BP GRI Funding. Condon, R.H. Theme 3: Recovery. Task 3. Plankton dynamics in
response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. 2 yr program. ($86,500)
 NSF, Bio OCE. Richardson, T., Nauer, S. & Condon, R.H. “Collaborative Research: Plankton
Community Composition and Trophic Interactions as Modifiers of Carbon Export in the
Sargasso Sea”. 3-yr program, ongoing. ($301, 339).
 NSF RAPID. Graham, W.M. & Condon, R.H. Understanding ecosystem change within the
plankton communities of the northern Gulf of Mexico as a consequence of the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill: Is there a shift in the classical planktonic food web due to increased microbial
activity on the shelf? 2-yr program, completed. ($200,000).
 National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS). Condon, R.H., Graham,
W.M. & Duarte, C.M. Global expansion of jellyfish blooms: Magnitude, causes and
consequences. 3-year program, Commenced Nov 2009, ongoing. (US$155,700).

51
 348

Journal Reviews

Reviewed manuscripts for many internationally recognized peer-review journals, including Aquatic
Microbial Ecology, PNAS, Frontiers in Microbiology, Limnology and Oceanography, Journal of
Sea Research, Deep Sea Research, Marine Ecology Progress Series, FEMS Microbiological
Ecology, Global Change Biology, Journal of Plankton Research, Journal of Experimental Marine
Biology & Ecology, and Hydrobiologia. Also reviewed research proposals for North Carolina Sea
Grant and National Geographic Society.

Oral Presentations – selection from approx. 30 presentations

 Condon, R.H. (Sept 2014) Validating assessments of global oil spills. Biology Seminar Series,
UNCW.
 Condon, R.H. (May 2014) Jellyfish blooms may not be increasing globally. Invited speaker
for Planet Ocean seminar series. Center for Marine Science, UNCW.
 Condon, R.H., Duarte, C.M., Pitt, K.A., Lucas, C.H., Arthur, J.M., Decker, M.B., Hollyhead,
C.J., Sanz Martin, M. and the NCEAS Global Jellyfish Group. (Feb 2013). Global jellyfish
blooms: Assessing current paradigm, and natural and anthropogenic drivers of long-term
jellyfish populations from the 19th century to present. ASLO Annual Conference, New Orleans
LA. Invited speaker for “Zooplankton responses to ecosystem stressors” session
 Condon, R.H., Duarte, C.M. and Pitt, K.A. (Oct, 2012) Global jellyfish blooms and oil spills:
Perceptions, paradigm and consequences for ecosystem functioning. Atlantic Estuarine
Research Society (AERS) Conference, Chincoteague, VA. Invited speaker.
 Condon, R.H. (Feb, 2012) Global Jellyfish Blooms: Magnitude, Expansion and Causes.
National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS), Santa Barbara, CA.
 Condon, R.H. & NCEAS Jellyfish Group (Jan, 2012) Questioning the rise of jellyfish in the
world’s oceans? The University of Western Australia, Oceans Institute, Perth.
 Shelton, N.L., Condon, R.H., Wilson, S.E., Neuer, S., Lomas, M.W., Smith, S.R., Kramer, L.,
Carassou, L., Richardson, T.L. (Feb, 2012) Contrasting roles of gelatinous and crustacean
zooplankton as mediators of carbon pathways in oligotrophic food webs. ASLO Annual
Conference, Salt Lake City, UT.
 Graham, W.M., Condon, R.H., and 8 others. (Nov, 2011). Was there a collapse of lower trophic
structure on the northern Gulf Shelf during DWH?. CERF Conference, Daytona Beach, FL
 Condon, R.H. (Sept, 2011). ¿Están aumentando las proliferaciónes de medusa a nivel mundial?
(Are jellyfish blooms increasing globally?). FBBVA Jellyfish Event, Madrid, Spain.
 Ortmann, A.C., Metzger, R.C. & Condon, R.H. (May, 2011). Investigating patterns of growth,
grazing and viral lysis of the phytoplankton along a salinity gradient influenced by oil from the
Deepwater Horizon spill. NGI Conference, Mobile, AL.
 Graham, W.M. & Condon, R.H. (April, 2011). Microbial-zooplankton linkages during
Deepwater Horizon: a shift to heterotrophy? University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space
Center, MS.
 Graham, W.M., Condon, R.H., Carmichael, R.H., D’Ambra, I., Patterson, H., Linn, L &
Hernandez Jr., F. (Dec, 2010). Entry of oil (carbon) into the coastal planktonic food web
52
during the Deepwater Horizon spill. AGU Conference, San Franscico, CA.
 349

 Condon, R.H. et al. (2010). Exploring the paradigm of a global expansion in jellyfish:
Implications for biogeochemical cycles & food webs in a changing ocean. IMBER Workshop,
Crete, Greece (Oct, 2010).
 Condon, R.H. et al. (2009). The ‘jelly pump’: Consequences of jellyfish blooms for increased
carbon metabolism within the microbial loop. Annual ASLO Conference, Nice, France. (Jan,
2009). Session co-chair with G. Gorsky & W.M. Graham of “Gelatinous zooplankton blooms”
session.
 Condon, R.H. (2007). Links between dissolved organic matter excretion by gelatinous
zooplankton and bacterial metabolism. Laboratoire d’Oceanographie de Villefranche, France.
(November, 2007).
 Condon, R.H., D.K. Steinberg, T. Bouvier & P.A. del Giorgio. (2007). Links between dissolved
organic matter excretion by gelatinous zooplankton and bacterial metabolism. 2nd International
Jellyfish Blooms Symposium, Gold Coast, Australia. (June, 2007). Awarded Best Student Oral
Presentation
 Condon, R.H. and D.K. Steinberg. (2004). Effects of ctenophores on organic and inorganic
nutrient cycling in the York River estuary, Virginia, USA. ASLO Summer Meeting, Savannah,
USA. (June, 2004). Session co-chair with W.M. Graham of “Gelatinous zooplankton blooms”
session.

Poster presentations

 Condon, R.H., Robinson, K.L., Bogeberg, M., Graham, W.M., Duarte, C.M., Regetz, J.,
Schildhauer, M., Hampton, S., Madin, L.P. and the JEDI Development Team. (Feb, 2012)
ASLO Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, UT.
 Condon, R.H., Graham, W.M., Brandes, J., Ortmann, A.C., Linn, L.J., Shelton, N.L.,
Heranadez Jr., F.J. (Feb, 2012) Hydrocarbons as subsidy energy for microbial and food web
production in coastal Gulf of Mexico waters.
 Robinson, K.L., Condon, R.H., Graham, W.M., Duarte, C.M., Decker, M.B., Purcell, J.E., Pitt,
K.A., Lucas, C.H., Madin, L.P. and JEDI Development Team. (Feb, 2012) Quantifying global-
scale dependencies between jellies and climate forces: an analytical approach using the Jellyfish
Database Initiative. ASLO Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, UT.
 Condon, R.H., Graham, W.M., Brandes, J., Kiene, R., Linn, L.J., Ortmann, A.C. & Shelton, N.
(May, 2011). Hydrocarbons as subsidy energy for food web production in coastal Gulf of
Mexico waters. NGI Conference, Mobile, AL. Poster presentation.
 Shelton, N.L., Condon, R.H., Graham, W.M. & Linn, L.J. (Feb, 2011). Source-sink dynamics
of oil-derived chromophoric dissolved organic matter in coastal Gulf of Mexico waters. ASLO
Ocean Sciences Meeting, San Juan, PR. Poster presentation.
 Graham, W.M., Condon, R.H. et al. (Oct, 2010). Oil carbon entered the coastal microbial &
planktonic food web during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. IMBER Workshop. Poster
presentation.
 Condon, R.H., Steinberg, D.K., del Giorgio, P.A. & Bouvier, T.C., Bronk, D.A. & Ducklow,
H.W. The ‘jelly pump’: Consequences of jellyfish blooms for increased carbon metabolism
within the microbial loop. Ocean Carbon & Biogeochemistry Workshop, Woods Hole (July,
2008) 53
 350

 Condon, R.H., M.D. Norman & K. Bayha. (2007). Nematocysts and morphometrics of lion’s
mane jellyfishes, genus Cyanea, supporting validity of C. nozakii and C. annaskala in
Australian waters. 2nd International Jellyfish Blooms Symposium, Gold Coast, Australia. (June,
2007).
 Tozzi, S., R.H. Condon, E.S. Darrow (Condon), A.C. Spivak, L.H. Brasseur & L.W. Haas.
(2003). Characterization and environmental regulation of the spring bloom in the York River
estuary, Virginia, USA. 17th Biennial Conference of the Estuarine Research Federeation (ERF),
Seattle, WA. (14-18 September, 2003).
 Condon, R.H., M.B. Decker & J.E. Purcell. (2000). Effects of hypoxia on sea nettle polyps,
Chrysaora quinquecirrha. 1st International Conference into Jellyfish Blooms, Alabama, USA.
(January, 2000).
Current & Previous Students

 Graduate Students
2012 – C. Hollyhead, Univ. Southampton (mentor), J. Luo, U. Miami (committee member), J.
Stone, VIMS (committee member)
2011 - N. Ortell Cumbaa (committee member), A. Rellinger (committee member), J. Jones
(committee member)
2009 – K. Suzuki (POGO, BIOS), O. Shatova (POGO)
2008 – R. Ayala (POGO), N. Joshi (POGO), S. Kidawi (POGO)

 REU & Interns (* indicates minority student)

2012 – A. Johns* (VCU)
2011 – E. McParland (USC), J. Ivory (Humboldt), M. Bogeberg (Intern)
2010 – N. Shelton (Kansas), S. Cecil (Coastal Carolina), J. Burchfield (Intern)
2009 - A. Hendrix (Scripps College), K. Davis (NCST), A. Hermann (Princeton)
Media & Public outreach

 Discovery Day, DISL: 2011

Hosted children’s jellyfish art display

 School visits
Conducted regular visits to early childhood and elementary schools in Mobile County, Alabama
and Bermuda as part of TEAMS (Toward Elementary Advancement Module in Science)
program. Worked with teachers to develop lesson plans and conduct experiments in the
classroom, in addition to holding Skype video conference calls with children while on research
cruises.

 Media interviews
Personally conducted over 60 media interviews for local, domestic and international print and
television media outlets concerning jellyfish blooms (stemming from the PNAS paper and
NCEAS Global Jellyfish Project), open ocean food web project and the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill. Several press releases have been coordinated with these papers. These media agencies
included:
- Two NSF Discovery Reports: Dybas 2011 and Dybas 2013
- ‘Quirks & Quarks’ Canada Broadcasting radio program, National Public Radio, NSF press
release, wired.com, The Scientist, Greenwire, The Guardian, Climate Central, El Mundo,
New York Times, Yahoo!, MSNBC, Royal Gazette, Nature News, MacLean Magazine, The
Economist, Sydney Morning Herald, The Conversation, Cosmos Magazine, BBC, 54
 351

Audabon Magazine, Sarasota Herald Tribune, Thom Hartmann Radio program in New York
City, and ScienceNow (list of media articles available upon request).
- NCEAS jelly group – Jellyfish ROCK event and coordinated with Blue Ocean Productions
three-minute promotional video on jellyfish. Available on YouTube with clips of Jellyfish
ROCK event presentations.

 Marine Science Day (MSD), Elderhostel & other outreach programs, BIOS: 2008 – present
- Presented lectures on global climate change and oceanography, conducted plankton tows
and tours of BIOS and the RV Atlantic Explorer for visiting Elderhostel
- Participated in “Wacky Science” & plankton demonstrations for public on MSD
- Participated in various BIOS outreach events including the US Consulate General visit and
the Ocean Acidification film panel.
- Presented several seminars to the public on jellyfish blooms, including the Bermuda
Lifeguard Service and the Probus group (invitation from Sen. Hughes).
 MSD, SkIO: Oct 2009
- Demonstrated estuarine zooplankton & phytoplankton for public during 2009 MSD
 MSD, Virginia Institute of Marine Science: 2003 - 2007.
- Exhibited zooplankton from Chesapeake Bay and the open ocean and demonstrated
collection methods to the public
- Provided tours of the zooplankton ecology lab and answered questions relating to jellyfish
and marine science
 After hours public lecture series, Virginia Institute of Marine Science: Oct, 2006.
- Presented a public seminar and fielded questions regarding jellyfish blooms of Chesapeake
Bay and their impact on the environment
References

Dr. Deborah Steinberg Dr. Deborah Bronk

Professor Professor, Department of Physical Science
Virginia Institute of Marine Science Virginia Institute of Marine Science
College of William & Mary College of William & Mary
1208 Greate Rd PO Box 1346
Gloucester Point VA USA 23062 Gloucester Point, VA 23062, USA
Phone: +1 804 684 7838 *Currently on temporary appointment at NSF
Email: debbies@vims.edu Current Phone: +1 703-292-7715
Current Email: dbronk@nsf.gov

Dr. Carlos Duarte Dr. Cathy Lucas

Director Dept. Ocean Biogeochemistry and Esutaries
The UWA Oceans Institute National Oceanography Centre Southampton
The University of Western Australia University of Southampton
35 Stirling Hwy European Way
Crawley WA 6009 Southampton SO14 3ZH
Australia United Kingdon
Phone: +61 08 6488 8123 Phone: +44 (0)23 8059 6617
Fax: + 61 08 6488 7278 Email: cathy.lucas@noc.soton.ac.uk 55
Email: carlos.duarte@uwa.edu.au
 352

Joseph Antonio Covi, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Biology & Marine Biology

University of North Carolina at Wilmington
E-mail: covij@uncw.edu
Work phone: (910) 962-2514
Cell phone: (970) 980-8314

EDUCATION

2009-2011 Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching (FIRST) IV Program

Mentors: Diane Ebert-May, Terry Derting, Clarissa Dirks, and Kathy
Williams
Training focus: To improve student learning at the undergraduate level
through the use of backwards design, validated assessments of learning
gains, and a learner-centered classroom. (Intensive two year program)

2005 Ph.D. Biological Sciences; Louisiana State University

Advisor: Steven C. Hand
Dissertation: Role and fate of proton gradients in the brine shrimp,
Artemia franciscana, during dormancy induced by anoxia.

1996 B.S. Biological Sciences/Zoology; Colorado State University

Advisor: Donald L. Mykles
Undergraduate Research: Subunit composition and biochemical
properties of 20S proteasome in Drosophila melanogaster and Homarus
americanus.

APPOINTMENTS

2012-Present Assistant Professor; University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Position: Assistant Professor; Integrative and Comparative Biology

2009-2012 Assistant Professor; University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point

Position: Assistant Professor; Animal Physiology
2005-2009 Postdoctoral Fellow; Colorado State University
Advisor: Donald L. Mykles
Focus: Student mentoring, lab management, and invertebrate
endocrinology.

PUBLICATIONS

Neumeyer, CH, JL Gerlach, KM Ruggiero and JA Covi (2014) A novel model of early development in the
brine shrimp, Artemia franciscana, and its use in assessing the effects of environmental variables on
development, emergence and hatching. Journal of Morphology (Submitted).

MacLea KS, AM Abuhagr, NL Pitts, JA Covi, BD Bader, ES Chang, and DL Mykles (2012) Rheb, an
activator of target of rapamycin, in the blackback land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis: cloning and effects
of molting and unweighting on expression in skeletal muscle. The Journal of Experimental
Biology. 215:590-604. 56
 353

Covi, JA, ES Chang, and DL Mykles (2012) Neuropeptide signaling mechanisms in crustacean and insect
molting glands. Journal of Invertebrate Reproduction and Development. 56:33-49

Hand, SC, MA Menze, A Borcara, Y Patila, JA Covi, JA Reynold, and M Tonere (2011) Metabolic
Restructuring during Energy-Limited States: Insights from Artemia franciscana Embryos and Other
Animals. Journal of Insect Physiology. 57:584-594.

Covi, JA, BD Bader, ES Chang and DL Mykles (2010) Molt cycle regulation of protein synthesis in skeletal
muscle of the blackback land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis, and the differential expression of a
myostatin-like factor during atrophy induced by molting or unweighting. Journal of Experimental
Biology. 213:172-183.

KS MacLea, JA Covi, HW Kim, E Chao, S Medler, ES Chang, and DL Mykles (2010) Myostatin from the
American lobster, Homarus americanus: cloning and effects of molting on expression in skeletal
muscles. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A. 157:328-337.

Covi, JA, ES Chang, and DL Mykles (2009) Conserved role of cyclic nucleotides in the regulation of
ecdysteroidogenesis by the crustacean molting gland. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology
Part A. 152:470-477.

Covi, JA, A Gomez, S Chang, K Lee, E Chang, and D Mykles. (2008). Repression of Y-organ
ecdysteroidogenesis by cyclic nucleotides and agonists of NO-sensitive guanylyl cyclase.
Proceedings of the 4th CPB Meeting in Africa: Mara 2008. "Molecules to migration: The pressures of
life" (Ed S. Morris & A. Vosloo). Medimond S.r.l., Bologna, Italy. pp. 37-46.

Covi, JA, HW Kim, and DL Mykles (2008) Expression of alternatively spliced transcripts for a myostatin-
like protein in the blackback land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis. Comparative Biochemistry Physiology
Part A. 150:423-430.

Covi, JA and SC Hand (2007) Energizing an invertebrate embryo: bafilomycin-dependent respiration and
the metabolic cost of proton pumping by the V-ATPase. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology.
80:422-432.

Lee, KJ, HW Kim, AM Gomez, ES Chang, JA Covi, and DL Mykles (2007) Molt-inhibiting hormone from
the tropical land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis: Cloning, tissue expression, and expression of biologically
active recombinant peptide in yeast. General and Comparative Endocrinology. 150:505-513.

PRESENTATIONS

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Covi, JA and DL Mykles (2009) Novel splicing variation of a myostatin-like gene in the decapod
crustacean, Gecarcinus lateralis. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual meeting.

Covi, JA, L Brier, L Martin, and DL Mykles (2008) Identification of inhibitory and receptor-regulated Smads
in three species of decapod crustacean: implications for the regulation of muscle mass by myostatin.
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual meeting.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

Covi, JA, BD Bader, ES Chang and DL Mykles (2014) Fine time-scale observation of development
following cryptobiosis yields a non-conventional model for toxicology. Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology annual meeting.

Covi, JA, BD Bader, ES Chang and DL Mykles (2013) Comparative assessment of Smad
expression in two models of muscle atrophy for the blackback land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis. 57
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual meeting.
 354

Covi, JA (2011) Assessing toxicity of man-made pollutants in the oldest animals on the planet. University
of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. College of Letters and Science Faculty Forum.

Covi, JA (2011) Integrative physiology of crustaceans: using the physiology of dormancy and molting to
ask toxicological questions. Eckerd College

Covi, JA (2009) Integrative physiology of crustaceans: using the physiology of dormancy and molting to
ask toxicological questions. University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point.

Covi, JA and DL Mykles (2009) Regulation of ecdysteroidogenesis in the decapod molting gland: a new
synthesis. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual meeting.

Covi, JA, KJ Lee, ES Chang, and DL Mykles* (2008) Cyclic nucleotides and nitric oxide as second
messengers in the molt-inhibiting hormone signaling pathway of the crustacean molting gland. 4th
Meeting of Comparative Physiologists & Biochemists in Africa - Mara 2008 - "Molecules to Migration:
The Pressures of Life" (*presented by)

Covi, JA, BD Bader, ES Chang, and DL Mykles* (2008) Myostatin signaling and regulation of a molt-
induced atrophy in crustacean claw muscle. 4th Meeting of Comparative Physiologists &
Biochemists in Africa - Mara 2008 - "Molecules to Migration: The Pressures of Life" (*presented by)

Covi, JA, AM Gomez, S Chang, ES Chang, KJ Lee, and DL Mykles (2008) Conserved role of cyclic
nucleotides and nitric oxide in the molt-inhibiting pathway of Gecarcinus lateralis and Carcinus
maenas. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual meeting.

PRESENTATIONS by MENTORED STUDENTS

Summary: My students presented over 40 posters; seven received awards or special recognition.
†
presented by a mentored undergraduate student, ‡presented by a mentored graduate student.

†
Ferguson C and JA Covi (2014) Effects of bifenthrin and pyriproxyfen on post-diapuse development in
brine shrimp embryos. University of North Carolina Fall CSURF Symposium.

†
Dominguez, A, E Barnett and JA Covi (2014) The Effect of Pyripoxyfen on Early Development in
Artemia franciscana. University of North Carolina Fall CSURF Symposium.

†
Lukas, L and JA Covi (2014) Methods to monitor crayfish molting processes in the presence of toxicants.
University of North Carolina CSURF Symposium.
†
Paladin, T and JA Covi (2014) Phylogenetic comparison of transforming growth factor beta in Ecdysozoa.
University of North Carolina Fall CSURF Symposium.
‡
Goff, A, LM Ryan, J Covi and S Brander (2014) Impact of endocrine disrupting compounds on sex
determination and development in the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. North Carolina Sea Grand
Research Symposium: Investments and Opportunities. Raleigh, NC.
‡
Ryan, LM, S Brander, SM Chang, SA Chang and JA Covi (2014) The effects of toxicants on the
production of ecdysteroids by the Y-organ in Callinectes sapidus. Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology annual meeting.
†
Gerlach J and JA Covi (2013) Assessment of susceptibility to lipophilic toxicants in zooplankton embryos.
University of North Carolina Fall CSURF Symposium.
58
 355

†
Neumeyer, CH, S. Gildersleeve, S Sepsenwol and JA Covi (2013) Relationship between Environmental
Challenge and Morphological Features of Early Development in the Brine Shrimp, Artemia
franciscana. University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point College of Letters and Science Undergraduate
Research Symposium.
‡
Ryan, LM, S Brander, and JA Covi (2013) The Effects of Toxicants on the Production of Ecdysteroids by
the Y-organ in Callinectes sapidus. University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Marine Sciences
Graduate Symposium.
†
Ruggiero, KM, JA Covi (2013) Characterization of Early Development of the Brine Shrimp, Artemia
franciscana, on a Fine Time Scale. University of North Carolina CSURF Symposium.

Won the Best Undergraduate Poster Presentation Award.

†
Neumeyer, CH, S. Gildersleeve, and JA Covi (2013) Identifying Abnormal Morphologies Associated with
Chemical Challenges in the Brine Shrimp, Artemia franciscana. Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology annual meeting.

†
Gildersleeve, S, CH Neumeyer, and JA Covi (2012) Development of a Toxicological Model: Relationship
between Structural Features of Early Development and Osmotic Challenge in the Brine Shrimp,
Artemia Franciscana. University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, College of Letters and Science
Undergraduate Research Symposium.
†
Hutchison, ER, JA Cava, and JA Covi (2012) Effects of Rotenone Bioaccumulation on the Early
Development of Encysted Artemia franciscana Embryos. University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point,
College of Letters and Science Undergraduate Research Symposium.

†
Hutchison, ER, M Gunderson, and JA Covi (2012) Effects of Rotenone Bioaccumulation on the Early
Development of Encysted Artemia franciscana Embryos. Posters in the Rotunda 2012. Selected to
represent college by presenting research to state legislators at the capitol.

†
Hutchison, ER, M Gunderson, AC Milanowski, and JA Covi (2012) Effect of Lipophilic Compounds on
Early Development of Microcrustaceans. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual
meeting.
†
Hutchison, ER, M Gunderson, and JA Covi (2011) Effect of Lipophilic Compounds on Early Development
of Microcrustaceans. 12th annual Letters and Science Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Selected by Dean of College to hang outside of his office; 2011-2012.

†
Pitts, NL, AM Abuhagr, KS Maclea, JA Covi, BD Bader, ES Chang, and DL Mykles (2011) Rheb, and
activator of the mTOR complex in the blackback land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis: cloning and effects
of molting on expression in skeletal muscle. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual
meeting.

†
Regelson, KW, JA Covi, SA Chang, ES Chang, and DL Mykles (2010) Studies on the signaling pathways
regulating facultative and constitutive ecdysteroidogenesis in the crustacean molting gland. Society
for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual meeting.
‡
Gunderson, JL, KS Maclae, JA Covi, SA Chang, ES Chang, and DL Mykles (2010) cloning and
characterilation of guanylyl cyclases from the European green crab. Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology annual meeting.

†
Cho, I-G, JA Covi, BD Bader, ES Chang, and DL Mykles (2010) Effects of molt induction on expression of
a myostatin-like protein in the green crab, Carcinus maenas. Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology annual meeting.

†
Axtman, LM, E Chao, SH Hjelmfelt, MS Stratton, JD Iman, JA Covi, and DL Mykles (2009) Cloning of a
cDNA encoding a myostatin-like factor from lobster skeletal muscle. Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology annual meeting. 59
 356

†
Bader, BD, JA Covi, ES Chang and DL Mykles (2009) Molting down-regulates myostatin expression in
the land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis: Implications for the regulation of claw muscle atrophy. Society for
Integrative and Comparative Biology annual meeting.
†
Cho, IG, JA Covi, BD Bader, and DL Mykles (2009) Expression of a myostatin transcript in Carcinus
maenas: response to ecdysteroid levels. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual
meeting.
‡
McDonald, A, L Martin, JA Covi, and DL Mykles (2009) Comparative analysis of NOS signaling in the
crustacean molting gland. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual meeting.

Received Honorable Mention.

†
Williams, SA, JA Covi, SA Chang, ES Chang, and DL Mykles (2009) A comparative study of MIH
signaling in the brachyuran molting gland. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual
meeting.

†
Axtman, LM, JA Covi, BD Bader, JD Iman, and DL Mykles (2008) Sequencing the myostatin gene in the
American lobster, Homarus americanus and in the green crab, Carcinus maenas. National Institutes
of Health, Minority Summer Conference, Honolulu, HI

Won 3rd place in student poster competition.

†
Bader, BD, HW Kim, JA Covi, ES Chang, and DL Mykles (2008) Quantitative expression of myostatin in
the tropical land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis: Implications for the regulation of muscle atrophy. Society
for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual meeting.

†
Ehlinger, CC, JA Covi, ES Chang, and DL Mykles (2008) Double-stranded RNA interference lowers
expression of molt-inhibiting hormone in the eyestalk of the land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis. Society
for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual meeting.

‡
McDonald, A, L Martin, ES Chang, JA Covi, and DL Mykles (2008) Increased nitric oxide synthase
expression in the activated molting gland of the land crab Gecarcinus lateralis. Society for Integrative
and Comparative Biology annual meeting.

Won The Crustacean Society Best Student Poster award.

†
Brier, L, JA Covi, and DL Mykles (2007) Cloning and analysis of inhibitory smads in decapod crustaceans.
Celebrate Undergraduate Research & Creativity (CURC) Showcase, Colorado State University Fort
Collins, CO.
‡
Flack, AL, AA McDonald, JA Covi, AM Gomez, SA Chang, ES Chang, and DL Mykles (2007) Regulation
of ecdysteroidogenesis in Carcinus maenas (European green crab): involvement of cyclic
nucleotides and the effects of eyestalk ablation on sensitivity to molt-inhibiting hormone. Celebrate
Undergraduate Research & Creativity (CURC) Showcase, Colorado State University Fort Collins,
CO.
†
Martin, LA, JA Covi, and DL Mykles (2007) Cloning of receptor-regulated smad in the green crab
Carcinus maenas. Celebrate Undergraduate Research & Creativity (CURC) Showcase, Colorado
State University Fort Collins, CO.
†
McDonald, AA, AL Flack, AM Gomez, ES Chang, JA Covi, and DL Mykles (2007) Role of nitric oxide
signaling in the crustacean molting gland of the European green crab. Celebrate Undergraduate
Research & Creativity (CURC) Showcase, Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO.
†
Riehl, J, T Lilly, S Medler, JA Covi, and DL Mykles (2007) Cloning and sequencing of troponin I isoforms
in the lobster, Homarus americanus. Celebrate Undergraduate Research & Creativity (CURC)
Showcase, Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO.
60
 357

†
Bader, BD, JA Covi, and DL Mykles (2006) Cloning and expression of myostatin in green crab, Carcinus
maenas: implications for the regulation of muscle atrophy. Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology, Integrative and Comparative Biology. 46(suppl. 1):E167.
†
Gomez, AM, KJ Lee, JA Covi, SA Chang, ES Chang, and DL Mykles (2006) Molt-inhibiting hormone
signaling in the crustacean molting gland: nitric oxide and cyclic nucleotides. Society for Integrative
and Comparative Biology, Integrative and Comparative Biology. 46(suppl. 1):E198.
†
Van Ort, KM, JA Covi, ES Chang, and DL Mykles (2006) Expression of retinoid-X receptor isoforms in the
green crab, Carcinus maenas. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Integrative and
Comparative Biology. 46(suppl. 1):E259.
†
Townsend, MR, AM Gomez, JA Covi and DL Mykles (2006) Assessment of Recombinant Molt-inhibiting
hormone of the land crab, Gecarcinus lateralis, expressed in yeast. Society for Advancement of
Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), and Mexican American Engineers and
Scientist (MAES) Tampa, FL.

Won Best Undergraduate Poster award at MAES conference.

†
Bader, BD, JA Covi, and DL Mykles (2006) Cloning and expression of myostatin in green crab, Carcinus
maenas: implications for the regulation of muscle atrophy. Society for Advancement of Chicanos and
Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), Tampa, FL.

Mentored Students—Degree, Ethnicity and Gender Summary:

Colorado State University of University

University Wisconsin, of North
Stevens Point Carolina at
(Co-mentored with Wilmington
DL Mykles)

High School Students - - 2

Undergraduates 22 13 15

Graduate Students 12 - 3

Female 25 7 17

Male 9 6 3

Hispanic 2 - 4

Native American 1 - -

African American 1 - 3

Asian 3 - 1

Foreign Nationals 2 - -

First Generation 2 4 1
61
Non-traditional 4 - -
 358

GRANTS

2012-Present $1,600 Combined UNCW mentored student-specific awards; 3 awards

2014 $3,000 Summer Undergraduate Research and Creativity Award (SURCA)

2014 $2,994 Charles L. Cahill Award; UNCW, Undergraduate Training

2013 $25,970 North Carolina Biotechnology Center; Molecular Biol. Workshop

2013 $9,493 Equipment Grant; UNCW, Ultrapure Water Purification System

2013 $12,000 Equipment Grant; UNCW, Teaching Lab Respirometry Equipment

2013 $1,700 Friends of UNCW Grant; Cardiovascular Outreach Equipment

2013 $500 Applied Learning Award; UNCW, Center for Support of

Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CSURF)

2010 $990 Faculty Development Grant; UWSP, Collaboration support

HONORS & AWARDS

2012 Research featured in editorial article: Rheb regulates crab muscle atrophy. J. Exp.
Biol. 215(ii)

2009-2011 Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching (FIRST IV) Fellowship

2009 Departmental award for Excellence in the Mentoring of Undergraduates; Colorado

State University

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

2014 2014 Southeastern Regional Partnership for Life Sciences Education (SERP-
PULSE) Institute Team member
2013-2014 Library Committee
2012-Present Undergraduate Academic Assessment Committee

University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point

62
2011-2012 Faculty mentor for the “Suites@201” residence hall (requested by students)
 359

2011 Two Faculty Search and Screen Committees (Biology dept.)

2010-2011 Undergraduate academic advising (Biology dept.)

2010-2011 Curriculum Committee (Biology dept.)

2010-2011 Deans Advisory Committee (College of Letters and Science)

2010-2011 Began and currently lead a K-12 outreach program for physiology

2009-2011 Program and Student Assessment ad hoc Subcommittee (Biology dept.)

Colorado State University, Fort Collins

2008 Began and led a K-12 outreach program for physiology

2005-2009 Oversight of common equipment: Roche LC480 and DI water system

2005-2007 Committee member, Honors thesis of Jocelyn Riehl

2005-2007 Committee member, Master’s thesis in Biochemistry of April Flack

Community Service

2014 Volunteer; Cape Fear Flyers children’s running club

2014 Volunteer; Builder for Habitat for Humanity; Wilmington, NC

2013 Physiology Understanding (PhUn) Week—Led team of two undergraduates and two
faculty for active learning experiences in 5th grade classrooms as a representative
for the American Physiological Society and UNCW.

2012 Qualified Scientist (advisor) for local high school student science fair project.
Student: Talpha Everette, Project: The Future of Finger Printing.

*Project won first place in local and regional science fairs; Talpha is now
proceeding to the state competition.

2011 Physiology Understanding (PhUn) Week—Trained two undergraduates to lead

active learning experiences in K-12 schools as a representative for the American
Physiological Society

2011 High school physiology fair at UWSP—Built and led a regional science fair for high
school students; trained undergraduates in organizing large events for K-12 students
(University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point)

2011 College Days for Kids—Led a team of undergraduates to conduct experiential

learning classes with human physiology learning objectives for 6th grade students
from regional public schools (University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point)

2011 Organized physiology experiential (service) learning booth for 7 th and 8th grade
students at Women in Science Day (University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point)

2010 Wetland restoration—US Fish and Wildlife Service (Necedah National Wildlife
Refuge; Necedah, WI)
63
 360

2010 Physiology Understanding (PhUn) Week—Trained and led a team of

undergraduates in experiential learning classes with human physiology learning
objectives for 8th grade students as a representative of the American Physiological
Society (PJ Jacobs Middle School; Stevens Point, WI)

2010 College Days for Kids—Trained and led a team of undergraduates in experiential
learning classes with human physiology learning objectives for 6th grade students
from regional public schools (University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point)

2009 Poster judging—Undergraduate research symposium (Colorado State University)

2008 Tae Kwon Do Instruction—Assistant instructor for lower belt ranks in Tae Kwon Do
(Colorado State University)

2008 Physiology Understanding (PhUn) Week— Trained and led a team of

undergraduates in experiential learning classes with human physiology learning
objectives for 11th grade students as a representative of the American Physiological
Society (Fort Collins High School and Rocky Mountain High School; Fort Collins,
CO)

64
 361

Elizabeth S. Darrow
(Elizabeth Darrow Condon)
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Myrtle Grove 2338
Center for Marine Science
5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane
Wilmington, NC 28409-5928
(910) 962-7153
darrowe@uncw.edu

EDUCATION

University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, 2010 - present

Ph.D. candidate in Marine Science, Area of Specialization: Estuarine Ecology & Biogeochemistry

The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, 2002 - 2005

M.S. in Marine Science, Department: Biological Sciences

University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1997 - 2001

B.A. in Biology
B.A. in Environmental Sciences, concentration in Ecology

APPOINTMENTS

Lecturer: Ecology, Department of Biology & Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington

PUBLICATIONS

Schrandt, M.N., J. Cebrian, E.S. Darrow, D.J. Dalrymple, C. Marco-Mendez, L.M. Ferrero-Vicente, K.L. Heck, J.L. Sanchez
Lizaso. Effects of single-pulse burial on the Mediterranean seagrass Cymodocea nodosa and associated benthic macrofauna:
implications for small-scale beach nourishment. In review.

Lynch, P.D., M.J. Brush, E.D. Condon, R.J. Latour. 2010. Net removal of nitrogen through ingestion of phytoplankton by
Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus in Chesapeake Bay. Marine Ecology Progress Series 401:195-209.

Condon, Elizabeth Darrow. 2005. Physiological ecology of the cultured hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria: A case study
in Cherrystone Inlet, Virginia. Masters Thesis, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA

PRESENTATIONS
* Denotes undergraduate research project mentored by E.S. Darrow

Krause, J.W., A.M. Larson, E.S. Darrow, R.H. Carmichael. “Significant biogenic silica retention from reverse weathering in
non-deltaic sediments.” Oral presentation, American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA: December
15-19, 2014.

Carmichael, R.H., E. Darrow, W. Wu, H. Huang, K.R. Calci, W. Burkhardt III, W. Walton, A. Pasch, M.S. Woodrey, M.
Hanisko. “Planning the future with an eye to the past: Land use and water quality on the Mississippi-Alabama coast.” Oral
presentation, Bays and Bayous Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Biennial Meeting, Mobile, AL: November 1, 2014.

*Hall, J.G., P. Dimens, E.S. Darrow, R.H. Carmichael, K. Cressman. “Sedimentary records of recurrent phosphate spills to
a Gulf of Mexico coastal estuary.” Poster presentation, Bays and Bayous Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Biennial Meeting,
Mobile, AL: November 1, 2014.

Darrow, E.S., R.H. Carmichael, K.R. Calci, W. Burkhardt III. “Are stable isotopes alone sensitive enough to trace small-
scale effects of land-use change?” Oral presentation, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Meeting, San
Diego, CA: November 3-7, 2013. 65
 362

Carmichael, R.H., D. Dalrymple, C. Kovacs, E. Darrow, P. Biancani. “Nitrogen in bivalve shell & soft tissues: Implications
for N sequestration and cycling in coastal waters.” Oral presentation, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial
Meeting, San Diego, CA: November 3-7, 2013.

Carmichael, R.H., E. Darrow, W. Burkhardt, III, K. Calci, W. Wu, D. Ruple, W. Walton . “Legacy effects of land-use
change and nitrogen source shifts on Grand Bay, Mississippi: a benchmark for building collaborative research at the Grand
Bay NERR” Invited oral presentation, Grand Bay NERR Research Symposium, October 25, 2013.

*Ellenburg, A.L., E.S. Darrow, R.H. Carmichael. “Seasonality of chalky deposits within oyster shells in Grand Bay NERR,
Mississippi.” Poster presentation, Grand Bay NERR Research Syposium, October 25, 2013.

Carmichael RH, Dalrymple DJ, Biancani P, Kovacs C, Walton W & Condon E. “Nitrogen in Bivalve Shell & Soft Tissues:
Implications for N Sequestration and Cycling in Coastal Waters.” Invited oral presentation, Goldschmidt Conference,
August 25-30, 2013.

Schrandt, M.N., Cebrian, J., Darrow, E.S., Dalrymple, D.J., Marco-Mendez, C., Ferrero-Vicente, L.M., Heck,
K.L., Sanchez Lizaso, J.L. “Effects of single-pulse burial on the Mediterranean seagrass Cymodocea nodosa and associated
benthic macrofauna: implications for small-scale beach nourishment.” Oral presentation, Gulf of Mexico Graduate Student
Symposium, April 6, 2013.

Darrow, E.S., R.H. Carmichael, K.R. Calci, W. Burkhardt III. “Sedimentary organic matter source shifts due to land use
change in a Northern Gulf of Mexico estuarine system.” Poster presentation, College of Arts and Sciences Research
Symposium, University of South Alabama, March 21, 2013.

Darrow, E.S., R.H. Carmichael, K.R. Calci, W. Burkhardt III. “Sedimentary organic matter source shifts due to land use
change in a Northern Gulf of Mexico estuarine system.” Oral presentation, Association for the Science of Limnology and
Oceanography, Februay 17-22, 2013.

Darrow, E.S., R.H. Carmichael, K.R. Calci, W. Burkhardt III. “Sedimentary organic matter source shifts due to land use
change in a Northern Gulf of Mexico estuarine system.” Poster presentation, Gulf Estuarine Research Society, November
8-9, 2012.

Darrow, E.S., R.H. Carmichael, H.E. Jackson. “Growth patterns of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica from the Gulf of
Mexico: records in ancient and modern shell.” Oral presentation, Gulf of Mexico Graduate Student Symposium, March
2012.

Darrow, E.S., R.H. Carmichael, K.R. Calci, W. Burkhardt III. “Historical record of human impacts in a coastal estuary
system using chemical and microbial indicators” FDA/DISL Joint Program Seminar, February 1, 2012.

Darrow, E.S. “Landscape-scale impacts on human health indicators in the northern Gulf of Mexico.” GIS project and
poster, University of South Alabama Geography Department, November 2011.

Condon, E.D., R.H. Carmichael, K.R. Calci, W. Burkhardt III. “Historical record of human impacts in a coastal estuary
system using microbial indicators.” Poster presentation, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Biennial Meeting,
Daytona Beach, FL, November 6-10, 2011.

Condon, E.D., R.H. Carmichael, K.R. Calci, W. Burkhardt III. “Historical record of human impacts in Grand Bay using
microbial indicators.” Poster presentation, Grand Bay Research Symposium, Moss Point, MS, October 14, 2011.

Lynch, P.D., M.J. Brush, E.D. Condon, R.J. Latour. “Modeling the feeding ecology of Atlantic menhaden to address water
quality concerns in Chesapeake Bay.” Oral presentation, American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, 2008.

Condon, E.D., M.J. Brush, K.A. Moore. “Hurricanes and Hypoxia: Analyzing Responses of Shallow-Water Systems to
Storms Using High-Frequency Data.” Poster presentation, Estuarine Research Federation Meeting, Providence, RI,
November 4-8, 2007

Lynch, P.D., M.J. Brush, E.D. Condon, and R.J. Latour. “Rates of Filtration and Excretion by Atlantic menhaden in
Chesapeake Bay.” Poster presentation, American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 2-6,
2007.
66
 363

Lynch, P.D., E.D. Condon, M.J. Brush, and R.J. Latour. “Filtration Rates of Phytoplankton by Juvenile Atlantic
Menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus, in Chesapeake Bay.” Poster presentation, American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Lake
Placid, NY, September 10-14, 2006.

Condon, E.D., G.L. Arnold, M.W. Luckenbach. "Estimated impacts of clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) on phytoplankton in
Cherrystone Inlet, Virginia." Oral presentation, Estuarine Research Federation meeting (October 16-23, 2005 Norfolk,
Virginia)

Luckenbach, M.; Li, Y.; Wang, H.; Arnold, G.; Condon, E., "Estimating the effects of large-scale clam aquaculture on
basin-level phytoplankton production and water quality." Oral presentation, Estuarine Research Federation meeting
(October 16-23, 2005 Norfolk, Virginia)

Darrow, E.S., M.W. Luckenbach, R.L. Mann. “Physiological ecology of the cultured clam, Mercenaria mercenaria”. Oral
presentation, Aquaculture America 2004: Joint Conference of the World Aquaculture Society and National Shellfisheries
Association (March 1-4, 2004 Honolulu, Hawaii)

Tozzi, S., E. S. Darrow, R. H. Condon, L.W. Haas. “The spring phytoplankton bloom in the York River estuary,
Virginia. Characterization and interannual variability.” Poster presentation, American Society of Limnology and
Oceanography meeting (February 15-20, 2004 Honolulu, Hawaii)

AWARDS and HONORS

The Wetland Foundation Travel Grant, 2013

Food and Drug Administration – Dauphin Island Sea Lab Fellowship, 2010 - present
Ocean Conservation Co. Scholarship, 2002
Graduate Research Fellowship, VIMS Biological Sciences, 2002

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

Seminar Committee: Department of Biology & Marine Biology, UNCW, 2014-2015

Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) Outreach and Career Development Committee, 2014-present
Gulf Estuarine Research Society (GERS) Executive Board Student Representative, 2014-present
 Assisted with hosting GERS biannual meeting at Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 2012
Treasurer: Dauphin Island Sea Lab Graduate Student Organization, 2012-2013
Bylaw Revision Committee: Dauphin Island Sea Lab GSO, 2012-2013

Volunteer: Manatee Sighting Network and Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 2010-2013

67
 364

Amanda Kahn Dickens

Education
2008 Ph.D. Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC

2004 M.S. Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC

2002 B.S. Biology and Marine Science, Minor in Chemistry, University of Tampa, Tampa, FL

2000 A.S. Biology and Chemistry, Mercer County Community College, Trenton, NJ

2000 A.A. Theater and Dance, Mercer County Community College, Trenton, NJ

Appointments
Present Full time Lecturer, UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Biology

2012-Present Research Associate, Aquatic Ecology Lab, UNCW Center for Marine Science

2014 Instructor, Cape Fear Academy, Wilmington, NC

2014 Chemist, Envirochem Analytical Laboratories, Inc. Wilmington, NC

2011- 2014 Part-time Faculty UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Biology

2010 Research Associate, Biological Oceanography Laboratory, UNCW

2009-2011 Visiting Assistant Professor, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL

Publications: Peer- Reviewed

Mallin, M, Dickens, A.K., McIver, M. In Review. Pollution of a CAFO–influenced creek-

Assessing chronic vs. acute pollution responses

Kahn, A.E., Beal, J.L., Durako, M.J. 2013. Diurnal and tidal variability in the photobiology of the
seagrass Halophila johnsonii in a riverine versus marine habitat. Estuaries and Coasts. 36:
430-443.

Kahn, A.E., Cahoon, L.B. 2013. Phytoplankton productivity in the surf zone of sandy beaches in
North Carolina, USA. Estuaries and Coasts. 35: 1393-1400.

Trevathan, S.M., Kahn, A.E., Ross, C. 2011. Effects of short term hypersalinity exposure on the
susceptibility to wasting disease in the subtropical seagrass Thalassia testudinum. Plant
Physiology and Biochemistry. 49: 1051-1058.

Lauer, N.T., Yeager, M., Kahn, A.E., Dobberfuhl, D.R., Ross, C. 2011. The effects of short term
salinity exposure on the sublethal stress response of Vallisneria americana Michx.
(Hydrocharitaceae). Aquatic Botany. 95: 207-213.

Kowalczuk, P., Cooper, W.J., Durako, M.J., Kahn, A.E., Gonsior, M., Young, H. 2010.
Characterization of dissolved organic matter fluorescence in the South Atlantic Bight 68
 365

with use of PARAFAC model: Relationships between fluorescence and its components,
absorption coefficients and organic carbon concentrations. Marine Chemistry. 118:22-36.

Kahn, A.E., Durako, M.J. 2009. Wavelength-specific photosynthetic responses of Halophila

johnsonii from marine versus river influenced habitats. Aquatic Botany 91: 245-249.

Kahn, A.E., Durako, M.J. 2009. Photosynthetic tolerances to desiccation of the co-occurring seagrasses
Halophila johnsonii and Halophila decipiens. Aquatic Botany. 90: 195-198.

Kowalczuk, P., Durako, M.J., Young, H. Kahn, A.E., Cooper, W.J., Gonsior, M. 2009.
Characterization of dissolved organic matter fluorescence in the South Atlantic Bight with
use of PARAFAC model: Interannual variability. Marine Chemistry. 113:182-196.

Kahn, A.E., Durako, M.J. 2008. Photophysiological responses of Halophila johnsonii to

experimental hyposaline and hyper-CDOM conditions. Journal of Experimental Marine
Biology and Ecology. 367: 230-235.

Gonsior, M., Peake, B.M., Cooper, W.J., Young, H., Kahn, A.E., Kowalczuk, P. 2008. Spectral
characterization of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in a fjord (Doubtful
Sound, New Zealand). Aquatic Sciences- Research Across Boundaries. 70: 1015-1621.
Additional Publications

Mallin, M.A., Song, B., Arfken, A.M., McIver, M.R., Kahn, A.E. 2012. Fecal Contamination of
Tiny Piney Creek, North Carolina. University of North Carolina Wilmington Center for
Marine Science Report 12-02.

Mallin, M.A., Kahn, A.E., McIver, M.R. 2009. Eagle Point Golf Course Stormwater Assessment.
University of North Carolina Wilmington Center for Marine Science Report 09-05.

Scientific Presentations

2014 Southeastern Estuarine Research Society, Savannah, GA. “Connecting research scientists
and educators- Developing a community of practice”

2013 Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association, Gloucester Point, VA. “Building a community
of practice: Our experience of initial COSEE SE – sponsored outreach events”

2013 COSEE Southeast Researcher Educator Exchange Forum Workshop, Raleigh, NC.
“Developing outreach activities within your community of practice: My experience as a scientist”-
Invited Speaker

2012 Southeastern Estuarine Research Society Conference, Beaufort, NC. “Phytoplankton

productivity in the surf zone: Developing methods to build baseline knowledge”

2011 Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Conference, Daytona Beach, FL. “Phytoplankton
productivity in the surf zone of sandy beaches estimated by simultaneous in situ 14C incubations
and fast repetition rate fluorometry”

2010 University of North Florida Biology Department Seminar Series, Jacksonville, FL.
“The wonderful world of seagrass physiological ecology” 69
 366

2009 Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Conference, Portland, OR. “Diurnal tidal
responses of Halophila johnsonii physiology in a marine versus riverine influenced habitat”

2008 Southeastern Estuarine Research Society Conference, Tampa, FL, “Wavelength-specific

photosynthetic responses of the seagrass Halophila johnsonii from marine versus riverine habitats”.
-Won best graduate student oral presentation award

2007 Estuarine Research Federation, Providence, RI. “In situ responses of Halophila johnsonii to
hurricane-like water quality conditions”

2007 Southeastern Phycology Colloquy, Dauphin Island, AL. “Photosynthetic action spectra of
Halophila johnsonii in marine and riverine influenced sites”

Grants Received

University of North Florida Environmental Center Seed Grant Program, 2010. Co-PI with Dr. C.
Ross. “Effects of environmental stressors on seagrass susceptibility to infection and disease”

Florida State Wildlife Grant, 2008. Co-PI’s: J. Beal, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission, Dr. J. Voss and Dr. D. Hanisak, Harbor Branch, Florida Atlantic University.“
Monitoring and assessment of blackwater effects on St. Lucie Reef: Florida’s northernmost coral
reef”-a reduced amount of the overall grant was funded, which precluded my direct involvement.

Grants Applied for

UNCW ETEAL- Supported Pedagoy Initiatives, 2014, Pending review. “A new approach to a core
course: Using technology to encourage applied learning in a large lecture setting”

North Carolina Sea Grant, Core Research Grant, 2013. Co-PI’s Dr. L Cahoon and Dr. J.C. Bailey,
University of North Carolina Wilmington Department of Biology and Marine
Biology.“Understanding ecosystem processes in North Atlantic sandy beach surf zones”

National Science Foundation, Biological Oceanography grant, 2011. Co-PI’s: Dr. L. Cahoon and
Dr. J. Bailey, “Evaluating high primary production in the surf zone: expanding the toolbox”

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center-
Environmental Lab #18-Coastal Ecology, 2010. Co-PI with Dr. L. Cahoon, University of North
Carolina Wilmington Department of Biology and Marine Biology “Real-time in situ measurements
of primary productivity in the surf zones”

Coastal Zone Management grant, 2009. Co-PI: J. Beal, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission. “Assessment of blackwater effects on St. Lucie Reef coral photophysiology”

Awards

2007-2008 James Mulligan Marine Biology Fellow, University of North Carolina Wilmington

2007 Coastal Ocean and Research Monitoring Project (CORMP) Student Research Award,
University of North Carolina Wilmington Center for Marine Science

70
 367

Professional Services

Southeastern Estuarine Research Society Program Chair 2010-2012, Treasurer 2013-2015

Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Student Activities Chair 2010-2012; Access database developed
for judging student participants’ presentations

Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation Conference Steering Committee 2009

Estuarine Research Federation Conference Steering Committee 2007

71
 368

DIANE M. B. DODD

CURRICULUM VITAE

Address

Department of Biology & Marine Biology

The University of North Carolina Wilmington
601 South College Road
Wilmington, North Carolina 28403-5915
(910) 962-3228
email: doddd@uncwil.edu

Education

Agnes Scott College

B.A. in Biology, with high honors; June 1979

Yale University
Department of Biology, Division of Genetics
M.S.; December 1981
M.Phil.; May 1983
Ph.D.; December 1984
Title of Dissertation: "Behavioral correlates of the adaptive divergence of Drosophila
populations"

Professional Experience

Assistant Professor, The University of North Carolina at Wilmington; 1984 - present

Assistant in Research, Yale University; 1983-1984

Teaching Expertise

Undergraduate courses:

Genetics (BIO 335) Honors Freshman Seminar

(HON 110)
Advanced Topics in Genetics (BIO 491)
Evolutionary Biology (BIO 430)
Genetics of Personality (BIO 495)
Genetics of Speciation (BIO 495)
Seminar in Religion and Evolution (BIO 495)
The Human Genome Project (BIO 495)
Cell Biology (BIO 207)
72
 369

Genetics in Human Affairs (BIO 235)

Principles of Biology (BIO 110, BIO 201)
Concepts of Modern Biology (BIO 105)
Laboratory for Genetics (BIO 335)
Laboratory for Principles of Biology (BIO 111)
Laboratory for Animal Biology (BIO 206)

Graduate courses:

Evolutionary Biology (BIO 520)

Population Genetics (BIO 531)
Colloquium in Marine Biology (MBY 593)

Scholarship and Research

Research Experience

My research has been centered on questions posed in the field of experimental population genetics. I am
interested primarily in the genetics of the process of speciation. Using Drosophila pseudoobscura as my
principal experimental organism, I have looked at changes in fitness, reproductive isolation, habitat choice,
chromosomal inversions, and mitochondrial DNA in evolving populations of Drosophila.

Publications

Dodd, D. M. B. 1989. Reproductive isolation as a consequence of adaptive divergence in

Drosophila pseudoobscura. Evolution 43:1308-1311.

Dodd, D. M. B. and J. R. Powell. 1985. Founder/flush Speciation: An update of experimental results

of Drosophila. Evolution 39:1388-1392.

Powell, J. R., L. B. Klaczko, D. M. B. Dodd, and C. E. Taylor. 1984. Ecological genetics of Drosophila
pseudoobscura: Habitat choice in heterogeneous environments. Proceedings of the XV International
Congress of Genetics.

Professional Service

Reviewer for William C. Brown Publishers; 1995, 1993, 1992

Reviewer for West Publishing; 1995, 1993, 1992, 1991
Reviewer for Scott, Foresman/Little, Brown Publishers; 1989
Genetics Society of America: Education Committee
Roots and Shoots/Reverence for Life Youth Summit (Jane Goodall Institute); 1993
Judge - North Carolina Academy of Sciences, Collegiate Academy Presentation of Papers; 1993
Proposal Development and Sources of Support Workshop, North Carolina State University; 1987
Reviewer for the Competitive Small Grants Program of the NC Biotechnology Center; 1986
Seminar series on "Winning Grants," UNCW; 1986

73
 370

Administrative Service

University Committees and Service

University College Advisor, 1985 – present

Synergy Selection Committee, Committee Member December 2009 - Present
Honors Scholars Program, Committee Member, 2004 - Present
Honors Mentor Selection Committee, Committee Member, April 2010 - May 2010
CTE panel discussion: "Understanding Haiti: Making a Difference". 2010
Basic Studies Committee, Committee Member, January 2006 - September 2009
Appointed by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences to an ad hoc committee to
improve Praxis exam scores (state teachers’ exam) of our education majors; 1999 - 2003
Faculty Hearings Panel, 2005 - 2008
Chancellor’s Council on Health and Wellness, 2004 - 2007
Faculty Senate, 1998 – 2001
Campus Recreation Advisory Board, 1998 – present
Guest lecturer: “The Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium.” BIO 502, (masters in education
program) UNCW; 1998
Parking Appeals Committee, 1997 - 2003
UNCW Representative to University of North Carolina/North Carolina Community
Colleges Transfer Advisory Committee, 1997
Faculty Welfare Committee, 1994 - 1996
Computer Services Committee, 1994 - 1996
Search Committee for Director of Career Services, 1995- 1996
Chancellor's AIDS Advisory Committee, 1993 - 1994
University Speakers Bureau; 1992 - present
General College Advisor; 1985 - present
Student Health and Wellness Center Committee; 1989 - 1990
Faculty Professional Relations Committee; 1988 - 1991
Student Affairs Committee; 1985 - 1989
Secretary; 1986 - 1987
Chair; 1988 - 1989
Ad hoc Committee on Grade Appeals; 1986
Selection Committee for Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities; 1985
Produced a slide presentation on Marine Biology at UNCW for the 1985 Marine Expo (with
Dr. C. S. Dunn)

Departmental Committees and Service

Advancement Committee, Committee Member. August 2006 - 2010

Scholarship Committee, Committee Member August 2000 - Present
Departmental Newsletter, Editor August 2004 - Present
Transfer Orientation, Faculty Advisor, January 2000 - Present
Assessment Committee, Essay exam review panel August 2009 - present
Departmental Senator, 1998 - 2001
Peer Evaluation Committee for Dr. Craig Bailey; 1999 - 2000
Search Committee for Mariculturist Position, 1998 - 1999
Peer Evaluation Committee for Dr. Stephen Kinsey; 1998 - 1999
Peer Evaluation Committee for Dr. Simona Bartl; 1997 - 1998
74
 371

Assistant Chair, undergraduate studies; 1994 – 1997

Editor, Departmental Newsletter; 1994 – 1997
Editor, Departmental Undergraduate Brochure; 1994 - 1997
Long Range Planning Committee, chair; 1994 – 1997
Presented lecture on “DNA Fingerprinting” to the BIO 110 Enrichment Sessions, UNCW; 1997.
Scholarship Committee, chair; 1994 – 1997; member 1998 - 1999
Experiential Learning Committee; 1996 - 1997
Peer Evaluation Committee for Dr. Laela Sayigh; 1996 - 1997
Peer Evaluation Committee for Dr. Jon Geller; 1995 - 1996
Faculty Recording Secretary; 1989 - 1994
Search Committee for Marine Cordate Immunologist; 1994
Curriculum Committee; 1998 – 1999, 1992 – 1994, 1988 – 1989
Scholarship Committee; 1991 - 1992
Representative to Faculty Senate; 1989 - 1991
Library Journals Committee; 1984 - 1988
Summer School Committee; 2000, 1998, 1989, 1986
Library Committee for the Graduate Program in Biology; 1986

Research Grants and Fellowships

Faculty Research and Development Fund, UNCW. "The genetics of adaptation and reproductive isolation
in Drosophila;" 1985

North Carolina Biotechnology Center: Visiting Industrial Scientists and Engineers in Biotechnology at
North Carolina Universities Program, with Dr. R. K. Sizemore and Dr. S. K. Burgess; 1985

Research Assistantship, with Dr. J. R. Powell, Yale University; 1983 - 1984

National Institutes of Health Predoctoral Grant; 1979 - 1983

Memberships in Professional Societies

Society for the Study of Evolution

Genetics Society of America
Behavior Genetics Association
Association of Southeastern Biologists
National Center for Science Education
Phi Beta Kappa

Civic and Community Service

Invited to present a seminar on Gene Function and Genetic Technologies to middle school teachers
for SMEC’s Science workshop- 6-8 Human Body & Genetic Influences, 2008
Presented talk on “Becoming a College Professor” to fourth and fifth grades of Blount Elementary; 2000
Guest “scientist” at Blount Elementary’s Career Day; 1999
Acted as “nature expert” for fifth grade class of Blount Elementary field trip to Hanging Rock, NC; 1998
Presented demonstration on isolation of DNA to New Hanover High School tenth grade class; 1997
Presented lectures on basic genetics to the fourth and fifth grade classes of Blount Elementary School; 1997
75
 372

Guest scientist at Blount Elementary’s careers in science night for fifth graders, 1996
Presented two lectures on “DNA Fingerprinting” to eighth grade classes at D.C. Virgo Middle School; 1995
"Genetic Engineering" presentation to the Wilmington chapter of the AAUW; 1994
"The Human Genome Project" presentation to the Wilmington Senior Men's Club; 1991
"Reproductive Isolation in Drosophila." The Biology Seminar Series, Science and Mathematics
Education Center, UNCW (seminars for high school teachers); 1988.
Through the UNCW Science and Mathematics Education Center, presented lectures on genetics for
junior high school teachers in New Hanover, Pender, and Brunswick Counties; 1986
"Ethological Isolation of Drosophila." Presented to the Mid-Atlantic Drosophila Research Conference,
The Johns Hopkins University; 1986.
Judge, Blockade Runner Forensics Tournament; 1987, 1986
Judge, Williston Junior High School Science Fair; 1993, 1988, 1987, 1986

Honors

Discere Aude Award, 2010

Twice nominated for Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award

Named by one or more graduating seniors as the one person at UNCW who had significant impact on
their lives; each semester since the program was initiated.

Selection for America's Who's Who - America's Outstanding Women Of The Eighties, 1989

76
 373

CURRICULUM VITAE

Michael J. Durako
Address: The University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Department of Biology and Marine Biology
Center for Marine Science
5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane
Wilmington NC 28409
Telephone: (910) 962-2373 work
E-mail: durakom@uncw.edu; http://people.uncw.edu/durakom/index.htm

Education
Ph.D. Marine Science, 1991 University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
M.A. Botany, 1978 University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620
B.S. Biology, 1975 Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33432

Appointments
Current Position: Professor (since 8/04), Department of Biology and Marine Biology, UNCW
8/97- 5/04: Associate Professor, Department of Biology, tenured 8/00
5/95- 8/97: Senior Research Scientist, Florida Marine Research Institute - Supervisor of Habitat
Assessment and Restoration Research Group within Resource Health and Assessment
Section. Supervised 5-Full Time Research Scientists (3 Ph.D.'s) and 8-Temporary (OPS)
Research Staff employees.
2/91-5/95- Research Scientist, Florida Marine Research Institute - Botany and Technical Sciences
Section.
1/89-2/91 - Biological Scientist IV, Bureau of Marine Research - Botany and Technical
Sciences Section.
11/84- 1/89 - Biological Scientist III, Bureau of Marine Research - Botany and Technical
Sciences Section.
8/82-11/84 - Senior Biologist, Bureau of Marine Research - Botany Section.
9/79-8/82 - Biologist, Bureau of Marine Research - Botany Section.
1/79-9/79 - Marine Biologist I, Bureau of Marine Research - Botany Section.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Publications (87 total) (Student authors in bold)

Gavin N. M., Durako, M. J. 2014. Population-based variation in resilience to hyposalinity stress in
Halophila johnsonii. Bulletin of Marine Science 90(3): 781-794.
Howarth, J. F., Durako, M. J. 2013. Variation in pigment content of Thalassia testudinum
seedlings in response to changes in salinity and light. Botanica Marina 56: 261-272.
Howarth, J. F., Durako, M. J. 2013. Diurnal variation in chlorophyll fluorescence of Thalassia
testudinum seedlings in response to controlled salinity and light conditions. Marine Biology
160: 591-605.
Kahn, A. E., Beal , J. L., Durako, M. J. 2013. Diurnal and tidal variability in photobiology of the
seagrass Halophila johnsonii in a riverine versus marine habitat. Estuaries and Coasts 36:
430-443.
Griffin, N. E., Durako, M. J., 2012. The effect of pulsed versus gradual salinity reduction on the
physiology and survival of Halophila johnsonii Eiseman. Marine Biology 159: 1439-1447.
77
 374

Gavin, N. M., Durako, M. J. 2012. Localization and antioxidant capacity of flavonoids in

Halophila johnsonii in response to experimental light and salinity variation. J. Experimental
Marine Biology and Ecology 416-417: 32-40.
Durako, M. J. 2012. Using PAM fluorometry for landscape-level assessment of Thalassia
testudinum: Can diurnal variation in photochemical efficiency be used as an ecoindicator of
seagrass health? Ecological Indicators 18: 243-251.
Gavin, N. M., Durako, M. J. 2011. Localization and antioxidant capacity of flavonoids from
intertidal and subtidal Halophila johnsonii and Halophila decipiens. Aquat. Bot. 95: 242-
247.
Durako, M. J., Kowalczuk, P., Mallin, M. A., Cooper, W. J., Souza, J. J., Wells, D. H., 2010.
Spatial and temporal variations in photosynthetically-significant optical properties and water
quality in a coastal blackwater river plume. Estuaries & Coasts 33: 1430- 1441.
Kowalczuk, P., Cooper, W. J., Gonsior, M., Durako, M. J., Young, H., Kahn, A. E. 2010.
Characterization of dissolved organic matter fluorescence in the South Atlantic Bight using
the PARAFAC model: Relationships between fluorescence and its components, absorption
coefficients and organic carbon concentrations. Marine Chemistry 118: 22-36.
Durako, M. J., Chartrand, K. M. 2009. Changes in spectral reflectance in response to salinity
variation in Siderastrea radians from Florida Bay, Florida USA. Proceedings of the 11th
International Coral Reef Symposium, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pp 607-610.
Kahn, A. E., Durako, M. J. 2009. Wavelength-specific photosynthetic responses of Halophila
johnsonii from marine versus riverine-influenced habitats. Aquatic Botany 91: 245-249.
Chartrand, K. M., Durako, M. J., Blum, J.E. 2009. Effect of hypo-salinity on the photophysiology
of Siderastrea radians. Marine Biology 156: 1691-1702
Kowalczuk, P., Durako, M. J., Young, H., Kahn, A. E., Cooper, W. J., Gonsior, M. 2009.
Characterization of dissolved organic matter fluorescence in the South Atlantic Bight with
use of PARAFAC model: Inter-annual variability. Marine Chemistry 113: 182-196.
Chartrand, K. M., Durako, M. J. 2009. Distribution and photobiology of Siderastrea radians
and Thalassia testudinum in Florida Bay, FL USA. Bulletin of Marine Science 84(2):153-166
Kahn, A. E., Durako, M. J., 2009. Photosynthetic tolerances to desiccation of the co-occurring
seagrasses Halophila johnsonii and Halophila decipiens. Aquatic Botany 90: 195-198.
Kahn, A. E., Durako, M. J. 2008. Photophysiological responses of Halophila johnsonii to
experimental hyposaline and hyper-CDOM conditions. J. Experimental Marine Biology and
Ecology 367: 230-235.
Meng, Y. Krzysiak, A. J., Durako, M. J., Kunzelman, J. I., Wright, J. L. C. 2008. Flavones and
flavone glycosides from the sea grass Halophila johnsonii. Phytochemistry 69: 2603-2608.
Belshe, E. F., Durako, M. J., Blum, J. E. 2008. Diel light curves and landscape-scale variation in
photosynthetic characteristics of Thalassia testudinum in Florida Bay. Aquatic Botany
89:16-22.
Lin, J., Xie, L., Pietrafesa, L.J., Xu, H., Woods, W., Mallin, M. A., Durako, M.J. 2008. Water
quality modeling in the Cape Fear River estuary and its adjacent coastal region, North
Carolina. Ecological Modeling 212: 200-217.
York, R. A., Durako, M. J., Kenworthy, W. J., Freshwater, D. W. 2008. Megagametogenesis in
Halophila johnsonii Eiseman and Halophila decipiens Ostenfeld (Hydrocharitaceae).
Aquatic Botany 88:277-282.
Ralph, P.J, Durako, M. J., Enriquez, S., Collier, C., Doblin, M.A. 2007. Impact of light limitation on
seagrasses. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 350, 176-193.
Dean, R. J., Durako, M. J. 2007. Physiological integration in the threatened seagrass: Halophila
johnsonii Eiseman. Bull. Mar. Sci. 81(1):21-35.
Durako, M. J. 2007. Leaf optical properties and leaf-specific photosynthetic absorptances in
78
several Australian seagrasses. Aquat. Bot. 87: 83-89.
 375

Belshe, E. F., M. J. Durako, and J.E. Blum. 2007. Photosynthetic rapid light curves (RLC) of
Thalassia testudinum exhibit diurnal variation. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 342: 253-268.

Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters

Durako, M. J. 2012. Seagrasses are unique flowering plants. Pg. 257, In: W. L. Kruczynski and P. J.
Fletcher (eds), Tropical Connections: South Florida’s marine environment, IAN Press,
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Studies, Cambridge, MD, 492 pp.
Durako, M. J. 2012. Seagrasses have different life history strategies. Pg. 260, In: W. L. Kruczynski
and P. J. Fletcher (eds), Tropical Connections: South Florida’s marine environment, IAN
Press, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Studies, Cambridge, MD, 492 pp.
Durako, M. J. 2012. Seagrasses are important to humans. Pg. 265, In: W. L. Kruczynski and P. J.
Fletcher (eds), Tropical Connections: South Florida’s marine environment, IAN Press,
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Studies, Cambridge, MD, 492 pp.
Durako, M. J. 2012. In 1987 a large area of turtle grass died in Florida Bay. Pp. 278-279, In: W. L.
Kruczynski and P. J. Fletcher (eds), Tropical Connections: South Florida’s marine
environment, IAN Press, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Studies,
Cambridge, MD, 492 pp.
Durako, M., Zieman, J., Robblee, M. 2007. Chapter 7: Seagrass Ecology. Pp 92-109. In: Hunt J. H.,
Nuttle, W. (eds.), Florida Bay Science Program: A Synthesis of Research on Florida Bay.
Fish Wildlife Res. Inst. Tech Rept. TR-11, 148 pp.
Hall, M. O., Madley, K., Durako, M. J., Fourqurean, J. W., Zieman, J. C., Robblee, M. B., 2007.
Florida Bay. Pp 242-254. In: L. Handley, D. Altsman, R. DeMay (Eds.) Seagrass Status and
Trends in the Northern Gulf of Mexico 1940-2002. U. S. Geol. Surv. Sci. Investigations
Rept. 2006-5287, 267 pp.

Invited Papers Presented (25 total)

Benthic Habitats. Durako, M. J., Hall. M. O., Behringer, D., Butler, M. Florida Bay Science
Conference, Naples, FL, Dec 7-11, 2008.

Presentations Authored or Co-Authored (Student authors in bold)

Genazzio, M.A., Durako, M.J. 2014. Diurnal variation in photochemical efficiency of Thalassia
testudinum, turtle grass, in response to repeated shading events. 2014 Benthic Ecology
Meetings, Jacksonville. FL, Mar 20-23, 2014.
Durako, M. J., Rasheed, M. 2013. Seagrass leaf spectral reflectance indicates species resilience to
light and tidal variation. Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation, San Diego, CA, Nov 4,
2013.
Gavin, N. M., Durako, M.J. 2013. Population-based variation in resilience to hyposalinity stress in
Halophila johnsonii Eiseman. Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation, San Diego, CA, Nov
6, 2013.
Genazzio, M. A. and Durako, M.J. 2013. Diurnal variation in photochemical efficiency of
Thalassia testudinum, turtle grass, in response to short-term changes in light availability.
Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation, San Diego, CA, Nov 6, 2013.
Durako, M.J. 2012, Reflections from down under: Bio-optical properties of Australian seagrasses.
UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Biology Departmental seminar, September 21,
2012.
Gavin, N. M., Durako, M.J. 2012, Southeast Phycological Colloquy, “Resilience to hyposalinity in
Halophila johnsonii” (October 20, 2012).
Gavin, N. M., Durako, M. J. Durako, M. J., CERF 2011, Coastal & Estuarine Research 79
Federation, Daytona Beach, FL, "Are ther diurnal changes in photoprotective mechanisms in
 376

leaves of intertidal and subtidal Halophila johnsonii?", Academic, International, Accepted.

(November 9, 2011).
Durako, M. J., Howarth, J. F. Howarth, J. F., CERF 2011, Coastal & Estuarine Research
Federation, Daytona Beach, Florida, "Changes in leaf spectral reflectance of Thalassia
testudinum seedlings in response to salinity variation and light reduction", Academic,
International, Accepted. (November 9, 2011).
Howarth, J. F., Durako, M. J., CERF 2011, Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation, Daytona
Beach, FL, "Diurnal variation in chlorophyll fluorescence of Thalassia testudinum seedlings
in response to controlled salinity and light conditions", Academic, International, published
elsewhere, Accepted. (November 9, 2011).
Hall, M. O., Durako, M. J., Merello, M. Durako, M. J., Merello, M., CERF 2011, Coastal &
Estuarine Research Federation, Daytona Beach, FL, "Seagrasses as indicators of ecosystem
change in south Florida estuaries", Academic, International, Accepted. (November 7, 2011).
Durako, M. J., Hall, P., Merello, M., Landry, J., Berns, D. Hall, P., Merello, M., Landry, J., Berns,
D., World Seagrass Conference, World Seagrass Association, Phuket, Thailand, "Using
seagrasses as indicators of ecosystem change: The importance of long-term data", Academic,
International. (November 24, 2010).
Gavin, N., Durako, M. J. Durako, M. J., World Seagrass Conference, World Seagrass Association,
Phuket, Thailand, "Flavonoid compounds in Halophila johnsonii and Halophila decipiens:
localization and antioxidant activity", Academic, International. (November 23, 2010).
Gavin, N., Durako, M. J. Durako, M. J., Southeast Phycological Colloquy, UNCW, "Antioxidant
capacity of flavonoids in Halophila johnsonii Eiseman in response to light and salinity
variation", Academic, Regional, Accepted. (October 30, 2010).
Griffin, N., Durako, M. J. Durako, M. J., Southeast Phycological Colloquy, UNCW, "Determining
the minimum salinity threshold of the threatened seagrass, Halophila johnsonii, under a pulsed
versus gradual salinity reduction", Academic, Regional. (October 30, 2010).
Corbett, J., Durako, M. J. Durako, M. J., Southeast Phycological Colloquy, UNCW, "Does diurnal
variation in fluorescence of Thalassia testudinum reflect its physiological state?", Academic,
Regional, Accepted. (October 30, 2010).
Testing Coral Transplant Performance: Aquarius Coral Restoration/Resilience
Experiments (ACRRE). M. W. Miller, D. E. Williams, L. Johnston, M. Durako, C.
Woodley and I. B. Baums. Linking Science to Management: A Conference & Workshop on
the Florida Keys Marine Ecosystem, 19-22 October, 2010.
Localization and antioxidant activity of flavonoid compounds in Halophila johnsonii and Halophila
decipiens. Gavin, N. M., Durako, M. J. Benthic Ecology Meetings, Mar. 11-13, 2010,
Wilmington, NC
Assessing seagrass health at the landscape level using chlorophyll fluorescence: Diurnal variations
and maybe a way to deal with it. Durako, M. J. 20th Biennial Coastal and Estuarine
Research Federation Conference, 1-5 November, Portland, OR.
Florida Bay Benthic Habitats: Past. Present & Future. Durako, M. J. UNCW Departmental
Seminar, January 23, 2009.
Diurnal tidal responses of the seagrass Halophila johnsonii physiology in a riverine versus marine
influenced habitat. Kahn A. E., Beal, J. L., Durako, M. J. S.E. Estuarine Res. Soc. Semi-
Annual Meeting, Nov. 13-15, 2008, Tampa, FL.
Wavelength-specific photosynthetic responses of Halophila johnsonii from marine versus riverine-
influenced habitats. Kahn, A. E., Durako, M. J. SE Estuarine Research Society, Semi-
Annual Meeting, Nov. 13-15, 2008, Tampa, FL.
Seagrass as indicators of ecosystem change in South Florida estuaries. Hall, M. O., Durako, M.J.,
Berns, D., Kunzelman, J., Toth, K. Florida Bay Science Conference, Naples, FL, Dec
80
7-11, 2008.
 377

SAV as Indicators of Ecosystem Change in South Florida Estuaries.Margaret O. Hall, Michael J.

Durako, Manuel Merello, Donna Berns, Jennifer Kunzelman, Brooke Landry, Katie Toth,
Diego Lirman, Greg Deangelo, Ligia Collado, Travis Thyberg, James Herlan, Caitlin
Burman and Rolando Santos. Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Conference,
Naples, FL, July 28-August 1, 2008.
The photobiology of Symbiodinium indicates populational differences in hyposaline tolerance in
Siderastrea radians from Florida Bay, Florida USA. Chartand, K., Durako, M. 11th
International Coral Reef Symposium, Ft. Lauderdale, FL July 7-11, 2008
Changes in spectral reflectance in response to salinity variation in Siderastrea radians from Florida
Bay, Florida USA. Durako, M., Chartand, K. 11th International Coral Reef Symposium,
Ft. Lauderdale, FL July 7-11, 2008
In situ responses of Halophila johnsonii to hurricane-like water quality conditions. Kahn, A. E.,
Durako, M. J., Beal, J. L. Estuarine Research Federation Meetings, Providence, R. I.,
November 4-9, 2007.
Leaf optical properties and photosynthetic leaf absorptances in seagrasses. Durako, M. J. Estuarine
Research Federation Meetings, Providence, R. I., November 4-9, 2007.
Seagrasses as Indicators of Ecosystem Change in South Florida Estuaries. Hall, M. O., Durako, M.
J. Estuarine Research Federation Meetings, Providence, R. I., November 4-9, 2007.

Grants (56 Awards totaling >$7,00,000; 35@UNCW: >$5,000,000)

2013-2014
Florida Bay water quality synthesis. Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
($40,000)
2011-2013
Measuring photosynthetic characteristics of Turtlegrass for the South Florida Fish Habitat
Assessment Program. Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. ($60,000)
2011-2013
Determining the resilience to salinity stresss in the threatened seagrass Haliphila johnsonii.
National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Endangered Species Office, $29,470.
2010-2011
Habitat-based variation in oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity in Halophila johnsonii: a
pilot study. National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Endangered Species Office,
$30,450.
2010-2011
Measuring photosynthetic characteristics of Turtlegrass for the South Florida Fish Habitat
Assessment Program. Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. ($125,000)
2009-2011
Establishing the salinity tolerance of Halophila johnsonii. National Marine Fisheries
Service, NOAA, Endangered Species Office, $24,200.
2009-2010
Measuring photosynthetic characteristics of Turtlegrass for the South Florida Fish Habitat
Assessment Program. Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. ($60,000)
2008-2010
Tissue Localization of Flavonoid Compounds in Halophila johnsonii: Depth and salinity
effects. National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Endangered Species Office, $21,000.
2007-2008
Tissue Localization of Flavonoid Compounds in Halophila johnsoni:. National Marine
Fisheries Service, NOAA, Endangered Species Office, $21,883.
2005-2008
81
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. Measuring photosynthetic
 378

characteristics of Turtlegrass for the South Florida Fish Habitat Assessment Program.
($200,000)
2005-2007
Experimental investigation of hurricane-related changes in water quality on the
photobiology of Halophila johnsonii. National Marine Fisheries Service. ($29,709)
2005-2007
Effects of hurricanes on the distribution of Halophila johnsonii. National Marine Fisheries
Service. ($89,855)

Honors, Awards and Professional Service

Appointed to NOAA-funded Recovery Plan team for the recently listed species Halophila
johnsonii, the only marine plant ever to be listed under the Endangered Species Act. 1999-
present
Team Leader - Florida Bay Program Management Committee, Seagrass Research Team 1998-
present.

Thesis Advisor:
Graduate- Master’s
UNCW - Lesley Murphy, 2000; Jill Paxson, 2002; John Hackney, 2003; James Henne, 2001; Ron
Dean, 2002; Paula Whitfield, 2002; Jennifer Kunzelman, 2003; Amanda Kahn 2004; Robert York,
2005; J. Brooke Landry, 2005; Elizabeth F. Belshe, 2005; Kathryn Chartrand, 2007; Nathan Gavin
2008; Nina Griffin, 2009; Jacqueline Corbett 2009; Melissa Genazzio 2012.

Graduate- Ph.D.
Amanda Kahn, 2008; Nathan Gavin 2010

Thesis Committee Member:

Graduate- Master’s
USF - Mary Beth Neeley 1996, Craig Rose 1996, Donna Berns 2003
UNCW -Sebastian Engel, 2000; Barbara Wilson, 2000; Thomas McGinnis, 2002;; Lee Richbourg,
2006; Erin Zook, 2007; Sondi Hoffman, 2009; Jennifer Idol, 2012; Alex Davila, 2013.

Graduate - Ph.D.
USF - Eva Maria Wysk Koch 1990
FIU – Justin Campbell 2007

Post-doctoral Research Fellows supervised

Dr. Piotr Kowalczuk - 2001-2003
Dr. Marnie L. Campbell - 2003-2004
Dr. Wendy L. Woods - 2003-2005

Professional Societies
Sigma Xi (full member) American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation Southeastern Estuarine Research Society

82
 379

CURRICULUM VITAE

Steven D. Emslie
September 2014

PERSONAL DATA:

Address: Univ. of North Carolina Phone: (910) 962-3357 (office)

Dept. of Biology and Marine Biology Fax: (910) 962-4066
Wilmington, NC 28403 E-mail: emslies@uncw.edu

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND:

Ph.D. 1987 University of Florida, Gainesville--Zoology

M.S. 1982 Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff--Biology
M.A. 1977 University of Colorado, Boulder--Anthropology
B.A. 1975 University of Colorado, Boulder--Anthropology
1971 Graduated from Ft. Collins High School, Colorado

GRANTS AND AWARDS (since 2007 only):

National Science Foundation, MRI: Acquisition of a gas chromatograph and isotope ratio mass spectrometer
interface for compound-specific isotope analyses at the University of North Carolina Wilmington,
$149,705, with Chad Lane (lead PI) and A. Hawkes, R. Mead, and E. Reber, Co-PIs, July 2014.

National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs ANT 0739575, $17,128, supplemental award to
Stable isotope analyses of pygoscelid penguin remains from active and abandoned colonies in
Antarctica, 9/1/2008 – 8/31/2015 (with Mike Polito and William Patterson, co-PIs).

National Science Foundation, Supplement to The Vertebrate Paleontology of Cement Creek Cave,
Colorado, to support graduate research by Bryan McLean, $13,008, 1 Sept. 2010.

National Science Foundation, DEB Biological Research Collections, Enhancement of the natural history
collections at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, 8/1/2008 – 7/31/2010 (with Tom
Lankford, Marcel van Tuinen, and David Webster as Co-PIs), $314,609.

Faculty Scholarship Award, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2 September 2008, in recognition of
career research and publications, with $1500 stipend.

National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs ANT 0739575, $503,195, Stable isotope analyses of
pygoscelid penguin remains from active and abandoned colonies in Antarctica, 9/1/2008 – 8/31/2013 (with
Mike Polito and William Patterson, co-PIs).

National Science Foundation, Sedimentary Geology and Paleobiology EAR, $65,169, The vertebrate
paleontology of Cement Creek Cave, Colorado, 10/1/2008 – 9/30/2009 (with David Meltzer and
David Webster, co-PIs).

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, National Estuarine Research Reserve Graduate
Research Fellowship, $60,000, Mercury levels in feather and blood of two species of coastal
sparrows from over-wintering and breeding sites in North Carolina, the northern U.S., and Canada
(co-PI with Virginia Winder, Ph.D. student for project), 6/1/2008 – 5/31/2011.

National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs, $5750 from the Research Experiences for
Undergraduates (REU) program to support two students for research on paleoclimatic studies in
Colorado with global comparisons, 2007/2008 (supplement to OPP-0125098). 83
 380

TEACHING/PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Professor Dept. of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington.
1998- Duties include teaching classes in ecology, ornithology, graduate seminars;
conducting research, mentoring graduate students (M.S. and Ph.D.).

CONNECT Coordinator for the collaborative partnership between Western State College
Facilitator and the RE1J Gunnison School District to bring Standards-Based Education
1997-1998 to Colorado K-16 schools in the math and sciences. Duties include interacting and
meeting with local K-12 teachers and College faculty to develop standards,
integrate standards into curriculum, assessment, and professional development.

Thornton Visiting Western State College, Gunnison, Colorado. Research with undergraduate
Scholar and Adj. students, and taught courses in General Ecology (twice), Conservation
Assist. Professor Biology, Environmental Science (three), and Natural History and Ecology of
1994-1998 Birds. Also spent 6 months as the NAGPRA representative, C. T. Hurst
Museum, to oversee the repatriation of human remains in the collections to
Native American Tribes, 1996-1997.

Adjunct Assistant Florida Museum of Natural History. Spent three austral summers working with
Curator, 1993-1995 penguins and other seabirds at King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula, in
collaboration with Dr. Wayne Trivelpiece.

Lecturer and Board of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Research Associate Taught undergraduate courses in Ecology (four times), Natural
1990-1992 History of Birds (twice), Natural History of Mammals (twice),
Wildlife Conservation (once) and Biology and Ecology of Vertebrates
(7 lectures, one class). Each class had from 17 to 400 students.

Field Director and Point Reyes Bird Observatory, California. Supervised volunteers
Biologist and directed long-term ecological research on 12 species of seabirds
1987-1990 and the Northern Elephant Seal on Southeast Farallon Island.

Teaching Assistant University of Florida, Department of Zoology. Taught undergraduate

1983-1987 laboratory courses in General Biology, Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy,
and Embryology. Participated in numerous paleontological excavations at
fossil localities in Florida ranging from Miocene to late Pleistocene in age.

1981-1982 Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences.

Taught undergraduate laboratory courses in General Biology, Cell
Biology, and Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy.

Secretary/Treasurer Society of Ethnobiology

1983-1986

Editor Journal of Ethnobiology, Vol. 1-2

1981-1983

Instructor Prescott Center College, Prescott, Arizona. Taught undergraduate

1979-1980 courses in Prehistory of the Southwest (twice) and Archaeological Field
Techniques (twice).

Faunal Specialist Dolores Archaeological Project, Cortez, Colorado. Directed a preliminary

1978-1980 survey of birds and mammals in the Dolores River Valley; directed
identification and analysis of faunal remains from archaeological sites
excavated in the valley.
84
Field Supervisor or Numerous archaeological excavations and surveys in Colorado, Arizona,
 381

Crew Member New Mexico, Nevada and Missouri.

1975-1982

PUBLICATIONS (since 2007 only):

Polito, M. J., W. Z. Trivelpiece, W. P. Patterson, N. J. Karnovsky, and S. D. Emslie. In Press. Contrasting

patterns of specialization facilitate foraging niche partitioning in sympatric Pygoscelis penguins. Marine
Ecology Progress Series.

Stucchi, M., S. D. Emslie, R. M. Varas-Malca, and M. Urbina-Schmitt. In Press. A new condor (Aves,
Cathartidae) from the middle-late Miocene Laguna Seca locality, Pisco Formation, Peru. Journal of
Vertebrate Paleontology.

Brasso, R., M. J. Polito, and S. D. Emslie. In Press. Multi-tissue analyses reveal limited inter-annual and
seasonal variation in mercury exposure in an Antarctic penguin community. Ecotoxicology.

Huang, Tao, L. Sun, Y. Wang, and S. D. Emslie. In Press. Paleodietary changes by penguins and seals in
association with Antarctic climate and sea ice extent. Chinese Science Bulletin.

Emslie, S. D., L. Coats, and E. Oleksy. Revision under review. Packrat middens and the Holocene
Paleohistory of Colorado piñon (Pinus edulis) in Western Colorado. Journal of Biogeography.

Emslie, S. D., M. J. Polito, R. Brasso, W. P. Patterson and L. Sun. 2014. Ornithogenic soils and the
paleoecology of pygoscelid penguins in Antarctica. Quaternary International
DOI:10.1016/j.quaint.2014.07.031

McLean, B., J. K. Ward, M. P. Polito, and S. D. Emslie. 2014. Responses of high-elevation herbaceous
plant assemblages to low glacial [CO2] revealed by fossil marmot (Marmota) teeth. Oecologica 175: 1117-
1127.

Clucas, G. V., Michael J. Dunn, Gareth Dyke, Steven D. Emslie, Ron Naveen, Michael J. Polito, Oliver G.
Pybus, Alex D. Rogers, and Tom Hart. 2014. A reversal of fortunes: climate change ‘winners’ and ‘losers’
in Antarctic Peninsula penguins. Scientific Reports 4: DOI: 10.1038/srep05024.

Nie, Yaguang, Xiaodong Liu, and S. D. Emslie. 2014. Distribution and sources of rare earth elements in
ornithogenic sediments from the Ross Sea region, Antarctica. Microchemical Journal 114: 247-260.

Nie, Yaguang, Xiaodong Liu, Tao Wen, Liguang Sun, and S. D. Emslie. 2014. Environmental implication
of nitrogen isotopic composition in ornithogenic sediments from the Ross Sea region, Antarctica: Δ15N as a
new proxy for avian influence. Chemical Geology 363: 91-100.

Emslie, S. D. and L. Coats. 2013. Late Holocene climate change and the origin of the ‘figurine complex’
in Grand Canyon, Arizona. Journal of Ethnobiology 33: 170-179.

Polito, M. J., C. S. Reiss, W. Z. Trivelpiece, W. P. Patterson, and S. D. Emslie. 2013. Stable isotopes
identify an ontogenetic niche expansion in Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) from the South Shetland
Islands, Antarctica. Marine Biology 160: 1311-1323.

Sun, L., S.D. Emslie, T. Huang, J.M. Blais, Z.Q. Xie, X.D. Liu, X.B. Yin, Y.H. Wang, W. Huang, D.A.
Hodgson, and J.P. Smol. 2013. Vertebrate records in polar sediments: biological responses to past climate
change and human activities. Earth-Science Reviews 126: 147-155.

85
 382

Hu, Qi-Hou, Li-Guang Sun, Zhou-Qing Xie, S. D. Emslie, and Xiao-Dong Liu. 2013. Increase in
penguin populations during the Little Ice Age in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Scientific Reports 3: 2472; DOI
10.1038/srep02472.

Liu, Xiaodong, Yaguang Nie, Liguang Sun, and S. D. Emslie. 2013. Eco-environmental implications of
elemental and carbon isotope distributions in ornithogenic soils from the Ross Sea region, Antarctica.
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 117: 99-114.

Emslie, S. D., M. J. Polito, and W. P. Patterson. 2013. Stable isotope analysis of ancient and modern
Gentoo Penguin egg membrane and the krill surplus hypothesis in Antarctica. Antarctic Science 25: 213-
218.

Brasso, Rebecka L., Michael J. Polito, Heather J. Lynch, R. Naveen, and Steven D. Emslie. 2012.
Penguin eggshell membranes reflect homogeneity of mercury in the marine food web surrounding the
Antarctic Peninsula. Science of the Total Enviornment 439: 165-171.

Nie, Y., Xiaodong Liu, Liguang Sun, and Steven D. Emslie. 2012. Effect of penguin and seal excrement
on mercury distribution in sediments from the Ross Sea region, East Antarctica. Science of the Total
Environment 433: 132-140.

McLean, B. and S. D. Emslie. 2012. Stable isotopes reflect the ecological stability of two high-elevation
mammals from the late Quaternary of Colorado. Quaternary Research 77: 408-417.

Winder, V., A. K. Michaelis, and S. D. Emslie. 2012. Winter survivorship and site fidelity of Nelson’s,
Saltmarsh, and Seaside Sparrows in North Carolina. Condor 114: 421-429.

Vasil, C. A., M. J. Polito, W. P. Patterson, and S. D. Emslie. 2012. Wanted: dead or alive? Isotopic
analysis (δ13C and δ15N) of Pygoscelis penguin chick tissues supports opportunistic sampling. Rapid
Communications in Mass Spectrometry 26: 487-493.

Winder, V. and S. D. Emslie. 2012. Mercury in Nelson’s Sparrow subspecies at breeding sites. PLoS ONE
7 (2): e32257.

Winder, V., A. K. Michaelis, and S. D. Emslie. 2012. Understanding associations between nitrogen and
carbon isotopes and mercury in three Ammodramus sparrows. Science of the Total Environment 419: 54–59.

Jackson, D. G., S. D. Emslie, and M. van Tuinen. 2012. Genome skimming identifies polymorphism in
tern populations and species. BMC Research Notes 5: 1-11.

Zavalaga, C. B., S. D. Emslie, F. A. Estela, M. S. Muller, G. Dell’Omo, and D. J. Anderson. 2012.

Overnight foraging trips by chick-rearing Nazca boobies Sula granti and the risk of attack by predatory fish.
Ibis 154: 61-73.

Polito, M. J., W. Z. Trivelpiece, N. J. Karnovsky, E. Ng, W. P. Patterson, and S. D. Emslie. 2011.

Integrating stomach content and stable isotope analyses to quantify the diets of pygoscelid penguins. PLoS
ONE 6: 1-10.

Winder, V. and S. D. Emslie. 2011. Mercury in non-breeding sparrows of North Carolina salt marshes.
Ecotoxicology 21:325–335.

Polito, M. J., S. Abel, C. R. Tobias, and S. D. Emslie. 2011. Dietary isotopic discrimination in gentoo
penguin (Pygoscelis papua) feathers. Polar Biology 34: 1057-1063.

Smykla, J., B. Krzewicka, K. Wilk, S. Emslie, and L. Śliwa. 2011. Additions to the lichen flora of 86
Victoria Land, Antarctica. Polish Polar Research 32: 123-138.
 383

Emslie, S.D., K. Baumann, and M. van Tuinen. 2011. Late Holocene occupation of Gentoo Penguins
(Pygoscelis papua) at Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, Antarctica. Polar Biology 34: 283-290.

Winder, V. L. and S. D. Emslie. 2011. Mercury in breeding and wintering Nelson’s Sparrows
(Ammodramus nelsoni). Ecotoxicology 20: 218-225.

Polito, M. J., Heather J. Lynch, Ron Naveen, and Steven D. Emslie. 2011. Stable isotopes reveal regional
heterogeneity in the pre-breeding distribution and diets of sympatrically breeding Pygoscelis penguins.
Marine Ecology Progress Series 421: 265-277.

Verleyen, E., D. Hodgson, K. Sabbe, G. Marshall, H. Cremer, S. Emslie et al. 2011. Post-glacial regional
climate variability along the East Antarctic coastal margin – evidence from shallow marine and coastal
terrestrial records. Earth-Science Reviews 104: 199-212.

Morgan, Gary and S. D. Emslie. 2010. Tropical and western influences in vertebrate faunas
from the Pliocene and Pleistocene of Florida. Quaternary International 217: 143-158.

Subramanian, S., D. R. Denver, C. D. Millar, T. Heupink, A. Aschrafi, S. D. Emslie, C. Baroni, and D. M.

Lambert. 2009. High mitogenomic evolutionary rates and time dependency. Trends in Genetics 25: 482-
486.

Ainley, D., G. Ballard, L. Blight, S. Ackley, S. Emslie, A. Lescroël, S. Olmastroni, S. Townsend, C.

Tynan, P. Wilson, E. Woehler. 2010. Impacts of Cetaceans on the Structure of Southern Ocean Food Webs.
Marine Mammal Science 26: 482-498.

Polito, M. J., S. Fisher, C. Tobias, and S. D. Emslie. 2009. Tissue-specific isotopic discrimination factors
in Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) egg components: implications for dietary reconstruction using stable
isotopes. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 372: 106-112.

Emslie, S. D., J. Weske, M. Browne, S. Cameron, R. Boettcher, D. Brinker, and W. Golder. 2009.
Population trends in Royal and Sandwich Terns along the mid-Atlantic seaboard, USA, 1975-2005.
Waterbirds 32: 54-63.

Strickland M. E., M. P. Polito, and S. D. Emslie. 2008. Spatial and seasonal variation in Adélie Penguin
diet as inferred from stable isotope analysis of eggshell. Journal of the North Carolina Academy of Sciences
124: 65-71.

Zavalaga, C., Silvano Benvenuti, Luigi Dall’Antonia, and Steven D. Emslie. 2008. Foraging areas of
breeding blue-footed boobies Sula nebouxii in northern Peru, as determined by direction recorders. Journal
of Avian Biology 39: 405-412.

Liljesthröm, M., S. D. Emslie, and A. Schiavini. 2008. Avian predation at a southern Rockhopper
Penguin colony on Staten Island, Argentina. Polar Biology 31: 465-474.

Ainley, D., G. Ballard, S. Ackley, L. Blight, J. T. Eastman, S. D. Emslie, A. Lescroël, S. Olmastroni, S. E.

Townsend, C. T. Tynan, P. Wilson, and E. Woehler. 2007. Paradigm Lost? Or, is top-down forcing no
longer significant in the Antarctic Marine Ecosystem? Antarctic Science 19: 283-290.

Emslie, S. D. and W. P. Patterson. 2007. Abrupt recent shift in 13C and 15N values in Adélie Penguin
eggshell in Antarctica. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104: 11666-11669.

Emslie, S. D., L. Coats, and K. Licht. 2007. A 45000-year record of Adélie Penguins and climate change
in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Geology 35: 61-64. 87
 384

Zavalaga, Carlos B., Silvano Benvenuti, Luigi Dall’Antonia, Steven D. Emslie. 2007. Diving behavior of
Blue-footed Boobies (Sula nebouxii) in northern Perú in relation to sex, body size and prey type. Marine
Ecology Progress Series 336: 291-303.

Emslie, S. D. 2007. Fossil passerines from the early Pliocene of Kansas and the evolution of songbirds in
North America. Auk 124: 85-95.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE (since 2007 only):

Curator, UNCW Ornithology Collections, 1998 to present

Editorial Board Member, Advances in Polar Science, since fall 2014
NSF Review Panel for Collections in Support of Biological Research Program, fall 2013
NSF Proposal reviewer
Reviewer for numerous peer-reviewed journals, annual since 1998
University Studies Advisory Committee member, since fall 2013
Chair’s Advisory Committee member, since fall 2014

PRESENTATIONS (past two years only):

2014 Mercury and Stable Isotope Analysis of Human Bone from a Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic Ditched
Enclosure at Perdigões, Portugal (with Rebecka Brasso, William Patterson, Ana Maria Silva, and
António Valera, co-authors). Society of Ethnobiology Annual Meeting, 11-14 May 2014, Cherokee,
NC.

2013 Penguins and ornithogenic sediment as a natural archive for ecosystem studies in Antarctica.
(with M.J. Polito, L. Coats, W.P. Patterson, co-authors). Presentation at XIth SCAR Biology
Symposium, 15-19 July, Barcelona, Spain.

2013 Climate change and the origin of split-twig figurines in Grand Canyon, Arizona. Presentation at 36th
Annual Meeting of the Society of Ethnobiology, 15-18 May 2013, Denton, TX (with L. Coats, co-
author).

2012 Integrating stable isotopes with climate change and the paleohistory of Adélie Penguins in
Antarctica. Plenary Speaker, Global Change in the Mediterranean, Seville, Spain, 15-16 Nov 2012

2012 Adélie Penguins as biomonitors of Antarctic marine ecosystems: a 45,000 year history. Invited
Speaker, Seminar in Polar Sciences, Hefei, China, 28 October 2012

STUDENT SUPERVISION:

Graduate Committee Chair for: Terri Maness, Jenny McDaniel, Tom McGinnis, Jason Minton, Ellen
Wambach, Carlos Zavalaga, Deniz Aygen, Marcela Liljesthrom, Ed Cavallerano, Adriane Michaelis,
Michael Polito, Bryan McLean, Chance Remmel, Kiersten Newtoff, Amy Etherington, MS degrees;
Carlos Zavalaga, Virginia Winder, Michael Polito, Rebecka Brasso, Ph.D.

All of the above have graduated except for Amy Etherington, a new MS student in fall 2014.
Graduate Committee Member for: Michelle Shipp-Pennock, John Hackney, Debi Koster, Heather Quinn,
Melissa Leslie, Cassie Martin, James Casey, Katrina Roman, James Casey, Lisa Ogawa, Sandy
Camilleri, Anne-Marie Hodge, Chris Torres, Megan McCracken, Brittany Nicolaysen, Steve Poland
MS degrees; Byron Toothman, Ph.D.

Honors Committee Chair for Melissa Meadows, Rebecka Brasso, Mike Polito, Kerry Baumann, Mary
Strickland, Jordan Barlow, Chris Vasil, Kyle Welsh, Chelsea McDougall, Jennifer Lang (Co-Chair
with M. van Tuinen), Ashley McKenzie, Morgan Taylor (Co-Chair with Devon Eulie, EVS)
88
Undergraduate Committees: Honors committee member for Cori Cauble, Caitlin Mckinstry,
 385

Charles Pagels, Julie Seifert, Sarah Hutchinson, Elizabeth Brown, Travis Manasco, Michelle Pavlick,
David Jackson, Carly Coughlin, Tara Kahn, Kelly Hattori, Brittney Ferrari, Megan Taig-Johnston,
Emily Olds, Irene Fobe, Ian Fincham

Directed Independent Studies: Graduate: Deniz Aygen, Jenny McDaniel, Jason Minton, Tom McGinnis,
Ellen Wambach, Bryan McLean, Chris Torres; Undergraduate: Andrew Almeter, Matthew Martin,
Samantha Johnson, Ryan Saylor, Stacy Skinner, Frank Spilker, Michael Polito, Zach Owen, Rodney
Hayward, Erin McCutcheon, Eva Olesky, Mary Strickland, Kayla Wingard, Victoria Carle, Emily
Schwartz, Madelyn Shore, Erin McCarthy, Tessa Pfeiffer, Robert Goode, Ashley McKenzie

89
 386

NAME
Patrick M. Erwin

EDUCATION
2009 MBA University of North Carolina Wilmington Business – Marine Biotechnology
2007 Ph.D. University of Alabama at Birmingham Biology – Microbial Ecology
2003 M.Sc. University of Alabama at Birmingham Biology – Molecular Phylogenetics
2001 B.Sc. University of Richmond Biology – Ecology & Evolution

APPOINTMENTS
2013 – Current Assistant Professor  Microbiology
Department of Biology and Marine Biology  University of North Carolina Wilmington
2012 – 2013 Visiting Research Assistant Professor  Marie Curie Reintegration Grant, SYMASC
Department of Animal Biology  University of Barcelona
2010 – 2012 Post-Doctoral Research Fellow  NSF International Research Fellowship Program
Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes  Spanish Research Council
2007 – 2009 Visiting Research Assistant Professor  Business of Marine Biotechnology Program
Center for Marine Science  University of North Carolina Wilmington

PUBLICATIONS (* = graduate student, ** = undergraduate)

26) Accepted Burgsdorf I*, Erwin PM, López-Legentil S, Cerrano C, Haber M, Frenk S, Steindler L.
Biogeography rather than association with cyanobacteria structures symbiotic microbial
communities in the marine sponge Petrosia ficiformis. Frontiers in Microbiology (in press)
25) Accepted Fan Z*, Pita L*, Erwin PM, Summara A, López-Legentil S, Hill RT. Symbiotic archaea in
marine sponges show stability and host specificity in community structure and ammonium
oxidation functionality. FEMS Microbiology Ecology (in press)
24) 2014 Riesgo A, Blasco G, Erwin PM, Pérez-Portela R, López-Legentil S. Optimization of
fourteen microsatellite markers in a Mediterranean demosponge subjected to population
decimation, Ircinia fasciculata. Conservation Genetics Resources 6(2): 301-303.
23) 2014 Erwin PM, Pineda MC*, Webster N, Turon X, López-Legentil S. Down under the tunic:
Bacterial biodiversity hotspots and widespread ammonia-oxidizing archaea in coral reef
ascidians. The ISME Journal 8: 575-588.
22) 2013 Pita L*, Erwin PM, Turon X, López-Legentil S. Till death do us part: Stable sponge-
bacteria associations under thermal and food shortage stresses. PLos ONE 8(11): e80307.
21) 2013 Pita L*, Turon X, López-Legentil S, Erwin PM. Host rules: Spatial stability of bacterial
communities associated with marine sponges (Ircinia spp.) in the Western Mediterranean
Sea. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 86: 268-276.
20) 2013 Turon X, Garriga A*, Erwin PM. Lights and shadows: Growth patterns in three sympatric
and congeneric sponges (Ircinia spp) with contrasting abundances of photosymbionts.
Marine Biology 160: 2743-2754.
19) 2013 Pita L*, López-Legentil S, Erwin PM. Biogeography and host-fidelity of bacterial
communities in Ircinia spp. from the Bahamas. Microbial Ecology 66(2): 437-447.
18) 2013 López-Legentil S, Erwin PM, Velasco M*. Turon X. Growing or reproducing in a temperate
sea: Optimization of resource allocation in a colonial ascidian. Invertebrate Biology 132(1):
69-80.
17) 2013 Erwin PM, Pineda MC*, Webster N, Turon X, López-Legentil S. Small core communities
and high variability in bacteria associated with the introduced ascidian Styela plicata.
Symbiosis 59(1): 35-46. 90
 387

16) 2012 Hirose E, Turon X, López-Legentil S, Erwin PM, Hirose M. First records of didemnid
ascidians harboring Prochloron from Caribbean Panama: Genetic relationships between
Caribbean and Pacific photosymbionts and host ascidians. Systematics and Biodiversity
10(4): 435-445.
15) 2012 Erwin PM, Pita L*, López-Legentil S, Turon X. Stability of sponge-associated bacteria over
large seasonal shifts in temperature and irradiance. Applied and Environmental Microbiology
78(20): 7358-7368.
14) 2012 Erwin PM, López-Legentil S, Turon X. Ultrastructure, molecular phylogenetics and
chlorophyll a content of novel cyanobacterial symbionts in temperate sponges. Microbial
Ecology 64: 771-783.
13) 2012 Erwin PM, López-Legentil S, González-Pech R**, Turon X. A specific mix of generalists:
Bacterial symbionts in Mediterranean Ircinia spp. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 79: 619-
637.
12) 2011 Erwin PM, Olson JB, Thacker RW. Phylogenetic diversity, host-specificity and community
profiling of sponge-associated bacterial communities in the northern Gulf of Mexico. PLoS
ONE 6(11): e26806.
11) 2011 Erwin PM. Corporate codes of conduct: The effects of code content and quality on ethical
performance. Journal of Business Ethics 99(4): 535-548.
10) 2010 Erwin PM, López-Legentil S, Schuhmann PW. The pharmaceutical value of marine
biodiversity for anti-cancer drug discovery. Ecological Economics 70: 445-451.
9) 2010 Erwin PM, Szmant AM. Settlement induction of Acropora palmata planulae by a GLW-
amide neuropeptide. Coral Reefs 29(4): 929-939.
8) 2010 López-Legentil S, Erwin PM, Pawlik JR, Song B. Effects of sponge bleaching on ammonia-
oxidizing Archaea: Distribution and relative expression of ammonia monooxygenase genes
associated with the barrel sponge Xestospongia muta. Microbial Ecology 60: 561-571.
7) 2010 López-Legentil S, Erwin PM, Henkel TP*, Pawlik JR. Phenotypic plasticity in the sponge
Callyspongia vaginalis (Porifera; Haplosclerida): Morphological and molecular data.
Scientia Marina 74(3): 445-453.
6) 2009 Erwin PM, Song B, Szmant AM. Settlement behavior of Acropora palmata planulae:
Effects of biofilm age and crustose coralline algal cover. Proceedings of the 11th
International Coral Reef Symposium pp. 1219-1223.
5) 2008 Erwin PM, Thacker RW. Cryptic diversity of the symbiotic cyanobacterium Synechococcus
spongiarum among sponge hosts. Molecular Ecology 17(12): 2937-2947.
4) 2008 Erwin PM, Thacker RW. Phototrophic nutrition and symbiont diversity of two Caribbean
sponge-cyanobacteria symbioses. Marine Ecology Progress Series 362: 139-147.
3) 2007 Erwin PM, Thacker RW. Incidence and identity of photosynthetic symbionts in Caribbean
coral reef sponge assemblages. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the U.K.
87(6): 1683-1692.
2) 2007 Erwin PM, Thacker RW. Phylogenetic analyses of marine sponges within the order
Verongida: A comparison of morphological and molecular data. Invertebrate Biology
126(3): 220-234.
1) 2007 Thacker RW, Diaz MC, Rützler K, Erwin PM, Kimble SJA*, Pierce MJ*, Dillard SL*.
Phylogenetic relationships among the filamentous cyanobacterial symbionts of Caribbean
sponges and a comparison of photosynthetic production between sponges hosting
filamentous and unicellular cyanobacteria. In: Custódio MR, Lôbo-Hajdu G, Hajdu E, and
Muricy G (eds.). Porifera research: biodiversity, innovation and sustainability. Série Livros
28. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro. pp. 621-626. ISBN 978-85-7427-023-4.

PRESENTATIONS (* = presenting author)

44) 2014 Steindler L*, Burgsdorf I, Erwin PM, López-Legentil S, Cerrano C, Haber M. 91
Biogeograophy rather than association with cyanobacteria structures microbial
 388

communities in the marine sponge Petrosia ficiformis. 2nd International Symposium on

Sponge Microbiology · Baltimore, Maryland, USA
43) 2014 Marino C*, Erwin PM, Pawlik J. Do microbial communites and chemical defenses change
across latitudes for the sponge Ircinia campana? 2nd International Symposium on Sponge
Microbiology · Baltimore, Maryland, USA
42) 2014 Fan Z*, Pita L*, Erwin PM, Abaid S, López-Legentil S, Hil RT. Stability and host
specificity in symbiotic archaea community structure associated with marine sponges. 2nd
International Symposium on Sponge Microbiology · Baltimore, Maryland, USA
41) 2014 López-Legentil S, Legentil ML, Erwin PM, Turon X*. Native and introduced ascidians in
harbors of the NE Iberian Peninsula: distribution, diversity and abundance. Simposio Ibérico
de Estudios de Biología Marina · Gijón, Spain
40) 2014 López-Legentil S, Legentil ML, Erwin PM, Turon X*. Harbor networks as introduced
patchworks: contrasting distribution patterns of native and introduced species. International
Invasive Sea Squirt Conference V · Woods Hole, MA, USA
39) 2014 López-Legentil S*, Pineda MC, Webster N, Turon X, Erwin PM. Unraveling the diversity
of the ascidian microbiome. 43rd Annual Benthic Ecology Meetings · Jacksonville, FL, USA
38) 2014 Pita L, López-Legentil S, Turon X, Erwin PM*. How do sponge-bacteria symbioses respond
to a changing environment? 43rd Annual Benthic Ecology Meetings · Jacksonville, FL, USA
37) 2014 Marin CM*, Pawlik JR, Erwin PM. Effects of climate change on symbiosis: Microbial
assemblages in sponges. 43rd Annual Benthic Ecology Meetings · Jacksonville, FL, USA
36) 2013 Pita L*, Turon X, López-Legentil S, Erwin PM. You’ve got a friend in me: High stability of
Ircinia-associated bacterial communities over time and space. 9th World Sponge Conference
· Fremantle, Australia
35) 2013 Reisgo A*, Blasco G, Erwin PM, Pérez-Portela R, López-Legentil S. Tools for conservation
of marine species subjected to population decimation in the Mediterranean: Optimization of
microsatellite loci in the sponge Ircinia fasciculata. 9th World Sponge Conference ·
Fremantle, Australia
34) 2013 Pita L*, Erwin PM, Turon X, López-Legentil S. Till death do us part: Stable sponge-
bacteria associations under thermal and food shortage stresses. 9th World Sponge Conference
· Fremantle, Australia
33) 2013 Erwin PM, Pineda MC, Webster N, Turon X, López-Legentil S*. Deep sequencing of the
ascidian microbiome. 7th International Tunicate Meeting · Naples, Italy
32) 2013 Legentil ML, Turon X, Erwin PM, López-Legentil S*. Introduced ascidians in Catalan
harbors (NE Spain). 7th International Tunicate Meeting · Naples, Italy
31) 2012 Hirose E*, Turon X, López-Legentil S, Erwin PM, Hirose M. Caribbean Prochloron and the
host ascidian. 83rd Annual Meeting of the Zoological Society of Japan · Osaka, Japan
30) 2012 Turon X*, Pita L, González-Pech R, Pujals-Paunero A, López-Legentil S, Erwin PM. A
faithful marriage: Temporal and spatial stability of host-specific bacterial symbionts in 3
sympatric Ircinia spp. (Porifera). Simposio Ibérico de Estudios de Biología Marina · San
Sebastián, Spain
29) 2012 Garriga-Pla A, Erwin PM, Turon X*. Luces y sombras: Patrones de crecimiento en tres
esponjas mediterráneas (Ircinia spp.) con diferente abundancia de fotosimbiontes. Simposio
Ibérico de Estudios de Biología Marina · San Sebastián, Spain
28) 2012 López-Legentil S, Erwin PM, Velasco M, Espluga R, Turon X*. Relationship between host
life-cycle and bacterial symbiont diversity in the Mediterranean ascidian Didemnum fulgens.
Simposio Ibérico de Estudios de Biología Marina · San Sebastián, Spain
27) 2011 Erwin PM*, López-Legentil S, Pita L, Turon X. Host-specificity and environmental
structuring of bacterial symbionts in Mediterranean Ircinia spp. 1st International Symposium
on Sponge Microbiology · Würzburg, Germany
92
 389

26) 2011 Pita L*, Erwin PM, López-Legentil S. Spatial variation and host-specificity of bacterial
assemblages in Caribbean sponges. 1st International Symposium on Sponge Microbiology ·
Würzburg, Germany
25) 2011 Erwin PM*, López-Legentil S, Pita L, Turon X. Host-specificity and environmental
structuring of bacterial symbionts in Mediterranean Ircinia spp. 4th Internal Symposium at
the Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes · Blanes, Spain
24) 2010 López-Legentil S*, Erwin PM, Pawlik JR, Song B. Ammonia-oxidizing Archaea in
bleached barrel sponges: Diversity, distribution and ammonia monooxygenase expression. 8th
World Sponge Conference · Girona, Spain
23) 2010 Erwin PM*, Thacker RW. Molecular tools for community-level profiling and fine-scale
phylogenetics of microbial symbionts in marine sponges. Simposio Ibérico de Estudios de
Biología Marina · Alicante, Spain
22) 2008 Erwin PM*, Song B, Szmant AM. Settlement behavior of Acropora palmata planulae:
effects of biofilm age and crustose coralline algae cover. International Coral Reef
Symposium · Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
21) 2008 Thacker RW*, Erwin PM. Evolutionary ecology of sponge-cyanobacteria symbioses.
International Coral Reef Symposium · Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
20) 2007 Erwin PM*, Thacker RW. Host-specificity of sponge-associated unicellular cyanobacteria,
Candidatus Synechococcus spongiarum. Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology
Annual Meeting · Phoenix, AZ, USA
19) 2007 Erwin PM*, Thacker RW. Cryptic diversity of symbiotic cyanobacteria in coral reef
sponges: host-specificity and ecological significance. Annual Benthic Ecology Meetings ·
Atlanta, GA, USA

GRANTS
2011 – 2013 Spanish Government · Grant · €145,000 · MARSYMBIOMICS Project: Evolutionary
implications, ecological roles, and vulnerability to ocean changes of marine symbioses
(CTM2013-43287-P)
2010 – 2013 European Commission Marie Curie International Reintegration · Grant · €87,500 ·
SYMASC Project: Bacterial symbiosis in ascidians (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG 277038)
2011 – 2013 Spanish Government · Grant · €166,980 · SOLID Project: Small organisms, large impacts:
Diversity, dynamics and significance of microbial symbionts in sponges and ascidians
(CTM2010-17755)
2010 – 2012 National Science Foundation  International Research Fellowship Program · $149,812 ·
Vulnerability and resilience of sponge populations and their bacterial symbionts to climate
change and anthropogenic disturbances (NSF-0853089)
2007 – 2009 French Research National Agency · Grant · €916,100 · ECIMAR Project: Marine chemical
ecology: Biodiversity indicators and development (ANR06-BDIV00104)

HONORS, AWARDS AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

ARTICLE REVIEWER (29 JOURNALS)
Microbiology & Phycology (12): Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Journal of Microbiology, Aquatic
Microbial Ecology, Environmental Microbiology, European Journal of Phycology, FEMS Microbiology
Ecology, Frontiers in Microbiology, The ISME Journal, Microbial Ecology, Journal of Applied
Phycology, Journal of Basic Microbiology, mBio, World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
Marine Biology & Ecology (10): Advances in Marine Biology, Caribbean Journal of Science, Coral
Reefs, Estuaries and Coasts, Hydrobiologia, Invertebrate Biology, Limnetica, Limnology and
Oceanography, Marine Ecology Progress Series, Molecular Ecology
General & Chemistry (5): International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Marine Drugs, PLOS 93
ONE, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group)
 390

Economics and Business (2): Ecological Economics, Journal of Business Ethics

EDITORAL SERVICE
Review Editor · Frontiers in Microbial Symbiosis
CONFERENCE ORGANIZATION:
Organizing Committee · 2nd International Symposium on Sponge Microbiology · Baltimore, Maryland,
USA · October 26-28, 2014
Executive Committee · 8th World Sponge Conference · Girona, Spain · September 20-24, 2010
DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEES
Graduate Advisory Committee · 2014-2016
Search Committee · Health Sciences Lecturer · 2013-2014
Summer School Committee · 2013-2014
GRANT REVIEWER
National Science Foundation · Dimensions of Biodiversity · Spring 2014
UNCW · ETEAL Summer Undergraduate Research and Creativity Awards (SURCA) · Spring 2014
SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS
· Contributing Member · American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
INVITED SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS
2013 Friends, foes and freeloaders: Microbial symbionts in marine invertebrates
Seminar · Department of Biology and Marine Biology
University of North Carolina Wilmington · Wilmington NC, USA
2012 Friends, foes and freeloaders: Microbial symbionts in marine sponges
Seminar · Department of Biology
Florida State University · Tallahassee FL, USA
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

East Carolina Universiy · Greenville NC, USA

2012 A specific mix of generalists: What shapes the unique structure of the sponge
microbiota?
Workshop · Lower Invertebrates Symbiosis with Microorganisms
Tel Aviv University · Tel Aviv and Eilat, Israel
2010 Sponge-microbial symbioses: Genetic diversity and ecological significance
Seminar · Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes
Spanish Research Council · Blanes, Spain
2009 Pharmaceutical value of the sea
Special Topics Biotechnology Workshop · Marine Biotechnology
University of North Carolina Wilmington · Wilmington NC, USA
INTERNAL FUNDING AWARDS
2014 eTEAL-Supported Pedagogy Initiative · $3,499.58
Molecular and metabolic approaches to identify and characterize unknown microorganisms
in BIOL 246 and BIOL 425
2014 Charles L. Cahill Award for Faculty Research and Development · $2,982
Integrating genetics, taxonomy and chemical ecology to understand biodiversity and
ecosystem function of sponge-microbe symbioses on Caribbean coral reefs
2014 CSURF Research Supplies Awards · $872.98
Undergraduate Awardees: Mara Cloutier, Rebecca Lee, Lisa Litwak
2014 College of Arts and Sciences Equipment Allocation · $6,600
Eppendorf Model 542R Refrigerated Centrifuge
2014 Applied Learning Funds, Department of Biology · $465
Molecular characterization of the structure and specificity of bacterial symbionts in the 94
widespread sponge species Hymeniacidon heliophila
 391

SCHOLARLY AWARDS & HONOR SOCIETIES

2009 Outstanding Academic Achievement · MBA Award · Class of 2009 · UNCW
2009 Beta Gamma Sigma · International Business Honor Society · UNCW Chapter
2007 Phi Kappa Phi · Biological Honor Society · UAB Chapter
2007 Oral Presentation Award · 1st Place · Graduate Student Research Day · UAB

95
 392

CHRISTOPHER M. FINELLI
Associate Professor and Chair
Department of Biology and Marine Biology
University of North Carolina Wilmington
601 S. College Rd
Wilmington, NC 28403
Voice: (910) 962-2137; Fax: (910) 962-4066; Email: finellic@uncw.edu
EDUCATION:
1997 Ph.D. Marine Science Program, University of South Carolina
Dissertation title: The influence of behavior and physics on ecological processes.
Advisor: Dr. David S. Wethey.
1990-1991 East/West Marine Biology Program, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
1991 B.S. in Biology, Magna Cum Laude, Honors Program Graduate,
St. Francis College, Loretto, PA
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2011 to Present Department Chair, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North
Carolina Wilmington
2009 to Present Associate Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Biological-Physical Coupling, Oceanography, Marine Biology
2006 to 2009 Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Biological-Physical Coupling, Oceanography, Marine Biology
2005 to 2006 Associate Professor, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON).
Biological-Physical Coupling, Benthic Ecology, Marine Science
1999 to 2005 Assistant Professor, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON).
Biological-Physical Coupling, Benthic Ecology, Marine Science
1997 to 1999 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Academy of Natural Sciences Organism-
flow interactions, stream ecology
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS and FUNDING:
$635,427 since joining UNCW in 2007
$1,894,921 total

2013 Duke-UNC Oceanographic Consortium;

Biodiversity research and education in the coastal areas of Southeastern North
Carolina; $54,000; PI: Christopher Finelli; Co-PI’s: Stuart Borrett, Zac Long,
Wilson Freshwater.
2013 North Carolina Sea Grant – Fisheries Resource Grant;
Predicting and controlling recruitment of the shell-boring sponge, Cliona celata.
$19,920. PI: Christopher Finelli; CoPI; John Carroll.
2011 St. Francis University Distinguished Alumnus in Science.
2011 UNCW Quality Enhancement Plan Pilot Project;
Enhancing applied learning through explorations of the natural world; $22,890;
PI: Arthur Frampton; Co-PIs: Stuart Borrett, Steven Emslie, Christopher Finelli,
Zachary Long, Ann Pabst, Sonja Pyott, Eric Schuettpelz, Marcel van Tuinen,
Amanda Williard.
2010 Aquarius Reef Base;
Sponges on Florida coral reefs: Anthropogenic threats and demographic changes.
$150,000; Co-PI with Dr. Joseph Pawlik.
2009 North Carolina Sea Grant;
To seed or not to seed: The value for seeding restored oyster reefs for ecosystem
function; $120,000; PI: Christopher Finelli; Co-PIs: Ami Wilbur, Troy Alphin,
Martin Posey. 96
2009 UNCW Cahill Award;
 393

Development of a high speed motion analysis system for biological research and
education at UNCW. $3000; PIs: Alison Taylor & Christopher Finelli
2008 National Undersea Research Program/Coral Reef Conservation Program;
Sponges on Florida Reefs: Basic data for conservation and management.
$69,000; Co-PI with Joseph Pawlik
2008-2012 National Science Foundation;
Pumping rates of the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta on Caribbean reefs:
size scaling, environmental controls, and bleaching effects. $193,617; PI:
Christopher Finelli.
2008 UNCW Cahill Award;
Preliminary investitgations of the boring sponge, Cliona chelata, and its effects on
the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica. $3000; PI: Christopher Finelli
GRANT APPLICATIONS PENDING
2014 National Science Foundation;
Trophic ecology of sponges on Caribbean reefs: POC, DOC and the sponge-
loop; $798,723; PI Christopher Finelli; Co-PIs: Patrick Erwin, Joseph Pawlik;
Submitted August 2014;
RECENT UNFUNDED GRANT APPLICATIONS
2014 National Science Foundation;
Roots, STEMs, and Leaves: A comprehensive approach to a flourishing STEM
undergraduate culture at UNCW; $2,846,699; PI Martin Posey; Co-PIs: Jess
Boersma, Nathaniel Grove, Dylan McNamara, Christopher Finelli; Submitted
February 2014;
2013 National Science Foundation;
Collaborative Research:Ocean Acidification: The cascading effects of ocean
acidification and species interactions on calcareous biogenic habitats: temperate
and tropical comparison; $789,529 ($353,984 to UNCW); PI: Christopher Finelli;
Co-PIs: John Carroll (UNCW), Bradley Peterson (SUNY Stony Brook), Robert
Whitehead (UNCW); Submitted December, 2013
2013 NOAA - National Marine Fisheries Service, Saltonstall Kennedy Program;
Reducing the costs of being bored: Investigations to minimize the impact of the
boring sponge, Cliona celata, on oyster aquaculture. $146,062 PI: Christopher
Finelli; Co-PIs: John Carroll, Ami Wilbur. Submitted September 2013.
2013 National Science Foundation - WIDER;
Building & Using Systems (BUS) – Strategies to increase data-driven STEM
teaching. $249,847 PI: Christopher Finelli; Co-PIs: Joseph Covi, Martin Posey,
James Reeves, Ann Stapleton. Submitted July 2, 2013
2013 Sea Grant National Omnibus;
If you build it, will they come? Testing the factors that are limiting oyster reef
development in Southeast North Carolina; $100,000. PI: Christopher Finelli;
Co-PIs: John Carroll (UNCW); Preproposal submitted April 5, 2013
2013 Sea Grant National Omnibus;
Biological mitigation strategies for the boring sponge, Cliona celata; $100,000.
PI: Christopher Finelli; Co-PIs: John Carroll (UNCW), Ami Wilbur (UNCW);
Preproposal submitted April 5, 2013
2013 Mid-Atlantic Sea Grant Regional Research;
Are oysters being bored to death? The impacts of the boring sponge, Cliona
celata, on eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica; $41,166. PI: Christopher
Finelli; Co-PIs: John Carroll (UNCW), Bradley Peterson (SUNY Stony Brook),
Lisa Kellogg (VIMS), Daphne Munroe (Rutgers University); Preproposal
submitted March 15, 2013
2012 North Carolina Blue Crab and Shellfish Research Program; 97
 394

The importance of predation on reef restoration; $47,550. PI: Christopher

Finelli; Co-PIs: Ami Wilbur (UNCW), John Carroll (UNCW; Submitted
December 1, 2012
2012 National Science Foundation;
Collaborative Research: Ocean Acidification: The cascading effects of
ocean acidification on calcareous biogenic habitats and their
communities: a comparison between temperate and tropical ecosystems;
$516,669 ($209,694 to UNCW); PI: Christopher Finelli; Co-PIs: John Carroll
(UNCW), Bradley Peterson (SUNY Stony Brook); Submitted December, 2012
PUBLICATIONS (Including those in review or in press, since joining UNCW in 2007, 33 total):
Church, M. B.1, Carroll, J. M. 4, Finelli, C.M. (In review) Periwinkle response to chemical cues depends on
home-marsh geography. Submitted to Journal of Chemical Ecology August 2014.
McMurray, S.E., J.R. Pawlik, and C.M. Finelli (In review) The effects of size and morphology on pumping
rates of Caribbean giant barrel sponges. Submitted to Aquatic Biology July 2014.
Carroll, J.M., K. Riddle, K.E. Woods, and C.M. Finelli (In review) Recruitment of the eastern oyster,
Crassostrea virginica, in response to settlement cues and predation in North Carolina. Submitted to
J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol., April 2014.
Lewis, T.B. and C.M. Finelli (In review). Epizoic zoanthids reduce pumping in two Caribbean vase sponges.
Submitted to Coral Reefs, April 2014.
Carroll, J. M.4, Finelli, C.M. (In press) Impacts of the ectoparasitic snail Boonea impressa on growth of pose-
set juvenile oysters. Journal of Molluscan Studies.
Sumerel, A.N. and C.M. Finelli (2014) Particle size, flow speed, and body size interactions determine
feeding rates of a solitary ascidian, Styela plicata: A flume experiment. Marine Ecology Progress
Series 495:193-204, DOI: 10.3354/meps10571
Pawlik, J.R., T.L. Loh, S.E. McMurray, C.M. Finelli (2013). Sponge communities on Caribbean coral reefs
are structured by factors that are top-down, not bottom-up. PLOS-One 8(5): e62573
DOI:10.1371/journalpone/0062573.
Robinson, H.E., C.M. Finelli, M.A.R. Koehl (2013). Interactions between benthic predators and
zooplanktonic prey are affected by turbulent waves. Integrative and Comparative Biology.
doi:10.1093/icb/ict092
Finelli, C.M., R.D. Clarke, H.E. Robinson, and E.J. Buskey (2009). Water flow controls the distribution and
feeding behavior of two co-occurring coral reef fishes: I. Field measurements. Coral Reefs 28: 461-
473
Clarke, R.D., C.M. Finelli, and E.J. Buskey (2009). Water flow controls the distribution and feeding
behavior of two co-occurring coral reef fishes: II. Laboratory measurements. Coral Reefs 28:475-
488
Finelli, C.M., D. Ebert-May, and J. Hodder. 2008. Collaborative learning: A jigsaw. In Ebert-May and
Hodder, editors, Pathways to Scientific Teaching. Sinauer and Associates, Sunderland MA.
Reprinted from original peer-reviewed publication in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
3(4):220-221
Finelli, C.M., B.S.T. Helmuth, N.D. Pentcheff, D.S. Wethey. 2007. Intracolony variability in
photosynthesis by corals is driven by water flow via oxygen transport. Marine Ecology Progress
Series 349:103-110.
Robinson, H.E., C.M. Finelli, and E. Buskey. 2007. The turbulent lives of copepods: laboratory flume
studies of how flow over a coral reef affects their ability to detect and evade predators. Marine
Ecology Progress Series 349:171-181.
MEETING PRESENTATIONS AND INVITED SEMINARS (since joining UNCW in 2007, 108 total):
Bleier, T.L., C.M. Finelli, and A.E. Wilbur. 2014. Susceptibility of oysters to infection by the boring
sponge Cliona celata. 43rd Benthic Ecology Meeting, Jacksonville, FL.
Carroll, J.M., J.P. Marion, and C.M. Finelli. 2014. Does size matter: Are mesopredators controlling oyster
populations in southeast North Carolina intertidal marshes. 43rd Benthic Ecology Meeting,
Jacksonville, FL. 98
 395

Conti-Jerpe, I.E., C.M. Finelli, and J.R. Pawlik. 2014. Whipping up dinner: measuring heterotrophic feeding
by temperate Atlantic gorgonian octocorals using feeding experiments and stable isotope analysis.
43rd Benthic Ecology Meeting, Jacksonville, FL.
McMurray, S.E., J.R. Pawlik, and C.M. Finelli. 2014. The effects of size and morphology on poumping rates
of Caribbean giant barrel sponges. 43rd Benthic Ecology Meeting, Jacksonville, FL.
Carroll, J.M., J.P. Marion, and C.M. Finelli. 2013. The importance of mesopredators on juvenile oyster
predation: a field test. 22nd Biennial Meeting of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, San
Diego, CA.
Finelli, C.M. 2013. What’s next? Teaching science in the era of budget cuts and Massive Online Open
Courses. 42nd Benthic Ecology Meeting, Savannah, GA.
McMurray, S.E., Z.I. Johnson, D.E. Hunt, J.R. Pawlik, and C.M. Finelli. 2013. Planktonic carbon flux
mediated by the populations of the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta on coral reefs, 42nd
Benthic Ecology Meeting, Savannah, GA.
Conti-Jerpe, I.E., and C.M. Finelli, and J.R. Pawlik. 2013. Does size really matter? Relationships between
polyp morphology and heterotrophic food sources in gorgonian octocorals, 42nd Benthic Ecology
Meeting, Savannah, GA.
McMurray, S.E., C.M. Finelli, and J.R. Pawlik. 2012. Demographics of the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia
muta and carbon flux on coral reefs, 41st Benthic Ecology Meeting, Norfolk, VA.
Conti-Jerpe, I.E., and C.M. Finelli. 2012. Fruit of the flume: patterns of heterotrophic feeding in gorgonian
corals, 41st Benthic Ecology Meeting, Norfolk, VA.
Jabanoski, K.E., and C.M. Finelli. 2012. The Contribution to Water Column Filtration by the Crested
Oyster, Ostrea equestris: Effects of Flow Speed and Seston Concentration, 41st Benthic Ecology
Meeting, Norfolk, VA.
Finelli, C.M, A.E. Wilbur, M.P. Posey, T.A. Alphin. 2012. To seed or not to seed: The value of seeding
restored oyster reefs for ecosystem function. 41st Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, Norfolk, VA.
Finelli, C.M, A.E. Wilbur, M.P. Posey, T.A. Alphin. 2011. To seed or not to seed: The value of seeding
restored oyster reefs for ecosystem function. 40th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, Mobile, AL.
Jabanoski, K.E., C.M. Finelli. 2011. The effects of flow speed on filtration by the crested oyster, Ostrea
equestris. 40th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, Mobile, AL.
Church, M.B., C.M. Finelli. 2010. Responses of the marsh periwinkle, Littoraria irrorata, to predator
(Callinectes sapidus) odors: Indications of a trait mediated indirect effect? 5th Annual
Undergraduate Research Symposium, University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Weychert, C., C.M. Finelli. 2010. Olfactory responses of the lemon-drop nudibranch, Doriopsilla pharpa,
to its prey, the boring sponge Cliona celata. 39th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, Wilmington, NC
Finelli, C.M. 2010. Filtration rates of the Giant Barrel Sponge, Xestospongia muta: Size scaling and
geographical variation. 39th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, Wilmington, NC
Lewis, T.B., C.M. Finelli. 2010. Influence of zoanthid inhabitants on pumping rates of two Caribbean vase
sponges. 39th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, Wilmington, NC
Muzyczek, L.A., C.M. Finelli. 2010. Feeding Behavior of Upogebia Affinis: Food Source Partitioning and
Effects on Benthic-Pelagic Coupling. 39th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, Wilmington, NC
Church, M.B., C.M. Finelli. 2010. Responses of the marsh periwinkle, Littoraria irrorata, to predator
(Callinectes sapidus) odors: Indications of a trait mediated indirect effect? 39th Annual Benthic
Ecology Meeting, Wilmington, NC
Weychert, C., C.M. Finelli. 2010. Olfactory responses of the lemon-drop nudibranch, Doriopsilla pharpa,
to its prey, the boring sponge Cliona celata. 39th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, Wilmington, NC
Sumerel, A.N., C.M. Finelli. 2010. Flume study of particle-size dependent filtration rates of a solitary
ascidian: The influence of body size, flow speed, and drag. 39th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting,
Wilmington, NC
Robinson, H.E., C.M. Finelli, E.J. Buskey. 2010. Turbulence over a coral reef interferes with zooplankton
escape behavior. Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Seattle,
WA.

99
 396

Finelli, C.M., R.D. Clarke, E.J. Buskey, H.E. Robinson. 2009. Water flow controls distribution and feeding
behavior of two syntopic coral reef fishes: Field and laboratory studies. 38th Annual Benthic Ecology
Meetings, Corpus Christi, TX.
Muzyczek, L.A., S.R. Borrett, C.M. Finelli. 2009. Feeding behavior of Upogebia affinis: Food source partitioning
and effects on benthic-pelagic coupling. 38th Annual Benthic Ecology Meetings, Corpus Christi, TX.
Lewis, T.B., C.M. Finelli. 2009. Influence of epizoic zoanthid infestation on filtration of Caribbean sponges. 38th
Annual Benthic Ecology Meetings, Corpus Christi, TX.
Hopkins, C.E., C.M. Finelli. 2009. Odor mediated climbing behavior of Littoraria irrorata when exposed to blue
crabs. 38th Annual Benthic Ecology Meetings, Corpus Christi, TX.
Riddle, K., C.M. Finelli. 2009. Recruitment of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, in response to settlement
cues and predation. 38th Annual Benthic Ecology Meetings, Corpus Christi, TX.
Hopkins, C.E., C.M. Finelli. 2009 Odor mediated climbing behavior of Littoraria irrorata when exposed to blue
crabs. 4th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, UNCW, Wilmington NC.
Riddle, K., C.M. Finelli. 2009 Recruitment of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, in response to settlement
cues and predation. 4th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, UNCW, Wilmington NC.
Finelli, C.M. 2008. Pumping rates of the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta on Caribbean reefs: Size
scaling, environmental controls, and bleaching effects. 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, Ft.
Lauderdale, FL.
Woods, K.E. and C.M. Finelli. 2008. Enhancement of oyster settlement on artificial substrates by using
chemical cues. 3rd Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, UNCW, Wilmington NC.
*Awarded Department of Biology and Marine Biology award for best non-honors student poster.
Hopkins, CE and C.M. Finelli. 2008. Climbing behavior of Littoraria irrorata when exposed to blue crab
scent. 3rd Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, UNCW, Wilmington NC.
Peterson, C.T., Seabrease, Z.A. and C.M. Finelli. 2008. Analysis of adult Crassostrea virginica siphonal
flow, feeding trends, and larval escape responses. 3rd Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium,
UNCW, Wilmington NC.
Finelli, C.M. 2008. Pumping rates of the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta on Caribbean reefs: Size
scaling, environmental controls, and bleaching effects. American Society of Limnology and
Oceanography, Orlando, FL.
Finelli, C.M. 2007. Physical-Biological Coupling & Benthic Suspension Feeders. Meeting of the Duke-
UNC Oceanographic Consortium, Beaufort, NC.
Finelli, C.M., L.B. Rodrigue, D.P. Chauvin. 2007. The effects of hurricanes and hydrologic modification on
water quality along an estuarine gradient in the Terrebonne Basin in southeast Louisiana. Atlantic
Estuarine Research Society, Pine Knoll Shores, NC.
OUTREACH THROUGH THE POPULAR PRESS
Life on a coral reef: Insult is (sometimes) added to injury, National Science Foundation Bulletin, May 9,
2013
UNC marine science program under review, Wilmington StarNews, February 28, 2013
It’s seaweed vs. sponge in battle for dying reefs, Miami Herald, August 26, 2010
Aquanauts living on ocean floor come up for air, MSNBC.com, August 26, 2010
Wrightsville Beach Magazine, October 2009.
Students Head Outdoors to Study Bayous, Houma Courier, Houma, LA, October 2005
Our Ocean World Radio Program, Going with the Flow: how corals get their food (September 2004).
Our Ocean World Radio Program, Coral Bleaching (September 2004).
Bringing the bayou into the classroom. Houma Courier, Houma LA, November 2003.
Science Friday with Ira Flatau, Comments on that status of coral reef bleaching, National Public Radio,
October 2000.
LUMCON researcher readies for adventure/Life underwater can sometimes turn strange (2 article spread)
Houma Courier, Houma LA, September 2000.

100
 397

TEACHING AND SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITIES

Administrative: Department Chair for the Department of Biology and Marine Biology; all aspects of
department administration, budgeting, faculty workload management, scheduling.
Co-Leader of UNCW’s self-study and site review for UNC-GA Statewide Review of
Marine Science Programs. Co-wrote review document and organized academic
program presentations for site review.
Co-Chair, Undergraduate Programs Working Group, UNC-GA Statewide
Review of Marine Science Programs, Organized working group discussions
and co-authored working group report.
Member, Marine Science Consortium Reboot Working Group, UNC-GA
Statewide Review of Marine Science Programs, Organized working group
discussions and co-authored working group report.
Assistant Chair for the Department of Biology and Marine Biology; schedule
classes, budget, meet with prospective students.
Undergraduate Assessment Coordinator for the Department of Biology and Marine
Biology; develop and revise assessment tools and policies for undergraduate degrees
in Biology (BS, BA) and Marine Biology (BS).
Chair, Ad hoc committee for the establishment of an international summer program
in marine biology; coordinate the development of a proposal for a degree program
for international students that incorporates significant summer research.
Faculty Development: East-Coast Regional Team Leader, Faculty Institutes Reforming Science Teaching
(FIRST IV); Gulf Coast Regional Team Leader, Faculty Institutes Reforming
Science Teaching II (FIRST II). NSF sponsored dissemination network.
Courses Taught: UNCW Oceanography and Environmental Science, BIO 694, 2 credits
UNCW Oceanography and Environmental Science, BIO 601, 2 credits
UNCW Biological Oceanography, BIO 564, 3 credits + 1 credit lab
UNCW Marine Biology, BIO 362, 4 credits
UNCW Applied Learning Seminar, BIOL 495, 1 credit
Associate Editor: Limnology and Oceanography (2008 to 2011)
Journal Reviewer: Journal of Chemical Ecology, CBE – Life Sciences Education, Journal of
Experimental Biology, Ecology, Limnology and Oceanography, Environmental
Fluid Mechanics, Marine Ecology Progress Series, Marine Biology, Oecologia,
Estuaries, Biological Invasions, Oikos, Australian Journal of Ecology, Journal of
Coastal Research, Pacific Science, Journal of Foraminiferal Research, Journal of
the North American Benthological Society, Coral Reefs.
Panelist: National Science Foundation Biological Oceanography (2X), National Science
Foundation Education and Human Resources GK-12
Grant Reviewer: National Science Foundation (BIO, GEO, EHR, ENG, OPP, IBN), Hudson River
Foundation, Marsh Ecology Research Program/New Jersey SeaGrant, Maryland
SeaGrant, Florida SeaGrant
Organizer: Benthic Ecology Meeting 2010; Special symposium on turbulent mass transfer,
2001 meeting of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography; Special
Session for FIRST Project in Louisiana, 2004 and 2006 meetings of the Louisiana
Academy of Sciences
POSTDOCTORAL ADVISEES
John Carroll (current) - UNCW
GRADUATE STUDENTS (Primary Supervisor)
Steven McMurray, Ph.D. (current) – UNCW (Major Professor)
Heather Stoker, M.S. (current) – UNCW (Major Professor)
Inga Conti-Jerpe, M.S. (2014) – UNCW (Major Professor) 101
Kristen Jabanoski, M.S. (2013) – UNCW (Major Professor)
 398

Julie Prerost, Ph.D. (2012) – Louisiana State University (Major Professor)

Tiffany Lewis, M.S. (2010) – UNCW (Major Professor)
Louis Muzyczek, M.S. (2010) – UNCW (Major Professor)
Andrew Sumerel, M.S. (2009) – UNCW (Major Professor)
Christie Stanzel, M.S.(2003) – University of Louisiana-Lafayette (Major Professor)
Laurie Rodrigue, M.S. (2005) – Nicholls State University (Major Professor)
GRADUATE STUDENTS (Committee Member)
Lindsey Deignan, M.S. (current) – UNCW (Committee Member)
Kerri Allen, M.S. (2013) – UNCW (Committee Member)
William McBurney, M.S. (2013) – UNCW (Committee Member)
Tse-Lynn Loh, PhD. (2012) – UNCW (Committee Member)
Andrew Miller, M.S. (2011) – UNCW (Committee Member)
Jackie Corbett, M.S. (2012) – UNCW (Committee Member)
Julie Campbell, M.S. (2012) – UNCW (Committee Member)
Lara Jarvis, M.S. (2012) – UNCW (Committee Member)
Adam Oaks, M.S. (2011) – UNC-Charlotte (Committee Member)
Caitlin McKinstry, M.S. (2011) – UNCW (Committee Member)
Michael Eschevarria, M.S. (2010) – UNCW (Committee Member)
Meagan Schrandt, M.S. (2010) – UNCW (Committee Member)
Anne Markwith, M.S. (2010) – UNCW (Committee Member)
Adriane Michaelis, M.S. (2009) – UNCW (Committee Member)
Victor Schmidt, MS. (2009) – UNCW (Committee Member)
Carly Randall, M.S. (2009) – UNCW (Committee Member)
Eve Robinson, M.S. (2006) – University of Texas, Austin (Committee Member)
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS (Primary Supervisor)
Grant Dietrich, Undergraduate Directed Independent Study (2014) – UNCW.
Clarissa Perkins, Undergraduate Directed Independent Study (2014) – UNCW.
Jessica Watts, Undergraduate Directed Independent Study (2014) – UNCW.
Tammy Bleier, Undergraduate Honors Thesis Advisor (2014) – UNCW.
John Marion, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2013) - UNCW
Daniel Link, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2011) - UNCW
Katie O’Shaughnessy, Undergraduate Directed Independent Study (2011) - UNCW
Rebecca Thompson, Undergraduate Directed Independent Study (2011) - UNCW
Curtis Weychert, Undergraduate Honors Thesis Advisor (2010) –UNCW
Morgan Church, Undergraduate Directed Independent Study (2010) – UNCW
Griffin Abernathy, Undergraduate Directed Independent Study (2010) – UNCW
Kristin Riddle, Undergraduate Honors Thesis Advisor (2009) –UNCW
Claire Elise Hopkins, Undergraduate Directed Independent Study (2009) – UNCW
Cheston Peterson, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2007) – UNCW.
Zack Seabrease, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2008) – UNCW.
Kelly Woods, Undergraduate Directed Independent Study (2007) – UNCW
Leah Bailey, Summer Intern (2006) – Louisiana State University
Carey Gelpi, Summer Intern (2005) – Louisiana State University
Jenny Ruiz, Undergraduate Research Assistant (2003-2004) – Nicholls State University (Co-advised w/Tom
Soniat)
John Matkowski, Summer Intern (2001) – Coastal Carolina University (Co-advised w/Rodney Powell)
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS (Honors Committee Member)
Michael Myers, Undergraduate Honors Thesis Committee (2011) – UNCW
Heather Page, Undergraduate Honors Thesis Committee (2010) – UNCW
Anna Robuck, Undergraduate Honors Thesis Committee (2010) - UNCW
Kelley Salvesen, Undergraduate Honors Thesis Committee (2010) - UNCW 102
Sarah Fann, Undergraduate Honors Thesis Committee (2009) - UNCW
 399

Peyton Jeter, Undergraduate Honors Thesis Committee (2009) - UNCW

Brennan Carter, Undergraduate Honors Thesis Committee (2009) - UNCW
Cheston Peterson, Undergraduate Honors Thesis Committee (2009) - UNCW
Carolyn Odenwelter, Undergraduate Honors Thesis Committee (2008) – UNCW

103
 400

Curriculum Vitae
Arthur R. Frampton Jr.

Personal Information:

Address: University of North Carolina Wilmington

Department of Biology and Marine Biology
110 Dobo Hall
601 S. College Rd.
Wilmington, NC 28403

Phone: (910) 962-2643

Fax: (910) 962-4066
Email: framptona@uncw.edu

Education & Training:

1989-1994 B.S. Cell Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee

1996-2002 Ph.D. Microbiology and Immunology, Louisiana State University Health

Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana.
Graduate Advisor: Dr. Dennis J. O’Callaghan
Dissertation Title: Pathogenesis of Equine Herpesvirus Type-1 Recombinants
in a Murine Model

2002-2008 Postdoctoral Fellow. Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics,

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
Advisor: Dr. Joseph C. Glorioso

2008-2014 Assistant Professor. Department of Biology and Marine Biology,

University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina

2014-present Associate Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology,

University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina

Membership in Professional Societies:

American Society for Virology
American Society for Microbiology
American Society of Gene Therapy

Teaching Experience:

BIO 201 Principles of Biology: Cells

HON 210: HIV/AIDS in science and art: from outbreak to globalization and complacency
BIO 485 Virology 104
 401

BIO 495 Senior Seminar “100 Years of Discovery: Biomedical Breakthroughs of the 20th Century”
BIO 491 Directed Independent Study
BIO 499 Honors Work in Biology
BIO 498 Internship in Biological Sciences
BIO 591 Directed Independent Study

Awards and Honors:

UNCW Discere Aude student mentor award. 2010.

Publications:

Arthur R. Frampton Jr., P.M. Smith, Y. Zhang, T. Matsumura, N. Osterrieder, and D.J.
O’Callaghan. Contribution of Gene Products Encoded Within the Unique Short Segment of Equine
Herpesvirus 1 to Virulence in a Murine Model. (2002) Virus Research 90: 287-301.

Yunfei Zhang, P.M. Smith, A.R. Frampton Jr., N. Osterrieder, S.R. Jennings, and D.J. O’Callaghan.
Determination of Cytokine Profiles and Long Term Virus-Specific Antibodies Following
Immunization of CBA Mice with Equine Herpesvirus 1 and Viral Glycoprotein D. (2003) Viral
Immunology 16: 307-320.

Arthur R. Frampton Jr., P.M. Smith, Y. Zhang, W.D. Grafton, T. Matsumura, N. Osterrieder, and
D.J. O’Callaghan. Meningoencephalitis in Mice Infected with an Equine Herpesvirus 1 Strain KyA
Recombinant Expressing Glycoprotein I and Glycoprotein E. (2004) Virus Genes 29: 9-17.

Arthur R. Frampton Jr., W.F. Goins, J.B. Cohen, J. von Einem, N. Osterrieder, D.J. O’Callaghan,
and J.C. Glorioso. Equine Herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) Utilizes a Novel Herpesvirus Entry Receptor.
(2005) Journal of Virology 79:3169-3173.

Arthur R. Frampton Jr., W.F. Goins, K. Nakano, E.A. Burton, and J.C. Glorioso. (Review) HSV
Trafficking and Development of Gene Therapy Vectors with Applications in the Nervous System.
(2005) Gene Therapy 12:891-901.

Marianna Tsvitov, A.R. Frampton Jr., W.A. Shah, Z. Kapacee, A. Ozuer, S.K. Wendell, W.F. Goins,
J.B. Cohen, and J.C. Glorioso. Soluble Gycoprotein D (gD) Mediates Entry of gD-Deficient HSV-1
Particles. (2007) Virology 360:477-491.

Arthur R. Frampton Jr., D.B. Stolz, H. Uchida, W.F. Goins, J.B. Cohen, and J.C. Glorioso. Equine
Herpesvirus 1 Enters Cells by Two Different Pathways and Infection Requires the Activation of the
Cellular Kinase ROCK1. (2007) Journal of Virology 81:10879-10889.

Darren Wolfe, W.F. Goins, A.R. Frampton Jr., M. Mata, D.J. Fink, and J.C. Glorioso. (Book
Chapter) Therapeutic Gene Transfer with Replication Defective Herpes Simplex Viral Vectors.
(2008) In: Gene and Cell Therapy: Therapeutic Mechanisms and Strategies, 3rd edition:159-192.

Hiroaki Uchida, W. A. Shah, A. Ozuer, A.R. Frampton Jr., W.F. Goins, P. Grandi, S.C. Watkins,
J.B. Cohen, and J.C. Glorioso. Establishment and Characterization of HVEM-Selective HSV-1
Mutants. (2009) Journal of Virology 83:2951-2961.
105
 402

Arthur R. Frampton Jr., H. Uchida, J. von Einem, W. F. Goins, P. Grandi, J. B. Cohen, N.

Osterrieder, J. C. Glorioso. Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 (EHV-1) utilizes microtubules, dynein, and
ROCK1 to productively infect cells. (2010) Veterinary Microbiology 141:12-21.

Brian M. Kurtz, L. B. Singletary, S. D. Kelly, and Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Equus caballus MHC
class I is an entry receptor for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). (2010) Journal of Virology 84:
9027-9034.

Michael J. Courchesne, M. C. White, B. A. Stanfield, and Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Equine

herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) mediated oncolysis of human glioblastoma multiforme cells. (2012)
Journal of Virology 86: 2882-2886.

Julia Kydd, J. Slater, N. Osterrieder, P. Lunn, D. Antczak, W. Azab, U. Balasuriya, C. Barnett, M.

Brosnahan, C. Cook, A. Damiani, D. Elton, A. R. Frampton Jr., J. Gilkerson, L. Goehring, D.
Horohov, L. Maxwell, J. Minke, P. Morley, H. Nauwynck, R. Newton, G. Perkins, N. Pusterla, G.
Soboll-Hussey, J. Traub-Dargatz, H. Townsend, G. Van de Walle, B. Wagner.Third International
Havemeyer Workshop on Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 (EHV-1). (2012) Equine Veterinary Journal.
Vol. 44:5, 513-517.

Maria C. White and Arthur R. Frampton Jr. The histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid
enhances equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) mediated oncolysis of human glioma cells. (2013)
Cancer Gene Therapy, 20, 88-93.

Walid Azab, R. Harman, D. Miller, R. Tallmadge, A.R. Frampton Jr., D.F. Antczak, and N.
Osterrieder. Equine herpesvirus type 4 (EHV-4) uses a restricted set of equine major
histocompatibility complex class I proteins as entry receptors. (2014) Journal of General Virology.
Vol. 95, 1554-1563.

Presentations and Abstracts:

Arthur R. Frampton Jr., P.M. Smith, Y. Zhang, T. Matsumura, N. Osterrieder, and D.J.
O’Callaghan. Oral presentation. “Pathogenesis of EHV-1 Glycoprotein I and E Recombinants in a
Murine Model. 21st Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology, Lexington, Kentucky,
July 20-24, 2002.

H. Kwon, Q. Bai, W. Shah, K. Felmet, L. Berne, A.R. Frampton Jr., W.F. Goins, J.B. Cohen, J.C.
Glorioso. “Targeting Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Infection.” American Society for Microbiology,
Gene Therapy: The Next Five Years, Banff, Alberta, Canada, February 26-March 1, 2003.

H. Kwon, Q. Bai, W. Shah, K. Felmet, L. Byrne, A.R. Frampton Jr., W.F. Goins, J.B. Cohen, J.C.
Glorioso. “Targeting Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Infection Using Soluble Receptor/Adapter
Molecules.” The 6th Annual Meeting of The American Society of Gene Therapy, Washington, D.C.,
June 4-8, 2003.

H. Kwon, Q. Bai, K. Felmet, M. Tsvitov, A.R. Frampton Jr., W.F. Goins, J.B. Cohen, and J.C.
Glorioso. “Targeting HSV Infection Using Soluble Receptor/Adapter Molecules.” 28th International
Herpesvirus Workshop, Madison, Wisconsin, July 26-31, 2003.
106
 403

P.Smith, A.R. Frampton Jr., J. von Einem, N. Osterrieder, and D.J. O’Callaghan. “Contribution of
Equine Herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) Glycoproteins gI, gE, and gp2 to Severe Respiratory Inflammatory
Disease in CBA Mice.” 22nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology, Montreal,
Canada. July 10-14, 2004.

Arthur R. Frampton Jr., W.F. Goins, J.B. Cohen, D.J. O’Callaghan, and J.C. Glorioso. Oral
presentation. “Equine Herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) Infection of Chinese hamster Ovary (CHO-K) Cells.”
29th International Herpesvirus Workshop, Reno, Nevada, July 25-31, 2004

Marianna Tsvitov, A.R. Frampton Jr., Z. Kapacee, J.B. Cohen, W.F. Goins, and J.C. Glorioso.
“Soluble gD Mediates Entry of gD-deficient HSV-1 Particles.” 29th International Herpesvirus
Workshop, Reno, Nevada, July 25-31, 2004.

Arthur R. Frampton Jr., W.F. Goins, J.B. Cohen, and J.C. Glorioso. Oral presentation. “Viral and
cell components involved in equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) entry.” 5th Annual Herpesvirus
Symposium. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 8th, 2005.

Marianna Tsvitov, A.R. Frampton Jr., W.A. Shah, Z. Kapacee, W.F. Goins, J.B. Cohen, and J.C.
Glorioso. “Mechanistic aspects of soluble herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoprotein D induced entry
of gD-deficient HSV-1 particles.” 23rd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology, State
College, Pennsylvania. June 18-22, 2005.

Arthur R. Frampton Jr., W.F. Goins, J.B. Cohen, and J.C. Glorioso. Oral presentation.
“Characterization of the cellular and viral components involved in equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-
1) entry into cells.” 30th International Herpesvirus Workshop, Turku, Finland, July 29-August 5, 2005.

Arthur R. Frampton Jr., W.F. Goins, A. Nakao, D.S. Clawson, K. Tomiyama, J. Wechuck, S.
Huang, D.M. Krisky, J.B. Cohen, N. Murase, and J.C. Glorioso. Oral presentation. “Herpes simplex
virus vector mediated heme oxygenase gene therapy of heart ischemia-reperfusion.” 31st International
Herpesvirus Workshop, Seattle, Washington, July 22-28, 2006.

Arthur R. Frampton Jr., D.B. Stolz, H. Uchida, W.F. Goins, J.B. Cohen, and J.C. Glorioso. Oral
presentation. “Equine Herpesvirus 1 Enters Cells by Two Different Pathways and Infection Requires
the Activation of the Cellular Kinase ROCK1. 32nd International Herpesvirus Workshop, Asheville,
NC, July 7-12, 2007.

Hiroaki Uchida, A. Ozuer, A.R. Frampton Jr., J. Chan, D.S. Clawson, W.F. Goins, S.C. Watkins,
J.B. Cohen, and J.C. Glorioso. “Functionality of HSV-1 entry receptors on human tumor lines.” The
11th Annual Meeting of The American Society of Gene Therapy, Boston, MA, May 28-June 1, 2008.

Hiroaki Uchida, A. Ozuer, A.R. Frampton Jr., J. Chan, D.S. Clawson, W.F. Goins, S.C. Watkins,
J.B. Cohen, and J.C. Glorioso. “Establishment and characterization of HVEM-selective HSV-1
mutants.” 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology, Ithaca, N.Y., July-12th-16th,
2008.

Ivan Alger, H. Uchida, J. von Einem, W.F. Goins, P. Grandi, J.B. Cohen, N. Osterrieder, J.C.
Glorioso, and A.R. Frampton Jr.. Oral presentation at veterinary herpesvirus satellite meeting July
25th. “Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) utilizes microtubules, dynein, ROCK1, and FAK to
productively infect cells.” 34th International Herpesvirus Workshop, Ithaca, NY, July 25-31,
107
2009.
 404

H. Uchida, W.A. Shah, A. Ozuer, A.R. Frampton Jr., W.F. Goins, P. Grandi, J.B. Cohen, and J.C.
Glorioso. “Resistance of HVEM-expressing cells to HVEM-restricted mutant HSV-1.” 34th
International Herpesvirus Workshop, Ithaca, NY, July 25-31, 2009.

Ivan Alger, T. Stone, C. Stowe, and A.R. Frampton Jr. “Early activation of the cell signaling protein,
focal adhesion kinase (FAK) upon equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infection.” 5th Annual State of
North Carolina Undergraduate Research & Creativity Symposium. University of North Carolina
Wilmington. Wilmington, NC November 21st, 2009.

Grant Bunch and A.R. Frampton Jr. “Antiviral effects of marine compounds against equine
herpesvirus type 1.” 5th Annual State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research & Creativity
Symposium. University of North Carolina Wilmington. Wilmington, NC November 21st, 2009.

Elizabeth Freeman, G. Bunch, and A.R. Frampton Jr. “Use of short interfering RNAs to investigate
the role of specific tegument proteins in the intracellular movement of EHV-1 capsids at early times
post-infection. 5th Annual State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research & Creativity Symposium.
University of North Carolina Wilmington. Wilmington, NC November 21st, 2009.

Colin Nolan and A.R. Frampton Jr. “Use of short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to investigate which
equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) glycoproteins are essential for infection. 5th Annual State of North
Carolina Undergraduate Research & Creativity Symposium. University of North Carolina
Wilmington. Wilmington, NC November 21st, 2009.

Lauren B. Singletary, B.M. Kurtz, S.D. Kelly, and Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Equus caballus MHC
class I is an entry receptor for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). 11th Southeastern Regional
Virology Conference, Atlanta, GA, March 19-21.

Lauren B. Singletary, B.M. Kurtz, S.D. Kelly, and Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Equus caballus MHC
class I is an entry receptor for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). 35th International Herpesvirus
Workshop, Salt Lake City, UT, July 24-29, 2010.

Lauren B. Singletary, B.M. Kurtz, S.D. Kelly, and Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Equus caballus MHC
class I is an entry receptor for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). North Carolina American Society
for Microbiology 2010 Meeting, East Carolina University, October 2, 2010.

Michael J. Courchesne, Calvin R. Justus, Elizabeth W. Freeman, John Y. Bowen, Maria C. White,
Lauren B. Singletary, Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Exploration of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) as an
oncolytic agent for human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). North Carolina American Society for
Microbiology 2010 Meeting, East Carolina University, October 2, 2010.

Mairin Buchanan, Lacie Smith, Andrew McIver, Michael Courchesne, Arthur R. Frampton Jr.,
Sridhar Varadarajan. Design of compounds for N3-adenine methylation in cells expressing the
GLUT2 glucose transporter. Southeast Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society at New
Orleans, November 30-December 5, 2010.

Michael J. Courchesne, Calvin R. Justus, Elizabeth W. Freeman, John Y. Bowen, Maria C. White,
Lauren B. Singletary, Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Exploration of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) as an
oncolytic agent for human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Mid-Atlantic Microbial
108
Pathogenesis Meeting, Wintergreen, Virginia, January 30-February 1, 2011.
 405

Lauren B. Singletary, B.M. Kurtz, S.D. Kelly, and Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Equus caballus MHC
class I is an entry receptor for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). Equus caballus MHC class I is an
entry receptor for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). Mid-Atlantic Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting,
Wintergreen, Virginia, January 30-February 1, 2011.

Michael J. Courchesne, Maria C. White, Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-
1) mediated oncolysis of human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells. North Carolina American
Society for Microbiology 2011 Meeting, University of North Carolina Asheville, October 8, 2011.

Maria C. White, Michael J. Courchesne, Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-
1) mediated oncolysis of human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells. Twelfth Southeastern
Regional Virology Conference, Atlanta, GA, March 9-11th, 2012.

John Y. Bowen, Robert E. Templeton, Samantha M. Robertson, Danielle L. Koch, and Arthur R.
Frampton Jr. Assessing the suitability of Amp-N as a potential antiviral compound against EHV-1
infection. 7th Annual Research and Creativity Showcase. University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Wilmington, NC. April 18, 2012.

Michael J. Courchesne, Tyler J. Goodwin, Mairin K. Buchanan, Sridhar Varadarajan, and Arthur R.
Frampton Jr. Evaluation of newly synthesized DNA methylating compounds for cellular specificity
with chemotherapeutic applications. 7th Annual Research and Creativity Showcase. University of
North Carolina Wilmington. Wilmington, NC. April 18, 2012.

Maria Christine White, Michael James Courchesne, Arthur R. Frampton, Jr. Equine herpesvirus
type 1 (EHV-1) mediated oncolysis of human glioblastoma multiforme cells. 37th International
Herpesvirus Workshop. Calgary, Alberta, Canada. August 4-9th, 2012.

Maria Christine White, Michael James Courchesne, Arthur R. Frampton, Jr. Equine herpesvirus
type 1 (EHV-1) mediated oncolysis and viral cell to cell spread in human glioblastoma multiforme
cells are enhanced by valproic acid. North Carolina American Society for Microbiology 2012
Meeting, North Carolina State University, October 6, 2012. *Maria White received the Mary Poston
Award presented to the student who gave the best paper at the meeting.

Stephanie Johnstone, Danielle Johnson, Angela Laube, Alma Sanchez, Daniel Olson, Emily Marx,
My Pham Le, Hayden Greenawalt, Becky Bentz, Arthur R. Frampton. Identification of EHV-1
glycoproteins that mediate virus entry and cell to cell spread. 8th Annual State of North Carolina
Undergraduate Research & Creativity Showcase (SNCURCS), Duke University, November 17th,
2012.

Maria Christine White, Michael J. Courchesne, Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Equine herpesvirus type
1-mediated oncolysis and viral cell to cell spread in human glioma cells are enhanced by valproic
acid. Mid-Atlantic Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting. Wintergreen, VA, January 27-29, 2013.

Stephanie E. Johnstone, Danielle Johnson, Alma Sanchez, Emily Marx, Arthur R. Frampton.
Generation of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) glycoprotein expression plasmids from 4 separate
EHV-1 strains. 11th Annual Colonial Academic Alliance Undergraduate Research Conference,
University of Delaware, April 12-14th, 2013.
109
 406

Maria Christine White, Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Downregulation of the toll-like receptor 4 pathway
contributes to enhanced killing of human glioma cells by equine herpesvirus type 1. Thirteenth
Southeastern Regional Virology Conference, Atlanta, GA, April 25-27, 2014.

Stephanie E. Johnstone and Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Infection of equine endothelial cells with non-
neurovirulent equine herpesvirus-1 strain KyA elicits greater down regulation of inflammatory
cytokines CCL3, IL8, TGF-2β and CXCL3 compared to neurologic strain OHIO 2003. North
Carolina American Society for Microbiology 2014 Meeting, Appalachian State University,
September 27, 2014.

Invited talks:

Equus caballus MHC class I is an entry receptor for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). East Carolina
University School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology. November 16, 2010.

Equus caballus MHC class I is an entry receptor for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). University
of Kentucky, Department of Veterinary Science, Gluck Equine research Center. January 18, 2011.

Equus caballus MHC class I is an entry receptor for equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). The Third
Havemeyer EHV-1 Workshop at the Home Ranch, Steamboat Springs, September 18-23, 2011.

Research Grants:

Funded

Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation. Cell signaling/receptor molecules for EHV-1 infection.
$77,578. 4/1/09-4/1/12.
P.I. Arthur R. Frampton Jr.

North Carolina Horse Council. Isolation and characterization of novel anti-EHV-1 compounds.
$6,000.
8/18/09-8/17/10.
P.I. Arthur R. Frampton Jr.

Friends of UNCW. Investigation of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) as a novel therapeutic for the
treatment of human glioblastoma brain tumors. $830.26. 7/01/09-01/31/10
P.I. Arthur R. Frampton Jr.

Friends of UNCW. To test the feasibility of using equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) as a gene
therapy vector for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF). $1,250. 7/01/10-01/31/11
P.I. Arthur R. Frampton Jr.

Summer research/curriculum development initiative. 2010. $3,500

P.I. Arthur R. Frampton Jr.

North Carolina Biotechnology Center. Institutional Development Grants Program. Roche Applied
Science (RAS) GS junior system for high throughput DNA sequence core facility at the Center
110
for Marine Science, University of North Carolina Wilmington. 2010. $114,200.
 407

P.I.: Bongkeun Song

CO-P.I.’s: J. Craig Bailey, Arthur R. Frampton Jr., D. Wilson Freshwater, Sean Lema, Michael
McCartney, Marcel van Tuinen, Jeffrey Wright.

Charles L. Cahill Award. Investigation into the antiviral properties of a novel compound isolated
from a marine dinoflagellate. 12/31/10-12/30/11. $3,000.
P.I. Arthur R. Frampton Jr.

North Carolina Biotechnology Center. Introductory Biotechnology Workshop for High School
Teachers at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. 6/13/11-6/17/11. $22,963.
P.I. Arthur R. Frampton Jr.
CO-P.I.: Karen Shafer

North Carolina Biotechnology Center. Biotechnology Research Grant (BRG). 7/01/11-12/31/12.

Chemical and biological studies of an antiviral compound from a marine dinoflagellate. $74,961.
P.I.: Jeffrey Wright
CO-P.I.’s: Carmelo Tomas, Arthur R. Frampton Jr.

UNCW Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP): Explorations of the Natural World Pilot Project. 7/01/11-
6/30/12.
$22,890.
P.I.: Arthur R. Frampton Jr.
CO-P.I’s: Stuart Borrett, Steve Emslie, Chris Finelli, Zachary Long, Ann Pabst, Sonja Pyott, Marcel
van Tuinen

University of North Carolina General Administration. Bioinformatics equipment grant. ELx800

microplate reader and Gen5 software workstation to support the discovery and development of
novel drugs derived from marine microorganisms. 6/08/12. $8,483.

NSF Major Research Instrument (MRI): Acquisition of a FEI Tecnai G2 Spirit BioTWIN
transmission electron microscope. P.I. Richard Dillaman. Co-P.I.s: Craig Bailey, Arthur R. Frampton
Jr., Stephen Kinsey, Alison Taylor, Carmelo Tomas. 2012. $629,091.

Morris Animal Foundation. Identification of equine herpsevirus type 1 (EHV-1) neurovirulence

determinants. 12/01/12-11/30/15. $100,495.

Bernice Barbour Foundation. Identification of EHV-1 virulence factors. 12/17/12- 12/16/14. $12,514.

North Carolina Horse Council. Characterization of the specific viral and cellular factors required for
neurologic and non-neurologic equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) entry into cells. Submitted
5/07/12. $3,000. 2013

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. Molecular determinants of EHV-1 fusion and spread.
$78,500. 4/1/13-3/31/15.

111
 408

In the news

Article in Star News about norwalk virus. Oysters contaminated and people sickened by eating
infected shellfish. Interviewed as an expert in the field of virology

Featured in Re:Search magazine. Magazine put out by UNCW that spotlights the various areas of
scientific research by faculty.

Our Honors 210 class: HIV/AIDS in science and art: from outbreak to globalization and
complacency, was featured in an article titled “Class looks at AIDS through lenses of science, art.” in
the StarNews on October 12, 2012.

112
 409

DR. L.MICHELLE GILLEY

University of North Carolina Wilmington
Department of Biology & Marine Biology
601 S. College Road
Wilmington, North Carolina 28403
Phone (910) 962-2854; E-mail: gilleym@uncw.edu
Webpage: http://uncw.edu/bio/faculty_gilley.html

EDUCATION
2003-2013 Ph.D. Biology. Auburn University, AL.

Dissertation:
“Discovery and characterization of high frequency calls in North American
flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus and G. volans): Implications for ecology,
behavior, and conservation”

1999-2002 M.S. degree. Biology. The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN.

Thesis: “Ecological studies of small mammals in temperate deciduous
forest: I. An assessment of microhabitat utilization by small mammals in
arboreal and ground-level strata of temperate deciduous forest; II. A test of
mist-net configurations in capturing bats over stream corridors”

1990-1995 B.S. degree. Wildlife Science. Auburn University, AL.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
2012-present Lecturer: Department of Biology & Marine Biology, UNCW

Courses Taught
Lecture: Wildlife Ecology (Spring 2014)
Lecture: Human Anatomy & Physiology I (Fall 2013, 2014; Spring 2014)
Lecture: Human Anatomy & Physiology II (Spring 2013)
Lecture: Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (Spring 2013; Spring 2015)
Laboratory: Human Anatomy & Physiology I & II (6 semesters)
Laboratory: Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (Spring 2013; Spring 2015)

2010-2012 Lecturer: Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University

Courses Taught
Lecture: Human Anatomy & Physiology I (Fall 2010; 2011)
Lecture: Human Anatomy & Physiology II (Spring 2011; 2012; Sum 2011)

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS – continued

2003-2010 Graduate Teaching Assistantship: Department of Biological Sciences,

Auburn University

Courses Taught
Laboratory: Human Anatomy & Physiology II (10 semesters) 113
Laboratory: Mammalogy (3 semesters)
 410

2002-2003 Lecturer: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tennessee at

Martin

Course Taught
Lecture: Introduction to Cell Biology & Genetics (Fall 2002)
Lecture: Introduction to Plant & Animal Biology (Spring 2003)
Laboratory: General Biology (Fall 2002)
Laboratory: Plant & Animal Biology (Spring 2003)
Laboratory: Anatomy & Physiology (Fall 2002; Spring 2003)

2000-2002 Graduate Teaching Assistantship: Department of Biology, University of

Memphis

Courses Taught
Laboratory: Human Anatomy & Physiology I (Fall 2000 & 2001)
Laboratory: Human Anatomy & Physiology II (Spring 2001 & 2002)

1999-2000 Graduate Research Assistantship: Department of Biology, University of

Memphis

RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2000-present (summers) Senior Biologist. Environmental Solutions & Innovations,
Cincinnati, OH.
Duties:
 Served as Project Manager of surveys for endangered species of bats on
federal, state-owned, and private lands
 Managed budgets exceeding $500,000 for projects
 Ensured compliance with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service & state
non-game agencies
 Wrote technical reports & assisted with writing of Habitat Conservation
Plans (HCP), Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) and Biological
Assessments (BA) for U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
 Performed habitat analyses, mist-net surveys, acoustic surveys, radio
telemetry studies of endangered bats in eastern U.S.
 Surveyed for Allegheny woodrats (Neotoma magister) and Virginia
northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus fuscus)

1995-1999 Biologist IV. BHE Environmental, Inc., Cincinnati, OH.

Duties:
 Served as Field Manager over 2 to 12 research technicians
 Conducted endangered species surveys of bats
 Studied occupancy of varying types of artificial roosting structures by
bats
 Captured and prepared bats to be analyzed for the presence of chemicals
used in warfare by the U.S. military
114
 411

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

W. M. Ford, C. A. Kelly, J. L. Rodrigue, R. H. Odom, D. Newcomb, L. M. Gilley, C. A.

Diggins. 2014. Late winter and early spring home range and habitat use of the
endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel in western North Carolina. Endangered
Species Research, 23:73-82.

Gilley, L. M., and M. L. Kennedy. 2010. A test of mist-net configurations in capturing bats
over stream corridors. Acta Chiropterogica, 12:363-369.

Hopkins, H. L., C. Sánchez-Hernández, M. L. Romero-Almarez, L. M. Gilley,

G. D. Schnell, and M. L. Kennedy. 2003. Flight speeds of four neotropical bats.
Southwestern Association of Naturalists, 48:711-714.

PRESENTATIONS

INVITED SEMINARS:
15. Gilley, L. M., C. A. Kelly, W. M. Ford, and C. A. Diggins. 2014. Bioacoustics in North
American flying squirrels: Implications for conservation and management. Carolina
Northern Flying Squirrel Workshop, Asheville, N.C.

14. Gilley, L. M. 2014. Bioacoustics in North American flying squirrels: Implications for
conservation and management. Departmental Seminar Series, University of North
Carolina Wilmington.

13. Gilley, L. M. 2010. Spoken like a true southern flyer: decoding the language of flying
squirrels. *Key Note Speaker, National Flying Squirrel Association

12. Gilley, L. M. 2004. High frequency sounds in southern flying squirrels: what’s all the
chatter about? National Flying Squirrel Association.

PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS (Oral Presentations):

11. Gilley, L. M., C. A. Kelly, and T. L. Best. 2013. Use of acoustical surveys in detecting
and identifying endangered Carolina Northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus
coloratus) and southern flying squirrels (G. volans). Colloquium on Conservation of
Mammals in SE U.S. Pikeville, TN.

10. Gilley, L. M., and T. L. Best. 2010. Characterizations of ultrasonic calls in two species of
gliding mammals: Glaucomys sabrinus and G. volans. Colloquium on Conservation of
Mammals in SE U.S., Asheville, N.C.

9. Gilley, L. M., and T. L. Best. 2005. Ultrasonic vocalizations in southern flying squirrels
(Glaucomys volans). Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals in SE U.S.,
Buchanan, TN.

8. Gilley, L. M., and M. L. Kennedy. 2002. A test of three mist net configurations to
assess capture success of bats over stream corridors. Southeastern Bat Diversity
Network, Clemson, S.C.
115
 412

7. Gilley, L. M., and M. L. Kennedy. 2001. Arboreal versus ground-level trapping: an

assessment of small mammal biodiversity in two microhabitats.
Colloquium on Conservation of Mammals in SE U.S., Memphis, TN.

6. Gilley, L. M., and M. L. Kennedy. 2001. Arboreal versus ground-level trapping:

an assessment of small mammal capture success in microhabitats.
Tennessee Chapter of the Wildlife Society, Buchanan, TN.

5. Gilley, L. M., and M. L. Kennedy. 2001. A test of three mist net configurations to
assess capture success of bats over stream corridors.
Tennessee Academy of Science & Kentucky Academy of Science
(Joint Meeting). Murfreesboro, TN.

4. Gilley, L. M., and M. L. Kennedy. 2000. Effects on catch-ability of small mammals

using live traps treated with Lysol. Tennessee Chapter of the Wildlife Society,
Pikeville, TN.

PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS (Poster Presentations):

3. Gilley, L. M., and T. L. Best. 2008. Ultrasonic vocalizations in flying squirrels
(Glaucomys sabrinus and G. volans). Southeastern Bat Diversity Network,
Memphis, TN.

2. Gilley, L. M., and M. L. Kennedy. 2001. Arboreal versus ground-level trapping: an

assessment of small mammal biodiversity in two microhabitats. American Society of
Mammalogists, Missoula, MT.

1. Hopkins, H. L., C. Sánchez-Hernández, M. L. Romero-Almarez, L. M. Gilley, G. D.

Schnell, and M. L. Kennedy. 2001. The flight speeds of four species of neotropical
bats. Southwestern Association of Naturalists, Fort Hays, KS.

GRANTS

2014 Ford, W. M. (Principal), C. Diggins (Co-Principal), and L. M. Gilley (Co-

Principal). Refining occupancy associations and habitat use of the Carolina
northern flying squirrel in western North Carolina. Pittman-Robertson Grant
NCWRC. January 2014 – December 2015. $108,303, funded.

2013 Gilley, L. M. Applied Learning Funds, University of North Carolina

Wilmington. $534, funded.

2011 Ford, W. M. (Principal), C. A. Kelly (Co-Principal), and L. M. Gilley (Co-

Principal). Assessing occupancy and detection rates for the Carolina northern flying
squirrel: examination of nest-box surveys and development of
acoustical survey techniques. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service $22,000, funded.

2010 Travel Award for Key Note Speaker. National Flying Squirrel Association
$500.

116
 413

2006 Gilley, L. M. Functions associated with ultrasonic communication in flying

squirrels. Graduate Student Research Award, Auburn University. $1,000,
funded.

HONORS, AWARDS, AND SERVICE

2013-2014 Advancement and Student Relations: Served as Chair of committee charged

with public relations for students within the university.

2012-2014 Equipment committee: Reviewed internal proposal requests, updated and

prioritized equipment replacement, and dispersed funds for new equipment.

2012-2013 Seminar committee: Coordinated departmental seminars.

Dare to Soar: University of North Carolina Wilmington. Represented the Dept.

of Biology & Marine Biology in hosting senior high school kids and their
parents.

Seahawk Saturday. University of North Carolina Wilmington.

2012 Journal review: Acta Theriologica.

2011 Creatures of the Night! Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve, Auburn, AL.
Gave talk and live presentation of bats and flying squirrels to kids and adults.

2010-2011 Bat Walk. Donald E. Davis Arboretum, Auburn University, AL. Assisted with
demonstration of live bats, bat detectors, & night vision scopes to raise public
awareness about the importance of neighborhood bats.

2010 Search committee: Served as Graduate Student Representative on search for

tenure-track Assistant Professor in physiology. Auburn University, AL.

Awarded Best Student Oral Presentation: 20th Colloquium on Conservation

of Mammals in the Southeastern U.S. (Asheville, NC)

2007 Invited Course Lecture: Mammalogy, Auburn University. Lectured on

reproductive systems in mammals. Course taught by Dr. Troy L. Best.

117
 414

Stephanie Jill Kamel

University of North Carolina ● Department of Biology
and Marine Biology ● Wilmington ● North Carolina ●
USA ● 28403
Phone: (910) 962-2841
Email: kamels@uncw.edu

EDUCATION

2006 Ph.D. Evolution and Ecology

University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

2000 B.Sc. (Hon.) Marine and Freshwater Biology

University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

2013 Assistant Professor

Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington,
Wilmington, North Carolina

2012 Visiting Scholar

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

2010 Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, California

2008 NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow

Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, California

PUBLICATIONS

Refereed publications

2014 Kamel, S.J., Grosberg, R.K., and Addison, J.A. Multiscale patterns of genetic structure in a
marine snail (Solenosteira macrospira) without pelagic dispersal. Marine Biology

2013 Kamel, S.J., and Grosberg, R.K. Why do males care for their competitor's offspring? A
response to Székely et al. Animal Behaviour 86: e3-e5.

2013 Kamel, S.J., and Grosberg, R.K. Kinship and the evolution of social behaviours in the sea.
Biology Letters 9: 20130454

2013 Stachowicz, J.J.*, Kamel, S.J.*, Hughes, A.R., and Grosberg, R.K. Genetic relatedness
influences plant biomass accumulation in eelgrass (Zostera marina). The American Naturalist
118
181: 715-724. * equal contributions
 415

2013 Kamel, S.J. Vegetation cover predicts temperature in nests of the hawksbill sea turtle:
implications for offspring sex ratio and beach management. Endangered Species Research 20: 41-48.

2012 Kamel, S.J., Hughes, A.R., Grosberg, R.K., and Stachowicz, J.J. Fine-scale genetic structure
and relatedness in the eelgrass Zostera marina. Marine Ecology Progress Series 447: 127-137.

2012 Kamel, S.J., and Grosberg, R.K. Exclusive male care despite extreme female promiscuity
and low paternity in a marine snail. Ecology Letters 15: 1167-1173.

2012 Zare, R., Nabavi, S.M.B., Vaghefi, M.E., and Kamel, S.J. Nest location and clutch success
of the hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) at Shidvar Island, Iran. Chelonian
Conservation and Biology 11: 229-233.

2010 Kamel, S.J., Oyarzun, F.X., and Grosberg, R.K. Reproductive biology, family conflict, and size
of offspring in marine invertebrates. Integrative and Comparative Biology 50: 619-629.

2010 Kamel, S.J., Grosberg, R.K. and Marshall, D.J. Family conflicts in the sea. Trends in Ecology and
Evolution 25: 442-449.

2009 Mrosovsky, N., Kamel, S.J., van Dam, R., and Diez, C.E. Methods of estimating natural sex
ratios of sea turtles from incubation temperatures and laboratory data. Endangered Species Research
8: 147-155.

2009 Kamel, S.J., and Delcroix, E. Nesting ecology of the Hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, in
Guadeloupe, French West Indies from 2000-2007. Journal of Herpetology 43: 367-376.

2008 Kamel, S.J. Climate change and sex determination. Yearbook of Science and Technology.
McGraw-Hill 64-67.

2007 Boulding, E.G., Hay, T., Holst, M., Kamel, S.J., Pakes, D. and Tie, A.D. Modelling the genetics
and demography of step cline formation: gastropod populations preyed on by experimentally
introduced crabs. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 20: 1976-1987.

GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS

2014 Center for Marine Science at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Multi-
scale analyses of genetic diversity in the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica", ($20,000 – funded)

2014 National Science Foundation Biological Oceanography, Pattern beneath the panmixia?
Multi-scale genetic structure and range dynamics in the pink volcano barnacle, Tetraclita
rubescens", ($853,651 – not funded)

2014 National Science Foundation Division of Environmental Biology, The influence of

Mating systems on reproductive strategies, offspring size, and fitness in a clade of marine
snails ($901, 782 – not funded)

2013 National Science Foundation Biological Oceanography, The influence of mating systems
on reproductive strategies, offspring size, and fitness in a clade of marine snails
119
($1,089,618 – not funded)
 416

2013 National Science Foundation Biological Oceanography, Dynamics of genetic structure

across the Range of the pink volcano barnacle Tetraclita rubescens: associations with larval
settlement behavior and impacts on the mating system ($1,299,785 – declined with invitation to
resubmit)

2012 National Science Foundation Biological Oceanography, Connecting genetic diversity to

ecosystem functioning: links between genetic diversity, relatedness and trait variation in a
seagrass community ($919,566 – funded)
Contributor with co-PIs Jay Stachowicz, Richard Grosberg, and Susan Williams

2009 National Science Foundation Biological Oceanography, Reproductive pairing, conflict

and offspring size in a marine snail ($744,849 – funded)

2007 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellowship
($80,000)

INVITED LECTURES

2014 Social environment effects in marine benthic populations. Center for Population Biology,
University of California, Davis, Davis, CA

2013 The ties that bind: social environment effects in marine benthic populations. Department of
Marine Biology, Texas A&M University- Galveston, Galveston, TX

2013 The ties that bind: social environment effects in marine benthic populations. Department of
Biology, University of Texas Pan-American, Edinburgh, TX

2013 The ties that bind: social environment effects in marine benthic populations. Department of
Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC

2013 The ties that bind: family conflict and relatedness shape the ecology and evolution of marine
organisms. Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland, Cambridge, MD

2013 The ties that bind: family conflict and relatedness shape the ecology and evolution of marine
organisms. Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC

2011 Evolution and ecology of marine invertebrates. Department of Biology, St Joseph's College,
Long Island, NY

2010 Evolution and ecology of marine invertebrates. Biology Undergraduate Scholars Program,
University of California, Davis

2008 Evolutionary ecology in the sea. California Ecology Field Course, McLaughlin Nature
Reserve, University of California, Davis

2007 Some aspects of the biology and conservation of hawksbill sea turtles.
120
Conservation biology, York University, York, Ontario
 417

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

2012 Kamel, S.J., and Grosberg, R.K. Family conflict and the evolution of life histories in the sea.
10th Annual Larval Biology Conference, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA.

2012 Kamel, S.J., and Grosberg, R.K. Promiscuity, resource allocation, and offspring size variation
in the marine snail, Nucella ostrina, Society for the study of Evolution, Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada

2011 Hughes, A.R., Kamel, S.J., Stachowicz, J.J., and Grosberg, R.K. Population and community
effects of marine plant genetic diversity. Ecological Society of America, University of Texas,
Austin, TX.

2010 Kamel, S.J. and Grosberg, R.K. Multiple mating and family conflict in a marine snail. Society for
the study of Evolution, Portland State University, Portland, OR.

2008 Kamel, S.J. Mothers know best: nest-site choice in sea turtles. Center for Population Biology Seminar
Series. UC Davis.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND OUTREACH

2014 Session chair, Society for the Study of Evolution Annual Meeting, Raleigh, NC

2014 Guest Speaker, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Wilmington, NC

2012 K-2 marine science education outreach, R.E. Willett Elementary School, Davis, CA

2011 Organizer, Marine Ecology and Evolution Discussion Group, University of California,
Davis, CA

2010 Organizing Committee, Functional Genomics of non-model organisms Workshop

Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA

Manuscript Reviewer
Ecology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Molecular Ecology, Ecological
Applications, Behavioral Ecology, Animal Behaviour, Marine Ecology Progress Series, Journal of
Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Biological Conservation, Canadian Journal of Zoology,
Journal of Herpetology, Endangered Species Research, Copeia, PLoS ONE, Chelonian Conservation
and Biology, Journal of Crustacean Biology

121
 418

Stephen T. Kinsey
Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Education:
1992-1996 Florida State University (advisor: W. Ross Ellington) Ph.D. in Biological Science
1988-1991 University of South Florida (advisor: Tom Hopkins) M.S. in Marine Science
1983-1987 Old Dominion University (advisor: Ray Birdsong) B.S. in Biological Sciences

Appointments:
2010-present Graduate Coordinator, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Department of Biology and
Marine Biology
2010-present Assistant Chair, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Department of Biology and Marine
Biology
2009-present Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Department of Biology and Marine Biology
2003-2009 Associate Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Department of Biology and Marine
Biology
1997-2003 Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Department of Biology and Marine
Biology
1996-1997 NIH Postdoctoral Research Fellow, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
1992-1995 Research/Teaching Assistant, Florida State University, Department of Biological Sciences
1988-1991 Research Assistant, University of South Florida, Department of Marine Science
1988-1991 Research Assistant, Florida Marine Research Institute
1987-1988 Research Assistant, Old Dominion University, Department of Biological Sciences

Publications (2007-2014; Graduate students in bold):

1. Kelly, K.L., C. Golding, B.R. Locke, and S.T. Kinsey. Structural and functional changes in
the Ca2+ cycling system during growth in fish white muscle. Journal of Theoretical Biology
(submitted).

2. Wilson, W.N., B.L. Baumgarner, W.O. Watanabe, Md Shah Alam, S.T. Kinsey. Effects of
resveratrol on growth and skeletal muscle physiology of juvenile southern flounder.
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A (submitted).

3. Baumgarner, B.L., A.M. Nagle, M.R. Quinn, A.E. Farmer and S.T. Kinsey. Dietary
supplementation of β-guanadinopropionic acid (βGPA) reduces whole-body and skeletal
muscle growth in young CD-1 mice. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry (submitted).

4. Priester, C., S.T. Kinsey and R.M. Dillaman. Variations in skeletal muscle structure in
representative orders of fishes: myonuclear, microtubular, and mitochondrial distribution.
Marine Biology (submitted).

5. Jimenez, A.G. and S.T. Kinsey. Energetics and metabolic regulation, In: E. Chang and M.
Thiel, eds, The Natural History of Crustaceans, Vol. 4: Growth, Molting and Physiology.
Oxford University Press (submitted, invited book chapter).

6. Mathew, T.S., R.K. Ferris, R.M. Downs, S.T. Kinsey and B.L. Baumgarner (2014). Caffeine
promotes autophagy in skeletal muscle cells by increasing the calcium-dependent activation
of AMP-activated protein kinase. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
(in press).
122
 419

7. Jimenez, A.G., R.M. Dillaman and S.T. Kinsey (2013). Large fibre size in skeletal muscle
is metabolically advantageous. Nature Communications 4:2150. DOI
10.1038/ncomms3150.

8. Pathi, B., S.T. Kinsey and B.R. Locke (2013). Oxygen control of intracellular distribution
of mitochondria in muscle fibers. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 110(9): 2513-2524.
DOI 10.1002/bit.24918.

9. Velten, B.P., R.M. Dillaman, S.T. Kinsey, W.A. McLellan and D.A. Pabst (2013). Novel
locomotor muscle fiber design in extreme deep-diving whales. Journal of Experimental
Biology. 216: 1862-1871.

10. Kielhorn, C.E., R.M. Dillaman, S.T. Kinsey, W.A. McLellan, D.M. Gay, J.L. Dearolf and
D.A. Pabst (2013). Locomotor muscle profile of a deep (Kogia breviceps) versus shallow
(Tursiops truncatus) diving cetacean. Journal of Morphology 274:663–675.

11. Priester, C., J.P. Braude, L.C. Morton, S.T. Kinsey, W.O. Watanabe and R.M. Dillaman.
(2012). Ring bands in fish skeletal muscle: Reorienting the myofibrils and microtubule
cytoskeleton in a single cell. Journal of Morphology 273(11):1246-56.

12. Pathi, B., S.T. Kinsey, C. Priester, M. E. Howdeshell, R.S. McNeill and B.R. Locke. (2012).
The formation and functional consequences of heterogeneous mitochondrial distributions in
skeletal muscle. Journal of Experimental Biology 215:1871-1883.

13. Jimenez, A.G. and S.T. Kinsey. (2012). Nuclear DNA content variation associated with
muscle hypertrophic growth in fishes. Journal of Comparative Physiology B 182: 531-540.

14. Dasika, S., S.T. Kinsey, and B.R. Locke. (2012). Facilitated diffusion of myoglobin and
creatine kinase and reaction-diffusion constraints of aerobic metabolism under steady state
conditions in skeletal muscle. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 109(2): 545–558.

15. Dasika, S., S.T. Kinsey, and B.R. Locke. (2012). Sensitivity analysis of reaction-diffusion
constraints in muscle energetics. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 109(2): 559–571.

16. Jimenez, A.G., S.K. Dasika, B.R. Locke, and S.T. Kinsey. (2011). An evaluation of
muscle maintenance costs during fiber hypertrophy in the lobster, Homarus americanus: Are
larger muscle fibers cheaper to maintain? Journal of Experimental Biology. 214:3688-3697.

17. Pathi, B., S.T. Kinsey, and B.R. Locke. (2011). Influence of reaction and diffusion on
spatial organization of mitochondria and effectiveness factors in skeletal muscle cell design.
Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 108(8): 1912-1924.

18. Priester, C., L.C. Morton, S.T. Kinsey, W.O. Watanabe, and R.M. Dillaman. (2011).
Diffusion influences on muscle fiber growth patterns and nuclear distribution in fish white
muscle. Journal of Experimental Biology. 214:1230-1239.

19. Kinsey, S.T., B.R. Locke, and R.M. Dillaman. (2011). Molecules in motion: influences of
diffusion on metabolic structure and function in skeletal muscle. Journal of Experimental
Biology 214:263-274 (invited paper).
123
 420

20. Dasika, S.K., S.T. Kinsey and B.R. Locke. (2011). Reaction-diffusion constraints in living
tissue: effectiveness factors in skeletal muscle design. Biotechnology and Bioengineering.
108(1):104-1145.

21. Burpee, J.L., E.L. Bardsley, R.M. Dillaman, W.O. Watanabe and S.T. Kinsey. (2010).
Scaling with body mass of mitochondrial respiration from the white muscle of three
phylogenetically, morphologically and behaviorally disparate teleost fishes. Journal of
Comparative Physiology B. 180:967–977.

22. Jimenez, A.G., S.T. Kinsey, R.M. Dillaman and D.F. Kapraun. (2010). Nuclear DNA content
variation associated with muscle fiber hypertrophic growth in decapod crustaceans. Genome
53:161-171.

23. Hardy, K.M., S.C. Lema and S.T. Kinsey. (2010). The metabolic demands of swimming
behavior influence the evolution of skeletal muscle fiber design in the brachyuran crab
family Portunidae. Marine Biology 157(2):221-236. Online supplementary material: DOI:
10.1007/s00227-009-1301-3.

24. Hardy, K.M., R.M. Dillaman, B.R. Locke and S.T. Kinsey. (2009). A skeletal muscle
model of extreme hypertrophic growth reveals the influence of diffusion on cellular design.
American Journal of Physiology, Integrative Comparative and Regulatory Physiology.
296:R1855-R1867 (Summary article of work highlighted in Outside JEB, a review of
literature in the Journal of Experimental Biology).

25. Overton, J.D., G.S. Adams, R.D. McCall and S.T. Kinsey. (2009). High energy phosphate
concentrations and AMPK phosphorylation in skeletal muscle from mice with inherited
differences in hypoxic exercise tolerance. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 152:
478-485.

26. Locke, B.R. and S.T. Kinsey. (2008). Diffusional constraints on chemical reactions in
skeletal muscle. Journal of Theoretical Biology 254:417-429.

27. Jimenez, A.G., B.R. Locke and S.T. Kinsey. (2008). The influence of oxygen and high-
energy phosphate diffusion on metabolic scaling in three species of tail-flipping crustaceans.
Journal of Experimental Biology 211:3214-3225.

28. Kinsey, S.T., K.M. Hardy and B.R. Locke. (2007). The long and winding road: influences of
intracellular metabolite diffusion on cellular organization and metabolism in skeletal muscle.
Journal of Experimental Biology. 210:3505-3512 (invited paper).

29. Nyack, A.C., B.R. Locke, A. Valencia, R.M. Dillaman and S.T. Kinsey. (2007). Scaling of
post-contractile phosphocreatine recovery in fish white muscle: effect of intracellular
diffusion. American Journal of Physiology, Integrative Comparative and Regulatory
Physiology. 292: R2077-R2088.

Abstracts for Presentations (2007-2014; Graduate students in bold):

1. Kelly, K.L., C. Golding, B.R. Locke, R.M. Dillaman and S.T. Kinsey (2014). Does Ca 2+ diffusion limit
myofibril size? Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin, TX.
124
 421

2. Wilson, W., B. Baumgarner, W. Watanabe, M. Alam and S.T. Kinsey (2014). Effects of resveratrol on the
growth and muscle physiology of juvenile flounder. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin,
TX.

3. Arthur, L.H., B.P. Velten, S.T. Kinsey, W.A. McLellan and D.A. Pabst (2013). Oxygen storage capacity of a
primary locomotor muscle in two similarly-sized, pelagic dolphins. SEAMAMMS Conference, Jacksonville,
NC.

4. Kinsey, S.T. (2013). Why are muscle fibers so large? Solving diffusion problems to attain maximal cell size.
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, San Francisco, CA.

5. Arthur, L.H., B.P. Velten, S.T. Kinsey, W.A. McLellan and D.A. Pabst (2013). Oxygen storage capacity of a
primary locomotor muscle in two similarly-sized, pelagic dolphins. Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology, San Francisco, CA.

6. Ross, T.T. and S.T. Kinsey (2012). β-GPA treatment leads to elevated basal metabolic rate and enhanced
exercise tolerance in mice. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Charleston, SC.

7. Pathi, B., S.T. Kinsey, M.E. Howdeshell, C. Priester, R.S. McNeill, and B.R. Locke. (2012). Can spatial
variation in mitochondrial degradation predict mitochondrial distribution in skeletal muscle? Society for
Integrative and Comparative Biology, Charleston, SC.
8.
Jimenez, A.G. and S.T. Kinsey (2012). Nuclear DNA content variation associated with muscle fiber
hypertrophic growth in fishes. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Charleston, SC.

9. Priester, C., A. Cornelissen, S.T. Kinsey and R.M. Dillaman (2012). Nuclear distribution in skeletal muscle of
selected members of chondrichthyes. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Charleston, SC.

10. Kielhorn, C.E., W.A. McLellan, S.T. Kinsey, R.M. Dillaman, M. Gay and D.A. Pabst. (2011). Locomotor
muscle of cetaceans: A comparison of deep vs. shallow divers. 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of
Marine Mammals. Tampa, Florida.

11. Pathi, B., S.T. Kinsey and B.R. Locke (2011). Reaction-diffusion constraints alter mitochondrial distribution
and effectiveness factors in skeletal muscle. Biophysical Society, Baltimore, MD.

12. Kelly, K.M., R.M. Dillaman and S.T. Kinsey (2011). Structural and functional changes in the Ca2+ cycling
system during growth in fish white muscle. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Salt Lake City,
UT.

13. Jimenez, A.G., R.M. Dillaman and S.T. Kinsey (2011). The influence of muscle fiber size on the cost of ion
transport. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Salt Lake City, UT.

14. Priester, C., J.P. Braude, S.T. Kinsey, W.O. Watanabe and R.M. Dillaman (2011). Change in orientation of
myofibrils and cytoskeleton in white muscle fibers of large black sea bass, Centropristis striata. Society for
Integrative and Comparative Biology, Salt Lake City, UT (best student poster award).

15. Kinsey, S.T. (2010). Influences of diffusion on metabolic structure and function in skeletal muscle. Journal of
Experimental Biology Symposium, “The biology of energy expenditure”. Murren, Switzerland, March 27-31
(invited talk).

16. Hardy, K.M., S.C. Lema and S.T. Kinsey. (2010). The metabolic demands of swimming behavior influence
the evolution of skeletal muscle fiber design in the brachyuran crab family Portunidae. Society for Integrative
and Comparative Biology, Seattle, WA.

17. Priester, C., L.C. Morton, S.T. Kinsey, W.O. Watanabe and R.M. Dillaman. (2010). Distribution of nuclei in
white muscle fibers of juvenile and adult black sea bass, Centropristis striata. Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology, Seattle, WA. 125
 422

18. Burpee, J.L. and S.T. Kinsey. (2009). Scaling with body mass of mitochondrial respiration in fish white
muscle. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Boston, MA (“Muscle Physiology” session co-
chair).

19. Jimenez, A.G., B.R. Locke and S.T. Kinsey (2009). The influence of oxygen and high-energy phosphate
diffusion on metabolic scaling in three species of tail-flipping crustaceans. Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology, Boston, MA (“Muscle Physiology” session co-chair).

20. Jimenez, A.G. and S.T. Kinsey (2009). Reduced cost of Na+-K+ pump activity in large muscle fibers of the
lobster, Homarus americanus. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Boston, MA (“Muscle
Physiology” session co-chair).

21. Jimenez, A.G., R.M. Dillaman, S.T. Kinsey and D.F. Kapraun (2009). Nuclear DNA content variation in
decapod crustaceans: Does hypertrophic growth affect genome size in muscle fibers? Society for Integrative
and Comparative Biology, Boston, MA (“Muscle Physiology” session co-chair).

22. Hardy, K.M., R.M. Dillaman and S.T. Kinsey (2008). Intracellular diffusion constraints influence cellular
design during growth in skeletal muscle. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, San Antonio, TX
(best student talk award winner).

23. Kinsey, S.T., K.M. Hardy and R.M. Dillaman (2008). The long and winding road: diffusion limitation in
skeletal muscle. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, San Antonio, TX.

24. Bruce. R. Locke, Santosh Dasika, Stephen T. Kinsey, Kristin M. Hardy. (2008). The influence of Diffusion
on Energy Metabolism and Cellular Organization in Skeletal Muscle. American Chemical Society Meeting,
Symposium to Honor Professor Ruben G. Carbonell, New Orleans, LA.

25. Kinsey, S.T. (2007). Scaling of aerobic metabolic processes in muscle: the effect of fiber size and diffusion.
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Phoenix, AZ (“Muscle Function” session chair).

26. Hardy, K.M. and S.T. Kinsey. (2007). Morphological adaptations in large muscle fibers secondarily evolved
for aerobic locomotor function. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Phoenix, AZ.

27. Jimenez, A.G. and S.T. Kinsey (2007). Tail-flipping in crustaceans: a model for muscle metabolic design.
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Phoenix, AZ.

28. Overton, J.D., G.S. Adams, R.D. McCall and S.T. Kinsey (2007). AK and AMPd activity and modified high
energy phosphate set points in mice acclimated to hypoxia. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology,
Phoenix, AZ.

EXTRAMURAL FUNDING (2007-2014):

National Science Foundation: “Acquisition of a FEI Tecnai G2 Spirit BioTWIN Transmission Electron
Microscope”, Lead P.I., R.M. Dillaman, A. Frampton, A. Taylor, S. Kinsey and C. Tomas. $631,505, 7/1/12-6/30/13.

National Science Foundation: “Collaborative Research: Are muscle fibers just the right size?”, Lead P.I., S.T. Kinsey,
co-P.I. R.M. Dillaman, B.R. Locke (P.I. at Florida State University) and S.C. Grant (co-P.I. at the National High
Magnetic Field Laboratory). $860,426 ($466,186 to UNCW), 8/1/07-7/31/11.

National Institutes of Health: “Myoglobin as an indicator of hypoxia tolerance”, P.I., S.T. Kinsey. $213,120, 6/1/06 –
5/31/10.

National Science Foundation: “Acquisition of a Bruker 600 DMX NMR spectrometer”, P.I., P. Seaton, senior
personnel, P. Almeida, C. Halkides, S. Varadarajan, J. Morgan, B. Kieber, J. Willey, B. Avery, S. Kinsey, J. Wright.
$700,000, 8/1/08-7/31/10.

National Science Foundation: “Collaborative Research: Muscle fiber size as a determinant of metabolic design”, Lead
P.I., S.T. Kinsey, B.R. Locke (P.I. at Florida State University) and T.S. Moerland (co-P.I. at Florida State University),
$562,377 ($278,577 to UNCW), 8/15/03 - 8/14/07.
126
 423

INTRAMURAL FUNDING (2007-2014):

UNCW Charles Cahill Award: “Using targeted, cost-efficient microarray technology in a collaborative investigation of
inherited resistance to lead poisoning”, P.I., S.T. Kinsey, $3,000, 1/1/14-1/1/15.

UNCW Equipment grant: Acquisition of a spinning disk confocal microscope, ultra-microtome, biolistic gene gun,
SimScanner for laser scanning confocal microscope, Olympus diffusion software, and Metamorph image analysis suite.
P.I. S.T. Kinsey. $400,000, 10/1/10-6/30/11.

CMS Equipment grant: Acquisition of a digital calorimeter. P.I., H. Koopman, co-P.I.s, F. Scharf, J. Pawlik, M. Alam,
S. Kinsey, D. Pabst, M. Posey, W. Watanabe, and A. Southwood, $20,038, 7/1/08-6/30/09.

UNCW Charles Cahill Award: “Using targeted, cost-efficient microarray technology in a collaborative investigation of
inherited resistance to lead poisoning”, P.I., J. Blum, co-P.I.s D. Frierson, R.D. McCall and S.T. Kinsey, $2,500,
1/1/06-1/1/07.

Professional Service (2007-2014):

Editorial Board, Frontiers in Skeletal Muscle Physiology.
UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Biology Graduate Coordinator, beginning August 2010: this entails
managing the Departmental M.S. and Ph.D. programs (approximately 70 graduate students).
UNCW Department of Chemistry Seminar: “Influences of diffusion on metabolic structure and function in skeletal
muscle”, Spring, 2010.
UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Seminar: “Motion in the ocean: balancing design constraints in skeletal
muscle ofmarine organisms”, Fall, 2011.
Meeting session chair, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Boston, 2009.
UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Seminar: “The long and winding road: how transport processes help shape
the evolution of muscle function and design”, Fall, 2008.
UNCW Board of Trustees presentation, Fall, 2008.
NSF Advisory Panel, Fall 2007 (IOS, Physiological and Structural Systems Cluster, Processes Structure and Integrity
Program)
Meeting session chair, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Phoenix, 2007.
Officer nominating committee, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Comparative Physiology, January
2007.
Member, UNCW Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, 2002-present.
NSF ad hoc peer reviewer.

Journal peer reviewer:

American Journal of Physiology
Journal of Experimental Biology
Physiological and Biochemical Zoology
Journal of the Marine Biological Association U.K.
Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
Fish Physiology and Biochemistry
Biochemistry
Marine Biology
Journal of Applied Physiology
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology
Journal of Comparative Physiology
Biological Bulletin
Journal of Biomechanics
Journal of Experimental Zoology
International Journal of Biological Science
Cell and Tissue Research
Society for Experimental Biology Seminar Series
Journal of Thermal Biology
Fishery Bulletin
Advances in Physiological Education

Awards and Honors (2007-2014):

UNCW Distinguised Faculty Scholarship Award, 2010 127
 424

Hardy et al., (2009) paper in the American Journal of Physiology highlighted in Outside JEB, a review of important
papers in the Journal of Experimental Biology (September, 2009).
Invited Seminar, Journal of Experimental Biology Symposium: The Biology of Energy Expenditure, Mürren,
Switzerland, 2010
Nominated for Division Secretary, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, 2009
Teaching release, UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Biology, Spring Semester, 2009
Article in UNCW Research magazine summarizing our lab’s work, 2008.
Research Reassignment, UNCW, Fall Semester, 2010
Graduate student won best student talk at SICB meeting in San Diego (Hardy et al., 2008)

Professional Societies:
Sigma Xi, 1998-present
American Physiological Society, 1993-present
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, 1997-present

128
 425

KEVIN B. KISER, PH.D.

Department of Biology and Marine Biology
University of North Carolina Wilmington
601 S. College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403-5915
Voice: 910-962-2968
Fax: 910-962-4066
E-mail: kiserk@uncw.edu
Web: http://people.uncw.edu/kiserk/

Education
1996 Ph.D.
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, Charleston, SC
Major: Molecular and Cellular Biology and Pathobiology
Dissertation: “Translational Regulation of the secA gene of Escherichia coli”
Advisor: Michael G. Schmidt, Ph.D.
1990 B.A.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY, Boston, MA
Major: Biology

Appointments
2012 – Present Lecturer, Department of Biology and Marine Biology
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA WILMINGTON, Wilmington, NC
2001 – 2012 Instructor, Science Department
CAPE FEAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Wilmington, NC
2002 – 2005 Adjunct Research Associate, Center for Marine Science
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA WILMINGTON, Wilmington, NC
2000 – 2001 Staff Scientist, New Technology Research & Development
PERKINELMER LIFE SCIENCES, INC., Boston, MA
2000 Scientific Curator
PROTEOME, INC., Beverly, MA
1999 – 2000 Instructor in Medicine
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL, Boston, MA
1999 Teaching Assistant (Microbiologist)
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL, Boston, MA
1997 – 2000 Teaching Assistant
HARVARD UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SCHOOL, Cambridge, MA
1996 – 2000 Associate Microbiologist, Department of Medicine
BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL, Boston, MA
1996 – 1999 Research Fellow in Medicine
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL, Boston, MA
Advisor: Jean C. Lee, Ph.D.
Publications (2007 – present)
Kiser K. Microbiology of Human Diseases: Laboratory Techniques and Applications. Dubuque, IA:
Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2014. Print. 129
 426

Kiser K. Applying the Tools of the Microbiologist. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company,
2011. Print.

Presentations (2007 – present)

Celli JM, McKenna KL, Passerella C, Kiser KB. Development of a Urine-based, Multiplex-PCR Assay to
Detect Asymptomatic Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Infections in College Students. AMERICAN SOCIETY
FOR MICROBIOLOGY GENERAL MEETING, Boston, MA. May 17-20, 2014.
Dalziel ML, Ludlum MB, McKnight RM, Castine CL, Morrisette TS, Brock WM, Kiser KB. Nasal and
Pharyngeal Carriage of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Undergraduate Nursing
Students. AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MICROBIOLOGY GENERAL MEETING, Boston, MA. May 17-20,
2014.
Wagner CL, Jernigan KT, Kiser KB. Isolation and Characterization of Staphylococcus Species on
Surfaces in a University Weightlifting Facility. AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MICROBIOLOGY GENERAL
MEETING, Boston, MA. May 17-20, 2014.
Celli JM, McKenna KL, Passerella C, Kiser KB. Development of a Urine-based, Multiplex-PCR Assay to
Detect Asymptomatic Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Infections in College Students. COLONIAL ACADEMIC
ALLIANCE UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE, Towson, MD. April 11-13, 2014.
Cannon RM, Kiser KB. Prevalence of Multiple-Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria at a Local Daycare Center
in Coastal North Carolina. UNCW SPRING STUDENT RESEARCH AND CREATIVITY SHOWCASE,
Wilmington, NC. April 3-10, 2014.
Ludlum MB, McKnight RM, Dalziel M, Castine CL, Morrisette TS, Wagner CL, Brock WM, Kiser KB. Pilot
Study for Carriage of MRSA in Noses and Throats of UNCW Nursing Students. UNCW FALL STUDENT
RESEARCH AND CREATIVITY SHOWCASE, Wilmington, NC. October 30-November 5, 2013.
Ludlum MB, McKnight RM, Dalziel M, Castine CL, Morrisette TS, Wagner CL, Brock WM, Kiser KB. Pilot
Study for Carriage of MRSA in Noses and Throats of UNCW Nursing Students. NORTH CAROLINA
BRANCH MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MICROBIOLOGY, Greenville, NC. October 26,
2013.

Honors, Awards, and Professional Service (2007 – present)

2014 Career Adviser for “Everything You Need to Know about Obtaining a Successful and Fulfilling
Microbiology Career” workshop, American Society for Microbiology General Meeting, Boston,
MA
2014 UNCW ETEAL Applied Learning Supported Pedagogy Initiative
Co-PIs: Drs. Ryan Rhodes and Patrick Erwin
Molecular and Metabolic Approaches to Identify and Characterize Unknown Microorganisms in
BIOL 246 and BIOL 425
2013 UNCW ETEAL Applied Learning Supported Pedagogy Initiative
Incidence of Asymptomatic Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Infections in UNCW Students
2013 UNCW ETEAL Applied Learning Supported Pedagogy Initiative
Testing UNCW Nursing Students for MRSA Carriage

130
 427

Julie Anna Koester

University of North Carolina Wilmington
Dept. of Biology and Marine Biology
koesterj@uncw.edu

CURRENT POSITION
Lecturer

PREVIOUS POSITIONS
Post-doctoral researcher, 2012-2014
Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB, Canada
Focus: evolution of phytoplankton with respect to temperature

EDUCATION
Ph.D. Biological Oceanography, 2012
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Title: Genomic evidence of adaptation and speciation in diatoms
Advanced Phycology Course (Taxonomy of Phytoplankton), April 2008
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
M.Sc. Botany and Plant Pathology, 2005
University of Maine, Orono, Maine
Title: Sexual Reproduction in the marine centric diatom Ditylum brightwellii
East/West Marine Biology Program, 1991 – 1992
Friday Harbor Labs, San Juan Island, WA; Discovery Bay Marine Labs, Jamaica; Northeastern
University, Marine Science Center, Nahant, MA
Honors B.Sc. Marine Biology, 1991
University of British Columbia
Title: Resource allocation in the rockweed Fucus gardnerii

PEER REVIEWD PUBLICATIONS

Koester, J.A, Swanson, W.J., and Armbrust, E.V. 2013. Positive selection in a diatom acts on
conserved and lineage specific genes affecting transcriptional regulation and protein
interactions. Mol. Biol. Evol.30:422-434. doi: 10.1093/molbev/mss242
Sharpe, S.C., Koester, J.A., Loebl, M., Cockshutt, A.M., Irwin, A.J., and Finkel, Z.V. 2012.
Metabolic size scaling within and across cryptic species of Ditylum brightwellii
(Bacillariophyceae). PLoS ONE 7(12): e52916. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0052916
Koester, J.A., Swalwell, J.E., von Dassow, P., and Armbrust, V.E. 2010. Genome size
differentiates co-occurring populations of the planktonic diatom Ditylum brightwellii
(Bacillariophyta). BMC Evolutionary Biology. 10:1 doi:10.1186/1471-2148-10-1
Koester, J.A., Brawley, S.H.B., Karp-Boss, L. and Mann, D. 2007. Sexual reproduction in the
marine centric diatom Ditylum brightwellii (Bacillariophyta). European Journal of
Phycology. 42(4):351-366 131
 428

INVITED PRESENTATIONS
2014 University of Maine, School of Marine Sciences Seminar
Koester, J.A. Finding evidence of molecular evolution in diatoms
2013 Mount Allison University, Department of Biology Honors Seminar
Koester, J.A. Genomic evidence of speciation and adaption in planktonic diatoms.
2012 Maine Maritime Academy’s Corning School of Ocean Studies Seminar
Koester, J.A. Genomic evidence of speciation and adaption in diatoms
2011 University of Rhode Island’s Integrative and Evolutionary Biology Seminar
Koester, J.A. Genomic evidence of speciation and adaption in diatoms

CONTRIBUTED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

2013 Koester, J.A, Swanson, W.J., and Armbrust, E.V. Expression of positively selected
genes in Thalassiosira pseudonana suggests a link between genotype and phenotype.
Northeast Algal Symposium, Mystic, CT.
2013 Chiang, T., Parker, M.S., Koester, J.A., Iverson, V., Berthiaume C., Ruzzo, W.L.,
Armbrust, E.V. A negative binomial model allows inference of a selective sweep in
sub-populations of the cosmopolitan diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana. Association
for the Science of Oceanography and Limnology, New Orleans, LA (poster).
2011 Koester, J.A, Swanson, W.J., and Armbrust, E.V. Positive selection is detected
within a diatom species and affects regulatory genes. Phycological Society of
America / International Society of Protistologists, Seattle, WA.
2011 Koester, J.A. and Armbrust, E.V. Darwinian selection is most evident in closely
related diatom species. Association for the Science of Oceanography and
Limnology, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2011 Sharpe, S., Koester, J.A, Cockshutt, A., Loebl, M., and Finkel, Z. Testing the ¾
rule of metabolic scaling within and across two populations of the diatom Ditylum
brightwellii. Association for the Science of Oceanography and Limnology, San Juan,
Puerto Rico.
2011 Parker M.S., Iverson, V., Berthiaume, C., Lin, E.O, Morales, R., Oleinikov, I.,
Knight, M.W., Schruth, D., Koester, J.A., and Armbrust, E.V. Intra-species genetic
diversity of the centric diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana: Whole genome
comparisons of seven strains. 1st International Conference: “The Molecular Life of
Diatoms, Atlanta, GA.
2010 Koester, J.A, Berthiaume, C., Schruth, D and Armbrust, E.V. Seeking evidence of
positive selection in diatoms. Ocean Sciences, Portland, OR.
2009 Koester, J.A, Swalwell, J., and Armbrust, E.V. Changes in genome size as a
mechanism of population divergence in the marine planktonic diatom Ditylum
brightwellii. Association for the Science of Oceanography and Limnology, Nice,
France.
2008 Koester, J.A, Swalwell, J., van den Engh, G., and Armbrust, E.V. Relationships
between DNA content, cell size, and growth rate in populations of the planktonic
diatom Ditylum brightwellii. Association for the Science of Oceanography and
Limnology, St. John’s, New Foundland and Labrador, Canada
2007 Koester, J.A. and Armbrust, E.V. Physiological variation in the marine diatom,
Ditylum brightwellii. Association for the Science of Oceanography and Limnology
meeting, Santa Fe, NM. (poster)

132
 429

PROFESSION SERVICE AND SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITIES

Student Member, Phycological Society of America, Program Committee (2010-2012).
Participating in organizing symposia, sessions, and workshops for annual meetings. Primary
planner and a participant of the freshwater field trip to Seattle’s municipal watershed in 201l.
Co-organizer (2009): Cascadian Interdisciplinary Seminar Series, University of Washington,
School of Oceanography. Four speakers from the Pacific Northwest addressed current topics in
chemical, physical, and biological oceanography, and astrobiology.
Researcher for scientific cruises
2010 SeaFlow flow-through cytometry and concurrent seawater filtration for nucleic acids
(Seattle, Washington to Honolulu, Hawaii)
2009 Oceans and Human Health education and research cruise (Puget Sound, Washington)
Peer reviewer for Genome (1), Journal of Phycology (2), Journal of Plankton Research (2),
Paleobiology (1), and PLoS ONE (3)

Academic mentor: Advised and supervised laboratory work of undergraduate researchers Katie
Sheridan (2013-2014), Laura Boyd and Zoe Frolking (2012 – 2013) at Mount Allison University,
Rachelle Lambert (2006 – 2009) and Kevin Tran (2009 – 2010) at the University Washington.
Advised experimental progress of Susan Sharpe* from Mount Allison University (2008 – 2011)
 Co-author of peer reviewed and published paper
Outreach mentor (2010 – 2011): Girls in Engineering, Math and Science, a program through
Association for Women in Science, Seattle Chapter. Mentored monthly meetings of 30 middle
school girls in scientific activities ranging from bridge construction to DNA extraction.

HONORS AND AWARDS

2012 Ecological Dissertations in the Aquatic Sciences Symposium X, Honolulu HI: a
workshop of collaboration and career development. Invited Participant
2009 Aquatic Sciences International Meeting with the Association for the Sciences of
Oceanography and Limnology. Nice, France. Student presentation award for talks.
2008 Association for the Sciences of Oceanography and Limnology Summer Meeting. St.
John’s, New Foundland and Labrador. Student presentation awards for talks.

133
 430

Curriculum Vitae - Heather Natalie Koopman

Professor
Biology & Marine Biology
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
601 S. College Road
Wilmington, NC USA 28403
Telephone: (910) 962-7199
Fax: (910) 962-4066
Email: koopmanh@uncw.edu

Education: (2001) Ph. D. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Advisor: Dr. A. J. Read.
(1994) M. Sc. University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Advisor: Dr. D. E. Gaskin.
(1992) B. Sc. University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Major: Marine Biology. Minor: Biochemistry.

Positions held:
2009 – 2014 Associate Professor, Biology & Marine Biology, UNCW
2004 - 2009 Assistant Professor, Biology & Marine Biology, UNCW
2003 Postdoctoral Researcher, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole,
MA
2001-03 Postdoctoral Fellow, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole,
MA

Other affiliations:
Senior Staff Biologist & Board Member
Grand Manan Whale & Seabird Research Station
24 Route 776, Grand Manan, N.B.
Canada E5G 1A1

Research Collaborator
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
Division of Mammals
P.O. Box 37012
Washington, D.C.
20013-7012

Publications:
In Review Mallette, S. D., Barco, S. G., McLellan, W. A., Koopman, H. N., Scharf, F. S., Pabst,
D. A., and Wells, R. S. Ontogenetic allometry and body composition of the common
bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) from the U.S. mid-Altantic. Mammal
Science.
134
 431

In Review Thornton, S.W., McLellan, W.A., Rommel, S.A., Dillaman, R.M., Nowacek, D.P.,
Koopman, H.N., and Pabst, D.A. Functional morphology of dorsal acoustic
structures in pygmy (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (K. sima) sperm whales.
In Review Koopman, H.N., Westgate, A. J., Siders, Z. A., and Morse, N. E. Maternal and
environmental influences on fecundity and egg quality in the American lobster
(Homarus americanus). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
2014 Koopman, H., Westgate, A., Siders, Z., Cahoon, L. Rapid sub-surface ocean
warming in the Bay of Fundy as measured by free-swimming basking sharks.
Oceanography.
2014 Westgate, A. J., Koopman, H. N., Siders, Z. A., Wong, S. N., and Ronconi, R. R.
Population density and abundance of basking sharks in the lower Bay of Fundy,
Canada. Endangered Species Research 23:177-185.
2014 Yamato, M., Koopman, H., Niemeyer, M., and Ketten, D. Characterization of lipids
in adipose depots associated with minke and fin whale ears: comparison with
"acoustic fats" of toothed whales. Marine Mammal Science.
2013 Siders, Z. A., Johnston, D. W., Westgate, A. J., Murison, L. M., and Koopman, H. N.
Seasonal variation in the spatial distribution of basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus)
in the lower Bay of Fundy, Canada. PLoS ONE 8(12): e82074.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0082074
2013 Ellisor, D., McLellan, W., Koopman, H., Schwacke, L., McFee, W., and Kucklick, J.
The distribution and stratification of persistent organic pollutants and fatty acids in
bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) blubber. Science of the Total Environment
464:581-588.
2013 McKinstry, C. A. E., Westgate, A. J., Koopman, H. N. Annual variation in the
energy content and lipid composition of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus from the
Bay of Fundy, Canada. Endangered Species Research 20:195-204.
2013 Koopman, H. N., and Siders, Z. Variation in egg quality in blue crabs, Callinectes
sapidus, from North Carolina: does female size matter? Journal of Crustacean
Biology 33: 481-487.
2012 Bagge, L. E., Koopman, H. N., Pokorny, A., Rommel, S. A., McLellan, W. A., and
Pabst, D. A. Lipid class and depth-specific thermal properties in the blubber of the
short-finned pilot whale and the pygmy sperm whale. Journal of Experimental
Biology 215: 4330-4339.
2012 Koopman, H. N., and Westgate, A. J. Solubility of nitrogen in marine mammal
blubber depends on its lipid composition. Journal of Experimental Biology 215:
3856-3863.
2012 McClelland, S. J., Gay, M., Pabst, D. A., Dillaman, R., Westgate, A. J., and
Koopman, H. N. Microvascular patterns in the blubber of shallow and deep diving
Odontocetes. Journal of Morphology 273:932-942.
2012 Polito, M. J., Koopman, H. N., Able, S., Walsh, J., Goebel, M. Physiological
constraints and the influence of diet on fatty acids in the yolk of gentoo penguins,
Pygoscelis papua. Journal of Comparative Physiology B 182:703-713.
2011 Lane, H. A., Westgate, A. J., and Koopman, H. N. Ontogenetic and temporal
variability in the fat content and fatty acid composition of Atlantic herring (Clupea
harengus) from the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Fisheries Bulletin. 109:113–122.
2010 Ronconi, R. A, Koopman, H. N., McKinstry, C. A., Wong, S. N. P., and Westgate,
A. J. Inter-annual variability in diets of non-breeding pelagic seabirds (Puffinus sp.)
at migratory staging areas: evidence from stable isotopes and fatty acids. Marine
Ecology Progress Series. 419: 267–282.
135
 432

2010 Ronconi, R. R., Swaim, Z. T., Lane, H. A., Hunnewell, R. W., Westgate, A. J., and
Koopman, H. N. New hoop-net techniques for capturing birds at sea and comparison
with other capture methods. Marine Ornithology 38:23-29.
2010 DeRuiter, S. L., Hansen, M., Koopman, H. N., Westgate, A. J., Tyack, P. L., and
Madsen, P. T. Propagation of narrow-band-high-frequency clicks: Measured and
modeled transmission loss of porpoise-like clicks in porpoise habitats. Journal of the
Acoustical Society of America 127: 560-567.
2009 Zahorodny Duggan, Z. P., Koopman, H. N., and Budge, S. M. Distribution and
development of the highly specialized lipids in the sound reception systems of
dolphins. Journal of Comparative Physiology B 179:783-798.
2009 Swaim, Z. T., Westgate, A. J., Koopman, H. N., Rolland, R. M., and Kraus, S. D.
Metabolism of ingested lipids by North Atlantic right whales. Endangered Species
Research 6:259-271.
2008 Koopman, H. N. and Zahorodny, Z. P. Life history constrains biochemical
development in the highly specialized Odontocete echolocation system. Proceedings
of the Royal Society of London, B 275:2327-2334.
2008 Neimanis, A. S. Koopman, H. N., Westgate, A. J., Nielsen, K., and Leighton, F. A.
Evidence of exposure to Brucella sp. In harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)
from the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 44:480-485.
2007 Budge, S. M., Iverson, S. J., and Koopman, H. N. Reply to Wetzel et al.’s comment:
“Identification of fatty acids by picolinyl ester derivatives”. Marine Mammal Science
23: 991-992.
2007 Koopman, H. N. Ontogenetic, phylogenetic and ecological factors influencing the
biochemical structure of the blubber of odontocetes. Marine Biology 151:277-291.
2007 Borrell A., Aguilar A., Zeljkovic S., Brouwer A., Besselink H. T., Koopman H.,
Read A., and Reijnders, P. Post-mortem stability of blubber DLCs, PCB and tDDT
in by-caught harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). Marine Pollution Bulletin 54:
1663–1672.

Invited Seminars/Lectures:
2014 Invited seminar at the Duke Marine Lab, Beaufort NC. February 26. “Fat is where
it’s at: marine lipids from whales to lobsters”.
2013 Invited to give a guest lecture in the Marine Mammals class at Savannah State
University, October 25 2013.
2010 Clinical Nutrition Research Center, University of Alabama – invited seminar entitled
“Whales: animals with unusual amounts of unusual lipids” given February 2, 2010.
2009-2010 Talks on Field work in Marine Biology given to 10th grade Biology classes at New
Hanover High School, Wilmington, NC.
2009 Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine - invited seminar entitled “Whales: candles,
cheeses and pigs in disguise?” to the Biology Department on February 12, 2009.
2008 New England Aquarium, Boston - invited seminar on specialized lipids in toothed
whales as part of the NEAq evening lecture series on Oct 6 2008.

Presentations:
2014 Lonati, G. L., Westgate, A. J., and Koopman, H. N. Differences in lipid composition
may influence nitrogen solubility and risk of barotrauma in odontocete
intramandibular and extramandibular fats. SEAMAMMS (Southeast and Mid-
Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium) meeting, March 28-30, Wilmington, NC.
2014 Gabler, M. K., Gay., M., and Koopman, H. N. Microvascularization of the
136
extra and intra mandibular acoustic fat bodies of Kogia breviceps.
 433

SEAMAMMS (Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium) meeting,

March 28-30, Wilmington, NC.
2014 Lonati, G. L., Westgate, A. J., and Koopman, H. N. Nitrogen solubility related to
lipid composition in toothed whale fats. Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology meeting, Austin TX Jan 3-7. This presentation was awarded the DCPB
Jeffrey B. Graham student presentation award.
2014 Koopman, H., Westgate, A., Siders, Z. Potential biological implications of rapid
ocean warming in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology meeting, Austin TX Jan 3-7.
2013 Lonati, G. L., Westgate, A. J., and Koopman, H. N. Variation in lipid composition of
odontocete acoustic fats may affect gas loading during dives. Society for Marine
Mammalogy 20th Biennial Meeting, Dunedin New Zealand, December 9-13.
2013 Koopman, H. N. The evolution of acoustic lipids in Odontocetes. Society for
Marine Mammalogy 20th Biennial Meeting, Dunedin New Zealand, December 9-13.
2013 Koopman, H., Westgate, A., Siders, Z. Rapid ocean warming in the Bay of Fundy,
Canada, and potential biological implications. Regional Association for Research in
the Gulf of Maine meeting, Portsmouth, N.H. October 8.
2013 Grieshaber, C.A, S.R. Midway, J.A. Luckenbach, M.A. Middleton, H.N. Koopman,
and F. S. Scharf. Seasonal physiological changes in maturing southern flounder,
Paralichthys lethostigma. American Fisheries Society Tidewater Chapter Meeting.
Solomons, MD, March 2013.
2013 Steven W. Thornton, William A. McLellan, Sentiel A. Rommel, Richard M.
Dillaman, Douglas P. Nowacek, Heather N. Koopman, and D. Ann Pabst. Functional
morphology of dorsal acoustic structures in pygmy (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (K.
sima) sperm whales. 2013 SEAMAMMS (Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine
Mammal Symposium) meeting, March 22-24, Jacksonville, FL.

2013 Sarah D. Mallette, William A McLellan, Heather N. Koopman, Fred S. Scharf, Susan
G. Barco, and D. Ann Pabst. Ontogenetic allometry and body composition of the
common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) from the US mid-Atlantic. 2013
SEAMAMMS (Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium) meeting,
March 22-24, Jacksonville, FL.
2012 Camilleri, S.A., Koopman, H.N., Westgate, A.J., Gannon, D., Mauck, R., and
Kucklick, J. Provisioning of chicks by Leach’s Storm-Petrels: Insights into energy
content, lipid content, and contaminants of stomach oils. North American
Ornithological Conference. Vancouver, B.C. August 14-18.
2011 D. Waples, K. Zelnio, H. Koopman and A. Read. The effects of DMSO preservation
on stable isotope signatures of short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala
macrorhynchus). 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals,
Tampa FL Nov 28-Dec3 2011.
2011 Camilleri, S. A., Koopman, H. N., Westgate, A. J., Gannon, D. P., Mauck, R., and
Kucklick, J. Provisioning of Chicks by Leach's Storm-Petrels: Preliminary Insights
into Energy Content and Contaminants of Stomach Oils. SETAC, Boston,
November 2011.
2011 Koopman, H. N., Siders, Z., and Probst, E. Possible reproductive senescence in
American lobsters (Homarus americanus). Fishermen and Scientists Research
Society Lobster Biology Workshop, Truro, NS March 2011.
2011 Yamato, M., Ketten, D. R., Koopman, H., Cramer, S., Arruda, J., Moore, K.
Morphology and lipid biochemistry of fat bodies in minke and fin whale heads:
137
comparison with odontocete acoustic fats. Sixth Triennial Meeting on
 434

Secondary Adaptations of Tetrapods to Life in Water. San Diego, CA June 6-11

2011.
2011 Bagge, L. E., Koopman, H. N., Pokorny, A., McLellan, W. A., and Pabst, D. A.
Depth-specific fatty acid composition and temperature dependent thermal properties
of the blubber of short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). SICB
Meetings, Salt Lake City, Utah, January 3-7 2011.
2010 Polito, M. J., and Koopman, H. N. The influence of diet on fatty acids in the yolk of
gentoo penguins, Pygoscelis papua. 7th International Penguin Conference, August
30-Sept 3, Boston, MA.
2010 Polito, M. J., and Koopman, H. N. The influence of diet on fatty acids in the yolk of
gentoo penguins, Pygoscelis papua. 1st World Seabird Conference, Sept 7-11,
Victoria, British Columbia.
2010 McKinstry, C. A. E., Westgate, A. J., and Koopman, H. N. Annual variation in
energy content of the copepod, Calanus finmarchicus from the Bay of Fundy,
Canada. 2010 SEAMAMMS meeting (Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal
Symposium), Virginia Beach, VA, March 28-29, 2010. This talk was selected as the
Best Oral presentation by an M.Sc. Student
2010 Koopman, H. N. Possible reproductive senescence in American lobsters (Homarus
americanus). Benthic Ecology Meeting 2010, Wilmington NC, March 10-13, 2010.

2010 Probst, E., and Koopman, H. N. Egg Size and Development rates in American
Lobsters: Relationship to Female Size. Benthic Ecology Meeting 2010, Wilmington
NC, March 10-13, 2010.
2010 McKinstry, C. A. E., Westgate, A. J., and Koopman, H. N. Annual variation in
energy content of the copepod, Calanus finmarchicus from the Bay of Fundy,
Canada. Benthic Ecology Meeting 2010, Wilmington NC, March 10-13, 2010.
2009 Koopman, H. N., and Westgate, A. J. Solubility of nitrogen gas in Odontocete
blubber: are deep divers more vulnerable to nitrogen absorption? 18th Biennial
Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Society for Marine Mammalogy,
Quebec City, October 2009.
2009 McClelland, S. Gay, M., Pabst, A., Dillaman, R., Westgate, A., and Koopman, H.
Variation in the vascular patterns of blubber in shallow and deep-diving
Odontocetes: implications for diving physiology? 18th Biennial Conference on the
Biology of Marine Mammals, Society for Marine Mammalogy, Quebec City,
October 2009. This talk was selected as the Best Oral presentation by an M.Sc.
Student.
2009 McClelland, S., Gay, M., Pabst, D. A., Dillaman, R., Westgate, A. J., and Koopman,
H. N. Blubber vasculature of the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, and pygmy
sperm whale, Kogia breviceps. 2009 SEAMAMMS meeting (Southeast and Mid-
Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium), Wilmington, North Carolina, April 3-5,
2009.
2009 McKinstry, C. A. E., Westgate, A. J., and Koopman, H. N. Breakfast of Champions:
A preliminary analysis of the annual variation in energy content and lipid
composition of the copepod, Calanus finmarchicus from the Bay of Fundy, Canada.
2009 SEAMAMMS meeting (Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal
Symposium), Wilmington, North Carolina, April 3-5, 2009.
2008 Lane, H. A., and Koopman, H. N. Temporal and ontogenetic variation in the
nutritional value of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), an important prey species in
the Bay of Fundy, Canada. 2008 SEAMAMMS meeting (Southeast and Mid-
138
 435

Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium), Charleston, South Carolina, March 28-30,

2008. This talk was selected as the Best Oral presentation by an M.Sc. Student.
2008 Lane, H. A., and Koopman, H. N. Ontogenetic, Seasonal, and Annual Variation in
Lipid Content and Composition of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) from the Bay
of Fundy, Canada. Tidewater Chapter (AFS) annual meeting, Gloucester Point, VA,
March 2008.
2008 Brown, E.E., H.A. Lane, H.N. Koopman, W.E. Smith, and F.S. Scharf. Seasonal and
size-dependent patterns of energy storage by southern flounder in a southeastern
North Carolina estuary. Poster presented at the Tidewater Chapter (AFS) annual
meeting, Gloucester Point, VA, March 2008.
2007 Koopman, H. N., and Zahordony, Z. P. Can you hear me now? Ontogenetic
development of acoustic lipids of dolphins and porpoises. 17th Biennial Conference
on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Society for Marine Mammalogy, Capetown,
South Africa. This talk was selected for the Excellence in Scientific
Communication Award at the conference (awarded to the best presentation given by
a non-student).

2007 Swaim, Z. T., Westgate, A. J., Koopman, H. N., Rolland, R. M., and Kraus, S. D. A
wax ester digester? Comparing the lipid content and composition of right whale fecal
material to those of their copepod prey. North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium
Annual Meeting, New Bedford, MA.
2007 Koopman, H. N. Whales & waxes: a tale of incredibly unusual fat physiology.
American Society of Mammalogists Conference, Albuquerque, NM.
2007 Swaim, Z. T., Westgate, A. J., Koopman, H.N., Rolland, R., Kraus, S. Waxing
poetic: comparing the lipid content and composition of right whale fecal material to
those of their copepod prey. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal
Symposium, Beaufort, NC. Awarded Best Oral Presentation by an M.Sc. Student.
2007 Zahorodny, Z. P.; Koopman, H. N. Ontogeneny and Organization of Acoustic Lipids
in the Jaw Fats of the Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Southeast and Mid-
Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, Beaufort, NC.

Scientific funding:
2013 Enhancement of Animal Physiology Laboratory (BIOL 345) – purchase of pipetters.
PI: Koopman, H. N. Co-PI: Southwood Williard, A. Friends of UNCW. Amount
requested: $636.32.
2013 Koopman, H.N. Protecting Canada’s Elusive Giants (basking sharks). Shell’s
Fuelling Change Fund. $25,000. Start: May 1 2013; end April 30 2015. Through the
Grand Manan Whale & Seabird Research Station, Grand Manan, Canada.
2013 Koopman, H. N. (Principal) "Infrastructure Improvement for Grand Manan Research
Station", Resource Development Canada, Other, $8,000.00, Funded. (sub: January
2013, start: April 2013, end: March 2014). Through the Grand Manan Whale &
Seabird Research Station, Grand Manan, Canada.
2013 Koopman, H. N. (Principal),"Infrastructure Support for Grand Manan Whale &
Seabird Research Station", Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency-CIIF, $21,600.00,
Funded. (start: April 2013, end: March 2014). Through the Grand Manan Whale &
Seabird Research Station, Grand Manan, Canada.
2012 Nitrogen solubility in adipose tissues of diving animals: implications for human
divers and for modeling diving physiology. PI: Koopman, H. N. CoPI: Westgate, A.
J. Office of Naval Research. Funded for $446,553 for three years. April 1 2012
139
– March 30 2015.
 436

2012 Equipment Request for Animal Physiology Laboratory. CAS Equipment Funding
Request—One-Time Resources, University of North Carolina Wilmington. Koopman,
H. N. (Principal), Williard, A. S. (Co-Principal), $12,132.00, Funded. (start: March
2012, end: June 2012).
2011 Koopman, H. N. (Principal) "Support for Grand Manan Whale & Seabird Research
Station", Garfield-Weston Foundation, Private, $50,000.00, Funded. (sub: March
2011, start: September 2011, end: August 2013). Through the Grand Manan Whale
& Seabird Research Station, Grand Manan, Canada.
2011 Critical habitat and migration patterns of Canadian Maritime basking sharks. Royal
Caribbean Ocean Fund. Funded in the amount of $25,000 for one year. PIs:
Koopman, H. N., Westgate, A. J., Wong, S. N., and Ronconi, R. A. [funds through
the Grand Manan Research Station]
2011 Enhancement of Animal Physiology Laboratory (BIOL 345) – purchase of rotor for
centrifuge. PI: Koopman, H. N. Co-PI: Southwood, A. Friends of UNCW.
Amount requested: $889.20.
2010 The whale pump: marine mammals and primary productivity in the Bay of Fundy.
Roman, J. (PI), McCarthy, J., Koopman H. (coPIs). Marine Mammal Commission.
Amount requested: $40,920.
2010 Linking variation in egg quality to hatching success and larval survival in blue crabs.
PI: Koopman, H.N. CoPI: Posey, M., Alphin, T., Westgate, A. Funded by North
Carolina Sea Grant (two years for $18,355).
2010 Enhancement of Animal Physiology Laboratory (BIOL 345) – purchase of
Eppendorf pipettors. PI: Koopman, H. N. Co-PI: Southwood, A. Friends of
UNCW. Funded in the amount of $442.40
2009 Factors affecting egg quality in American lobsters (Homarus americanus). PI:
Koopman, H.N. (second year of pilot study). Funded jointly by Maine and NC
Seagrant for $4,500.
2008 Enhanced tissue collection and health monitoring of stranded marine mammals in
North Carolina and Virginia. PI: Pabst, D. A. Co-PIs: McLellan, W., Rommel, S.,
and Koopman, H. Prescott Program, US Dept of Commerce. Funded in the amount
of $99, 974.00.
2008 Acquisition of a digital calorimeter. PI: Koopman H. N. Co-PIs: Scharf, F.,
Pawlik, J., Alam, M., Kinsey, S., Pabst, D. A., Posey, M., Watanabe, W., and
Southwood, A. CMS Equipment proposal 2008. Funded in the amount of
$20,037.60.
2008 Enhancement of Animal Physiology Laboratory (BIOL 345) – purchase of pH
meters. PI: Koopman, H. N. Co-PI: Southwood, A. Friends of UNCW. Funded in
the amount of $839.42
2007 Factors affecting egg quality in the American lobster (Homarus americanus) in the
Bay of Fundy: habitat, diet and female body size. PI: Koopman, H. N. Maine Sea
Grant Development Grant (pilot project). Funded in the amount of: $3,000.
2007 The evolution of specialized lipids in the toothed whales (dolphins, porpoises, sperm
and beaked whales). Koopman, H. UNCW Cahill Award (under the Darwin Scholar
Program). Funded in the amount of $2,464.
2007 Upgrade to Animal Physiology Laboratory. Koopman, H.N., Southwood A.L.
UNCW Biology and Marine Biology Equipment Committee. Funded in the
amount of $2,669. 2007.

140
 437

Honours, Awards and Professional Service:

Society for Marine Mammalogy 1997 – present (elected Secretary 2006; now
serving fifth term)
The Crustacean Society 2013 – present
Fisheries Society of the British Isles 2007 – 2008
American Oil Chemists’ Society 1998 – 2001

Appointed/Invited Expertise:
Appointed external examiner for Ph.D. thesis of Ursula Strandberg, student in the Department of
Science and Forestry at the University of Eastern Finland. January 2012.
Selected to serve on the 4-member Ontario Provincial Government Review Panel on Cetaceans in
Captivity, October 2013-January 2014.

Reviewer for:
Anatomical Record, Arctic, Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Endangered Species
Research, Environmental Pollution Bulletin, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Journal of
Cetacean Research and Management , Journal of Comparative Physiology B, Journal of
Morphology, Journal of Zoology, London, Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals, Lipids,
Marine Ecology Progress Series, Marine Mammal Science, NSF Antarctic Biology, NSF Ocean
Sciences, NSF Major Instrumentation, North Carolina Sea Grant, Physiological and Biochemical
Zoology, Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Sciences, Ursus

141
 438

Curriculum Vitae – Graduate Program Review 2007-2014

THOMAS E. LANKFORD, JR.

Current Position: Associate Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, and Center
for Marine Science, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Education:
Postdoctoral Research Associate, 1997-1999, Marine Sciences Research Center, SUNY Stony
Brook
Ph.D., Marine Biology, 1997, University of Delaware ; M.S., Marine Biology, 1993, University of
Delaware

Research Interests:
Ichthyology; physiological and behavioral ecology of estuarine and marine fishes; disturbance
ecology, fisheries ecology; recruitment mechanisms; ecological and evolutionary implications of
growth strategies; foraging theory and predator-prey interactions.

Appointments:
2006-present, Associate Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, UNCW
2000-2006, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, UNCW

Relevant Publications since 2007:

Morley, J.W., Buckel, J.A. and T.E. Lankford. 2013. Relative contribution of spring- and summer-
spawned bluefish to the adult population: effects of size-selective mortality, overwinter growth, and
sampling bias. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 70:1-12.

Morley, J.W., J.A. Buckel and T. E. Lankford. 2012. Comparing multiple predictors of energy
content in juvenile bluefish. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 141:1109-1116.

Wuenschel, M., Abel, K., Buckle, J., Morley, J., Lankford, T., Branson, A.2, Conover, D., Drisco,
D., Jordaan, A., Dunton, K., Secor, D., Woodland, R., Juanes, F., Stormer, D.. 2012. Recruitment
patterns and habitat use of young-of-the-year bluefish along the United States east coast: insights
from coordinated coastwide sampling. Reviews in Fisheries Science 20(2):80-102.

Slater, J.J., T.E. Lankford and J.A. Buckel. 2007. Winter energetics of young-of-the-year bluefish
(Pomatomus saltatrix): effects of ration and cohort of origin on survival. Marine Ecology Progress
Series 339:259-269.

Morley, J.W. J.A. Buckel and T.E. Lankford. 2007. Energy storage dynamics and cohort structure
of young-of-the-year bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) overwintering off North Carolina. Marine
Ecology Progress Series 334:273-286.

Bluefish Research Along the Atlantic Coast - Bluefish XI for period covering 2007-2009. Co-
authors J. Buckel, D. Conover, M. Wuenschel, D. Secor, K. Able and F. Juanes. Final Report to
NOAA/CMER Award #NA03NMF4550381 - Coastal patterns of juvenile bluefish recruitment in
the mid- and south-Atlantic bights.
142
 439

Lankford, T.E. and J.A. Buckel. 2009. Progress Report for NOAA/CMER Award
#NA03NMF4550381 - Coastal patterns of juvenile bluefish recruitment in the mid- and south-
Atlantic bights. 2008 Final Report.

Lankford, T.E. and J.A. Buckel. 2007. Progress Report for NOAA/CMER Award
#NA03NMF4550381 - Coastal patterns of juvenile bluefish recruitment in the mid- and south-
Atlantic bights. For the period 3/31/2006 to 2/28/2007. 8 pp.
Lankford, T.E. and J.A. Buckel. 2007. Progress Report for NOAA/CMER Awards #
NA05NMF455192 and # NA06NMF4550234 - Bluefish Research Along the Atlantic Coast:
Bluefish ‘IX’ and ‘X’. For the period 9/01/2006 to 2/28/2007. 6pp.

Lankford, T.E. 2007. Progress Report to UNCW Coastal Ocean Research and Monitoring Program
(CORMP): Goal 4-Assessing whether the CFR plume represents Essential Fish Habitat for
supporting coastal ecosystems and fisheries production. For period 2/1/06-7/31/06.

Relevant Presentations since 2007 (student co-authors in bold):

Lankford, T.E. 2013. Fish nursery function of ocean surf-zone habitat along a human disturbance
gradient. Presentation to North Carolina Sea Grant, UNCW. July 2013.

Royer, Mark; Nosal, Andrew; Lankford, Thomas; Cartamil, Daniel; Wegner, Nicholas; Graham, Jeffery.
2013. Leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata) foraging ecology in the La Jolla Ecological Reserve using
non-destructive dietary analysis. Benthic Ecology Meeting. Savannah, Georgia.

Morley, J.W., J.A. Buckel, and T.E. Lankford. Relative contribution of spring- and summer-
spawned bluefish to the adult population: effects of size-selective mortality, overwinter growth, and
sampling bias. Contributed talk. ICES annual meeting, Bergen, Norway. September 2012.

Curry, J. and T.E. Lankford. Influence of Intertidal Beach Slope on Habitat Utilization by Juvenile
Surf-Zone Fishes. Contributed Poster. 7th Annual UNCW Undergraduate Research Showcase.
April 2012

Howard, D.F. and T.E. Lankford. Modeling the Effects of Beach Renourishment on Surf-Zone
Turbidity Levels. Contributed Poster. 7th Annual UNCW Undergraduate Research Showcase.
April 2012

Herbig, J. and T.E. Lankford. 2011. Effects of beach renourishment on the nutritional condition
and prey value of Donax variabilis. The 6th Annual UNCW Showcase of Undergraduate Research
and Creative Scholarship. UNC Wilmington. 4/11

Arb, E.A.1 and T.E. Lankford. Long-term Monitoring of the Ecological Effects of Beach
Nourishment at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Contributed Poster. 7th Annual UNCW
Undergraduate Research Showcase. April 2012

Bauer, T.C.1 and T.E. Lankford. Fish Nursery Function of Surf-Zone Habitat: Effects of Beach
Nourishment on Feeding and Nutritional Condition. Contributed Poster. 7th Annual UNCW
Undergraduate Research Showcase. April 2012

143
 440

Biesack, E.1 and T.E. Lankford. Genetic population structure of southern kingfish (Menticirrhus
americanus) in the U.S. South Atlantic Bight. Contributed Poster. 7th Annual UNCW
Undergraduate Research Showcase. April 2012.

Perry, J.M.1 and T.E. Lankford. The UNCW Pond Fish Relocation Project: Design,
Implementation and Monitoring. Contributed Poster. 7th Annual UNCW Undergraduate Research
Showcase. April 2012

Royer, M.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2011. Diet analysis of leopard sharks (Triakis semifasciata) in the
Southern California Bight. Contributed poster. The 6th Annual UNCW Showcase of
Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship. UNC Wilmington. 4/11

Horton, A.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2011. Response of juvenile surf-zone fishes to beach
renourishment at Carolina and Kure Beach, North Carolina. The 6th Annual UNCW Showcase of
Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship. UNC Wilmington. 4/11

Dixon, R.L.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2011. Prey size preferences of juvenile Florida pompano
(Trachinotus carolinus) foraging on coquina clams (Donax variabilis). The 6th Annual UNCW
Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship. UNC Wilmington. 4/11

Ryan, L.M.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2011. Impacts of beach nourishment and shoreline development
on the feeding success of surf-zone fishes. The 6th Annual UNCW Showcase of Undergraduate
Research and Creative Scholarship. UNC Wilmington. 4/11

Lipton, I., L. Perillo, R. Dixon, P. Pellerite and T.E. Lankford. 2010. Fish nursery function of
ocean surf-zone habitat: response to a human disturbance gradient. Contributed poster. Benthic
Ecology Meeting. UNC Wilmington. 3/10.

Dixon, R.L. and T.E. Lankford. 2010. Food habits of juvenile Trachinotus carolinus and
Menticirrhus littoralis at nourished versus unnourished beaches. Contributed poster. Benthic
Ecology Meeting. UNC Wilmington. 3/10.

Royer, M.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2010. Diet analysis of leopard sharks (Triakis semifasciata) in the
Southern California Bight. Contributed poster. The 5th Annual UNCW Showcase of
Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship. UNC Wilmington. 4/10.

Horton, A.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2010. Anthropogenic underwater noise pollution associated with
the 2010 Wrightsville Beach Renourishment Project. Contributed poster. The 5th Annual UNCW
Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship. UNC Wilmington. 4/10.

Burns, T.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2010. Effects of the 2010 Wrightsville Beach Renourishment
Project on surf-zone turbidity levels. Contributed poster. The 5th Annual UNCW Showcase of
Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship. UNC Wilmington. 4/10.

Dixon, R.L.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2010. Diet analysis of juvenile surf-zone fishes: effects of human
impacts to beaches. Contributed poster. The 5th Annual UNCW Showcase of Undergraduate
Research and Creative Scholarship. UNC Wilmington. 4/10.

144
 441

Knapp, W.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2010. Impacts of beach nourishment and development on Emerita
talpoida in southeastern North Carolina. Contributed poster. The 5th Annual UNCW Showcase of
Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship. UNC Wilmington. 4/10.

Nelson, R.1, I. Lipton1 and T.E. Lankford. 2010. Nursery habitat value of nourished versus
unnourished beaches in southeastern North Carolina. The 5th Annual UNCW Showcase of
Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship. UNC Wilmington. 4/10.

Perillo, L.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2010. Long-term effects of beach nourishment on the diets of
juvenile Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) and Gulf kingfish (Menticirrhus littoralis).
Contributed poster. The 5th Annual UNCW Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative
Scholarship. UNC Wilmington. 4/10.

Perillo, L.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2010. Long-term effects of beach nourishment on the diets of
juvenile Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) and Gulf kingfish (Menticirrhus littoralis).
Contributed poster. Benthic Ecology Meeting. UNC Wilmington. 3/10.

Dixon, R.L.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2010. Food habits of juvenile Trachinotus carolinus and
Menticirrhus littoralis at nourished versus unnourished beaches. Contributed poster. Benthic
Ecology Meeting. UNC Wilmington. 3/10.

Knapp, W.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2010. Impacts of beach nourishment and development on Emerita
talpoida in southeastern North Carolina. Contributed poster. Benthic Ecology Meeting. UNC
Wilmington. 3/10.

Lankford, T.E., A.C. Branson and G. Sherard*. 2010. Fish utilization and nursery function of
ocean surf-zone habitat: short- and long-term effects of beach renourishment. Contributed talk.
Benthic Ecology Meeting. UNC Wilmington. 3/10.

Knapp, W. and T.E. Lankford. 2010. Impacts of Beach Nourishment and Development on
Emerita talpoida in Southeastern North Carolina. Contributed poster. 2010 Ocean Sciences
Meeting, Portland Oregon, 2/10.

Lankford, T.E. and I.P. Lipton. 2009. Fish nursery function of ocean surf-zone habitat: response
to a human disturbance gradient. Contributed talk. The 2009 Annual Meeting of The American
Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Portland, Oregon. 8/09.

McAuliffe, J.A. and T.E. Lankford. 2009. The effects of residential development and water
pollution on fish community structure and nursery function of saltmarsh tidal creeks in southeastern
North Carolina. Contributed talk. Southeastern Estuarine Research Society Annual Meeting,
Conway, SC. 3/09

Lankford, T.E. and W.D. Webster. 2009. The UNCW Fish Collection: A Resource for Ichthyology
Research and Teaching. Contributed poster. The 2009 Annual Meeting of The American Society
of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Portland, Oregon. 8/09.

Peterson, C.T.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2009. Dental sexual dimorphism in bluntnose stingrays,
Dasyatis say: implications for male feeding ability. Contributed poster. The 2009 Annual Meeting
of The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Portland, Oregon. 8/09.
145
 442

Perillo, A.F.1, J.A. McAuliffe2, H. DeStefano1 and T.E. Lankford. 2009. Fish nursery function of
alternative estuarine habitats in southeastern North Carolina. Contributed poster. 4th Annual
UNCW Undergraduate Research Showcase. 4/09.

Peterson, C.T.1 and T.E. Lankford. Dental sexual dimorphism in bluntnose stingrays, Dasyatis
say: consequences for male feeding ability. Contributed poster. 4th Annual UNCW Undergraduate
Research Showcase. 4/09.

Lipton, I.P.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2009. Fish nursery function of surf zone habitat: implications of
beach renourishment. Contributed poster. 4th Annual UNCW Undergraduate Research Showcase.
4/09.

DeStefano, H.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2009. Residential development of saltmarsh tidal creek
watersheds: effects on nursery habitat function for juvenile mullets (Mugil cephalus and M.
curema). Contributed poster. 4th Annual UNCW Undergraduate Research Showcase. 4/09.

Peterson, C.T.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2009. Dental sexual dimorphism in bluntnose stingrays,
Dasyatis say: consequences for male feeding ability. Contributed poster. “Darwin’s Legacy:
Evolution’s Impact on Science and Culture”. Multidisciplinary Student Conference. UNCW, 3/09.

Perillo, A.F.1, J.A. McAuliffe2, H. DeStefano1 and T.E. Lankford. 2009. Fish nursery function of
alternative estuarine habitats in southeastern North Carolina. Contributed poster. “Darwin’s
Legacy: Evolution’s Impact on Science and Culture”. Multidisciplinary Student Conference.
UNCW, 3/09.

Lipton, I.P.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2009. Fish nursery function of surf zone habitat: response to
human disturbance gradients. Contributed poster. “Darwin’s Legacy: Evolution’s Impact on
Science and Culture”. Multidisciplinary Student Conference. UNCW, 3/09.

McAuliffe, J.A.2 and T.E. Lankford. 2009. The effects of residential development and water
pollution on fish community structure and nursery function of saltmarsh tidal creeks in southeastern
North Carolina. Contributed talk. American Fisheries Society, Tidewater Chapter Meeting. 3/09

Peterson, C.T.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2009. Dental sexual dimorphism in bluntnose stingrays,
Dasyatis say: consequences for male feeding ability. Contributed poster. American Fisheries
Society, Tidewater Chapter Meeting. 3/09

Perillo, A.F.1, J.A. McAuliffe2, H. DeStefano1 and T.E. Lankford. 2009. Fish nursery function of
alternative estuarine habitats in southeastern North Carolina. Contributed poster. American
Fisheries Society, Tidewater Chapter Meeting. 3/09

Lipton, I.P.1 and T.E. Lankford. 2009. Fish nursery function of surf zone habitat: response to
human disturbance gradients. Contributed poster. American Fisheries Society, Tidewater Chapter
Meeting. 3/09

W.R. Collier3, F.C. Rohde and T.E. Lankford. 2009. Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus, in
the lower Cape Fear River basin: trials and tribulations. Contributed poster. American Fisheries
Society, Tidewater Chapter Meeting. 3/09
146
 443

Lankford, T.E. 2008. Evolution of somatic growth rate in fishes: what are the trade-offs? Invited
seminar, UNCW AFS Student Subunit Meeting, 9/08

Morley, J.W.*, J.A. Buckel and T.E. Lankford. The fate of summer-spawned bluefish during
winter. Contributed talk. The American Fisheries Society Meeting, Ottawa, Canada, 9/08

Lankford, T.E. 2008. Beach nourishment and fish nursery function of surf-zone habitats: lessons
from Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Invited Seminar. North Carolina State University,
Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, 10/08

Lankford, T.E. 2008. Implications of Beach Renourishment for Surf Zone Ecosystem Health.
Invited Seminar. Planet Ocean Seminar Series, UNCW Center for Marine Science, 10/08

Stuart C.M., T.E. Lankford, A.E. Wilbur and J.A. Buckel. Genetic stock structure in bluefish
Pomatomus saltatrix.ENAR International Biometrics Society in Arlington, VA March 16, 2008,

Imhoff, J., S. Gruber and T.E. Lankford. 2008. Evaluation of ultrasonic accelerometry as a
technique for studying foraging behavior in juvenile lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris).
Annual Meeting of the Tidewater Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Virginia Institute of
Marine Science.

Lankford, T.E. and W.D. Webster. 2008. The UNCW Fish Collection: A resource for
ichthyological research and education. Annual Meeting of the Tidewater Chapter of the American
Fisheries Society. Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Branson, A.C. and T.E. Lankford. 2008. Fish assemblage structure of estuarine versus ocean surf
habitats in southeastern North Carolina. Annual Meeting of the Tidewater Chapter of the American
Fisheries Society. Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Stuart, C.M., T.E. Lankford and A.E. Wilbur. 2008. Genetic stock structure in bluefish,
Pomatomus saltatrix. Annual Meeting of the Tidewater Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.
Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Swanson, C. and T.E. Lankford. 2008. Factors affecting fish community structure in the ocean
surf zone. Annual Meeting of the Tidewater Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Virginia
Institute of Marine Science.

Moran, D., Branson, A. and T.E. Lankford. 2008. Preliminary investigation of the capture
efficiency of a 30x2m haul seine in estuarine habitats of southeastern North Carolina. Annual
Meeting of the Tidewater Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Virginia Institute of Marine
Science.

Stuart, C.M., T.E. Lankford and A.E. Wilbur. 2008. Genetic stock structure in bluefish,
Pomatomus saltatrix. UNCW Sigma Xi Chapter Meeting

Stuart, C.M., T.E. Lankford and A.E. Wilbur. 2008. Genetic stock structure in bluefish,
Pomatomus saltatrix. UNCW Undergraduate Research Showcase

Tascone, T.S. and T.E. Lankford. 2008. Applying nutritional indicators of fish condition to
147
evaluate impacts of beach renourishment. UNCW Undergraduate Research Showcase.
 444

Moran, D., Branson, A. and T.E. Lankford. 2008. Preliminary investigation of the capture
efficiency of a 30x2m haul seine in estuarine habitats of southeastern North Carolina. UNCW
Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Lankford, T.E. 2007. Evolution of growth rate in fishes: trade-offs with vagility and predator
avoidance. Invited talk, UNCW Student Subsection, American Fisheries Society

Mitchell, M.A., W.R. Collier and T.E. Lankford. 2007. Development of Molecular and
Morphometric Markers for the Taxonomic Identification of Kingfishes (Menticirrhus spp.). 87th
Annual Meeting of The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, St. Louis.

Branson, A.C. and T.E. Lankford. 2007. Fish assemblage structure of estuarine versus ocean surf-
zone habitat in southeastern North Carolina. 87th Annual Meeting of The American Society of
Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, St. Louis.

Imhoff, J., S. Gruber and T.E. Lankford. 2008. Evaluation of ultrasonic accelerometry as a
technique for studying foraging behavior in juvenile lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris). 87th
Annual Meeting of The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, St. Louis.

Mitchell, M.A.1, W.R. Collier and T.E. Lankford. 2007. Using otolith morphology to distinguish
among closely-related and sympatric kingfishes (Menticirrhus spp.). Sigma Xi Society, UNCW
Chapter Annual Meeting. 3/07

Collier, W.R.3, T.E. Lankford, D. Beresoff and J.H. Schoolfield. 2007. Analysis of gillnet
selectivity in the North Carolina kingfish fishery: mesh-size effects on target and bycatch species.
American Fisheries Society Tidewater Chapter Meeting, Lewes, DE, 2/07

Morley, J.W.3, A.C. Branson, J.A. Buckel and T.E. Lankford. 2007. Recruitment patterns of
juvenile bluefish in North Carolina. American Fisheries Society Tidewater Chapter Meeting,
Lewes, DE, 2/07

Mitchell, M.A.1, W.R. Collier and T.E. Lankford. 2007. Discrimination among sympatric
kingfishes (Menticirrhus spp.) based on otolith morphometry. American Fisheries Society
Tidewater Chapter Meeting, Lewes, DE, 2/07

Imhoff, J.L.2, S.H. Gruber and T.E. Lankford. 2007. Foraging ecology of juvenile lemon sharks
(Negaprion brevirostris) in Bimini, Bahamas: application of ultrasonic accelerometry to monitor
feeding. American Fisheries Society Tidewater Chapter Meeting, Lewes, DE, 2/07

Branson, A.C.2 and T.E. Lankford. 2007. Surf-zone fish assemblages at Wrightsville Beach,
North Carolina: short-term responses to beach renourishment. American Fisheries Society
Tidewater Chapter Meeting, Lewes, DE, 2/07

Relevant Grants since 2007

Enhancement of the Natural History Collections at The University of North Carolina Wilmington.
National Science Foundation. $314,609. Co-PI w/ S. Emslie, D. Webster, C. Bailey, M. Van
148
Tuinen. Concluded 2012
 445

Development and testing of a multimetric index for assessing surf-zone habitat function. Co-PI w/
L. Cahoon, M. Posey, T. Alphin and L. Leonard. N.C. Sea Grant. 2008-2011. $59,500

Stock structure of southern kingfish (Menticirrhus americanus) along the U.S. East Coast. N.C. Sea
Grant. 2008-2010.

Response to BP Oil Spill: Baseline Beach Sampling for North Carolina. Co-PI with L. Cahoon and
T. Alphin. N.C. Sea Grant. 2010-2011. $6,000.

Fish Nursery Function of Saltmarsh Tidal Creeks in Southeastern North Carolina: Effects of
Residential Development and Water Pollution. UNCW Cahill Award. $3,000. Co-PI w/ J.
McAuliffe. 2009

Recruitment dynamics of bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix): coastwide patterns of juvenile

recruitment. NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service/Rutgers CMER Bluefish Research Program.
$90,000. Funded 8/1/06-7/31/08. Co-PI with J. Buckel

Coastal Patterns of Juvenile Bluefish Recruitment in the Middle- and South-Atlantic Bights: North
Carolina. NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service/Rutgers CMER Bluefish Research Program.
$136,616. Ends 5/07. Co-PI with J. Buckel

Honors, Awards, and Professional Service since 2007

2013-2014
Curator of Fishes, UNCW Vertebrate Collection (2006-present)
Member, Search Committee, Marine Biology Lecturer Position
Member, Undergraduate Assessment SubCommittee: Lab Report Review Panel for BIOL 366
Member, Undergraduate Assessment SubCommittee: Senior Essay Review Panel for BIO 495
Attended December commencement exercise
Attended Honors Student Medallioning Ceremony (Fall and Spring)
Assisted with Transfer Student Orientation
Co-Chair, UNCW Small Boat Committee
CMS Seawater Committee
CMS 1st Floor Space Committee
Instructor – MSC526: Provided shipboard research training to graduate students
Coordinator UNCW Campus Fish Relocation Project
Co-Chair, North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, Fishery Management
Plan for Kingfishes (2005-present) – assisting DMF with development and assessments of FMP for
kingfishes.
Member, North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission’s Strategic Habitat Advisory Committee
(2005-present) – assisting MFC and other DENR staff in developing a scientific process for SHA
assessment, designation and protection.
Advisor, North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission’s ‘Spiny Dogfish Compliance Panel’ (2005-
present) – assisting MFC with approaches to state compliance with federal and interstate regulations
regarding spiny dogfish harvests.

2012-2013
Member, Coastal and Marine Biologist Search Committee. >300 applicants, 4 successful
149
hires.
 446

Member, Undergraduate Assessment Committee’s Lab Report Review Panel for BIOL 366
Manuscripts reviewed for Fishery Bulletin (1), North American Journal of Fisheries Management
(1), Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (1)
Co-Chair, UNCW Small Boat Committee
CMS Seawater Committee
CMS 1st Floor Space Committee

2011-2012
Faculty Peer Reviewer for Dr. Baumgarner (2 visits), Dr. Melroy (2 visits) and Mr. Muzyczek (1
visit)
Evaluator for 2 Graduate Teaching Assistants
Faculty Peer Reviewer for Dr. Long (2 visits), Dr. Mallin (1 visit) and Mr. Alphin (1 visit)
Evaluator for 2 Graduate Teaching Assistants: Courtney McClurkin and John Mejaski
Chair, Peer Evaluation of Teaching Committee
Summer School Committee
Attended December commencement, will attend May ceremony
Attended Honors Student Graduation Ceremony
Faculty Peer Reviewer for 6 colleagues
Assisted with Transfer Student Advising

2010-2011
Faculty Peer Reviewer for Dr. Southwood (1 visit), Dr. White (2 visits) and Dr. van Tuinen (1 visit)
Evaluator of Graduate Teaching Assistants
Faculty Peer Reviewer for Dr. Potts, Dr. van Tuinen, Dr. Zelnio, Dr. Stapleton, Mr. Alphin and Ms.
Markwith
Evaluator of Graduate Teaching Assistants: Tyler Gibson and Bryan McLean

Member, Essay Evaluation Group, Departmental Assessment Committee

Attended December commencement, will attend May ceremony
Attended Honors Student Graduation Ceremony
Faculty Peer Reviewer for 8 faculty colleagues
Member of Committee to select Climate Change Speaker for departmental seminar, 4/11
Chair, UNCW Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (2-year term completed August 2010).
Final year of activity included 21 reviews of new vertebrate protocols, 17 annual reviews of
ongoing protocols, 6 designated protocol reviews, 2 inspections of on-campus and off-campus
animal facilities, 4 full committee meetings, 6 reviews of protocol amendments, 5 protocol/grant
congruence reviews, and a formal investigation of alleged protocol non-compliance.
Co-Chair, UNCW Small Boat Committee
Participant, CMS/Industry working group on developing protective dissolved oxygen criteria for the
Lower Cape Fear River estuary
University Freshman Convocation Program
CMS Seawater Committee
CMS 1st Floor Space Committee
Instructor – MSC526
Student Interview, ENG 311 (Professional Magazine Writing) article on sand tiger sharks
Co-organizer (w/ F. Scharf and J. Buckel), 2011 Annual Larval Fish Conference, The American
Fisheries Society. International conference held May 2011 in Wilmington, NC
150
2009-2010
 447

Faculty Peer Reviewer for Dr. Taylor, Dr. Rommel and Dr. Weedon (2 classroom visits each)
Review of Graduate Student Teaching: Lara Jarvis (Bio 105) and Katelyn Schumacher (Bio 241)
Member, Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
Member, Search Committee for Assistant Museum Curator
Member, Essay Evaluation Group, Departmental Assessment Committee
Attended December commencement, will attend May ceremony
Attended Honors Student Graduation Ceremony
Presented “Introduction to IACUC”, New Graduate Student Orientation, 8/09
Faculty Peer Reviewer for Drs. Taylor, Rommel and Weedon (2 classroom visits each)
Chair, UNCW Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. .
Co-Chair, UNCW Small Boat Committee
Participant, CMS/Industry working group on developing protective dissolved oxygen criteria for the
Lower Cape Fear River estuary
Assisted with UNCW Student Health Studies Symposium
University Freshman Convocation Program
CMS Seawater Committee
CMS 1st Floor Space Committee
Instructor – MSC526
Recipient of 2009 UNCW Discere Aude Award for Teaching Excellence
Judge, Stoye/Storer Student Presentation Award, 2009 American Society of Ichthyologists and
Herpetologists Annual Meeting. Portland, OR
Judge, Student Paper and Poster Awards, 2010 Benthic Ecology Meeting, Wilmington, NC

2008-2009
Faculty peer reviewer for Dr. BK Song ; Dr. Chris Finelli
Review of Teaching - Dr. Brian Arbogast , Dr. Amanda Southwood
Review of Graduate Student Teaching: Andrew Capps, Pedro Medina-Rosas
Member, Search Committee for ‘Coastal Plant Ecologist’
Member, Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
Member, Long Range Plan Committee
Guest lecture - Hon 120: Student Research Opportunities in Ichthyology & Fish Ecology, 2008
Assisted with registration advising of transfer students
Participant, Departmental Searches for Cell/Molecular Biologist and Marine Biologist
CMS Seawater Committee ; CMS 1st Floor Space Committee
Instructor – MSC526Attended December commencement, will attend May ceremony
Assisted with relocation of Fish Collection to renovated Friday Hall space
Presented “Introduction to IACUC”, New Graduate Student Orientation, 8/08
Judge, 4th Annual UNCW Undergraduate Research Showcase student poster competition
Chair, UNCW Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (second year)
Co-Chair, UNCW Small Boat Committee
Faculty Leader, Small Group Meeting on Academic Expectations, UNCW Freshman Convocation
Program, 8/08.
Attended University Freshman Convocation Program
Member, Selection Committee for Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence (reviewed dossiers
of 7 nominees and submitted recommendations to CAS Dean)
Participant, CMS/Industry working group on development of protective dissolved oxygen criteria
for Lower Cape Fear River estuary
Member, North Carolina Ocean Observing Planning Team (UNCW, UNC, NCSU, ECU,
151
ECSU) Attended NCABR Workshop on Animal Research & Welfare, Raleigh, NC 5/08
 448

Interview with P. Smith (NC Sea Grant) for ‘Coastwatch’ article on beach nourishment research at
UNCW. 3/09

2007-2008
Peer review of teaching - Dr. Chris Finelli, Dr. Marcel VanTuinen
Post-Tenure Review - Dr. Steve Kinsey
Review of Graduate T.A – Y. Fang
Member, Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
Member, Long Range Plan Committee
Guest lecture - Hon 120: Student Research Opportunities in Ichthyology & Fish Ecology, 2007
Assisted with registration advising of transfer students
Participant, Faculty Searches for Conservation Biologist and Virologist
Participant, Graduate Student Prospectus Symposium
CMS Seawater Committee ; CMS 1st Floor Space Committee
Instructor – MSC526:
Attended December and May commencements
Carried CAS Banner at December commencement
Chair, UNCW Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (first year)
Invited presentation, “Biology of Tunas” to UNCW Marine Odyssey Program
Group Discussion Leader, UNCW Convocation Program on academic expectations for first-year
students (planning in progress for fall convocation)
Member, Selection Committee for Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence (reviewed dossiers
of 7 nominees, submitted recommendations to CAS Dean)

Manuscripts reviewed for: Marine Ecology Progress Series, Transactions of the American Fisheries
Society, Southeastern Naturalist, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
Grant proposals reviewed for: Florida Sea Grant (2007 Panelist: lead on 6 proposals, secondary on
5 proposals), New Jersey Sea Grant (external reviewer)
Attended PRIM&R 2008 National IACUC Conference and OLAW IACUC 101 Conference
Meetings in Atlanta
Teaching Review of Dr. Heather Koopman – Committee member
Appointed Curator of Fishes, UNCW Vertebrate Collection Presented ‘UNCW IACUC: Working
with Vertebrates’, 2006 new graduate student orientation
Organized faculty discussion “How to assist departmental teaching activities” for 2006 Retreat
Guest lecture - Hon 120: Student Research Opportunities in Ichthyology & Fish Ecology, 2006
Guest lecturer - Bio 458, 9/06
Assisted with registration advising of transfer students, 8/06
Data Analysis and Interpretation Using Statistica version 6.0. Informal presentation & software
demonstration to DIS Students, 4/07
Participated in Faculty Searches for Integrative Biologist and Quantitative Ecologist
Attended Departmental ‘Graduate Student Prospectus Symposium’, 4/07
CMS Seawater Committee ; CMS 1st Floor Space Committee
Instructor – MSC526
Attended December and May commencements
Member, UNCW Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (2005-present)
Invited Presentation, “The 2006 Wrightsville Beach Renourishment Project: What about the
Fishes?” UNCW College Day, 11/06
Invited presentation, “Biology of Flounders” to UNCW Marine Odyssey Program. Landfall
152
Country Club, 9/06
 449

Group Discussion Leader, UNCW Convocation Program on academic expectations for first-year
students (planning in progress for fall convocation)
Loaned fish specimens to Hoggard High School science classes – spring, 2006
Assisted with relocation of vertebrate museum in preparation for Friday Hall renovation.
Manuscripts reviewed for:Marine Ecology Progress Series (2), Functional Ecology (1), American
Midland Naturalist (1), Southeastern Naturalist (2), Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and
Ecology (1)
Grant proposals reviewed for: Maryland Sea Grant
Member, North Carolina Ocean Observing Planning Team (UNCW, UNC, NCSU, ECU, ECSU) –
discussion and development of proposal for statewide ocean observing system
Judge, Student Paper Awards, 2007 American Fisheries Society Tidewater Chapter Mtg, Lewes, DE
Volunteer Fish Biologist, 2006 Wrightsville Beach King Mackerel Tournament (benefits Seahawk
Club), 10/06

153
 450

ZACHARY T. LONG

EDUCATION

Ph.D.: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Rutgers University: October 2004.
Advisor: Dr. Peter J. Morin

M.S.: Biological Sciences, Ecology and Evolution Program

University of Pittsburgh: April 1999.
Advisor: Dr. Walter P. Carson.

B.S.: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

University of Pittsburgh: December 1994.

APPOINTMENTS
Assistant Professor: University of North Carolina Wilmington. Department of Biology and
Marine Biology. July 2009 to present.

Postdoctoral Fellow: McGill University. Advisor: Michel Loreau.

July 2007-July 2009.

Instructor: Barrier Island Ecology and Geology, co-taught with Drs. Charles H. Peterson
and Antonio Rodriguez at the Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. I was responsible for teaching the ecology of barrier island plant communities.
August 2006.

Postdoctoral Fellow: Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel

Hill. Advisors: Drs. John Bruno (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), J. Emmett
Duffy (Virginia Institute of Marine Science), and Charles H. Peterson (Institute of Marine
Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).
October 2004-June 2007.

Teaching Assistant: Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey

Courses include General Biology Laboratory I and II, Genetics.
September 2000-May 2004.

University Fellowship: Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources.
September 1999-September 2000.

Teaching Assistant: University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Courses include Ecology Laboratory, Ecology of Amphibians and Reptiles, Forest Ecology,
and General Biology Laboratory, I and II
154
September 1995-April 1999.
 451

PUBLICATIONS (peer reviewed, graduate students in bold)

Effects of white-tailed deer on the maritime forest of Bald Head Island, North Carolina.
Taggart, J. B., and Z. T. Long. Accepted. American Midland Naturalist.

Is coral richness related to community resistance and recovery from disturbance? Zhang, S. Y.,
K. E. Speare, Z. T. Long, K. A. McKeever, M. Gyoerkoe, A. P. Ramus, Z. Mohorn, K. L.
Akins, S. M. Hambridge, N. A. J. Graham, K. L. Nash, E. R. Selig, J. F. Bruno. 2014. PeerJ
2:e308 DOI 10.7717/peerj.308.

Long, Z. T. S. R. Fegley, and C. H. Peterson. 2013. Fertilization and plant diversity accelerate
the restoration of dune plant communities. Plant Ecology 214: 1419-1429

Long, Z. T. S. R. Fegley, and C. H. Peterson. 2013. Suppressed recovery of plant community

composition and biodiversity on dredged fill of a hurricane-induced inlet through a barrier
island. Journal of Coastal Conservation 17: 493-501.

Long, Z. T., M I. O’Connor, and J. F. Bruno. 2012 The effect of predation and intraspecific
aggregation on prey diversity at multiple spatial scales. Journal of Experimental Marine
Biology and Ecology 416-417:115-120.

Taggart J. B. and Z. T. Long. 2012. Soil factors in three populations of endangered golden
sedge (Carex lutea LeBlond). Castanea 77:136-145.

Long, Z. T., S. J. Leroux, T. Faninger, and M. Loreau. 2012. Interactive effects of enrichment
and the manipulation of intermediate hosts by parasites on infection prevalence and food web
structure. Ecological Modelling 228: 1-7.

Long, Z. T., J. F. Bruno, and J. E. Duffy. 2011. Food chain length and omnivory determine the
stability of a marine subtidal food web. Journal of Animal Ecology 80: 586-594

Hirsh, M. D., Long, Z. T and B. Song. 2011 Anammox bacterial diversity in various aquatic
ecosystems based on the detection of hydrazine oxidase genes (hzoA/hzoB) Microbial Ecology
61:264-276

Moran, E. R., Reynolds, P. L., Ladwig, L. M., O’Connor, M. I., Long, Z. T., and Bruno, J. F.
2010. Predation intensity is negatively related to plant species richness in a benthic marine
community. Marine Ecology Progress Series 400: 277-282.

Long, Z. T., J. F. Bruno, and J. E. Duffy. 2007. Biodiversity mediates productivity by

different mechanisms at adjacent trophic levels. Ecology 88: 2821-2829.

Long, Z. T., T. Pendergast, and W. P. Carson. 2007. Deer influence sapling dynamics by modifying
relationships between growth and mortality. Forest Ecology and Management 252: 230-238.

Long, Z. T., O. L. Petchey, and R. D. Holt. 2007. The effects of immigration and environmental 155
variability on the persistence of an inferior competitor. Ecology Letters 10: 574-585.
 452

MANUSCRIPTS IN REVIEW
Ramus A. P. and Z. T. Long. Producer diversity enhances consumer stability in a benthic
marine community.

MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION
(Available on request)
Long, Z. T. and J. A. Krumins. Productivity and predator specialization determine when
assembly influences community composition.

Long, Z. T., J. P. Manderson, and A. D. Hernandez. Effects of community age,

composition, and disturbance on resource availabilities and invasion resistance.

BOOK CHAPTERS (peer reviewed)

Petchey, O. L., P. J. Morin and Z. T. Long. 2007. The consequences of body size in
model microbial systems. In Body Size: The Structure and Function of Aquatic
Ecosystems, Hildrew A., and Raffaelli, D., editors. Cambridge University Press, UK.

PRESENTATIONS
INVITED SEMINARS
2012: Duke University
2010: College of Charleston
2009: Bald Head Island Consortium

ABSTRACTS / CONTRIBUTED PAPERS (Graduate students in bold)

Ramus, A. P. and Long Z. T. Producer diversity and consumer stability. 43rd Benthic Ecology
Meeting, Jacksonville, Florida, March 20, 2014

Long, Z. T. and Ramus, A. P. Effects of macroalgal identity and richness on secondary

production in benthic marine communities. 43rd Benthic Ecology Meeting, Jacksonville, Florida,
March 20, 2014.

Taggart, J., and Long, Z. T. Effects of white-tailed deer on the maritime forest of Bald Head
Island, North Carolina.” Association of Southeastern Biologists held in Charleston, West
Virginia, April 11, 2013.

Taggart, J., and Long, Z. Effects of white-tailed deer on the maritime forest of Bald Head
Island, North Carolina.” Bald Head Island Conservancy, April 20, 2013.

Freshwater DW, Idol J & Long Z - Seasonal and Spatial Variation in the Benthic Community of
North Carolina Offshore Hardbottoms: Methods. North Carolina Scientific Diving Symposium,
22 February 2013.

156
 453

Freshwater DW, Idol J & Long Z - Seasonal and Spatial Variation in the Benthic Community of
North Carolina Offshore Hardbottoms: Results. North Carolina Scientific Diving Symposium,
22 February 2013.

Taggart, JB and Long ZT. 2011. Soil factors in three populations of endangered gold sedge
(Carex lutea Leblond). Natural Areas Conference. November 1-4, 2011

Taggart, JB and Long ZT. 2011. Are white-tailed deer affecting the ecological integrity of the
Bald Head Island maritime forest. North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine
Research Reserve Symposium.

Long, Z. T., S. J. Leroux, T. Faninger, M. Loreau. 2011. Interactive effects of enrichment

and the manipulation of intermediate hosts by parasites on infection prevalence and food web
structure. 21st Biennial Conference of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Foundation. Daytona
Beach, Florida.

Freshwater, W., Long, Z., Addison, C., Whitfield, P. 2011. Canaries in the Coal Mine: Marine
Algae of North Carolina Hardbottoms. NC Science and Education Diver Symposium, AAUS,
NC Aquarium, Carolina Consortium for Scientific Diving, NC Aquarium, Pine Knoll Shores,

Long, Z. T., S. J. Leroux, T. Faninger, M. Loreau. 2010. Interactive effects of enrichment

and the manipulation of intermediate hosts by parasites on infection prevalence and food web
structure. Ecological Society of America. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA

Long, Z. T., S. J. Leroux, T. Faninger, M. Loreau. 2010. Interactive effects of enrichment

and the manipulation of intermediate hosts by parasites on infection prevalence and food web
structure. Benthic Ecology Meetings. Wilmington, North Carolina, USA

Long, Z. T., M. Cherif, M. Loreau. 2008. Coexistence of predators depends on differences in

their sizes and the sizes of their prey. The Ecological Society of America’s 93rd Annual
Meeting. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

Lee, S. C., Z. T. Long, J. A. Krumins, and P. J. Morin. An experimental test of source-sink

dynamics in a multitrophic metacommunity. The Ecological Society of America’s 93rd Annual
Meeting. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

Cherif, M., Z. T. Long, and M. Loreau. 2008. Evolving complex food webs with simple
physical and biological rules: a project. Gordon Research Conference, Metabolic Basis for
Ecology. Biddeford, Maine, USA.

Krumins, J. A., Z. T. Long, C. F. Steiner, and P. J. Morin. 2007. Food web diversity and
bacterial communities. British Ecological Society Annual Meeting. Glasgow, Scotland.

GRANTS
2014: The eradication of beach vitex from the coast of North Carolina. Pulling Together
Initiative, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. $58675.
157
 454

2014: How can we effectively prevent and manage invasions in stressful environments?
(Declined, National Science Foundation)

2013: The effect of plant and microbial diversity on the functioning of coastal dunes. Charles
L. Cahill Award. $2924

2013. CAREER: The effect of plant and microbial diversity on the functioning of coastal
dunes. (Declined, National Science Foundation)

2013: Causes and consequences of biodiverisy in hard-bottom food webs. Co PIs Z.T. Long
and D.W. Freshwater. (Declined, National Science Foundation).

2012: Canaries in the Coal Mine – Marine algal diversity of North Carolina hardbottoms. Co
PIs D.W. Freshwater and Z.T. Long. (Declined, National Science Foundation).

2011: Marine algal biodiversity of North Carolina hardbottoms. Co PIs D.W. Freshwater and
Z.T. Long. (Declined, National Science Foundation).

2011: Spatial and temporal dynamics of marine algae on North Carolina hardbottoms. Co PIs
Z.T. Long and D.W. Freshwater. ($34,949).

2011: “Acquisition of LI-COR 6400 ecophysiology package", University of North Carolina

Wilmington, ($49,900.00, Co-PIs Z. Long, Z., M. J. Durako, A. E. Stapleton).

2011: Long, Z., Grant, "LI-COR Environmental Education Fund Grant", LI-COR
Environmental Education Fund (Z. T. Long, $49,000.00).

2010: Dimensions: Collaborative Research: Linking microbial diversity to N2 and N2O

productions in eutrophic estuarine ecosystem. National Science Foundation. BK. Song, Z. T.
Long, C. R. Tobias. (Declined)

2010: Continuation of deer impact research at the Bald Head Woods Coastal Reserve during
2010-11. Village of Bald Head Island ($9590, Co-PIs J. Taggart and Z. T. Long).

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
Reviewer.
Acta Zoologica, American Naturalist, American Midland Naturalist,
Community Ecology, Ecography, Ecology, Ecology Letters, Journal of
Animal Ecology, Journal of Applied Ecology, Oikos, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Association, National Science Foundation, Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences.

158
 455

Susanna López-Legentil, PhD MBA

Assistant Professor
Department of Biology & Marine Biology
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Phone: +1 (910) 962-2615
E-mail: lopezlegentils@uncw.edu
Webpage: www.imesalab.com

Education
2009 MBA University of North Carolina Wilmington – Biotechnology
2005 PhD University of Barcelona and Perpignan – Zoology
2003 MSc University of Barcelona – Marine Molecular Ecology
2001 DEA University of Paris VI – Biogeochemistry & Marine Environment
2000 BSc University of Barcelona – Biology

Appointments
2014- Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington
2013-2014 Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington
2009-2014 Assistant Professor (Ramón y Cajal), University of Barcelona
2007-2009 Research Associate Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington
2006-2007 Visiting Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington
2005-2006 Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Perpignan EPHE - FMR CNRS 2935
2001-2005 Predoctoral Researcher, University of Barcelona and Perpignan LCBE
2003-2004 Research Assistant, Marine Laboratory, University of Guam
2001 Non-Thesis Research Assistant, University of Paris VI
1998-2000 Undergraduate Research Assistant, University of Barcelona

Publications since 2007 (*Corresponding author; undergraduate & graduate students in bold)
34. López-Legentil S*, Legentil ML, Erwin PM, Turon X (Minor Revision) Harbor networks as
introduction patchworks: contrastin Distribution paterns of native and introduced ascidians.
Biological Invasions
33. Burgsdorf I, Erwin PM, López-Legentil S, Cerrano C, Haber M, Frenk S, Steindler L* (In
press) Biogeography rather than association with cyanobacteria structures symbiotic microbial
communities in the marine sponge Petrosia ficiformis. Frontiers in Microbiology
32. Zhang F, Pita L, Erwin PM, Abaid S, Lopez-Legentil S, Hill R* (In press) Symbiotic archaea
in marine sponges show stability and host specificity in community structure and ammonia
oxidation functionality. FEMS Microbiology Ecology
31. Riesgo A*, Blasco G, Erwin PM, Pérez-Portela R, López-Legentil S (2014) Optimization of
fourteen microsatellite loci in a Mediterranean demosponges subjected to population
decimation, Ircinia fasciculata. Conservation Genetic Resources 6: 301-303
30. Erwin PM, Pineda MC, Webster N, Turon X, López-Legentil S* (2014) Down under the tunic:
Bacterial biodiversity hotspots and widespread ammonia-oxidizing Archaea in coral reef
ascidians. The ISME Journal 8(3): 575-588
159
 456

29. Pita L, Erwin PM, Turon X, López-Legentil S* (2013) Till death do us part: Stable sponge-
bacteria associations under thermal and food shortage stresses. PLoS ONE 8(11): e80307
28. Pita L, Turon X, López-Legentil S, Erwin PM* (2013) Host rules: Spatial stability of bacterial
communities associated with Ircinia spp. in the Western Mediterranean Sea. FEMS
Microbiology Ecology 86: 268-276
27. Kersting DK*, Casado C, López-Legentil S, Linares C (2013) Unexpected divergent patterns
in the sexual reproduction of the Mediterranean coral Cladocora caespitosa. Marine Ecology
Progress Series 486: 165-171
26. Pita L, López-Legentil S, Erwin PM* (2013) Biogeography and host-specificity of bacterial
communities in Ircina spp. from the Bahamas. Microbial Ecology 66: 437-447
25. López-Legentil S*, Erwin PM, Velasco M, Turon X (2013) Growing or reproducing in a
temperate sea: Optimization of resource allocation in a colonial ascidian. Invertebrate Biology
132(1): 69-80
24. Erwin PM, Pineda MC, Webster N, Turon X, López-Legentil S* (2013) Small core
communities and high variability in bacteria associated with the introduced ascidian Styela
plicata. Symbiosis 59(1): 35-46
23. Pineda MC, López-Legentil S, Turon X* (2013) Year-round reproduction in a seasonal sea:
Biological cycle of the introduced ascidian Styela plicata in the western Mediterranean. Marine
Biology 160: 221-230
22. Hirose E*, Turon X, López-Legentil S, Erwin PM, Hirose M (2012) First records of didemnid
ascidians harboring Prochloron from Caribbean Panama: Genetic relationships between
Caribbean and Pacific photosymbionts and host ascidians. Systematics and Biodiversity 10(4):
435-445
21. Pineda MC, McQuaid CD, Turon X, López-Legentil S, Ordóñez V, Rius M* (2012) Tough
adults, frail babies: An analysis of stress sensitivity across early life-history stages of widely
introduced marine invertebrates. PLoS ONE 7(10): e46672
20. Erwin PM*, Pita L, López-Legentil S, Turon X (2012) Stability of sponge-bacteria symbioses
over large seasonal shifts in temperature and irradiance. Applied and Environmental
Microbiology 78(20): 7358-7368
19. Erwin PM*, López-Legentil S, Turon X (2012) Ultrastructure, molecular phylogenetics and
chlorophyll a content of novel cyanobacterial symbionts in temperate sponge hosts. Microbial
Ecology 64: 771-783
18. Valero-Jiménez CA, Pérez-Portela R, López-Legentil S* (2012) Characterization of novel
microsatellite markers from the worldwide invasive ascidian Styela plicata. Conservation
Genetics Resources 4(3): 559-561
17. Pineda MC, Turon X, López-Legentil S* (2012) Stress levels over time in the introduced
ascidian Styela plicata: The effects of temperature and salinity variations on hsp70 gene
expression. Cell Stress and Chaperones 17: 435-444
 Journal cover
16. Loh T-L*, López-Legentil S, Song B, Pawlik JR (2012) Phenotypic variability in the Caribbean
orange icing sponge Mycale laevis (Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida). Hydrobiologia 687(1):
205-217
15. Erwin PM*, López-Legentil S, Gonzalez-Pech R, Turon X (2012) A specific mix of
generalists: Microbial symbionts in Mediterranean Ircinia spp. FEMS Microbiology Ecology
79: 619-637
14. Pineda MC, López-Legentil S, Turon X* (2011) The whereabouts of an ancient wanderer:
Global phylogeography of the solitary ascidian Styela plicata. PLoS ONE 6(9): e25495
13. López-Legentil S*, Song B, Bosch M, Pawlik JR, Turon X (2011) Cyanobacterial diversity and
a new Acaryochloris-like symbiont from Bahamian sea-squirts. PLoS ONE 6(8): e23938
160
 457

12. López-Legentil S*, Turon X (2011) Pump water or produce larvae? Oscula occulusion during
the reproductive period of the sponge Svenzea zeai. Zoological Studies 50(3): 395
11. Martínez-García M*, Koblížek M, López-Legentil S, Antón J (2011) Epibiosis of oxygenic
phototrophs containing chlorophylls a, b, c, and d on the colonial ascidian Cystodytes
dellechiajei. Microbial Ecology 61(1): 13-19
10. Erwin PM*, López-Legentil S, Schuhmann PW (2010) The pharmaceutical value of the sea for
anti-cancer drug discovery. Ecological Economics 70: 445-451
9. López-Legentil S*, Erwin PM, Pawlik JR, Song B (2010) Effects of sponge bleaching on
ammonia oxidizing Archaea: Distribution and relative expression of ammonia monooxygenase
genes associated with the barrel sponge Xestospongia muta. Microbial Ecology 60(3): 561-571
8. Bontemps N*, Bry D, López-Legentil S, Simon-Levert A, Long C, Banaigs B (2010)
Structures and antimicrobial activities of pyridoacridine alkaloids isolated from different
chromotypes of the ascidian Cystodytes dellechiajei. Journal of Natural Products 73(6): 1044-
1048
7. López-Legentil S*, Erwin PM, Henkel TP, Loh T-L, Pawlik JR (2010) Phenotypic plasticity in
the sponge Callyspongia vaginalis: morphological and molecular data. Scientia Marina 74(3): 445-
453
6. López-Legentil S*, Song B, DeTure M, Baden DG (2010) Characterization and localization of a
hybrid non ribosomal peptide synthetase and polyketide synthase gene from the toxic dinoflagellate
Karenia brevis. Marine Biotechnology 12: 32-41
5. López-Legentil S*, Pawlik JR (2009) Genetic structure of the Caribbean giant barrel sponge
Xestospongia muta using the I3-M11 partition of COI. Coral Reefs 28:157-165
4. Pawlik JR*, Henkel TP, McMurray SE, López-Legentil S, Loh T-L, Rohde S (2008) Patterns of
sponge recruitment and growth on a shipwreck corroborate chemical defense resource trade-off.
Marine Ecology Progress Series 368: 137-143
3. López-Legentil S*, Song B, McMurray SE, Pawlik JR (2008) Bleaching and stress in coral reef
ecosystems: Hsp70 expression by the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta. Molecular
Ecology 17(7): 1840-1850
2. López-Legentil S*, Turon X (2007) Lack of genetic variation in mtDNA over the amphiatlantic
distribution range of the ascidian Ecteinascidia turbinata. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
45(1): 405-408
1. López-Legentil S*, Bontemps-Subielos N, Turon X, Banaigs B (2007) Secondary metabolite and
inorganic contents in Cystodytes sp. (Ascidiacea): Temporal patterns and association with
reproduction and growth. Marine Biology 151: 293-299

Presentations since 2007 (*Presenting author; undergraduate & graduate students in bold)
57. López-Legentil S, Legentil ML, Erwin PM, Turon X* (2014) Harbor networks as introduction
patchworks: Contrasting distribution patterns of native and introduced ascidians. V International
Invasive Sea Squirt Conference, Woods Hole MA (USA)
56. Turon X*, Cañete JI, Sellanes J, López-Legentil S, Rocha RM (2014) Distribution patterns of
native and exotic ascidians in two areas of Chile with contrasting oceanographic features and
human activity record. V International Invasive Sea Squirt Conference, Woods Hole MA (USA)
55. Steindler L*, Burgsdorf I, Erwin PM, López-Legentil S, Cerrano C, Haber M (2014)
Biogeography rather than association with cyanobacteria structures symbiotic microbial
communities in the marine sponge Petrosia ficiformis. 2nd International Symposium on Sponge
Microbiology, Baltimore MD (USA)
54. Pita L*, López-Legentil S, Erwin PM, Riesgo A (2014) Microbial activity insights derived from
metatranscriptomics. 2nd International Symposium on Sponge Microbiology, Baltimore MD
(USA) 161
 458

53. Zhang F*, Pita L*, Erwin PM, Abaid S, López-Legentil S, Hill RT (2014) Stability and host
specificity in symbiotic Archaea community structure associated with marine sponges. 2nd
International Symposium on Sponge Microbiology, Baltimore MD (USA)
52. Pineda MC*, López-Legentil S, Turon X (2014) Life history of the introduced ascidian Styela
plicata: Pathway to a holistic understanding. XVIII Simposio Ibérico de Estudios de Biología
Marina, Gijon (Spain)
51. López-Legentil S, Legentil ML, Erwin PM, Turon X* (2014) Native and introduced ascidians in
harbors of the NE Iberian Peninsula: distribution, diversity and abundance. XVIII Simposio Ibérico
de Estudios de Biología Marina, Gijon (Spain)
50. Schreiber L*, Kjeldsen KU, Tegetmeyer H, Funch P, López-Legentil S, Dubilier N, Schramm A
(2014) A tunicate-specific Endozoicomonas-lineage, and comparative genomics and physiology of
the symbiotic Endozoicomonas clade. 15th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, Seoul
(South-Korea)
49. Pita L, López-Legentil S, Turon X, Erwin PM* (2014) How the sponge-bacteria symbioses
respond to a changing environment? 43rd Benthic Ecology Meeting, Jacksonville FL (USA)
48. López-Legentil S*, Pineda MC, Webster N, Turon X, Erwin PM (2014) Unraveling the diversity
of the ascidian microbiome. 43rd Benthic Ecology Meeting, Jacksonville FL (USA)
47. Riesgo A*, López-Legentil S, Leys SP, Giribet G (2013) The molecular machineries of germ line,
sex determination, and vitellogenesis of sponges. ICREA Conference on the Evolution of
Multicellularity, Barcelona (Spain)
46. López-Legentil S* (2013) Investigating the invasive potential of a widespread marine species using
molecular and microscopy techniques. High-Throughput Sequencing Course. Scientific and
Technological Centers, Barcelona (Spain)
 Invited speaker
45. Pita L*, Erwin PM, Turon X, López-Legentil S (2013) Till death do us apart: Stable sponge-
bacteria associations under thermal and food shortage stresses. 9th World Sponge Conference,
Fremantle (Australia)
44. Riesgo A*, Blasco G, Erwin PM, Pérez-Portela R, López-Legentil S (2013) Tools for conservation
of marine species subjected to population decimation in the Mediterranean: Optimization of
microsatellite loci in the sponge Ircinia fasciculata. 9th World Sponge Conference, Fremantle
(Australia)
43. Riesgo A*, López-Legentil S, Leys SP, Giribet G (2013) Molecular machinery of germ line, sex
determination, and vitellogenesis of sponges. 9th World Sponge Conference, Fremantle (Australia)
42. Pita L*, Turon X, López-Legentil S, Erwin PM (2013) You’ve got a friend in me: High stability of
Ircinia-associated bacterial communities over time and space. 9th World Sponge Conference,
Fremantle (Australia)
41. Riesgo A*, Maldonado M, López-Legentil S, Giribet G (2013) Molecular evolution of the
lysosomal cysteine proteases in sponges (Porifera). II Iberian Congress of Biological Systematics,
Barcelona (Spain)
40. Legentil ML, Turon X, Erwin PM, López-Legentil S* (2013) Introduced ascidians in Catalan
harbors (NE Spain). 7th International Tunicate Meeting, Naples (Italy)
39. Erwin PM, Pineda MC, Webster N, Turon X, López-Legentil S* (2013) Deep-sequencing of the
ascidian microbiome. 7th International Tunicate Meeting, Naples (Italy)
38. Pineda MC*, Turon X, Pérez-Portela R, López-Legentil S (2013) Life beyond death: renewal of
Styela plicata introduced populations after die-off episodes in North Carolina, USA. 7th
International Tunicate Meeting, Naples (Italy)
37. López-Legentil S* (2012) Distant but not so different: Symbiotic relationships between bacteria
and sponges and ascidians. Seminar Series: Department of Cellular Biology. Universitat Autònoma
de Barcelona (Spain)
162
 Invited speaker
 459

36. Hirose E*, Turon X, López-Legentil S, Erwin PM, Hirose M (2012) Caribbean Prochloron and
their host ascidians. 83rd Annual Meeting of the Zoological Society of Japan, Osaka (Japan)
35. Rius M*, Pineda MC, McQuaid C, Turon X, López-Legentil S, Ordoñez V (2012) Abiotic
factors mediating dispersal: An analysis of stress sensitivity across multiple life-history stages.
10th International Larval Biology Symposium. Berkeley CA (United States)
34. López-Legentil S* (2012) Multidisciplinary approaches to the invasive potential of a marine
invertebrate Seminar Series: Department of Biology. Old Dominion University, Norfolk VA
(USA)
 Invited speaker
33. López-Legentil S, Erwin PM, Velasco M, Espluga R, Turon X* (2012) Relationship between
host life-cycle and bacterial symbiont diversity in the Mediterranean ascidian Didemnum
fulgens. XVII Simposio Ibérico de Estudios de Biología Marina, San Sebastián (Spain)
32. Turon X*, Pita L, González-Pech R, Pujals-Paunero A, López-Legentil S, Erwin PM (2012) A
faithful marriage: Temporal and spatial stability of host-specific bacterial symbionts in three
sympatric Ircinia spp. (Porifera). XVII Simposio Ibérico de Estudios de Biología Marina, San
Sebastián (Spain)
31. Pineda MC, McQuaid CD, Turon X*, López-Legentil S, Ordóñez V, Rius M (2012) Tough
adults, frail babies: Sensitivity to abiotic factors across multiple life-history stages of widely
introduced marine invertebrates. XVII Simposio Ibérico de Estudios de Biología Marina, San
Sebastián (Spain)
30. Casado C*, Kersting DK, López-Legentil S, Linares C (2012) Reproductive study of the
Mediterranean coral Cladocora caespitosa (Anthozoa, Scleractinia). XVII Simposio Ibérico de
Estudios de Biología Marina, San Sebastián (Spain)
29. Pineda MC*, Webster N, Turon X, López-Legentil S (2012) Not so lower: Bacterial diversity in
ascidians from the Great Barrier Reef. International Workshop on Lower Invertebrates Symbiosis
With Microorganisms, Tel Aviv and Eilat (Israel)
28. Erwin PM*, López-Legentil S, Pita L, Turon X (2012) A specific mix of generalists: What shapes
the unique structure of the sponge microbiota? International Workshop on Lower Invertebrates
Symbiosis With Microorganisms, Tel Aviv and Eilat (Israel)
27. López-Legentil S* (2012) A case of sponge-envy? An emerging picture of ascidian-associated
bacterial communities (2012) International Workshop on Lower Invertebrates Symbiosis With
Microorganisms – Workshop. Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv and Eilat (Israel)
 Invited speaker
26. Pita L*, López-Legentil S, Erwin PM (2012) Assessing the fidelity of sponge-bacteria
relationships: Spatial and host-specific structure of bacterial communities in Ircinia hosts.
International Workshop on Lower Invertebrates Symbiosis With Microorganisms, Tel Aviv and
Eilat (Israel)
25. Pineda MC*, López-Legentil S, Rius M, McQuaid C, Turon X (2011) A threat around the corner?
Factors involved in the invasive potential of an introduced ascidian. VII International Conference
in Marine Bioinvasions, Barcelona (Spain)
24. Valero C*, Pérez-Portela R, López-Legentil S (2011) Coming and going: Temporal genetic
variability of the introduced sea squirt Styela plicata. VII International Conference in Marine
Bioinvasions, Barcelona (Spain)
23. López-Legentil S*, Turon X, Song B (2011) Ascidian photosymbionts: Do we know who’s hiding
in the tunic? 6th International Tunicate Meeting, Montreal (Canada)
22. Pineda MC*, López-Legentil S, Rius M, McQuaid C, Turon X (2011) Crossing the thin line
between introduced and invasive species: Factors shaping the distribution and invasive potential of
the solitary ascidian Styela plicata. 6th International Tunicate Meeting, Montreal (Canada)
163
 460

21. Pita L*, Erwin PM, López-Legentil S (2011) Spatial variation and host-specificity of bacterial
assemblages in Caribbean sponges. 1st International Symposium on Sponge Microbiology,
Wüerzburg (Germany)
20. Erwin PM*, López-Legentil S, Pita L, Turon X (2011) Host-specificity and environmental
structuring of bacterial symbionts in Mediterranean Ircinia spp. 1st International Symposium on
Sponge Microbiology, Wüerzburg (Germany)
 Reviewed by Taylor et al. (2011) Marine Biotechnology 13(6): 1057-1061
19. Erwin PM*, López-Legentil S, Pita L, Turon X (2011) Host-specificity and environmental
structuring of bacterial symbionts in Mediterranean Ircinia spp. 4th Internal Symposium at the
Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes, Blanes (Spain)
18. Loh T-L*, López-Legentil S, Song B, Pawlik JR (2010) Investigating the growth and color morphs
of the Caribbean sponge Mycale laevis. VIII World Sponge Conference, Girona (Spain)
17. López-Legentil S*, Erwin PM, Pawlik JR, Song B (2010) Ammonia oxidizing Archaea in
bleaching barrel sponges: Diversity, distribution and ammonia monooxygenase expression. VIII
World Sponge Conference, Girona (Spain)
16. López-Legentil S* (2010) Bleaching and stress in the redwoods of the reef (2010) Seminars of the
Biodiversity Research Institute. Zoological Museum of Barcelona (Spain)
 Invited speaker
15. Pineda MC*, López-Legentil S, Turon X (2010) Introducciones y expansiones: Diferenciación
genética y patrones filogeográficos en la ascidia solitaria Styela plicata. XVI Simposio Ibérico de
Estudios de Biología Marina, Alicante (Spain)
14. López-Legentil S*, Song B, Pawlik JR, Turon X (2010) Ascidian-cyanobacteria symbiosis. XVI
Simposio Ibérico de Estudios de Biología Marina, Alicante (Spain)
13. Pineda MC*, Muntadas-Olivé A, Espluga-Garcia R, López-Legentil S, Turon X (2010) Ciclo
reproductor de la ascidia invasora Styela plicata en el Mediterráneo noroccidental. XVI Simposio
Ibérico de Estudios de Biología Marina, Alicante (Spain)
12. Pineda MC*, López-Legentil S, Turon X (2010) Global phylogeography of the solitary ascidian
Styela plicata. International Invasive Sea-squirt Conference III, Woods Hole MA (United States)
11. Loh T-L*, López-Legentil S, Song B, Pawlik JR (2010) Phylogenetic analysis of the sponge genus
Mycale (Demospongiae; Poecilosclerida): How valid is the current classification? The Society for
Integrative and Comparative Biology, Seattle WA (United States)
 Published in Integrative and Comparative Biology (2010), Volume 50(1): E260
10. López-Legentil S*, Erwin PM (2009) From marine biotechnology to valuation studies: The value
of the sea for anti-cancer drug discovery. Marine Biotechnology Workshop, UNC Wilmington NC
(United States)
9. López-Legentil S* (2009) Marine science and business. Summer Ventures in Science and
Mathematics. University of North Carolina Wilmington (United States)
 Invited speaker
8. López-Legentil S*, Song B, DeTure M, Baden D (2008) Isolation and localization of a non
ribosomal peptide synthetase / polyketide synthase complex from the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia
brevis. Microbial Genomics & Metagenomics Workshop, Walnut Creek CA (United States)
7. López-Legentil S*, Pawlik JR (2008) Genetic structure of the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia
muta in northern Caribbean. 11th Coral Reef Symposium, Fort Lauderdale FL (United States)
6. Pawlik JR*, Henkel TP, Loh T-L, López-Legentil S, McMurray SE, Rohde S (2007) Testing an
hypothesis on sponge chemical defenses using the wreck of the USS Spiegel Grove. 5th European
Conference on Marine Natural Products, Ischia (Italy)
5. Bontemps-Subielos N, Simon-Levert A, López-Legentil S, Banaigs B* (2007) Pyridoacridine
alkaloids within purple morphs of Cystodytes spp. (Ascidiacea: Polycitoridae). 5th European
Conference on Marine Natural Products, Ischia (Italy) 164
 461

4. Song B*, López-Legentil S, Pawlik JR (2007) Genetic investigation of archaeal nitrification in the
Caribbean barrel sponge Xestospongia muta. American Society for Microbiology Conferences,
Quebec (Canada)
 Published in Abstracts of the General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology
(2007), Volume 107: 434-435
3. López-Legentil S*, Song B, McMurray S, Pawlik JR (2007) Using molecular tools to examine
bleaching and stress in the Caribbean barrel sponge Xestospongia muta. 36th Annual Benthic
Ecology Meetings, Atlanta GE (United States)
2. López-Legentil S*, Henkel TP, Pawlik JR (2007) Troubling taxonomy: The genus Callyspongia in
the Caribbean. 36th Annual Benthic Ecology Meetings, Atlanta GE (United States)
1. Pawlik JR*, Henkel TP, Loh T-L, López-Legentil S, McMurray SE, Rohde S (2007) Insight
into sponge ecology from the wreck of the USS Spiegel Grove. 36th Annual Benthic Ecology
Meetings, Atlanta GE (United States)

Grants and Sponsored Projects since 2007 (*Principal Investigator or Co-PI)

2014-2017 Spanish Government CTM2013-43287-P Grant – €145,000
MARSYMBIOMICS: Evolutionary implications, ecological roles, and vulnerability to
ocean changes of marine symbioses
2014-2017 Catalan Government Fund for Quality Research Groups SGR 336 – €45,000
Benthic Biology & Ecology Group (www.ub.edu/beb)
2014-2015* CMS Pilot Grants – $20,000
Sea-squirts of North Carolina: Species Diversity and Distribution
2014* UNCW Charles L. Cahill Award (2014) – $2,982
Integrating genetics, taxonomy and chemical ecology to understand biodiversity and
ecosystem function of sponge-microbe symbioses on Caribbean coral reefs
2011-2014* European Commission Marie Curie International Reintegration Grant FP7-
PEOPLE-2010-RG 277038 – €87,500
SYMASC: Bacterial symbiosis in ascidians
2012-2014 Earth Microbiome Project – Sponsored Project
Sponge microbiomes in times of global change: A contribution to the Earth Microbiome
Project
2011-2013* Spanish Government CTM2010-17755 Grant – €166,980
SOLID: Small organisms, large impacts: Diversity, dynamics, and significance of
microbial symbionts in sponges and ascidians
2009-2014* Spanish Government RYC-2008-02829 – €192,480
Biology and Ecology of Marine Invertebrates
2009-2013 Catalan Government Fund for Quality Research Groups SGR 484 – €47,840
Benthic Biology & Ecology Group (www.ub.edu/beb)
2009-2010* The Linnean Society & Systematics Association Research Fund – €1,416
Molecular characterization of key ascidians from the Bahamas
2008-2010 Spanish Government CTM2007-66635 Grant – €198,440
Molecular tools for the study of the vulnerability of benthic littoral populations:
Structure, connectivity, adaptation and gene expression
2007-2010 French Research National Agency ANR-06-BDIV-001-04 Grant – €916,100
ECIMAR: Marine Chemical Ecology, Biodiversity indicators and development
2006-2008 Catalan Government Fund for Quality Research Groups SGR 674 – €36,600
Benthic Biology & Ecology Group (www.ub.edu/beb)
2005-2007 Spanish Government CTM2004-05265-C02-01/MAR Grant – €188,600
Genetic exchange between invertebrates and fished from the Atlantic and the 165
Mediterranean: Colonization, speciation and invasion
 462

Honors, Awards, and Professional Services since 2007

Honors (including Scholarships and Fellowships) and Awards
 I3 Program Accreditation (2014) Spanish National Agency of Evaluation and Prospective
 Research Accreditation (2011) Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency
 MBA Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement (2009) University of North Carolina
Wilmington
 Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society (2009) University of North Carolina Wilmington
 Boyd Robinson Most Value Added Award (2008) University of North Carolina Wilmington
 Teaching Accreditation (2008) Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency
 Business of Marine Biotechnology Fellowship (2007-2009) University of North Carolina
Wilmington
 Fulbright Fellowship (2006-2007) US Department of State and Spanish Ministry of Education
and Science
Article Reviewer
(1) PLoS ONE, (2) Molecular Ecology, (3) Heredity, (4) Diversity and Distributions, (5)
Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, (6) Molecular Ecology Resources, (7) Marine Biology, (8)
Zoology, (9) Coral Reefs, (10) Marine Ecology Progress Series, (11) Journal of Chemical
Ecology, (12) Microbial Ecology, (13) Contributions to Zoology, (14) Biological Invasions, (15)
Cahiers de Biologie Marine, (16) Hydrobiologia, (17) Marine Drugs, (18) The ISME Journal, (19)
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, (20) Proceedings of the Royal Society B – Biological
Sciences, (21) Polar Biology, (22) Marine Ecology, (23) Biofouling, (24) F1000Research, (25)
ZooKeys, (26) International Journal of Molecular Sciences, (27) Journal of the Marine Biological
Association of the United Kingdom, (28) FEMS Microbiology Ecology, (29) Aquatic Microbial
Ecology, (30) Frontiers in Marine Science, (31) PeerJ, (32) Invertebrate Biology, (33) Frontiers in
Microbiology, and (34) Scientific Reports
Grant Reviewer
(1) The Spanish National Agency of Evaluation and Prospective ANEP, (2) The German Research
Foundation, (3) The Argentinean National Agency for Scientific and Technological Advancement
ANPCyT, (4) The Israel Science Foundation, and (5) USA National Science Foundation NSF
Conference Organization
(1) Executive committee member, 8th World Sponge Conference 2010, Girona (Spain), and (2)
Organizing Committee of the 2nd International Symposium in Sponge Microbiology, Baltimore
MD (USA)

166
 463

Jennifer Rettew McCall

Health Sciences Lecturer
Department of Biology and Marine Biology
Center for Marine Science
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
mccalljr@uncw.edu
704-458-4169

EDUCATION
2013 MBA University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Wilmington, NC
Focus: Business of Marine Biotechnology
2010 PhD University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Charlotte, NC.
Dissertation title: “Sexual dimorphism in sepsis susceptibility: effects of reproductive
hormones on microbial pattern recognition receptor expression.” Under the direction
of Dr. Ian Marriott.
2006 MS University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Charlotte, NC.
Thesis title: "Factors influencing mortality in nestling ospreys (Pandion haliaetus): an
analysis of breeding strategies." Under the direction of Dr. Richard O. Bierregaard.
2003 BS University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.

APPOINTMENTS
2014-present Online Health Sciences Lecturer. Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University
of North Carolina Wilmington. Wilmington, NC
2013-present Owner and CEO. SeaTox Research Inc. Wilmington, NC
2011-2014 Visiting Research Assistant Professor. Center for Marine Science, University of North
Carolina Wilmington. Wilmington, NC
2010-2013 Adjunct Instructor. South Piedmont Community College. Monroe, NC
2010 Adjunct Instructor. Queens University of Charlotte. Charlotte, NC
2007-2010 Graduate Research Assistant. University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Charlotte, NC.
2004-2009 Graduate Teaching Assistant. University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Charlotte, NC.

PUBLICATIONS
1. McCall, J.R., Elliott, E.A., Bourdelais, A.J. (2014) A new cytotoxicity assay for brevetoxins using
fluorescence microscopy. Marine Drugs. 12(9):4868-4882.
2. McCall, J.R., Goodman, A.J., Jacocks, H.M., Thompson, A.M., Baden, D.G., Bourdelais, A.J. (2014).
Development of a fluorescence assay for the characterization of brevenal binding to rat brain
synaptosomes. Journal of Natural Products. 77(9):2014-2020.
3. Goodman, A., McCall, J.R., Jacocks, H.M., Thompson, A., Baden, D.G., Abraham, W.M., Bourdelais, A.J.
(2014). Structure activity relationship of brevenal hydrazide derivatives. Marine Drugs.
12(4):1839-1858.
4. McCall, J.R., Jacocks, H.M., Niven, S.C., Poli, M.A., Baden, D.G., Bourdelais, A.J. (2014). Development
and utilization of a fluorescence-based receptor binding assay for site 5 voltage-sensitive sodium
channels ligands brevetoxin and ciguatoxin. Journal of the AOAC. 97(2):307-315.
5. Bowen, R.S., Knab, A.M., Hamilton, A.T., McCall, J.R., Moore-Harrison, T.L., Lightfoot, J.T.
(2012). Effects of supraphysiological doses of sex steroids on wheel running activity in
mice. Journal of Steroids and Hormonal Science. 3(2):110-118 doi:10.4172/2157-7536.1000110
6. McCall, J.R., Jacocks, H.M., Baden, D.G., Bourdelais, A.J. (2012). Development of a competitive
fluorescence-based synaptosome binding assay for brevetoxins. Harmful Algae. 19:85-91.
7. Rettew, J.A., McCall, S.H., and Marriott, I. (2010). GPR30/GPER-1 mediates rapid decreases in TLR4
expression on murine macrophages. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology 328:87-92. 167
 464

8. Rettew, J.A., Marriott, I., and Huet, Y.M. (2010). Gender based differences in the innate immune
response to bacterial pathogens. In: Sex hormones and immunity to infection (SL Klein and CW
Roberts, Eds). Springer, New York, NY. pp. 123-146
9. Rettew, J.A., Huet, Y.M., and Marriott, I. (2009). Estrogens augment cell surface TLR4 expression
on murine macrophages and regulates sepsis susceptibility in vivo. Endocrinology 150: 3877-3884.
10. Rettew, J.A., Huet-Hudson, Y.M., and Marriott, I. (2008). Testosterone reduces macrophage
expression of Toll-like receptor 4, a trigger for inflammation and innate immunity. Biology of
Reproduction 78: 432-437.

SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS
1. Jennifer R. McCall, Henry M. Jacocks, Allan J. Goodman, Susan C. Niven, Alysha M. Thompson, Daniel
G. Baden, and Andrea J. Bourdelais “Development of Competitive Fluorescence-based Binding
Assays for Brevetoxins and Brevenal.” 7th Annual Symposium on Harmful Algae. Sarasota, Florida.
October 27-31, 2013. (Poster)
2. Jennifer R. McCall. “Utilization of a fluorescence-based receptor binding assay to detect brevetoxins
and ciguatoxins.” 2013 Gordon Research Conference: Mycotoxins and Phycotoxins. Easton,
Massachusetts. June 16-21, 2013. (Oral Presentation: Invited Speaker)
3. Jennifer R. McCall. “Development of a fluorescence-based receptor binding assay for brevetoxins
and ciguatoxins.” Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology Science
Review Meeting. Harbor Branch, Florida. October 2-3, 2012. (Oral Presentation)
4. Jennifer R. McCall, Henry M. Jacocks, Daniel G. Baden, and Andrea J. Bourdelais. “Development of a
fluorescence-based receptor binding assay for site 5 of voltage-sensitive sodium channels in rat
brain synaptosomes.” AOAC Pacific NW Section Annual Meeting. Tacoma, Washington. June 18-22,
2012. (Oral Presentation)
5. Jennifer A. Rettew and Ian Marriott. “Activation of GPR30, a novel estrogen receptor, results in
acute decreases in TLR4 expression on murine macrophages.” 49th annual meeting of the
American Society for Cell Biology. San Diego, California. December 5-9, 2009. (Poster)
6. Jennifer A. Rettew, Yvette M. Huet, and Ian Marriot. “Long-term biphasic effects of estradiol
exposure on murine bone-marrow derived macrophage TLR4 expression” 96th annual meeting of
the American Association of Immunologists. Seattle, Washington. May 8-12, 2009. (Poster)
7. Jennifer A. Rettew. “Estrogen augments cell-surface TLR4 expression on macrophages and
regulates sepsis susceptibility in vivo.” 9th Annual Graduate Research Forum, UNC-Charlotte.
Charlotte, North Carolina. March 21, 2009. (Oral Presentation)
8. Jennifer A. Rettew, Yvette M. Huet-Hudson, and Ian Marriott. “Estrogen augments microbial pattern
recognition receptor expression on murine macrophages.” 2nd annual meeting of the Organization
for the Study of Sex Differences. New Orleans, Louisiana. June 4-8, 2008. (Poster)
9. Jennifer A. Rettew. “Testosterone reduces macrophage expression of Toll-like receptor 4, a trigger
for inflammation and innate immunity.” 8th Annual Graduate Research Forum, UNC-Charlotte.
Charlotte, North Carolina. March 15, 2008. (Oral Presentation)
10. Jennifer A. Rettew and Ian Marriott. “Testosterone attenuates TLR4 expression on murine
macrophages.” 94th annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists. Miami Beach,
Florida. May 18-22, 2007. (Poster)

GRANTS
2014-2015 NIH/NIEHS: Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant for the development of
fluorescent receptor binding assays for saxitoxins and domoic acid. Role: PI. $224,408
2014 SURCA award from UNCW for mentoring summer undergraduate research. $3,000
2009-2010 Lucille P. and Edward C. Giles Foundation Fellowship, competitive Graduate School
Dissertation Year Scholarship, UNC-Charlotte. $21,000

HONORS/AWARDS/PROFESSIONAL and UNIVERSITY SERVICE

168
2013 – present Peer Reviewer for Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology
 465

2013 – present Radiation Safety Committee Member, UNCW

2013 Science Olympiad volunteer mentor for local middle school students, Water Quality
2013 Outstanding Academic Achievement Award, MBA award, class of 2013, UNCW
2013 Beta Gamma Sigma, International Business Honor Society, UNCW chapter
2012 – 2014 Committee member for M.S. student Meghan Grandal, UNCW
2012 Boyd Robison Most Added Value Award, MBA consultation project for Flow Sciences,
Inc., UNCW (Role: Team Leader)
2009 Science Ambassador for North Carolina DNA Day, outreach to local high school science
students, Immunology module
2009 Presentation Excellence Award, 9th Annual Graduate Research Forum, UNCC
2008 New Investigator Award for Excellent Poster Presentation, OSSD annual meeting, New
Orleans
2007 – 2009 Association of Biology Graduate Students Treasurer
2007 Graduate Assistant Excellence in Teaching Award in Mathematics and Sciences, UNCC

169
 466

DIANE LOUISE MELROY

University of North Carolina Wilmington 546 Kelly Rd

Department of Biology and Marine Biology Wilmington NC 28409
601 S. College Rd. (910) 392-1757
Wilmington, NC 28403 birthplace: Holyoke, MA
(910) 962-7640
melroyd@uncw.edu

EDUCATION

Ph.D. 1987 Department of Botany, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720

Dissertation advisor Dr. Russell L. Jones
Title: The Pathway of α-amylase secretion from the barley aleurone layer: Evidence for passage
through the Golgi apparatus

B.S. 1981 Departments of Botany and Biochemistry, summa cum laude, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
55108. Summa thesis advisor Dr. David J. McLaughlin

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

Senior Lecturer in Biology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, Aug 2009 -- present
Lecturer in Biology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Aug 2000 – Aug 2009
Courses developed and taught: Bio 105 Concepts of Modern Biology (for non-majors); Bio 205 Plant Biology; Bio 495
Seminar; Bio 202 Biodiversity (on-line); SHS 210 Introduction to Science, Humanities, and Society; and three courses
for Graduate Liberal Studies Dept: Genetics and Its Impact on Society; Exploring Science through Science Writing, and
Human Evolution Past and Future.
Committee memberships: Undergraduate Assessment; Science, Humanities and Society (chair)
Coordinator, Science, Humanities and Society minor

Assistant Professor of Biology, University of North Carolina, Asheville

One University Heights, Asheville, NC 28804. 7/94-7/00
Courses developed and taught: Cell Biology; Plant Biology; Plant Physiology; Developmental Biology; Plants and
Humans; Introductory Biology; Senior Seminar
Committee memberships: Medical School, Writing-Across-the-Curriculum

Assistant Professor of Biology, Siena Heights College

1247 E. Siena Heights Dr. Adrian, MI 49221. 9/90-8/94
Courses developed and taught: Introductory Cell Biology; Botany; Genetics; Cell and Molecular Biology; Life
Science (for non-majors); Developmental Biology; Junior Seminar; Senior Research.
Committee memberships: Rank and Promotion, General Education, Library

Research Affiliate Plant Physiologist, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service,
Beltsville MD 20705. 6/87-7/90

Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Botany, University of California, Berkeley 1/87-6/87

Graduate Research or Teaching Assistant, Department of Botany, University of California, Berkeley 9/81-12/86

PUBLICATIONS

Melroy, D.L. and R. L. Jones (1986) The effect of monensin on intracellular transport and secretion of α-amylase
isoenzymes in barley aleurone. Planta 167:252-259

Jones, R.L.; J. Deikman; D.L. Melroy (1986) Role of Ca ++ in the regulation of α-amylase synthesis and secretion in
barley aleurone. In: Molecular and Cellular Aspects of Calcium in Plant Development ed. A.J. Trewavas. Plenum
Publishing Corp.
170
 467

Alosi, M.C.; D. L Melroy; R. B. Park (1988) The regulation of gelation of phloem exudates from Curcurbita fruit by
dilution, glutathione, and glutathione reductase. Plant Phys. 86: 1089-1094.
Melroy, D. L. and E.M. Herman (1988) Immunization with osmium fixed antigens permits the immunogold post-
embedding localization of post-fixed tissues. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 36: 929 (abstract)

Herman, E. M. and D. L. Melroy (1990) Electron microscope immunocytochemistry in plant molecular biology. In:
Plant Molecular Biology Manual eds. Gelvin, S. B., R. A. Schilperoort and D. P. S. Verma. Kluwer Academic Press

Herman, E. M., D. L. Melroy, and T. J. Buckhout (1990) Apparent processing of a soybean oil body membrane protein
accompanies the onset of oil mobilization. Plant Physiology 94: 341-349

Melroy, D. L., and E. M. Herman (1991) TIP, an integral membrane protein of the soybean cotyledon protein storage
vacuole, undergoes developmentally regulated membrane insertion and removal. Planta 184: 113-122

Kalinski, A., D. L. Melroy, R. S. Dwivedi ,and E. M. Herman (1992) A soybean vacuolar protein (P34) related to thiol
proteases is synthesized as a glycoprotein precursor during seed maturation. J. Biol. Chem. 267: 12068-12076

PRESENTATIONS

“Flower, Fruit, and Seed” for Women in Science and Math Conference, Siena Heights College, March 1991

“Everyday Genetics” for Women in Science and Math Conference, Siena Heights College, March 1992

“Adventures of Women in Botany” for Women’s History month, UNC-Asheville, 18 March 1995

“Control of Acid Phosphatase Secretion in Pitchers of Sarracenia purpurea” 20 March 1998, American Society of Plant
Physiology, Southern Section meeting, Roanoke, VA

Panel discussion “Genetics in the New Millenium” 20 February 2001

Panel discussion “The Primate – Human Connection” 9 April 2002

Panel discussion “The Truth – What is it?” 22 March 2006

“The Discovery of DNA” for the Fabulous Fifties Lecture Series, UNCW, 14 November 2007

GRANTS

4-S Student mentoring grant, $2000, awarded Fall 1991, to carry out research on gravity perception and gravitropism in
pea (Pisum sativum).

University Research Council grant, awarded Spring 1996, “Enzyme Secretion in the Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia
purpurea”, $1440, to initiate studies with students on enzyme secretion in the pitcher plant.

North Carolina Biotechnology Center Educational Enhancement Grant NCBC#9702-EEG-6003, awarded Spring 1997,
“Incorporating Immunochemistry into Biology Laboratory Experience”, $17,625.

HONORS AND AWARDS

Nominated for teaching awards, 1994 and 1998

UNCW CTE Teaching Initiative, for proposal “Communicating Science to Children”, 2005

Lecturer of the Year, 2007

Summer Curriculum Development Initiative, 2013

171
 468

D. Ann Pabst
Curriculum Vita
1 October 2014

Department of Biology and Marine Biology Telephone: (910) 962-7266

and Center for Marine Science FAX: (910)-962-4066
University of North Carolina at Wilmington e-mail: pabsta@uncw.edu
601 South College Road
Wilmington, NC 28403

EDUCATION
1984-1989 Ph.D., Zoology, Duke University (with Stephen A. Wainwright)
1978-1982 B.S., Zoology, University of Maryland

POSITIONS
2002-present Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology and Center for Marine Science,
University of North Carolina Wilmington
courses: Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, Marine Mammalogy; Biomechanics,
Marine Biology, PhD Core Course (team-taught)
2004-2010 Graduate Coordinator and Assistant Chair, Department of Biology and Marine Biology
2002-07; 2009 Adjunct Faculty, Old Dominion University
2001-present Adjunct Scientist, Mote Marine Laboratory
1998-2002 Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Marine Science,
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
courses: Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, Marine Mammalogy
1995-1998 Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Marine Science
Research, University of North Carolina at Wilmington
courses: Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, Marine Mammalogy
1991-1995 Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, James Madison University.
courses: Biomechanics, Human Anatomy
August 1994 Visiting Instructor, School of the Environment,
1995, 1996 Duke University Marine Laboratory. co-taught: Marine Mammals
1989-1991 Izaak Walton Killam Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia
1987-1989 Cocos Training Grant in Morphology Fellow, Department of Zoology,
Duke University
1984-1986 Research Assistant, S.A. Wainwright, Department of Zoology,
Duke University
1983-1984 Coordinator, Marine Mammal Events Program,
A joint program with the Smithsonian Institution
and the Cousteau Society, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
1982-1983 Museum Technician, Marine Mammal Program,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

PUBLICATIONS (undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students with whom I have worked in bold)
Arthur, L. A., McLellan, W.A., Piscitelli, M. A., Rommel, S.A., Woodward, B.L., Winn, J.P., Potter, C.W. and D.
A. Pabst. Submitted. Estimating maximal force output of cetaceans using axial locomotor muscle morphology.
Marine Mammal Science.
Mallette, S. D., McLellan, W. A., Scharf, F. S., Koopman, H. N., Barco, S. G., Wells R. S., and D.A. Pabst.
Submitted. Ontogenetic allometry and body composition of the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops
truncatus) from the mid-Atlantic. Marine Mammal Science.
Thornton, S.W., McLellan, W.A.,Rommel, S.A., Dillaman, R.M., Nowacek, D.P., Koopman, H.N. and D.A. Pabst.
In Revision. Functional morphology of dorsal acoustic structures in pygmy (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (K. sima)
sperm whales. Anatomical Record.
McLellan, W.A., Arthur, L. A., Mallette, S.D., Thornton, S.W., McAlarney, R.J., Read, A.J., and D.A. Pabst.
Accepted. Longline hook testing in the mouths of pelagic odontocetes. ICES Journal of Marine Science.
Read, A.J., Barco, S.B., Bell, J., Borchers, D.L., Burt, M.L., Cummings, E.W., Dunn, J., Fougeres, E.M., Hazen, L.,
Williams Hodge, L.E., Laura, A.M., McAlarney, R.J., Nilsson, P., Pabst, D.A., Paxton, C.G.M., Schneider,
172
 469

S.Z., Urian, K.W., Waples, D.M. and W.A. McLellan. Accepted. Occurrence, distribution and abundance of
cetaceans in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, USA. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management.
Balmer, B. C., R. S. Wells, L. H. Schwacke, J. H. Schwacke, B. Danielson, R. C. George, S. M. Lane, W. A.
McLellan, D. A. Pabst, K. Sparks, T. R. Speakman, F. I. Townsend, and E. S. Zolman. 2014. Integrating multiple
techniques to identify stock boundaries of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Aquatic
Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 24: 511-521
Balmer, B.C., Wells R. S., Howle, L. E., Barleycorn, A. A., McLellan,, W. A., Pabst D. A., Rowles, T. K.,
Schwacke, L. H., Townsend, F. I., Westgate, A. J. and E. S. Zolman. 2014. Advances in cetacean telemetry: a review
of single-pin transmitter attachment techniques on small cetaceans. Marine Mammal Science. 30(2): 656–673.

Cummings, E.W., Pabst, D.A., Blum, J.E., Barco, S.G., Davis, S.J., Thayer, V.G., Adimey, N., and W.A. McLellan.
2014. Spatial and temporal patterns of habitat use and mortality of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus
latirostris) in the Mid-Atlantic States of North Carolina and Virginia from 1991 to 2012. Aquatic Mammals.
40(2):126-138.
Staudinger, M.D., R. McAlarney, W. A. McLellan, and D.A. Pabst. 2014. Foraging ecology and niche segregation
in pygmy (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (Kogia sima) sperm whales from waters of the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast.
Marine Mammal Science. 30(2): 626–655.
Velten, B.P., Dillaman, R. M., Kinsey, S. T., McLellan, W. A. and D. A. Pabst. 2013. Novel locomotor muscle
design in extreme deep-diving whales. Journal of Experimental Biology. 216:1862-1871.
Balmer, B. C., L. H. Schwacke, R. S. Wells, J. D. Adams, R. C. George, S. M. Lane, W. A. McLellan, P. E. Rosel,
K. Sparks, T. Speakman, E. S. Zolman, and D. A. Pabst. 2013. Comparison of abundance and habitat usage for
common bottlenose dolphins between sites exposed to differential anthropogenic stressors within the estuaries of
southern Georgia, USA. Marine Mammal Science. 29(2):E114-E135.
McLellan, W.A., Berman, M., Cole. T., Costidis, A., Knowlton, A., Neilson, J., Pabst, D., and Raverty, S. 2013.
Blunt force trauma induced by vessel collisions with large whales. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 103:245-
251.
Costidis, A., Berman, M., Cole. T., Knowlton, A., McLellan, W. Neilson, J., Pabst, D., and Raverty, S. 2013.
Sharp-trauma by vessel collisions with pinnipeds and cetaceans. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 103:251-256.
Kielhorn, C.E., Dillaman, R.M., Kinsey, S.T., McLellan, W.A., Gay, D.M., Dearolf, J.L. and D.A. Pabst. 2013.
Locomotor muscle profile of a deep (Kogia breviceps) versus shallow (Tursiops truncatus) diving cetacean. Journal
of Morphology. 274:663–675.
Bagge, L.E., Koopman, H. N., Rommel, S. A., McLellan, W. A., and D. A. Pabst. 2012. Lipid class and
depth-specific thermal properties in the blubber of the short-finned pilot whale and the pygmy sperm whale.
Journal of Experimental Biology. 215: 4330-4339.
McClelland, S.J., Gay, M., Pabst, D.A., Dillaman R., Westgate, A.J. and H.N. Koopman. 2012. Microvascular
patterns in the blubber of shallow and deep diving odontocetes. Journal of Morphology. 273(8):932-942. 2012.

Balmer B.C., Schwacke L.H., Wells R.S., George R.C., Hoguet, J., Kucklick J.R., Lane S.M., Martinez A.,
McLellan W.A., Rosel P.E., Rowles T.K., Sparks K., Speakman T., Zolman E.S., Pabst D.A. 2011. Relationship
between persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and ranging patterns in common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops
truncatus) from coastal Georgia, USA. Science of the Total Environment. 409:2094-2101.

Schick R.S., Halpin P.N., Read A.J., Urban D.L., Best B.D., Good C.P., Roberts J.J., LaBrecque E.A., Dunn C.,
Garrison L.P., Hyrenbach K.D., McLellan W.A., Pabst D.A., Palka D.L., Stevick P. 2011. Community structure in
pelagic marine mammals at large spatial scales as revealed by multivariate ordination. Marine Ecology Progress
Series. 434: 165–181.
Foley, H.J., Holt, R.C., Hardee, R.E., Nilsson, P.B., Jackson, K.A., Read, A.J., Pabst, D.A. and W.A. McLellan.
2011. Observations of a western North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) birth offshore of the protected
Southeast U.S. critical habitat. Marine Mammal Science. 27(3): E234–E240.
Balmer, B. C., Wells, R. S., Schwacke, L. H., Rowles, T. K., Hunter, C., Zolman, E. S., Townsend, F. I., Danielson,
B., Westgate, A. J., McLellan, W. A. and D. A. Pabst. 2011. Evaluation of a single-pin, satellite-linked transmitter
deployed on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) along the coast of Georgia, U.S.A. Aquatic Mammals. 37:187-
192.
Yordy, J.E., Pabst, D.A., McLellan, W.A., Wells, R.S., Rowles, T., and J. Kucklick. 2010. Tissue-specific
distribution and whole body burden estimates of persistent organic pollutants in the bottlenose dolphin
(Tursiops truncatus). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 29(6):1263-1273.
Dunkin, R.C., McLellan, W.A., Blum, J. and D.A. Pabst. 2010. The buoyancy of the integument of Atlantic
bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Effects of growth, reproduction and nutritional state. Marine
Mammal Science. 26(3):573-587.
173
 470

Barbieri, M.M., McLellan, W.A. Wells, R.S., Blum, J.E., Hofmann, S., Gannon, J. and D. A. Pabst. 2010. Using
infrared thermography to assess seasonal trends in dorsal fin surface temperatures of free-swimming bottlenose
dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Sarasota Bay, FL, U.S.A. Marine Mammal Science. 26(1):53-66. (F.G. Wood
Memorial Scholarship Award for Best Student Paper)
Piscitelli, M.A., McLellan, W.A., Rommel, S.A., Blum, J., Barco, S.G. and D.A. Pabst .2010. Lung size and
thoracic morphology in shallow (Tursiops truncatus) and deep (Kogia spp.) diving cetaceans. Journal of
Morphology. 269:1520-1538.
Rotstein, D. S., Burdett, L. G., McLellan, W., Schwacke, L., Rowles, T., Terio, K.A, Schultz, S. and Pabst, D.A.
2009. Lobomycosis in two offshore bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from North Carolina. Emerging
Infectious Diseases. 15(4):588-590.
Balmer, B.C., Wells, R.S., Nowacek, S.M., Nowacek, D.P., Schwacke, L.H., McLellan W. A., Scharf, F.S., Rowles,
T. K., Hansen, L.J., Spradlin, T.R, and Pabst, D.A. 2008. Seasonal abundance and distribution patterns of bottlenose
dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) near St. Joseph Bay, Florida, USA. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management.
10(2):157-167.
Cotten, P.B., Piscitelli, M.A., McLellan W.A., Rommel S.A., Dearolf J.L., and D.A. Pabst. 2008. The gross
morphology and histochemistry of respiratory muscles in bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus. Journal of
Morphology. 269:1520-1538.
Etnier, S. F., W. A. McLellan, J. Blum, and D. A. Pabst. 2008. Ontogenetic changes in the structural stiffness of the
tailstock of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Experimental Biology. 211:3205-3213.
Harms, C.A., Maggi, R.G., Breitschwerdt, E.B., Clemons-Chevis, C.L., Solangi, M., Rotstein, D.L., Fair, P.A.,
Hansen, L.J., Hohn, A.A., Lovewell, G.G., McLellan, W.A., Pabst, D.A., Rowles, T.K., Schwacke, L.H.,
Townsend, F.I. and R.S. Wells. 2008. Bartonella species detection in captive and stranded versus healthy free-
ranging dolphins and porpoises in the southeastern United States. Veterinary Research. 39(6):59-66.
Harper, C.J., McLellan, W.A., Rommel, S.A., Gay, D.M., Dillaman, R.M. and D.A. Pabst. 2008. Morphology of
the melon and its tendinous connections to the facial muscles in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Journal
of Morphology. 269:820-839.
Meagher, E.M., McLellan, W.A., Westgate, A.J., Wells, R.S., Blum, J.E., Pabst, D.A. 2008. Seasonal patterns of
heat loss in wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Comparative Physiology B. 178:529-543.

Rommel, S., D. Pabst, and W. McLellan. 2008 Skull anatomy. In: Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals (W.F. Perrin,
B. Wursig, and H. Thewissen, Eds), 2nd ed., Academic Press, San Diego, CA. pp. 1033-1047.
Williams, T., Zavanelli, M., Miller, M., Goldbeck, R., Morledge, M. Casper, D., Pabst, A., McLellan, W., Cantin,
L., and D. Kliger. 2008. Running, swimming and diving as modifiers of globin-mediated protection of the
mammalian brain. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B. 275(1636):751-758.
Rommel, S.A., D.A. Pabst, W.A. McLellan. 2007. Functional anatomy of the cetacean reproductive system, with
comparisons to the domestic dog. In: Reproductive Biology and Phylogeny of Cetacea: Whales, Dolphins and
Porpoises. (ed. D.L. Miller). Science Publishers, pp. 127-145.

PRESENTATIONS, POSTERS, AND PUBLISHED ABSTRACTS

(undergraduate and graduate students with whom I have worked are in bold)
2014
Arthur, L.H., McLellan, W.A., Woodward, B., Winn, J., Piscitelli, M. and D.A. Pabst. Estimating force outputs of
cetacean axial locomotor muscles. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin, Texas, January 3-7,
2014.
Arthur, L.H., McLellan, W.A., Woodward, B., Winn, J., Piscitelli, M. and D.A. Pabst. Estimating force outputs of
cetacean axial locomotor muscles. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, Wilmington, NC,
March 28-30, 2014. (Graduate Student Presentation Award).
Bateman, T., McLellan, W.A., Harms, C., Thayer, V., Clark, K., Piscitelli, M., and D.A. Pabst. Crassicauda
infection in kogiid whales. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin, Texas, January 3-7, 2014.

Bateman, T., McLellan, W.A., Harms, C., Thayer, V., Clark, K., Piscitelli, M., and D.A. Pabst. Crassicauda
infection in kogiid whales. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, Wilmington, NC, March
28-30, 2014.
Cummings, E., Pabst, D., Blum, J., Barco, S., Davis, S., Thayer, V., Adimey, N., and W. McLellan. Spatial and
temporal patterns of habitat use and mortality of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in the Mid-
Atlantic States of North Carolina and Virginia from 1991 to 2012. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal
Symposium, Wilmington, NC, March 28-30, 2014.
174
 471

Mallette, S.D., Lockhart, G., Bort, J., Rabon, A., McAlarney, R.J., Cummings, E.W., Pabst, D.A., McLellan, W.A.,
and S.G. Barco. A review of three years of large whale survey effort off the coast of Virginia utilizing multiple
research platforms. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, Wilmington, NC, March 28-30,
2014.
McLellan, W., Foley, H., McAlarney, R., Cummings, E., Swaim, Z., Hodge, L., Stanistreet, J., Urian, K., Waples,
D., Paxton, C., Pabst, D., Bell, J., and Read, A. Patterns of cetacean species occurrence, distribution and density at
three sites along the continental shelf break of the U.S. Atlantic coast. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal
Symposium, Wilmington, NC, March 28-30, 2014.
Singleton, E., McLellan, W., Koopman, H., Almeida, A., Pabst, D.A. Depth-specific thermal properties of the
blubber of Gervais’ beaked whale (Mesoplodon europaeus). Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal
Symposium, Wilmington, NC, March 28-30, 2014. (Graduate Student Poster Award).

2013
Arthur, L.H., McLellan, W.A., Woodward, B., Winn, J., Piscitelli, M. and D.A. Pabst. Estimating maximal force
output of a large whale axial locomotor muscle. North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium Meetings, New Bedford,
Massachusetts, November 6-7, 2013. (Graduate Student Presentation Award).
Arthur, L.H., Velten, B.P, Kinsey, S.T., McLellan, W.A. and D.A. Pabst. Oxygen storage capacity of a primary
locomotor muscle in two similarly-sized, pelagic dolphins. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology,
San Francisco, California, January3-7, 2013.
Arthur, L.H., Velten, B.P, Kinsey, S.T., McLellan, W.A. and D.A. Pabst. Oxygen storage capacity of a primary
locomotor muscle in two similarly-sized, pelagic dolphins. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal
Symposium, Jacksonville, Florida, March 22-24, 2013. (Award for Best Poster by a Graduate Student)
Foley, H.J., McAlarney, R.J., Swaim, Z.T., Cummings, E. W., Hodge, L.W., McLellan, W. A., Pabst, D. A. and A.J.
Read. Protected Species Monitoring in the Proposed Undersea Warfare Training Range Offshore of Jacksonville,
FL. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, Jacksonville, Florida, March 22-24, 2013.

Mallette, S.D., Pabst, D.A., McLellan, W.A. and S.G. Barco. Investigation of growth in a coastal apex predator, the
bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, San Francisco,
California, January3-7, 2013.
Mallette, S.D., McLellan, W.A. Koopman, H.N., Scharf, F.S., Barco, S.G. and D.A. Pabst. Ontogenetic allometry
and body composition of the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) from the US mid-Atlantic.
Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, Jacksonville, Florida, March 22-24, 2013.
McAlarney, R. J., Cummings, E. W., Foley, H. J., Hardee, R.E., Hodge, L. E. W., Holt, R. C., Nilsson, P. B.,
McLellan, W. A., Pabst, D. A. and A.J. Read. Winter occurrence of minke whales (Balaenoptera
acutorostrata) in the South Atlantic Bight. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium,
Jacksonville, Florida, March 22-24, 2013.
Staudinger, M.D., R. McAlarney, W. A. McLellan, and D.A. Pabst. The feeding ecology of the pygmy and dwarf
sperm whales (Kogia spp.) inferred from diet and stable isotope analyses. Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology, San Francisco, California, January3-7, 2013.
Thornton, S.W., McLellan, W.A., Rommel, S.A. and D.A. Pabst. Functional morphology of dorsal acoustic
structures in pygmy (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (K. sima) sperm whales. Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology, San Francisco, California, January3-7, 2013.
Thornton, S.W., McLellan, W.A., Rommel, S.A., Dillaman, R.M., Nowacek, D.P., Koopman, H.N., and D. A.
Pabst. Functional morphology of dorsal acoustic structures in pygmy (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (K. sima) sperm
whales. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, Jacksonville, Florida, March 22-24, 2013.
(Award for Best Oral Presentation by a Master’s Student)

2012
Velten, B.P., W. A. McLellan, and D. A. Pabst. A comparative study of the locomotor muscle of extreme deep-
diving cetaceans. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Charleston, South Carolina, January 3-7, 2012.

Pabst, D. A. Insights into the functional morphology of cetaceans through strandings. NOAA Southeast
Regional Stranding Meeting. Charleston, South Carolina, February 15-17, 2012.

2011
Bagge, L.E., Koopman, H.N., Pokorny, A., McLellan, W.A., Pabst, D.A. Depth-specific fatty acid composition and
temperature dependent thermal properties of the blubber of short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus).
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Salt Lake City, Utah, January 3-7, 2011.
175
 472

Bagge, L. E., A. Pokorny, H. N. Koopman, W.A. McLellan, D. A. Pabst. Phase change properties of the blubber
lipids of two species of odontocete cetaceans, Globicephala macrorhynchus and Kogia breviceps. Southeast and
Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, 1-3 April 2011.
Balmer, C.B. L. H. Schwacke, R. S. Wells, J. Adams, R. C. George, S. M. Lane, W. A. McLellan, P. E. Rosel, K.
Sparks, T. Speakman, E. S. Zolman, and D. A. Pabst. Seasonal abundance, site‐fidelity, habitat use, and ranging
patterns of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) along the southern coast of Georgia, U.S.A. Southeast and
Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, 1-3 April 2011.
Balmer, C.B. L. H. Schwacke, R. S. Wells, J. Adams, R. C. George, S. M. Lane, W. A. McLellan, P. E. Rosel, K.
Sparks, T. Speakman, and D. A. Pabst. Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) stock structure within the
estuaries of southern Georgia, U.S.A. 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Tampa,
Florida. November 27-December 2, 2011.
Clark, K.L., S. Barco, K. R. Clark, P. Doshkov, C. S. Harms, C. Legner,, D. Pabst, M. Piatak, M. Piscitelli, V.
Thayer, and W. McLellan. Outer Banks Stranding Summary and Case Studies of 2008-2010. Southeast and Mid-
Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, 1-3 April 2011.
Cummings, E.W., R.J. McAlarney, J. Dunn, L. Williams, P.B. Nilsson, H. Foley, R.E. Hardy, R. Holt, K. Urian,
D.J. Johnston, W.A. McLellan, D.A. Pabst, and A. J. Read. Protected species monitoring in Onslow Bay, NC:
January – December 2010. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, 1-3 April 2011.
Cummings, E.W., D.A. Pabst, S.G. Barco, S.J. Shannon, S. Mallette, M.L. Lynott, W.M. Swingle, and W.A.
McLellan. Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) sightings and strandings in North Carolina and Virginia
from 1992 to 2010. 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Tampa, Florida. November 27-
December 2, 2011.
Dolan, J.E., L. E. Bagge, W. A. McLellan, and D. A. Pabst. The thermal properties of the integument of the pygmy
sperm whale (Kogia breviceps). Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, 1-3 April 2011.
Harper, C. J., W. McLellan, S. Barco and A. Pabst. The gross morphology of the melon in a neonate right whale
(Eubalaena glacialis). Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, 1-3 April 2011.
Harper, C. J., W. McLellan, S. Barco and A. Pabst. The gross morphology of the melon in a neonate right whale
(Eubalaena glacialis). 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Tampa, Florida. November
27-December 2, 2011.
Holt, R.C., P.B. Nilsso1, H. J. Foley, R. E. Hardee, R. J. McAlarney, E. W. Cummings, D. W. Johnston, M. S.
Soldevilla, W. A. McLellan, D. A. Pabst, and A. J. Read. Protected Species Monitoring in the Proposed Undersea
Warfare Training Range Offshore of Jacksonville, FL: January – December 2010. ). Southeast and Mid-Atlantic
Marine Mammal Symposium, 1-3 April 2011.
Kielhorn, C.E., W.A. McLellan and D.A. Pabst. Locomotor muscle of cetaceans: A comparison of deep vs. shallow
divers. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Salt Lake City, Utah, January 3-7, 2011.
Kielhorn, C.E., W. A. McLellan, S. T. Kinsey, R. M. Dillaman, D. A. Pabst. Locomotor muscle of cetaceans: A
comparison of deep vs. shallow divers. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, 1-3 April 2011.

Kielhorn, C.E., W.A. McLellan, S.T. Kinsey, R.M. Dillaman, M. Gay and D.A. Pabst. Locomotor muscle of
cetaceans: A comparison of deep vs. shallow divers. 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine
Mammals. Tampa, Florida. November 27-December 2, 2011.
McLellan, W.A., S.A. Rommel, and D.A. Pabst. Species specific necropsy data sheets for large whale necropsies.
19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Tampa, Florida. November 27-December 2, 2011.

Pabst, D.A., A.J, Read, W.A. McLellan, D.J. Johnston, R.J. McAlarney, K.W. Urian, E.W. Cummings, P.B. Nilsson,
J. Dunn. D. Waples, M.L. Burt, D.L. Borchers, and G.M.C. Paxton. Cetacean abundance off the North Carolina
coast of the USA. 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Tampa, Florida. November 27-
December 2, 2011.
Schisa, M.B., C. E. Kielhorn, W. A. McLellan, D. A. Pabst. Myoglobin development in a locomotor muscle of the
deep diving pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps). Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, 1-3
April 2011. (BEST Undergraduate Poster Presentation)
Staudinger, M.D., R. McAlarney, W. A. McLellan, and D.A. Pabst. The feeding ecology of the pygmy and dwarf
sperm whales (Kogia spp.) inferred from diet and stable isotope analyses. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine
Mammal Symposium, 1-3 April 2011.
Thayer, V.G., Rittmaster, K.A., Pabst, D.A., Thornton, S.W., Piscitelli, M.A., Clark, K.L., Piatak, M.M., Doshkov,
P.K., Lovewell, G.N., Harms, C.A., and W.A. McLellan. Neonatal bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
strandings in North Carolina from 1992 to 2011. 19 th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals.
Tampa, Florida. November 27-December 2, 2011.

176
 473

Thornton, S.W., D. A. Pabst, V. G. Thayer, G. N. Lovewell, and W. A. McLellan. Marine mammal strandings in
southeastern North Carolina between 1995 and 2010. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium,
1-3 April 2011.
Velten, B.P., W. A. McLellan, and D. A. Pabst .A comparative study of the muscle physiology of three extreme
diving cetaceans. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, 1-3 April 2011.
Velten, B.P., W. A. McLellan, and D. A. Pabst. A comparative study of the locomotor muscle of extreme deep-
diving cetaceans. 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Tampa, Florida. November 27-
December 2, 2011. (BEST Pre-Doctoral Student Poster Award)

2010
Foley, H.J., Holt, R.C., Hardee, R.E., Nilsson, P.B., Jackson, K.A., Read, A.J., Pabst, D.A. and W.A. McLellan.
Observations of a western North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) birth offshore of the protected Southeast
U.S. critical habitat. Right Whale Consortium Meeting. New Bedford, MA. November 3-4, 2010.
Harper, C.J. McLellan, W.A., Barco, S.G. and D.A Pabst. The gross morphology of the melon in a neonate right
whale (Eubalaena glacialis). Right Whale Consortium Meeting. New Bedford, MA. November 3-4, 2010.
Bagge, L.E., McLellan, W.A., Koopman, H.N., McAlarney, R.J., Nilsson, P.B., Blum, J.E., and Pabst, D.A.
Thermal properties of the blubber of adult female short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). National
Marine Animal Health and Stranding Network Conference. 6-9 April, 2010, Shepherdstown, WV.
Bagge, L.E., Koopman, H.N., Pokorny, A., McLellan, W.A., and D.A. Pabst. Depth-specific fatty acid composition
and temperature dependent thermal properties of the blubber of female short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala
macrorhynchus). Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, 26-28 March 2010.

Balmer, B., R. Wells, L. Schwacke, E. Zolman, S. Lane, T. Speakman, J. Kucklick, and D. Pabst. Geographic
variation in persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) along the Georgia
coast. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, 26-28 March 2010. (BEST PhD Student Oral
Presentation)
Balmer, B. C., R. S. Wells, L. H. Schwacke, W. A. McLellan, T. K. Rowles, F. I. Townsend, J. H. Schwacke, E. S.
Zolman, and D. A. Pabst. Combining existing and novel techniques to determine short-term movement patterns of
bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). 2010 Ocean Sciences Meeting. 22-26 February 2010. Portland, OR.

Burdett Hart, L., Rotstein, D., Stolen, M., Durden, W., Mazza, T., McFee, W., Powell, J., McLellan, W., Pabst, A.,
Wells, R., George, C. and L. Schwacke. Name that Disease: Etiologic Studies of Skin Disease in Wild, Bottlenose
Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). National Marine Animal Health and Stranding Network Conference. 6-9 April, 2010,
Shepherdstown, WV.
Kielhorn, C., W.A. McLellan, and D. Ann Pabst. Locomotor muscle profiles of cetaceans: A comparative study of
aerobic capacity across two taxa, Delphinidae and Kogiidae. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal
Symposium, 26-28 March 2010. (BEST Master’s Poster Presentation)
McAlarney, R.J., Cummings, E. W., Nilsson, P.B., Foley, H., Hardee, R.E., Holt, R., Williams, L., Urian, K.,
Johnston, D.J. McLellan, W. A., Pabst, D. A. and A.J. Read. Protected species monitoring in Onslow Bay, NC:
January – December 2009. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, 26-28 March 2010.

McLellan, W.A., Piscitelli, M.A., Rommel, S.A., Kielhorn, C., William, T. and D.A. Pabst. Scaling of large whale
locomotor force production. National Marine Animal Health and Stranding Network Conference. 6-9 April, 2010,
Shepherdstown, WV.
Nilsson, P.B., Foley, H. J., Hardee, R.E., Holt, R. C., McAlarney, R.J., Cummings, E. W., Johnston, D.J., McLellan,
W. A., Pabst, D. A. and A.J. Read. Protected species monitoring in the proposed Under Sea Warfare Training Range
Off-Shore of Jacksonville, FL: Jan – Dec 2009. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, 26-28
March 2010.
Pabst, D.A. The National Stranding Network: Past, Present and Future. National Marine Animal Health and
Stranding Network Conference. 6-9 April, 2010, Shepherdstown, WV.
Piscitelli, M.A., McLellan, W.A., Sentiel A. Rommel, S.A., Blum, J.A., Barco, S.G. and D.A. Pabst. Lung Size in
Shallow and Deep Diving Cetaceans. National Marine Animal Health and Stranding Network Conference. 6-9
April, 2010, Shepherdstown, WV.
Rommel, S.A., Costidis, A.M., McLellan, W.A., Piscitelli, M.A., Cranford, T, and D. A. Pabst. Vascular structures
associated with the air sacs and fatty bodies in the ventral head of Tursiops truncatus, Kogia spp., and Ziphius
cavirostris. National Marine Animal Health and Stranding Network Conference. 6-9 April, 2010, Shepherdstown,
WV.

177
 474

Thayer, V., McLellan, W., Pabst, D., Potter, C., Barco, S., Lovewell, G., McFee, W., Piscitelli, M., Bogardus, M.,
Clark, K., Byrd, B., Rittmaster, K., Harms, C., and A. Hohn, A. North Carolina delphinid strandings diversity
from 1992-2009. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, 26-28 March 2010.

2009
Bagge, L.E., McLellan, W.A., Koopman, H.N., McAlarney, R.J., Nilsson, P.B., Blum, J.E., Pabst, D.A. Thermal
properties of the blubber of adult female short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). 18th Biennial
Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Quebec City, Canada. October 12-16, 2009.
Bagge, L.E., McLellan, W.A., Koopman, H.N., McAlarney, R.J., Nilsson, P.B., Blum, J.E., and D.A Pabst. Thermal
properties of the blubber of adult female short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). SEAMAMMS,
UNCW, April 3-5, 2009.
Bagge, L.E., McLellan, W.A., Koopman, H.N., McAlarney, R.J., Nilsson, P.B., Blum, J.E., and D.A Pabst. Thermal
properties of the blubber of adult female short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). Darwin’s Legacy
Meeting, UNCW, March 19-21, 2009.
Costidis, A. M., Piscitelli, M.A. Rommel, S.A., Harms, C. A., McLellan, W.A., Rotstein, D.S., and D.A. Pabst.
Elaborate venous structures in the thorax of Kogiids, Physeteriids and Ziphiids. 18 th Biennial Conference on the
Biology of Marine Mammals. Quebec City, Canada. October 12-16, 2009.
McAlarney, R.J., Johnston, J., McLellan, W.A., Nilsson, P.B., Pabst, D.A., Read, A.J., Urian, K., Waples, D. and L.
Williams. Aerial and Vessel-based Monitoring of the proposed Undersea Warfare Training Range site alternative in
Onslow Bay, NC. SEAMAMMS, UNCW, April 3-5, 2009.
Nilsson P.B., McAlarney R.J., Johnston D.J., McLellan W.A., Urian K.W., Waples D., Laura A., Dunn .J, Pabst
D.A., and A.J. Read. Aerial and vessel surveys of the Undersea Warfare Training Range site alternative in Onslow
Bay, NC, USA. 18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Quebec City, Canada. October 12-
16, 2009.
Pabst, D.A., Taylor, C., Zani, M., Glass, A., Knowlton, A., Khan, C., McAlarney, R.J. and W.A. McLellan. Atlantic
right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) sightings in the US mid-Atlantic and southeast Atlantic Bight (Virginia through
South Carolina) from 2001-2008. 18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Quebec City,
Canada. October 12-16, 2009.
Piscitelli, M.A, McLellan, W.A., Rommel, S.A., Blum, J.E., Barco, S.G., and D.A. Pabst. Do deep diving cetaceans
have small lungs? 18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Quebec City, Canada. October 12-
16, 2009.
Piscitelli, M.A., McLellan, W.A. Rommel, S.A., Blum, J.E., Barco, S.G., Pabst, D.A. Lung size in shallow
(Tursiops truncatus) and deep (Kogia spp.) diving cetaceans. Southeast Region Marine Mammal Stranding
Network Biennial Conference, September 2-5, 2009, St. Augustine, FL.
Piscitelli, M.A., McLellan, W.A., Rommel, S.A. and D. A. Pabst. Comparing lung size in shallow (Tursiops
truncatus) and deep diving (Kogia breviceps) cetaceans. SEAMAMMS, UNCW, April 3-5, 2009. (Best MS
student Oral Presentation Award)
Piscitelli, M.A., McLellan, W.A., Rommel, S.A. and D. A. Pabst. Comparing lung size in shallow (Tursiops
truncatus) and deep diving (Kogia breviceps) cetaceans. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Boston,
MA, January 3-7, 2009.
Rommel, S.A., Costidis, A.M., McLellan, W.A., Cranford, T.W., and D.A. Pabst. Vascular structures associated
with the air sacs and fatty bodies in the ventral head of Tursiops truncatus, Kogia spp., and Ziphius cavirostris.
18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Quebec City, Canada. October 12-16, 2009.

2008
Piscitelli, M.A., McLellan, W.A., Rommel, S.A. and D. A. Pabst. A plan to compare thoracic morphology in a
shallow (Tursiops truncatus) and deep diving (Kogia breviceps) cetacean. SEAMAMMS, Charleston, SC, March
28-30, 2008. (Best MS student Poster Award)
Personius, C. , McLellan, W.A., Rommel, S.A., Lovewell, G., McFee, W. and D.A. Pabst. A morphometric analysis
of kogiids in the mid-Atlantic. SEAMAMMS, Charleston, SC, March 28-30, 2008. (Only undergraduate poster
presented at conference)
Rotstein, D., Pabst, D.A., McLellan,W.A., Bogomolni, A., Pugliares, K., Kania, S., Brahmbhatt, R. and F.
Townsend. Womb of Doom: Examples of uterovarian disease among small cetaceans and pinnipeds from the Gulf
of Mexico and eastern seaboard. SEAMAMMS, Charleston, SC, March 28-30, 2008.
Harms, C., Maggi, R. G., Breitschwerdt, E. B., Clemons-Chevis, C.L., Solangi, M., Fair, P.A., Hansen, L.J., Hohn,
A.A., Lovewell, G.G., McLellan, W.A., Pabst, D.A., Rowles, T.K., Schwacke, L.H., Townsend, F.I., and
178
 475

R.S. Wells. Bartonella species detection in captive and stranded versus healthy free-ranging dolphins and
porpoises in the southeastern United States. SEAMAMMS, Charleston, SC, March 28-30, 2008.
Barco, S.G., Friedlaender, A.S., McLellan, W.A., Swingle, W.M., and D.A. Pabst. The phenology of strandings:
twenty years of Tursiops truncatus strandings in Virginia, US. SEAMAMMS, Charleston, SC, March 28-30 2008.

Balmer, B.C. , Wells, R.S., Lane, S.M., Schwacke, L.H., Speakman, T.R., Zolman, E.S., McLellan, W.A., George,
R.C., and D. A. Pabst. A plan to monitor abundance, site-fidelity, and habitat utilization patterns of bottlenose
dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) near a National Priority List (NPL) polluted site and an adjacent pristine reference
site in Georgia. SEAMAMMS, Charleston, SC, March 28-30, 2008.
Cross, C., Rotstein, D., McLellan, W.A., and D. A. Pabst. Hydrocephalus in a pygmy sperm whale (Kogia
breviceps). SEAMAMMS, Charleston, SC, March 28-30, 2008.
Nilsson, P. B., McAlarney, R.J., McLellan, W.A. and D.A. Pabst. Marine mammal and sea turtle sightings from
aerial surveys in the proposed Undersea Warfare Training Range (USWTR) in Onslow Bay, North Carolina for June
- December 2007. SEAMAMMS, Charleston, SC, March 28-30, 2008.

2007
Barco, S.G., Friedlaender, A. S., McLellan, W.A., Swingle, W. M, and Pabst, D.A. The phenology of strandings: 20
years of Tursiops truncatus strandings in Virginia, US. 17th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine
Mammals. 29 Nov – 3 Dec 2007 Cape Town, South Africa.
Urian, K.W., Read, A.J., McLellan, W.A., Pabst, D.A., Paxton, C., Borchers, D., McAlarney, R.J., Nilsson, P.B.,
Monitoring plan for the proposed Undersea Warfare Training Range in Onslow Bay, NC USA. 17 th Biennial
Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. 29 Nov – 3 Dec 2007 Cape Town, South Africa.
Cotten P.B., Piscitelli M.A., McLellan W.A., Rommel S.A., and Pabst, D.A. Gross morphology and histochemistry
of the respiratory muscles in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal
Symposium. Beaufort, NC., March 16-18, 2007.
Cotten P.B., Piscitelli M.A., McLellan W.A., Rommel S.A., and Pabst, D.A. Gross morphology of the respiratory
muscles in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology, Phoenix AZ, January 3-7, 2007.
Harper, C.J., McLellan, W.A., Rommel, S.A., Dillaman, R.M., Gay, D.M., and Pabst, D.A. The gross morphology
and fiber architecture of the melon in bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine
Mammal Symposium. Beaufort, NC., March 16-18, 2007.
Harper, C.J., McLellan, W.A., Rommel, S.A., Dillaman, R.M., Gay, D.M., and Pabst, D.A. The gross morphology
and fiber architecture of the melon in bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus. Annual Meeting of the Society for
Integrative and Comparative Biology, Phoenix AZ, January 3-7, 2007.
Meagher E.M., McLellan W.A., Williams T.M., Blum J.E., and Pabst D.A. Comparing heat loss and O 2
consumption rates in captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine
Mammal Symposium. Beaufort, NC., March 16-18, 2007.
Meagher E.M., McLellan W.A., Williams T.M., Blum J.E., and Pabst D.A. Comparing heat loss and O 2
consumption rates in captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Annual Meeting of the Society for
Integrative and Comparative Biology, Phoenix AZ, January 3-7, 2007.
Pabst, D.A., McLellan, W.A., Rommel, S.A., Scott, M., Irvine, A.B., Sweeney, J.C., Stone, R. Friedlaender, A.S,
Meagher, E. M., Hohn, A.A., Blum, J., Wells, R. S. Ontogeny of reproductive thermoregulation in bottlenose
dolphins. Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Phoenix AZ, January 3-7, 2007.

Piscitelli, M.A., Cotton, P.B., McLellan, W.A., Rommel, S.A. and Pabst, D.A. Shape change of the thoracic cavity
in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): implications for respiratory mechanics. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic
Marine Mammal Symposium. Beaufort, NC., March 16-18, 2007.
Taylor, C.R. McLellan, W.A., Glass, A.H., Zani, M., McAlarney, R. and D.A. Pabst. Right whale sightings in the
mid-Atlantic and Southeast Atlantic Bight. North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium Meeting. November 7-8, 2007.

FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS

2014 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Principal Investigator: Measuring compartment size and gas
solubility in marine mammals; 10 month study; $ 25,375.
2014 National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, Prescott Stranding Grant, Principal Investigator:
Response to and Coordination of Marine Mammal Strandings in North Carolina; 1 year study, $99,904

179
 476

2014 Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, Co-Principal Investigator with William A. McLellan: Aerial
Surveys for Endangered Whales at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay within the Virginia Wind Energy Area; 1 year
study, $42,490
2014 HDR/e2M (through Duke University) Co-Principal Investigator with Andrew Read (PI), Charles Borchers
and William A. McLellan: Monitoring of Protected Species in the Onslow AFAST and Jacksonville USWTR sites;
1 year study; $243,633
2013 National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, Principal Investigator: Hook Interactions with Cetacean
Tissue: Mechanical Tests of Hooks from the North Carolina and Hawaii Longline Fisheries; 1 year study;
$29,998.81
2013 HDR/e2M (through Duke University), Co-Principal Investigator with Andrew Read (PI), Charles Borchers
and William A. McLellan: Monitoring of Protected Species in the Onslow AFAST and Jacksonville USWTR sites;
1 year study, $342,040.
2012 New England Aquarium, Co-Principal Investigator with William A. McLellan: Weak hook interactions
with cetacean tissues: tests of various hook designs (circle, offset, tuna and J) and strengths; 1 year study,
$15,147
2012 Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, Co-Principal Investigator with William A. McLellan: Aerial
Surveys for Endangered Whales at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay within the Virginia Wind Energy Area; 6
month study, $93,594
2012 National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, Prescott Stranding Grant, Principal Investigator :
Providing Necropsy Training Workshops for the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic and Stranding Response for North
Carolina; 1 year study ; $98,765
2011 HDR/e2M (through Duke University) Co-Principal Investigator with Andrew Read (PI), Charles Borchers
and William A. McLellan: Monitoring of Protected Species in the Onslow AFAST and Jacksonville USWTR sites;
10 months; $384,608.84
2011 HDR/e2M (through Duke University) Co-Principal Investigator with Andrew Read (PI), Charles Borchers
and William A. McLellan: Monitoring of Protected Species in the Onslow AFAST and Jacksonville USWTR sites;
12 months; $362,183.14
2011 National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, Prescott Stranding Grant, Principal Investigator:
Response to and Coordination of Marine Mammal Strandings in North Carolina; 1 year study, $95,745

2010 HDR/e2M (through Duke University) Co-Principal Investigator with Andrew Read (PI), Charles Borchers
and William A. McLellan: Monitoring of Protected Species in the Onslow AFAST and Jacksonville USWTR sites;
6 months; $346,549.88
2010 US Fish and Wildlife Service. Co-Principal Investigator with William A. McLellan: UNC Wilmington Pilot
Study to organize past manatee sightings and to collect future manatee sightings data from North Carolina; $11,525

2010 Parsons (through Duke University), Co-Principal Investigator with Andrew Read (PI), Charles Borchers
and William A. McLellan: Long-term monitoring of protected species in the USWTR; Onslow Bay and
Jacksonville, FL; 8 month continuation, $408,024
2010 National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, Prescott Stranding Grant, Principal Investigator:
Enhancing Stranding Response in Northern North Carolina; 1 year study, $99,890
2010 National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, Prescott Stranding Grant, Co-Principal Investigator with
William A. McLellan: Response to and Necropsy of Stranded Large Whales in North Carolina and Virginia; 2
year study; $99,890
2009 Parsons (through Duke University), Co-Principal Investigator with Andrew Read (PI), Charles Borchers
and William A. McLellan: Long-term monitoring of protected species in the USWTR; Onslow Bay and
Jacksonville, FL; 1 year study, $351,035.
2009 National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, Prescott Stranding Grant, Principal Investigator:
Building stranding response capacity in northern North Carolina; 1 year study, $99,930.

2009 Parsons (through Duke University), Co-Principal Investigator with Andrew Read (PI), Charles Borchers
and William A. McLellan: Long-term monitoring of protected species in the USWTR; Jacksonville, FL; I year
study, $287,050
2008 Geo-Marine Incorporated (through Duke University), Co-Principal Investigator with Andrew Read (PI),
Charles Borchers and William A. McLellan: Long-term monitoring of protected species in the USWTR; 1 year study,
$316,375.
2008 National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, Prescott Stranding Grant, Principal Investigator:
Enhanced tissue collection and health monitoring of stranded marine mammals in North Carolina and Virginia;
1 year study, $99,974
180
 477

2007 National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, Co-Principal Investigator with Principal Investigator
W.A. McLellan: Seasonal occurrence of north Atlantic right whales along the mid-Atlantic coast; 1 year study,
$264,919.
2007 National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, Prescott Stranding Grant, Principal Investigator:
Enhanced tissue collection and health monitoring of stranded marine mammals in North Carolina and Virginia;
1 year study; $98,240.

AWARDS, HONORS and PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

2014 Student Poster and Presentation Judge, Division of Vertebrate Morphology, Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology, Annual Meeting, Austin Texas, 3-7 January, 2014.
2014 Coordinator for Student Judging, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium
2012 Invited to present William S. Hoar Lecture, Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia,
November 19, 2012
2012 Invited to present the George D. Grice, Jr. Lecture, College of Charleston, April 6, 2012
2010 Invited Opening Plenary, National Marine Animal Health and Stranding Network Conference
2010 Leader, Marine Mammal Necropsy Workshop, 2010 National Marine Animal Health and Stranding
Network Conference
2009 Co-Chair, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium
2009 Invited Participant, ONR Cetacean Tagging Workshop
2009 Abstract review, 18th Biennial, Society for Marine Mammalogy
2008 Invited Participant, South American Stranding Network Meeting, Santiago Chile

181
 478

CURRICULUM VITAE
Updated: 22 Sep 2014
Name: Joseph R. Pawlik - Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology
EDUCATION:
1988 Ph.D. in Marine Biology, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of
California, San Diego.
1982 Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude, in Biology, College of Biological Sciences,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul.

APPOINTMENTS:
2010-13 Chief Scientist, NSF UNOLS expeditions to the Bahamas and Mexico, R/V Walton Smith
2009-10 Chair, 39th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, 10-13 March, Wilmington, NC
2003-05 NSF Ex Officio Member, US Coral Reef Task Force
2003-05 NSF Ex Officio Member, Marine Protected Area Federal Advisory Committee
2003-05 Associate Program Director, National Science Foundation, Biological Oceanography Program
2002 Visiting Professor, Dipartimento di Chimica delle Sostanze Naturali, Universita Degli Studi di
Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy.
2002 Visiting Scholar, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
1999-08 Chief Scientist, NSF UNOLS expeditions to the Bahamas, R/V Seward Johnson
1999 Visiting Professor, Dipartimento di Chimica delle Sostanze Naturali, Universita Degli Studi di
Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy.
1998 Chief Scientist, NSF UNOLS expedition to Bahamas, R/V Edwin Link
1998- Professor, Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Marine Science, UNCW
1997- Senior Editorial Advisor, Marine Ecology Progress Series
1996-97 Government-University-Industry Roundtable, Federal Demonstration Project, UNCW
Representative, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.
1995- Adjunct Associate Professor, Curriculum in Marine Science, UNC-Chapel Hill
1995- Adjunct Assistant Professor, Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, NCSU
1994-98 Associate Professor, Biological Sciences and CMSR, UNC-Wilmington
1992-93 Guest Investigator, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
1992-96 Editorial Advisor, Marine Ecology Progress Series
1991-94 Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences and CMSR, UNC-Wilmington
1990 Sessional Lecturer, University of Alberta, Edmonton. Marine Biology.
1990-91 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ocean Science and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
1988-90 Killam Memorial Postdoctoral Scholarship, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. In
residence at the Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington.
1987-88 Lecturer, University of California, San Diego. Introductory Oceanography.
1982-88 Research Assistant, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC-San Diego.
1981-82 Teaching Assistant, Bermuda Biological Station for Research. Marine Invertebrate Zoology.
1979-82 Research Assistant, Department of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis/St. Paul.

PUBLICATIONS:
126. Henkel, T.H., and Pawlik, J.R. 2014. Cleaning mutualist or parasite? Classifying the association
between the brittlestar Ophiothrix lineata and the Caribbean reef sponge Callyspongia vaginalis.
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, in press.
125. Loh, T.-L., and Pawlik, J.R. 2014. Chemical defenses and resource trade-offs structure sponge
communities on Caribbean coral reefs. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science,
doi/10.1073/pnas.1321626111. 182
 479

124. Pawlik, J.R., Amsler, C.D., Ritson-Williams, R., McClintock, J.B., Baker, B.J., and Paul, V.J. 2013.
Pages 53-69 in: Research and Discoveries: The Revolution of Science through Scuba. Edited by:
Lang, M.A., Marinelli, R.L., Roberts,S.J., and Taylor, P.R. Smithsonian Contributions to the Marine
Sciences, Vol. 39. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press. 258 pp.
123. Pawlik, J.R., Loh, T.-L., McMurray, S.E., and Finelli, C.M. 2013. Sponge communities on Caribbean
coral reefs are structured by factors that are top-down, not bottom-up. PLoS One 8(5): e62573.
122. Miller, A.M., and Pawlik, J.R. 2013. Do coral reef fish learn to avoid unpalatable prey using visual
cues? Animal Behaviour, 85: 339-347.
121. Loh, T.-L., and Pawlik, J.R. 2012. Specificity of larval settlement of the Caribbean Orange Icing
Sponge Mycale laevis: A mutualistic response? Invertebrate Biology, 131: 155-164.
120. Loh, T.-L., and Pawlik, J.R. 2012. Friend or foe? No evidence that association with the sponge Mycale
laevis provides a benefit to corals of the genus Montastraea. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 465:
111-117.
119. A new sponge ecology. 2012. International Innovation, June issue, p.37.
118. Redwoods of the reef. 2012. International Innovation, June issue, pp.38-39.
117. Angermeier, H., Glöckner, V., Pawlik, J.R., Lindquist, N.L., and Hentschel, U. 2012. Sponge white
patch disease affecting the Caribbean sponge Amphimedon compressa. Diseases of Aquatic
Organisms, 99:95-102.
116. Pawlik, J.R. 2012. Antipredatory defensive roles of natural products from marine invertebrates. Chapter
12, pages 677-710 in Handbook of Marine Natural Products. Edited by: Fattorusso, E., Gerwick,
W.H., Taglialatela-Scafati, O. Springer Science, NY.
115. Loh, T.-L., López-Legentil, S., Song, B., and Pawlik, J.R. 2012. Phenotypic variability in the Caribbean
Orange Icing sponge Mycale laevis (Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida). Hydrobiologia, 687: 205-217.
114. Hines, D.E. and Pawlik, J.R. 2012. Assessing the antipredatory defensive strategies of Caribbean non-
scleractinian zoantharians (Cnidaria): Is the sting the only thing? Marine Biology, 159:389-398.
113. Echevarria, M, Naar, J.P., Tomas, C. and Pawlik, J.R. 2011. Effects of Karenia brevis on clearance
rates and bioaccumulation of brevetoxins in benthic suspension feeding invertebrates. Aquatic
Toxicology, 106-107:85-94.
112. Pawlik, J.R. 2011. The chemical ecology of sponges on Caribbean reefs: Natural products shape natural
systems. BioScience, 61: 888-898. Cover article!
111. McMurray, S.E., Blum, J.E., Leichter, J.J. and Pawlik, J.R. 2011. Bleaching of the giant barrel sponge
Xestospongia muta in the Florida Keys. Limnology and Oceanography, 56: 2243-2250.
110. López-Legentil, S., Song, B., Bosch, M., Pawlik, J.R. and Turon X. 2011. Cyanobacterial diversity and
a new Acaryochloris-like symbiont from Bahamian sea squirts. PLoS ONE, 6(8): e23938.
109. Henkel, T.P. and Pawlik, J.R. 2011. Host specialization of an obligate sponge-dwelling brittlestar.
Aquatic Biology, 12: 37-46.
108. Leong, W. and Pawlik, J.R. 2011. Comparison of reproductive patterns among 7 Caribbean sponge
species does not reveal a resource trade-off with chemical defenses. Journal of Experimental Marine
Biology and Ecology, 401: 80-84.
107. Angermeier, H., Kamke, J., Abdelmohsen, U., Krohne, G., Pawlik, J., Lindquist, N., Hentschel, U.
2011. The pathology of Sponge Orange Band disease affecting the Caribbean barrel sponge
Xestospongia muta. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 75: 218-230.
106. López-Legentil, S., Erwin, P.M., Pawlik, J.R., and Song, B.K. 2010. Effects of sponge bleaching on
ammonia oxidizing Archaea: Distribution and relative expression of ammonia monooxygenase genes
associated with the barrel sponge Xestospongia muta. Microbial Ecology, 60: 561-571.
105. Morinaka, B., Pawlik, J.R.,and Molinski, T.F. 2010. Amaranzoles B-F, imidazole-2-carboxy steroids
from the marine sponge Phorbas amaranthus. C24-N- and C24-O-analogues from a divergent
oxidative biosynthesis. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 75: 2453-2460. Cover article.
104. Leong, W. and Pawlik, J.R. 2010. Evidence of a resource trade-off between growth and chemical
defenses among Caribbean coral reef sponges. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 406: 71-78.
103. Leong, Wai and Pawlik, J.R. 2010. Fragments or propagules? Reproductive trade-offs among
Callyspongia spp. from Florida coral reefs. Oikos, 119: 1417-1422.
102. Lee OO, Chui PY, Wong YH, Pawlik JR, Qian PY*. Evidence for vertical transmission of bacterial
symbionts from adult to embryo in the Caribbean sponge Svenzea zeai. Applied Environmental 183
Microbiology, 75: 6147-6156
 480

101. McMurray, S.E., Henkel, T.P., and Pawlik, J.R. 2010. Demographics of increasing populations of the
giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta in the Florida Keys. Ecology, 91:560-570
100. Zea, S., Henkel, T.P., and Pawlik, J.R. 2009. The Sponge Guide: a picture guide to Caribbean
sponges. Available online at http://www.spongeguide.org
99. Loh, T.-L., and Pawlik, J.R. 2009. Bitten down to size: Fish predation determines growth form of the
Caribbean coral reef sponge Mycale laevis. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology,
374: 45-50.
98. Morinaka, B. I., Pawlik, J.R. and Molinski, T.F. 2009. Amaroxocanes A and B: Sulfated dimeric
sterols defend the Caribbean coral reef sponge Phorbas amaranthus from fish predators. Journal of
Natural Products, 72: 259-264.
97. Ein-Gil, N., Ilan, M., Carmeli, S., Smith, G.W., Pawlik, J.R., and Yarden, O. 2009. Presence
of Aspergillus sydowii, a pathogen of gorgonian sea fan in the marine sponge Spongia obscura. ISME
Journal, 3: 752-755
96. López-Legentil, S, and Pawlik, J.R. 2009. Genetic structure of the Caribbean giant barrel sponge
Xestospongia muta using the I3-M11 partition of COI. Coral Reefs, 28: 157-165.
95. López-Legentil, S., Henkel, T.P., Erwin, P.M., and Pawlik, J.R. 2009. Phenotypic plasticity in the
sponge Callyspongia vaginalis: morphological and molecular data. Scientia Marina, in press.
94. Bickmeyer, U., Grube, A., Klings, K-W., Pawlik, J.R., and Köck, M. 2009. Siphonodictyal B1 from a
marine sponge increases intracellular calcium levels comparable to the Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA)
inhibitor thapsigargin. Marine Biotechnology, 12: 267-272.
93. Pawlik, J.R., Henkel, T.P., McMurray, S.E., López-Legentil, S., Loh, T.-L., Rohde, S. 2008. Patterns of
sponge growth and recruitment on a shipwreck corroborate chemical defense resource trade-off.
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 368: 137-143.
92. McMurray, S.E., and Pawlik, J.R. 2009. A novel technique for the reattachment of large coral reef
sponges. (feature article, cover photo). Restoration Ecology, 17: 192-195.
91. McMurray, S.E., Blum, J.E., and Pawlik, J.R. 2008. Redwood of the reef: growth and age of the giant
barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta in the Florida Keys. Marine Biology, 155: 159-171.
Redwoods of the Reef . (Random Sample) 2008. Science, 321: 19.
90. Nagelkerken, I., Blaber, S.J.M., Bouillon, S., Green, P., Haywood, M., Kirton, L.G., Meynecke, J.-O.,
Pawlik, J.R., Penrose, H.M., Sasekumar, A. and Somerfield, P.J. 2008. The habitat function of
mangroves for terrestrial and marine fauna: a review. Aquatic Botany, 89: 155-185.
89. López-Legentil, S., Song, B.K., McMurray, S.E. and Pawlik, J.R. 2008. Bleaching and stress in coral
reef ecosystems: hsp70 expression by the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta. Molecular Ecology,
17: 1840-1849.
88. Meredith, T.L., Cowart, J.D., Henkel, T. and Pawlik, J.R. 2007. The polychaete Cirriformia punctata is
chemically defended against generalist coral reef predators. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology
and Ecology, 353: 198-202.
87. Pawlik, J.R., McMurray, S.E., and Henkel, T.P.. 2007. Abiotic factors control sponge ecology in
Florida mangroves. Marine Ecology Progress Series 339: 93-98.
86. Grube, A., Assmann, M., Lichte, E., Sasse, F., Pawlik, J.R., and Köck, M. 2007. New Bioactive
Metabolites from the Caribbean Sponge Aka coralliphagum. Journal of Natural Products 70: 504-509.
85. Lee, O.O., Yang, L.H., Li, X., Pawlik, J.R., Qian, P.Y. 2007. Surface bacterial community, fatty acid
profile, and antifouling activity of two congeneric sponges from Hong Kong and the
Bahamas. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 339: 25-40.
84. Pawlik, J.R. 2007. Cast-iron beauty: an antique J.W. Fiske aquarium. 2007. Tropical Fish Hobbyist
55: 110-114.
83. Epifanio, R., Maia, L.F., Pawlik, J.R., and Fenical, W. 2007. Antipredatory secosterols from the
octocoral Pseudopterogorgia americana. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 329: 307-310.
82. Pawlik, J.R., Steindler, L., Henkel, T.P., Beer, S., and Ilan, M. 2007. Chemical warfare on coral reefs:
Sponge metabolites differentially affect coral symbiosis in situ. Limnology and Oceanography 52: 907-
911.
81. Odate, S., and Pawlik, J.R. 2007. The role of vanadium in the chemical defense of the solitary tunicate,
Phallusia nigra. Journal of Chemical Ecology 33: 643-654.
184
 481

ABSTRACTS AND PRESENTATIONS: Most recent of about 275. : 1=undergrad, 2=MS, 3=PhD,
4
=postdoc
Pawlik, J. R. 42nd Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM Society, Savannah, GA, "Do marine animals
exhibit warning coloration? Not so much." (March 2013).
McMurray, S. E.3, Johnson, Z.I., Hunt, D.E., Pawlik, J.R., Finelli, C. 42nd Annual Benthic Ecology
Meeting, BEM Society, Savannah, GA, "Estimates of pelagic-benthic planktonic carbon flux for
populations of giant barrel sponges on coral reefs " (March 2013).
Marty, M.2, Pawlik, J. R. 42nd Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM Society, Savannah, GA,
"Promoting bad taste: Does predation by fishes select for greater sponge chemical defenses? " (March
2013).
Deignan, L.3, Pawlik, J. R. 42nd Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM Society, Savannah, GA,
"Connecting the dots: examining spatial relationships among giant barrel sponges ." (March 2013).
Hanmer, J.2, White, J.W., Pawlik, J. R. 42nd Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM Society, Savannah,
GA, "Shifting diets: Quantifying the effects of resource availability on redband parrotfish feeding on
Caribbean coral reefs." (March 2013).
Conti-Jerpe, I.2, Finelli, C., Pawlik, J. R. 42nd Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM Society, Savannah,
GA, “Does size really matter? Relationships between polyp morphology and heterotrophic food sources in
gorgonian octocorals. " (March 2013).
Pawlik, J. R. 41st Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM Society, Norfolk, VA, "Perceptive poriferan
perspectives: Chemical defenses and resource allocation explain sponge ecology on Caribbean reefs."
(March 2012).
McMurray, S. E.3, Finelli, C., Pawlik, J. R. 41st Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM Society, Norfolk,
VA, "Demographics of the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta and carbon flux on coral reefs." (March
2012).
Loh, T.-L.3, Pawlik, J. R. 41st Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM Society, Norfolk, VA, "Death by
thousand bites: Top-down processes structure communities on Caribbean coral reefs." (March 2012).
Deignan, L.2, Pawlik, J. R. 41st Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM Society, Norfolk, VA, "Perilous
proximity: Does the Janzen-Connell hypothesis explain dispersion among ginat barrel sponges?" (March
2012).
Hanmer, J.2, Pawlik, J. R. 41st Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM Society, Norfolk, VA, "Polly
wanna choose? Testing parrotfish food preferences on Caribbean coral reefs." (March 2012).
Conti-Jerpe, I.2, Finelli, C., Pawlik, J. R. 41st Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM Society, Norfolk,
VA, "Fruit of the flume: patterns of heterotrophic feeding in gorgonian corals." (March 2012).
Pawlik, J.R. Gordon Research Conference in Marine Natural Products, 26 Feb-2 Mar 2012, Ventura CA,
INVITED LECTURE: “The chemical ecology of sponges on Caribbean reefs: Natural products shape
natural systems” (March 2012).
Pawlik, J. R. 40th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM Society, Mobile, AL, "Defense for free? Patterns
of resource allocation confirm that chemical defenses are costly for Caribbean sponges." (March 2011).
McMurray, S. E.3, Pawlik, J. R. 40th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM Society, Mobile, AL, "Do
temperature extremes cause bleaching of the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta in the Florida Keys?",
(March 2011).
Miller, A.2, Pawlik, J. R. 40th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM Society, Mobile, AL, "Effects of
prey color and pattern on feeding by a coral reef fish" (March 2011).
Echevarria, M.2, Tomas, C. R., Naar, J., Pawlik, J. R. 40th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM
Society, Mobile, AL, "Effects of the harmful alga Karenia brevis on clearance rates and bioaccumulation
of brevetoxins in benthic suspension feeders" (March 2011).
Loh, T.-L.3, Pawlik, J. R 40th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting, BEM Society, Mobile, AL, "Sponges
rising: coral reef community shifts in response to reduced predation pressure" (March 2011).
Pawlik, J. R. Reefs in a changing environment, European International Society for Reef Studies,
Wageningen, Netherlands, "Are sponges taking over Caribbean reefs?" (December 2010).
Pawlik, J. R Linking Science to Management: the Florida Keys Marine Ecosystem, NOAA, Duck Key, FL,
"Florida’s “Redwood of the Reef”: Growth, Age, Demographics and Bleaching of the Caribbean giant
barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta" (October 2010).
Lopez-Legentil, S., Erwin, P. M., Pawlik, J. R., Song, B. Erwin, P. M., Pawlik, J. R., Song, B. 8th 185
World Sponge Conference, 20-24 Sep 2010, Federation of Sponge Biologists, Girona Spain, "Ammonia
 482

oxidizing Archaea in bleaching barrel sponges: Diversity, distribution and ammonia monooxygenase
expression" (September 2010).
Loh, T.-L.3, Pawlik, J. R. Pawlik, J. R. 8th World Sponge Conference, 20-24 Sep 2010, Federation of
Sponge Biologists, Girona Spain, "Investigating the specificity of larval settlement in the Caribbean
Orange Icing Sponge Mycale laevis" (September 2010).
Pawlik, J. R. 8th World Sponge Conference, 20-24 Sep 2010, Federation of Sponge Biologist, Girona
Spain, "KEYNOTE: Researching the Redwood of the Reef: Growth, age, demographics and bleaching of
the Caribbean giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta" (September 2010).
Loh, T.-L.3, Lopez-Legentil, S., Song, B., Pawlik, J. R. Lopez-Legentil, S., Song, B., Pawlik, J. R. 8th
World Sponge Conference, 20-24 Sep 2010, Federation of Sponge Biologists, Girona Spain, "Phylogenetic
analysis of the sponge genus Mycale (Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida)" (September 2010).
Zea, S. E., Henkel, T. P.3, Pawlik, J. R. Henkel, T. P., Pawlik, J. R. 8th World Sponge Conference, 20-24
Sep 2010, Federation of Sponge Biologist, Girona Spain, "The sponge Guide: A web-based interactive
photographic guide to identify Caribbean sponges" (September 2010).
Pawlik, J.R. 2010. Researching the “Redwood of the Reef”: How Scuba and related undersea technologies
revealed one of the oldest animals on earth. Invited seminar by the National Research Council and
Smithsonian Institution. Revolution of Science through Scuba Symposium. 24-26 May, NMNH,
Washington, DC.
Pawlik, J.R. 2010. The chemical ecology of sponges on Caribbean coral reefs: How natural products shape
natural systems. Invited seminar. Dept. of Biology, U. Penn, Philadelphia. 25 March.
Pawlik, J.R. 2009. The chemical ecology of sponges on Caribbean coral reefs. Invited seminar. Hawaiian
Institute of Marine Biology, Oahu, Hawaii. 28 Oct.
Loh, T.L. 3, López-Legentil, S., Song, B., and Pawlik, J.R. 2010. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the
sponge genus Mycale (Demospongiae; Poecilosclerida). Society of Intergrative and Comparative Biology
Annual Meeting; 3-7 January, Seattle, WA
Hines, D.E. 2 and Pawlik, J.R. 2010. Defensive decisions: Trade-offs in physical and chemical defenses of
Caribbean non-scleractinian zoantharians. 39th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting; 10-13 March, UNC
Wilmington. Best student paper award winner.
Loh, T.L. 3 and Pawlik, J.R. 2010. Fatal attraction? No, the Caribbean Orange Icing Sponge does not prefer
to settle on corals. 39th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting; 10-13 March, UNC Wilmington.
Echevarria, M.L. 2 and Pawlik, J.R. 2010. Effects of metabolites from harmful algal blooms on benthic
filter feeders. 39th Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting; 10-13 March, UNC Wilmington.
Miller, A. 2 and Pawlik, J.R. 2010. Does aposematism exist on Caribbean coral reefs? (poster) 39th Annual
Benthic Ecology Meeting; 10-13 March, UNC Wilmington.
Okoneski, M. 1 and Pawlik, J.R. 2010. Using thermal tolerance to predict changes in geographic distribution
in the seastar, Cosinasterias tenuispina due to climate change. (poster) 39th Annual Benthic Ecology
Meeting; 10-13 March, UNC Wilmington.
Robuck, A. 1 and Pawlik, J.R. 2010. Development of nontoxic commercial marine antifouling paints using
natural products from the sponge Aplysilla longispina and tunicate Eudistoma hepaticum. (poster) 39th
Annual Benthic Ecology Meeting; 10-13 March, UNC Wilmington.

GRANTS AND AWARDS:

2013 Inducted into UNCW Office of Research Administration’s Five Million Dollar Club
2011 NOAA/Aquarius Reef Base grant, “Sponges on Florida coral reefs: Anthropogenic threats and
demographic changes.” $75,000/2yrs – Co-PI with Christopher Finelli.
2010 NSF Biological Oceanography renewal, “Chemical ecology of sponges on Caribbean coral reefs.”
$580,000/ 4yrs
2009 NOAA/NURP grant, “Sponges on Florida coral reefs: Demographics and impact on water quality”
$69,953/1yr
2006 NOAA/NURP grant, “Ecology of sponges on Florida reefs: Demography and bleaching”
$64,502/2yrs
2006 NSF Biological Oceanography renewal, “Chemical ecology of sponges on Caribbean reefs.”
186
$542,000/ 4yrs
 483

2004 NOAA/NURP grant, “Barrel sponges on Florida reefs: Reproduction, mortality and bleaching”
$59,774/2yrs
2002 NOAA/NURP grant, "Ecology of Caribbean sponges" $46,476/2 yrs
2001 NSF Biological Oceanography renewal, “Assessing the chemical defenses of Caribbean
Invertebrates.” $440,000/ 4yrs
2001 US-Israel Binational Science Foundation grant "Photosymbiotic relationships in marine sponges"
with M. Ilan and S. Beer. $229,967/ 3yrs
2000 UNCW Faculty Reassignment Award
2000 NOAA/NURP grant, "Ecology of deep-water sponges" $33,490/2 yrs

GRADUATE STUDENTS:
MS students, acting as major advisor (27): Robert Toonen, David Mense, Brian Chanas, Alicia Henrikson,
David Swearingen, Matt Dunlap, Ian Zelo, Brett Waddell, Robyn Palmer, Chloe Deodato, Sebastian
Engel, Tim Henkel, Sarah Kelly, Kyle Walters, Shobu Odate, Adam Jones, Steven McMurray, Tse-
Lynn Loh, David Hines, Wai Leong, Michael Echevarria, Andrew Miller, John Hanmer, Lindsey
Deignan, Inga Conti-Jerpe (with Dr. Chris Finelli), Micah Marty, Clark Marino.
PhD students, acting as major advisor (5): Jonathan Cowart, Tim Henkel, Tse-Lynn Loh, Steven McMurray
(with Dr. Chris Finelli), Lindsey Deignan
Postdoctoral students, acting as major advisor (2): Julia Kubanek, Susanna López-Legentil

187
 484

CURRICULUM VITAE

MARTIN H. POSEY
Undergraduate Studies
University of North Carolina Wilmington
601 S. College Road
Wilmington, N.C. 28403
(910) 962-2474

EDUCATION:
Ph.D. 1985 Biology, University of Oregon
B.A. 1980 Zoology with highest honors, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
A.A. 1978 General Studies, Charles County Community College, LaPlata, Maryland

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2013-present Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Undergraduate Studies, University of
North Carolina at Wilmington
2011-2013 University Accreditation Coordinator working with Provost’s Office
2004-2011 Chair, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina
at Wilmington
1989-present 1989-1994 Assistant Professor, 1994-1998 Associate Professor, 1998-onward
Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina
at Wilmington
Summers 1990-91; 1987-1989; Visiting Scientist/Postdoctoral Fellow, Smithsonian
Environmental Research Center.
1985-1987 Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Oregon
1985 Course Assistant, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole

PUBLICATIONS:
Meyer, D. and M. Posey. 2014. Isolated salt marsh colonization by a resident species,
mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus), and a transient species, pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides).
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 460: 197-210.
Meyer, D. and M. Posey. 2014. Influence of salt marsh size and landscape setting on salt marsh
nekton populations. Estuaries and Coasts. 37: 548-560.
Turano, M.J., M. Posey and T. Alphin. 2012. North Carolina’s shellfish industry: site conditions
and economic impacts. North Carolina SeaGrant publication UNC-SG-12-01. 6 pages.
Harwell, H., M. Posey and T. Alphin. 2011. Landscape aspects of oyster reefs: effects of
fragmentation on habitat utilization. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology
409: 30-41.
Meyer, D. and M.H. Posey. 2009. Effects of life history strategy on fish distribution and use
of estuarine salt marsh and shallow water flat habitats. Estuaries and Coasts. 32: 797-812.
Carnegie, R., N.A. Stokes, C. Audemard, M. Bishop, A.E. Wilbur, T.D. Alphin, M.H. Posey,
C.H. Peterson and E.M. Burreson. 2008. Strong seasonality of Bonamia sp. Infection and
induced Crassostrea ariakensis mortality in Bogue and Masonboro Sounds, North
Carolina, USA. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 98: 335-343. 188
 485

Coen, L.D., Brumbaugh, R.D., Bushek, D., Grizzle, R. Luckenbach, M.W., Posey, M.H.,
Powers, S.P. and Tolley, S.G.. 2007. Ecosystem services related to oyster restoration.
Marine Ecology Progress Series 341: 303-307.
Hackney, C.T., Avery, G.B. Leonard, L.A., Posey M., and Alphin T. 2007. Biological, chemical,
and physical characteristics of tidal freshwater swamp forests of the lower Cape Fear
River/Estuary , North Carolina, Pages 183-221. In: Conner, W.H., T.W. Doyle, and K.W.
Krauss, eds. Ecology of Tidal Freshwater Forested Wetlands in the Southeastern United
States; Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

GRANTS AND AWARDS: (PI or co-PI on >$10 million in grants and awards since coming to
UNCW)
North Carolina Sea Grant Blue Crab and Shellfish Research Program. 2013-2014. “Identification
of potential interactions between rack and cage shellfish culture and adjacent critical
habitats.” $35,343. (P.I.).
North Carolina Sea Grant Blue Crab and Shellfish Research Program. 2013-2014. “Enhancement
of the North Carolina statewide oysters spat monitoring program”. $17,797. (co-PI)
North Carolina Sea Grant Fisheries Resource Grant Program. 2013-2014. “Development of
Shellfish polyculture techniques in North Carolina”. $17,330. (co-P.I.).
National Science Foundation. 2009-2014. “STAR (Scholarship Team in Action to Recruit)
program.” $898,500. (co-P.I.)
North Carolina Marine Resources Fund, 2012-2014. “Ecosystem function of oyster stabilization
projects: Efficacy and support of local fishery”. $87,501. (co-P.I.)
NOAA Habitat Division. 2012-2013. “Assessment of infauna and sediment characteristics
associated with the Poplar Island, VA marsh restoration project”. $30,000. (co-P.I.)
NOAA National Sea Grant, 2011-2014. “Developing tools for the growth of the shellfish
industry in North Carolina”. $198,837. (co-P.I.)
Dial Cordy and Associates. 2010-2011. “Impacts of Increased Tidal Range and Salinity in the
Cape Fear River Ecosystem Due to Deepening and Widening Wilmington Harbor, North
Carolina”. $144,731 (co-P.I.).
South Carolina Department of Natural resources. 2010. “Student internship at Waddell
Mariculture Center”. $1717. (P.I.)
North Carolina Sea Grant program. 2010-2012. Linking variation in egg quality to hatching
success and larval survival in blue crabs. $9545 (co-P.I.).
North Carolina Sea Grant Program. 2010-2012. “To seed or not to seed: the value of seeding
restored oyster reefs for ecosystem function”. $88,597 + graduate student support. (co-P.I.)
Dial Cordy and Associates. 2009-2010. “Monitoring effects of a potential increased tidal range in
the Cape Fear Ecosystem.” $415,599. (lead P.I.)
North Carolina Sea Grant Program. 2009-2010. “Evaluation of oyster health and sanctuary
function of closed shellfish beds”. $39,358. (co-P.I.).
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (CICEET), 2009-2010,
“Sustainable estuarine shoreline stabilization”. $117,694. (lead P.I.) (part of larger project
administered through NC Department of Natural Resources, $688,478, overall project co-PI)
North Carolina Coastal Federation, 2009-2010. “Restoration of oyster reefs for fisheries, habitat
and erosion control in southeastern NC.” $75,000. (co-P.I.).
North Carolina Sea Grant Program. 2008-2010. Key parameters for assessing beach
functionality. $99,820, (co-P.I.)
North Carolina Sea Grant Program, 2008-2010, “Spatial variation in blue crab distribution in the
New River during spawning season”. $44,278 (co-P.I.)
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2008-2009, “Receiving, storage and technician support for
189
laboratory analyses. $25,912. (co-P.I.)
 486

North Carolina Sea Grant Program, 2008-2010, “Feasibility of implementing a monitoring

program for oyster larvae”. $56,770. (co-P.I.)
Elizabeth City State University (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), 2008-2009, “The Cape Fear
River Ecosystems Project”. $293,373. (lead P.I.)
North Carolina Sea Grant Program, 2006-2008, “Success in oyster reef restoration: population
and ecosystem measures“, $108,797 (lead P.I.).
Elizabeth City State University (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), 2007- 2008, “Biochemistry and
Benthic infauna in swamps and Marshes along the NE Cape Fear and Cape Fear Rivers”
$46,281. (P.I.)
Elizabeth City State University (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), 2007- 2008 “Service, Maintain
and calibrate remote data collection platforms in swamps and channels in the Cape Fear
Basin” $43,421. (P.I.)

SEMINARS AND PAPERS PRESENTED WITHIN PAST 5 YEARS (italics indicate student
authors):
Alphin, T. and M. Posey. 2014. Success in oyster reef restoration: population and ecosystem
measures. North Carolina SeaGrant Research Symposium. Invited presentation.
Posey, M.H. 2014. Recent research and restoration efforts at the University of North Carolina
Wilmington. 2014. North Carolina Oysters: A Workshop to Chart Future Restoration, Learning from
the Past. Invited Presentation.
Posey, M.H. and T.D. Alphin. 2014. Implementing restoration, research and enhancement
projects. 2014. North Carolina Oysters: A Workshop to Chart Future Restoration, Learning from the
Past. Invited Presentation.
Walls, K., M. Posey, T. Alphin and E. Ghoniem. 2014. Informed site selection through geospatial
modeling. North Carolina Aquaculture Conference.
Posey, M.H. 2003. The role of honors on campus: perspectives from senior administrators.
National Collegiate Honors Council Conference. Invited participant on a 3 person panel.
Alphin, T.D., L. Cahoon, M. Posey and A. Markwith. 2003. The Eastern oyster (Crassostrea
virginica) as a modifier of epizooic microalgal biomass: the influence of oyster reef characteristics
and associated particulates. Southeast Tidal Creeks Summit.
Hanke, M.H., M.H. Posey and T.D. Alphin. 2013. Spatial dynamics of habitat utilization for
intertidal oyster reef communities in fragmented habitats. 2013 Coastal and Estuarine Research
Federation conference.
Lemon, M.G., M.H. Posey, M.A. Mallin and T.D. Alphin. 2013. Oyster filtration versus passive
structural impacts of Crassostrea virginica reefs on removal of particulates. 2013 Coastal and
Estuarine Research Federation conference.
Page, H.N., M.H. Posey and T.D. Alphin. 2013. Particle Overload! The Eastern oyster's role in
biogeochemical cycling under chronic exposure of sediment and nitrate. 2013 Coastal and Estuarine
Research Federation conference.
Hanke, M, M.H. Posey and T.D. Alphin. 2013. Spatial dynamics of intertidal oyster populations
in fragmented habitats. 2013 Benthic Ecology Meetings.
Dilliplaine, K.B., M.H. Posey, T.A. Alphin, J.B. Morgan. 2013. Impacts of macronutrient
variability in food sources on growth and reproduction of the marine polychaete Alitta succinea.
2013 Benthic Ecology Meetings.
Hargrove, J., T.D. Alphin, and M.H. Posey. 2013. Ecological factors associated with the culture
of hard clams in single and polyculture approaches. 2013 Benthic Ecology Meetings.
Weston, E., D. Meyer, M. Posey and T. Alphin. 2013. Assessment of restored salt marsh
function using resident nekton demography, condition and growth rates as metrics. 2013 Benthic
Ecology Meetings.
Lemon, M.G., M. H. Posey, M.A. Mallin, L. A. Leonard and T.D. Alphin. 2013 “Abiotic versus
biotic removal mechanisms of TSS and Chl a over Crassostrea virginica reef structure.” Meeting of
the Southeastern Estuarine Research Society, Charleston, S.C.
190
Posey, M.H. and T.D. Alphin. 2012. Infaunal Communities Associated with Bulkheaded
 487

Fringing Marshes: Effects of Marsh Width. 2012 Benthic Ecology Meetings.

Alphin, T.D., L. Cahoon and M.H. Posey. 2012. Observations on the Levels of Oyster
(Crassostrea virginica) Associated BMA as a Function of Organic Content and Particle Size
Distribution. 2012 Benthic Ecology Meetings.
Finelli, C. M., A.E. Wilbur, M.H. Posey and T.D. Alphin. 2012 To seed of not to seed: The
value of seeding restored oyster reefs for ecosystem function. 2012 Benthic Ecology
Meetings.
Hanke, M. H, M.H. Posey, T.D. Alphin. 2012. Does edge influence oyster dynamics in a
fragmented habitat? 2012 Benthic Ecology Meetings.
Hanke, M., M. Posey and T. Alphin. 2012. The effect of habitat fragmentation on the interaction
of oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and pea crabs (Pinnotheres ostreum). Southeastern
Estuarine Research Society Meetings.
Dilliplaine, K., M. Posey and T. Alphin. 2012. Effects of macronutrient variability in food
sources on growth, oogenesis and regeneration in the marine polychaete Laeonereis culveri.
Southeastern Estuarine Research Society Meetings.
Alphin, T., L. Cahoon and M. Posey. 2011. Living oyster reefs as a significant source/modifier
of epizooic microalgal biomass in tidal creek systems: implications of particulate inputs. The
Tidal Creeks Summit 2011 (hosted by NC, SC, Ga, and FL Sea Grant organizations).
Hanke, M., M. Posey and T. Alphin. 2011. Patch dynamics and the role of edge and interior for
southeastern North Carolina oyster reef communities. Coastal and Estuarine Federation
biennial meeting.
Posey, M.H. 2011. Oysters: More than just food on the half shell. Wednesdays in nature Series,
UNCW Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Posey, M. 2011. Oyster reefs: form, function and restoration. Invited Seminar to Department of
Marine Science, University of South Carolina.
Finelli, C., A. Wilbur, M. Posey and T. Alphin. 2011. To seed or not to seed: the value of
seeding restored oyster reefs for ecosystem function. 2011 Benthic Ecology Meetings.
Alphin, T., M.H. Posey and A.L. Markwith. 2010. Do tidal creek systems closed to shellfish
harvest provide a sanctuary function for Crassostrea virginica? International Conference on
Shellfish Restoration.
Wilgis, T., M.H. Posey and T. Alphin. 2010. Nekton utilization of created oyster reefs in
intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats of North Carolina. International Conference on
Shellfish Restoration.
Posey, M. 2010. Biological impacts of erosion control options. Invited presentation to the Inner
Coast Study Committee. NC SeaGant and North Carolina Coastal Law, Planning and Policy
Center.
Markwith, A., M. Posey and T. Alphin. 2010. Spatial and temporal distribution patterns of
Ostrea equestris within southeastern North Carolina. 2010 Benthic Ecology Meetings,
Wilmington, NC
Alphin, T., L. Cahoon, A. Markwith and M. Posey. 2010. Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) health
and ecosystem function among tidal creek estuaries in southeast North Carolina. 2010
Benthic Ecology Meetings, Wilmington, NC
Wilgis, E., M. Posey and T. Alphin. 2010. Measuring success in oyster reef restoration: results
from the application of standardized monitoring metrics for nekton utilization of created
reefs. 2010 Benthic Ecology Meetings, Wilmington, NC
Novak, C., M. Posey and T. Alphin. 2010. Benthic community development on edge vs. interior
of created salt marshes. 2010 Benthic Ecology Meetings, Wilmington, NC
Posey, M., T. Alphin and S. Rogers. 2010. Impact of shoreline stabilization structures on infauna
and nekton. 2010 Benthic Ecology Meetings, Wilmington, NC
191
Tatem, S., T. Alphin, H. Styron, M. Posey and M. Turano. 2010. Implementing a volunteer
 488

monitoring program for oyster larval settlement throughout the North Carolina coast. Poster
presented at the 2010 Benthic Ecology Meetings, Wilmington, NC
Couch, L., M. Posey and T. Alphin. 2010. Environmental quality and oyster disease. Poster
presented at the 2010 Benthic Ecology Meetings, Wilmington, NC
Alphin, T., M Posey, L. Leonard, R. Barbour, and C. Hackney. 2009. Community Resilience in
Response to Fluctuation in Water Level, Flow, and Salinity in the Cape Fear River Estuary,
NC. Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation 20th Biennial Conference, Portland, Oregon
Hackney, C., L. Leonard, J. Culbertson, G. B. Avery, M. Posey, T. Alphin, and M. Crawford.
2009. Hydrological Characteristics of Tidal Swamps. Coastal and Estuarine Research
Federation 20th Biennial Conference, Portland, Oregon
Meyer, D. and M. Posey. 2009. The effects of life history strategy on the distribution of fishes
and their use of estuarine habitats. Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation 20th Biennial
Conference, Portland, Oregon
Alphin, T. M. Posey, A. Markwith and S. Colosimo. 2009. Environmental impacts on shellfish
condition and growth: implications for larval sources and population maintenance. Invited
presentation for special session on Shellfish and the Environment, National Shellfisheries
Association Annual Meeting.
Markwith, A. L., M.H. Posey and T.D. Alphin. 2009. Distribution and life history characteristics
of Ostreola equestris. Oral presentation at the National Shellfisheries Association Annual
Meeting.

192
 489

CURRICULUM VITAE

Linda Foerst Potts, Ph.D.

PERSONAL:
Work Address: University of North Carolina Wilmington
Department of Biology and Marine Biology
2019 Friday Hall
Wilmington, NC 28403
E-mail: Pottsl@uncw.edu
Phone: Work: (910) 962-3352

EDUCATION:

Ph.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1992-1996

Major: Cell Biology and Anatomy

B.S., University of Missouri at Columbia 1988-1992

Major: Honors Biology

APPOINTMENTS:
Senior Lecturer of Biology 1999-present
University of North Carolina Wilmington

Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology 1998-1999

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Instructor of Biology at Queens College 1996-1998

Charlotte, North Carolina

Instructor of Biology 6/96-8/96

The Princeton Review

Teaching Assistant 1993-1994

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

PUBLICATIONS:

Disruption of Msx-1 and Msx-2 Reveals Roles for These Genes in Craniofacial, Eye, and Axial
Development: L. Foerst Potts and
T.W. Sadler. Developmental Dynamics, Volume 209: 70-84 (1997).

The Use of Antisense Oligonucleotide Technology and Mouse Whole Embryo Culture to Study Gene
Function During Organogenesis: Linda Foerst Potts and T.W. Sadler. Molecular and Cellular
Methods in Developmental Toxicology. CRC Press Inc., George P. Daston, Editor, (1997).

Mouse Whole Embryo Culture and Antisense Oligodeoxynucleotides: New Approaches to Studying
Genes Involved in Early Development:
T.W. Sadler, K.M. Denno, L. Foerst Potts. Methods in Developmental Toxicology and Biology.
Stephen Klug, Editor, Blackwell Wissenschafts-Verlag, Berlin, (1997). 193
 490

Making Sense with Antisense: Determining the Roles of Msx Genes in Mouse Whole Embryo Culture:
Thomas W. Sadler and L. Foerst Potts. Studies in Stomatology and Craniofacial Biology, Chapter 5,
M. Michael Cohen, Jr., Bruce J. Baum, Editors, IOS Press (1997).

Antisense Disruption of the Msx Genes Reveals Roles in Development of Craniofacial, Eye and Axial
Structures: L. Foerst Potts, M. Monroe, and T.W. Sadler. 13th International Congress of
Developmental Biology, Society for Developmental Biology and International Society for
Developmental Biologists, abstract, (1997).

Antisense Disruption of the Msx Genes Reveals Functional Roles Crucial to the Development of
Craniofacial, Eye and Axial Development: L. Foerst Potts, T.W. Sadler. 36th Annual Teratology
Society Meeting, abstract, (1996).

The Role of the MSX Homeobox Genes and Other Signals in Craniofacial Development: T.W.
Sadler, Ph.D., Jean M. Lauder, Ph.D., Dana L. Shuey, Ph.D., Julian Moiseiwitsch, D.D.S., and Linda
Foerst Potts. Proceedings of the Greenwood Genetic Center, Vol. 15, abstract, (1996).

The Role of Msx-1 and Msx-2 in Development Using Antisense Technology with Murine Whole
Embryo Culture: L. Foerst Potts and T.W. Sadler.
Teratology 51: 156. Abstract and Presentation at the 35th Annual Teratology Society Meeting, (1995).

HONORS, AWARDS and PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

Lecturer of the Year Award 2006

Recognized every year as UNCW faculty who have had a

significant impact on graduating seniors 2000-present

University of North Carolina Wilmington:

Activities:
Faculty advisor to Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society 1998-present

Tri-Beta Southeast District Convention- faculty representative 2007

Traveled with two UNCW students presenting research

Poster session judge-Tri-Beta Southeast District Convention 2007

Committees:
Scholarship Committee Chair 2000-present
New Hanover-Pender Medical Society Scholarship Committee 2008-present
Undergraduate Assessment Review Committee 2014-present
Advancement and Student Relations Committee 2009-2012
Master’s Thesis Committee for Samantha Johnson 2004-2005

194
 491

Curriculum Vitae
Carolina Priester
Lecturer phone: 910-962-2943
Dept. of Biology and Marine Biology priesterc@uncw.edu
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, NC 28403-5915 ________

EDUCATION

2012: Ph.D. UNC Wilmington. Advisor: Richard Dillaman

2003: M.S. UNC Wilmington. Advisor: Richard Dillaman
2001: B.S. cum laude UNC Wilmington. Marine Biology, Chemistry minor

APPOINTMENTS

Aug. 2012 to present: Lecturer, UNC Wilmington

Summer 2014: Lecturer for Cell Biology, UNC Wilmington

Laboratory instructor for Human Anatomy and Physiology I, UNC
Wilmington.

Summer 2013: Laboratory instructor for Human Anatomy and Physiology I, UNC
Wilmington.

2008 to 2012: Teaching Assistant, Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II, UNC
Wilmington.

2008 to 2012: Research Assistant, UNC Wilmington, Biology and Marine Biology
Department – Funded by NSF grant IOS-0719123 to S.T.K. and R.M.D., and
NIAMSD grant R15-AR-052708 to S.T.K.

2003 to 2008: Neuroscience Research Technician/Specialist, UNC Wilmington, Psychology

Department – Position funded through an 5 yr. NIH grant (NIMH
MH0671560) to Dr. Julian Keith (UNCW) and Dr. Robert Sutherland
(University of Lethbridge)

2001 to 2003: Teaching Assistant, Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II, UNC
Wilmington
2001 to 2003: Research Assistant, UNC Wilmington Microscopy lab – Research funded by
NSF grants IBN-0114597 and DBI-9978614 to R.M.D, R.D.R., T.H.S., and
Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research to C.P.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Priester, C., Braude, J.P., Morton, L.C., Kinsey, S.T., Watanabe, W.O., Dillaman, R.M. Ring bands in fish skeletal
muscle: Reorienting the myofibrils and cytoskeleton within a single cell. In press. doi: 10.1002/jmor.20055
Pathi, B., Kinsey, S.T., Howdeshell, M.E., Priester, C., McNeill, R.S., Locke, B.R. 2012. The formation and
functional consequences of heterogeneous mitochondrial distributions in skeletal muscle. Journal of
Experimental Biology. In press 195
 492

Priester C., Morton L.C., Kinsey S.T., Watanabe W.O., Dillaman R.M. 2011. Growth patterns and nuclear distribution
in white muscle fibers from black sea bass, Centropristis striata: evidence for the influence of diffusion. Journal of
Experimental Biology. 214, 1230-1239.

Hancock, A., Priester, C., Kidder, E., Keith, J.R. 2009. Does 5-bromo-2’-deoxyuridine (BrdU) disrupt cell
proliferation and neuronal maturation in the adult rat hippocampus in vivo? Behavioural Brain Research. 199,
218-221.

Keith, J.R., Priester, C., Ferguson, M., Salling, M., Hancock, A. 2008. Persistent increases in the pool of
doublecortin-expressing neurons in the hippocampus following spatial navigation training. Behavioural Brain
Research. 188, 391-397.

RECENT ABSTRACTS AND PRESENTATIONS

Priester, C., Cornelissen, A., Kinsey, S.T., Dillaman, R.M. 2012. Nuclear distribution in skeletal muscle of selected
members of Chondrichthyes. Oral presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

Priester, C., Kinsey, S.T., Dillaman, R.M. 2011. Nuclear distribution in skeletal muscle of selected members of
Elasmobranchs. Poster presentation at the regional Microscopy Meeting - ArEMs, Boone, North Carolina, USA.

Priester, C., Braude, J.P., Kinsey, S.T., Watanabe, W.O., Dillaman, R.M. 2011. Change in orientation of the
myofibrils and cytoskeleton in white muscle fibers of large black sea bass, Centropristis striata. Poster
presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Salt Lake City, Utah,
USA. *Best Student Poster Award*

Priester, C., Morton, L.C., Kinsey, S.T., Watanabe, W.O., Dillaman, R.M. 2010. Distribution of nuclei in white
muscle fibers of juvenile and adult black sea bass, Centropristis striata. Poster presentation at the annual meeting
of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Seattle, Washington, USA.

GRANTS

Fall 2014 ETEAL funded initiative. $ 870.00

HONORS, AWARDS, PROFESSONAL SERVICE

2014: Faculty Senate – Senator for Biology and Marine Biology

2014: Panelist on CTE/ETEAL forum for new faculty (ETEAL 101).
2014: Summer School Committee, Transfer advising, Majors Fair
2013: Seminar Committee, Transfer advising, Seahawk Saturday, Majors Fair, Pre-Health Fair
2012: Seminar Committee
2012: UNCW Graduate School Travel Award ($400) and Biology GSA Travel Award ($100)
2011: Best Student Poster Presentation at the annual meeting for the Soc. for Integrative and
Comparative Biol. ($100)
2011: UNCW Graduate School Travel Award ($400) and Biology GSA Travel Award ($100)
2010: UNCW Biology and Marine Biology annual Teaching Assistant Award ($100)
2010: UNCW Graduate School Travel Award ($400) and Biology GSA Travel Award ($100)
2009: UNCW Graduate Student Summer Research Award (1,000)

196
 493

Ryan G. Rhodes
Department of Biology and Marine Biology Ph: (910) 962-2208
University of North Carolina Wilmington Fax: (910) 962-4066
601 South College Road rhodesr@uncw.edu
Wilmington, NC 28403

EDUCATION

2009 Ph.D. Cell and Molecular Biology University of Rhode Island, Kingston,
RI
2000 M.S. Biology Edinboro University of PA, Edinboro,
PA
1997 B.S. Biology Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA

APPOINTMENTS

University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC

2013-Present Assistant Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology
St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, NY
2011-2013 Assistant Professor. Department of Biology.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI
2008-2011 Postdoctoral Research Associate. Department of Biological Sciences.

PUBLICATIONS

Shrivastava, A., R.G. Rhodes, S. Pochiraju, D. Nakane and M.J. McBride. Flavobacterium
johnsoniae RemA is a mobile cell surface lectin involved in gliding. J Bacteriol. 2012.
194(14):3678-3688.
Rhodes R.G., J.A. Atoyan and D.R. Nelson (2012). Adaptation to glucosamine starvation in
Borrelia burgdorferi is mediated by recA. In Lyme Disease, Ali Karami (Ed.).
ISBN: 978-953-51-0057-7.
Rhodes, R.G., M.N. Samarasam, E.J. Van Groll and M.J. McBride. Mutations in
Flavobacterium johnsoniae sprE result in defects in gliding motility and protein secretion.
J Bacteriol. 2011. 193(19):5322-5327.
Rhodes, R.G., H.G. Pucker and M.J. McBride. Development and use of a gene deletion
strategy for Flavobacterium johnsoniae to identify the redundant gliding motility genes
remF, remG, remH and remI. J Bacteriol. 2011. 193(10):2418-2428.
Rhodes, R.G., S.S. Nelson, S. Pochiraju and M.J. McBride. Flavobacterium johsoniae sprB is
part of an operon spanning the additional gliding genes sprC, sprD, and sprF. J Bacteriol.
2011. 193(3):599-610.
Mamber, S.W., V. Gurel, R.G. Rhodes and J. McMichael. Effects of streptolysin O on
extracellular matrix gene expression in normal human epidermal keratinocytes. Dose
Response. 2011. 9(4):554-578.
Rhodes, R.G., J.A. Atoyan and D.R. Nelson. The chitobiose transporter, chbC, is required for
chitin utilization in Borrelia burgdorferi. BMC Microbiol. 2010. 10:21.
197
 494

PUBLICATIONS
Rhodes, R.G., M.N. Samarasam, A. Shrivastava, J.M. van Baaren, S. Pochiraju, S. Bollampalli
and M.J. McBride. Flavobacterium johnsoniae gldN and gldO are partially redundant
genes required for gliding motility and for surface localization of SprB. J Bacteriol.
2010. 192(5):1201-1211.
Sato, K., M. Naito, H. Yukitake, H. Hirakawa, M. Shoji, M.J. McBride, R.G. Rhodes and K.
Nakayama. A protein secretion system linked to bacteroidete gliding motility and
pathogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2010. 107(1):276-281.
McBride, M.J., G. Xie, E.C. Martens, A. Lapidus, B. Henrissat, R.G. Rhodes, E. Goltsman, W.
Wang, J. Xu, D.W. Hunnicutt, A.M. Staroscik, T.R. Hoover, Y.Q. Cheng and J.L. Stein.
Novel features of the polysaccharide-digesting gliding bacterium Flavobacterium
johnsoniae revealed by genome sequence analysis. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2009.
75(21):6864-6875.
Rhodes, R.G., W. Coy and D.R. Nelson. Chitobiose utilization in Borrelia burgdorferi is dually
regulated by RpoD and RpoS. BMC Microbiol. 2009. 9:108.

INVITED PRESENTATIONS

2014 Characterization of N-acetylglucosamine utilization in the Lyme disease spirochete,

Borrelia burgdorferi. Beech Tree Labs, Inc. 21st Annual Meeting. September 2014.
Rensselaerville, NY.

2010 Novel motility and protein secretion machinery in Flavobacterium johnsoniae.

Milwaukee Microbiology Society. February 2010. Milwaukee, WI.

GRANTS

2014 Rhodes, R. (Principal), Erwin, P. M. (Co-Principal), Kiser, K. (Co-Principal).

"Molecular and Metabolic Approaches to Identify and Characterize Unknown
Microorganisms in BIOL 246 and BIOL 425", ETEAL-Supported Pedagogy
Initiative, University of North Carolina Wilmington, $3,499.58, Funded. (start:
April 2014, end: May 2015).

2014 Rhodes, R. (Principal). "Development of a Screening Tool to Identify the Chitinase

in the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi", Charles L. Cahill Award,
University of North Carolina Wilmington, $2,976.00, Funded. (start: January
2014, end: December 2014).

HONORS/AWARDS/PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

2007 Norris Wood Award for research excellence in microbiology, Department of Cell
and Molecular Biology, University of Rhode Island.
2007 Student Travel Grant Recipient, American Society for Microbiology 107th
General Meeting, Toronto, Canada.

198
 495

VITAE
Robert D. Roer
University of North Carolina Wilmington
601 S. College Rd.
Wilmington, NC 28403-5955
roer@uncw.edu

EDUCATION:

Sc.B. Aquatic Biology Brown University 1974

Ph.D. Zoology Duke University 1979
Dissertation: Mechanisms of Deposition and Resorption of Calcium in the Carapace of the
Green Crab, Carcinus maenas.

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Professor, Department of Biology & Marine Biology, University of North Carolina

Wilmington, 1990-present. Assistant Chair for Graduate Studies, 1994-2002.

Dean of the Graduate School and Research, Chief Research Officer, University of North
Carolina Wilmington, 2002-2012.

Assistant Professor and Associate Research Physiologist, 1979-1985; Associate Professor,

1985-1990. Assistant Director of the Institute for Marine Biomedical Research, University
of North Carolina Wilmington, 1981-1986.

Visiting Scientist, Zoology Department, University of Reading, England, 1975.

PUBLICATIONS (since 2007)

Zheng, J., T. Nakatsuji, R.D. Roer and R.D. Watson (2008) Studies of a receptor guanylyl cyclase
cloned from Y-organs of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), and its possible functional link to
ecdysteroidogenesis. Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 155: 780-788.

Williams, D.L., S. Modla, R.D. Roer and R.M. Dillaman (2009) Post-ecdysial change in the
permeability of the exoskeleton of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. J. Crust. Biol. 29: 550-555.
Zheng, J., H.-Y. Chen, C.Y. Choi, R.D. Roer and R.D. Watson (2010) Molecular cloning of a
putative crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) isoform from extra-eyestalk tissue of the blue
crab (Callinectes sapidus), and determination of temporal and spatial patterns of CHH gene
expression. Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 169: 174-181.

Chen, H.-Y., R.M. Dillaman, R.D. Roer and R.D. Watson (2012) Stage-specific changes in calcium
concentration in crustacean (Callinectes sapidus) Y-organs during a natural molting cycle, and their
relation to the hemolymphatic ecdysteroid titer. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 163: 170-173.

Chen, H.-Y., R.D. Roer and R.D. Watson (2013) Molecular cloning of a plasma membrane Ca2+
ATPase (PMCA) from Y-organs of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), and determination of
199
spatial and temporal patterns of PMCA gene expression. Gene 522: 8-17.
 496

Dillaman, R.M., R.D. Roer, T. Shafer and S. Modla (2013) The Crustacean Integument: Structure
and Function. In: The Natural History of the Crustacea, Vol.1 – Functional Morphology &
Diversity. L. Watling and M. Thiel, eds. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, U.K. Pp. 140-166.

PRESENTATIONS (since 2007)

Council of Graduate Schools Pre-Meeting Workshop - “Enrollment Planning for Master’s Focused
Institutions” –2007 with Robin Bowen (Washburn Univ.)

Chen, H.-Y.; Dillaman, R.M.; Roer, R.D.; Watson, R.D.* (2011) Changes in intracellular calcium
concentration in crustacean (Callinectes sapidus) Y-organs: relation to the hemolymphatic
ecdysteroid titer. Annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Salt
Lake City.

Council of Graduate Schools Pre-Meeting Workshop - “Assessment and Review of Graduate

Programs – Master’s – 2012 with Robert Augustine.

Chen, H.-Y.; Dillaman, R.M.; Roer, R.D.; Watson, R.D.* (2013) Molecular Cloning of a cDNA
Encoding a Putative Plasma Membrane Calcium ATPase from Y-Organs of the Blue Crab
(Callinectes sapidus). Annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, San
Francisco.

Roer, R.; Vatcher, H.*; Dillaman, R. (2014) Structure of the meso- and urocardiac ossicles of the
blue crab, Callinectes sapidus - molt dynamics and aging. Annual meeting of the Society for
Integrative and Comparative Biology, Austin.

GRANTS RECEIVED:

Council of Graduate Schools and Ford Foundation, “Implementation of a Professional Master’s

Degree Program in Applied Gerontology”. Robert Roer – PI, Ellie Covan, co-PI. $20,000
from April 2005 - March 2007.
Council of Graduate Schools and Ford Foundation, “Implementation of a Professional Master’s
Degree Program in Applied Sociology”. Robert Roer – PI, Diane Levy, co-PI. $20,000
from April 2005 - March 2007.
Council of Graduate Schools and Ford Foundation, “Implementation of a Professional Master’s
Concentration in Applied Behavioral Analysis”. Robert Roer – PI, Carol Pilgrim, co-PI.
$20,000 from April 2005 - March 2007.
Council of Graduate Schools and Sloan Foundation, “Implementation of a Professional Master’s
Degree Program in Computer Science and Information Systems”. Robert Roer – PI, Ron
Vetter and Cem Canel, co-PI. $25,000 from April 2005 - March 2007.
UNC General Administration, “Undergraduate Research Expansion”. Robert Roer – PI. $10,500
from May 2006 – May 2007.
UNC General Administration, “Faculty Engagement in Sponsored Research”. Robert Roer – PI.
$50,000 from July 2006 – June 2007.
UNC General Administration and Sloan Foundation, “Implementation of a Professional Master’s
Degree Program in Environmental Science”. Robert Roer – PI, Jeff Hill – co-PI.
200
$29,500 from October 2006 - June 2007.
 497

NCSU and Sloan Foundation, “Plan PSM in Pharmaceutical Clinical Research”. Robert Roer – PI,
Kris Walters – co-PI. $13,000 from March 2009 – June 2009.
NSF – Graduate Research Fellowship Program. Robert Roer – PI. $122,500 from August 2009 –
June 2014.
U.S. Department of Interior – JICMS Coral Reef Initiative. Stephen Meinhold – Lead PI, Robert
Roer – PI. $624,839 from April 2010 – March 2013.
UNCW - Monitoring and Mapping of Threatened Acroporid Corals in the U.S. Jurisdiction:
development of a multi-state conservation program. Robert Roer – Lead PI, Steven Miller –
PI. $52,722 from April 2012 – March 2013.
N.C. Sea Grant - Possible Use of Eyestalk Annuli for Age Determination in the Blue Crab,
Callinectes sapidus – $4,400 from January 2013 – December 2013.
N.C. Sea Grant - Validating a New and Reliable Method to Determine the Age of Blue Crabs -
$66,000 from February 2014 – January 2016.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE:

Conference of Southern Graduate Schools – member of the executive board, 2007-10.

Council of Graduate Schools – member of the advisory panel for the master’s completion project,
2010-2012.

Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology – treasurer-elect, 2009-10; treasurer, 2010-13

GRE Services Committee, Educational Testing Service, member 2012-2015.

201
 498

Name: Richard Satterlie

Education:
Sonoma State University (California) B.A. 1973
University of California, Santa Barbara Ph.D. 1978
University of Alberta (Canada) Post-Doc 1978-1980

Appointments:
UNCW - Frank Hawkins Kenan Distinguished Professor of Marine Biology 2004 – present
Arizona State University Professor 1991 – 2004
Arizona State University Associate Professor 1985 – 1991
Arizona State University Assistant Professor 1980 – 1985
University of Alberta Lecturer 1979 – 1980

Military Service:
Army National Guard (California) – 1969-1975 Honorable Discharge at rank Sergeant, E-5

Publications (from a total of 80): Red – UNCW graduate students; Blue – Arizona State
graduate students (now both individuals have faculty appointments)

2014 Satterlie, R.A. Acute Responses and Multiple Conducting Systems in Cubomedusae.
Biol. Bull. IN PRESS.
2013 Satterlie, R.A. and J.M. Eichinger. Organization of the ectodermal nervous structures in
jellyfish: Scyphomedusae. Biol. Bull. 226: 29-40.
2013 Eichinger, J.M. and R.A. Satterlie. Organization of the ectodermal nervous structures in
jellyfish: Cubomedusae. Biol. Bull. 226: 41-55.
2013 Satterlie, R.A. Toward an Integrative Neurobiology: Integrative Neuroethology. Int. Comp.
Biol. 53: 183-191.
2011 Szymik, B. and R.A. Satterlie. Changes in wingstroke kinematics associated with a
change in swimming speed in a pteropod mollusk, Clione limacina. J. Exp. Biol. 214: 3935-
3947.
2011 Satterlie, R.A. Do jellyfish have a central nervous system? J. Exp. Biol. 214: 1215
1223.
2010 Pirtle, T.J. and R.A. Satterlie. A hyperpolarization-activated inward current alters swim
frequency of the pteropod mollusk Clione limacina. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A. 157:
319-327.
2009 Satterlie, R.A., J.S. Pearse, and K.P. Sebens. The black box, the creature from the Black
lagoon, August Krogh, and the dominant animal. Int. Comp. Biol. 49: 89-92.
2009 Gray, C.G., V. Martin and R.A. Satterlie. Ultrastructure of retinal synapses in cubozoans.
Biol. Bull.
2008 Satterlie, R.A. and C. Courtney. Hexamethonium sensitivity of the swim musculature of
the pteropod mollusc, Clione limacina. Invert. Neurosci. 8: 157-166.
2008 Satterlie, R.A. Control of Swimming in the hydrozoan jellyfish Aequorea victoria:
Subumbrellar organization and local inhibition. J. Exp. Biol. 211: 3467-3477.
2007 Nishikawa, K., A.A. Biewener, P. Aerts, A.N. Ahn, H.J. Chiel, M.A. Daley, T.L. Daniel,
R.J. Full, M.E. Hale, T.L. Hedrick, D.E. Koditschek, A.K. Lappin, T.R. Nichols, R.D.
Quinn, R.E. Ritzmann, R.A. Satterlie, and B. Szymik. Neuromechanics: An integrative
approach for understanding motor control. Int. Comp. Biol. 47: 16-54
2007 Satterlie, R.A. Recent developments in neurobiology: Introduction to the symposium 202
honoring Professor Douglas G. Stuart. Int. Comp. Biol. 47: 447-450
 499

2007 Pirtle, T.J. and R.A. Satterlie. The role of postinhibitory rebound in the locomotor central
pattern generator of Clione limacina. Int. Comp. Biol. 47: 451-456
2006 Pirtle, T.J. and R.A. Satterlie. Role of the type-12 interneurons in swim acceleration in
Clione limacina. Invert. Neurosci. 6: 161-168.
2005 Satterlie, R.A., K.S. Thomas and G.C. Gray. Muscle organization of the cubozoan
jellyfish Tripedalia cystophora Conant 1897. Biol. Bull. 209: 154-163.
2004 Satterlie, R.A. and R.L. Cooper. Recent developments in neurobiology: Introduction to the
symposium. Integrat. Comp. Biol. 44: 1-3.
2004 Pirtle, T.J. and R.A. Satterlie. Cellular mechanisms underlying swim acceleration in
pteropod mollusk, Clione limacina. Integrat. Comp. Biol. 44: 37-46.
2002 Satterlie, R.A. Control of Swimming in Jellyfish: A Comparative Story. Can. J.
Zool. 80: 1654-1669.
2001 Satterlie, R.A. and T. Nolen. Why do cubomedusae have only four swim pacemakers? J.
Exp. Biol. 204: 1413-1419.
2001 Satterlie, R.A. and T.P. Norekian. Neuronal control of locomotory speed: The
pteropod solution. Amer. Zool. 42: 1001-1008.
2001 Norekian, T.P. and R.A. Satterlie. Serotonergic neural system not only activates swimming,
but also inhibits competing neural centers in a pteropod mollusc. Amer. Zool. 42: 993-
1000.
2001 Satterlie, R.A. Swimming in Opisthobranch Mollusks: Introduction to the Symposium.
Amer. Zool. 42: 939-942.
2000 Satterlie, R.A. and T.P. Norekian. Serotonin-induced spike narrowing in a locomotor
pattern generator permits increases in cycle frequency during accelerations. J.
Neurophysiol. 83: 2163-2170
2000 Moroz, L.L., T.P. Norekian, T.J. Pirtle, K.J. Robertson and R.A. Satterlie. Distribution of
NADPH-Diaphorase reactivity and effects of nitric oxide on feeding and locomotory
circuitry in the pteropod mollsuc, Clione limacina. J. Comp. Neurol. 427: 274-284.

Presentations (2005 to present):

2013 Zimmerman, K.L. and R.A. Satterlie. Muscular organization of a scyphozoan jellyfish:
Aurelia aurita. (poster presentation) SICB annual meeting, January 2013
2013 Eichinger, J.M. and R.A. Satterlie. Neuromuscular facilitation in the motor networks of
cubomedusae. (oral presentation) SICB annual meeting, January 2013
2013 Satterlie, R.A. “Altering rhythmicity: Slow dance, fast dance, hither and yon. (Plenary
Lecture), SICB annual meeting, January 2013
2012 Satterlie, R.A. Fall meeting, Office of Naval Research MURI program (Bioinspired
robotics), ONR, Bethesda, MD, “Neuromuscular facilitation in jellyfish locomotion.
2012 R.A. Satterlie – Fall meeting. Office of Naval Research MURI program (Bioinspired
robotics) “Neuromuscular facilitation in scyphozoan and cubomedusan jellyfish”
2012 R.A. Satterlie – Spring meeting, Office of Naval Research MURI program (Bioinspired
robotics) “Organization of swim musculature in scyphozoan jellyfish”
2012 Presentations at annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
 R.A. Satterlie – FMRFamide immunoreactivity and the diffuse nerve net of
scyphozoan and cubozoan jellyfish. (oral presentation)
 Eichinger, J. and R.A. Satterlie – Turning mechanisms in cubomedusae. (poster
presentation)
 Plyler, J. and R.A. Satterlie – Organization of the pedal serotonergic cluster neurons
in the pteropod mollusc, Clione (poster presentation)
 Szymik, B.G. and R.A. Satterlie – Gait selection in a pteropod mollusk: 203
Examining the kinematics of Clione swimming. (poster presentation)
 500

2011 R.A. Satterlie – Fall meeting, Office of Naval Research MURI program (Bioinspired
robotics) “Neural organization of scyphozoan and cubozoan jellyfish.”
2011 Invited symposium presentation – Canadian Society of Zoologists, Ottawa, Ontario
Canada. “Control of Swimming in Medusae: Beyond Diffuse Nerve Nets.
2011 Presentations at annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
 R.A. Satterlie – Microelectrode electroporation of fluorescent dyes: Identification of
small neurons and muscle cells. (poster presentation)
 Eichinger, J. and R.A. Satterlie – Neural characteristics of cubomedusan swim
muscle. (poster presentation)
2010 Invited seminar speaker – 3rd Annual George D. Grice Jr. Lecture, Fort Johnson
Marine Science Seminar Series, College of Charleston. “Neural Control of Jellyfish
Swimming: A Tale of Two Georges.
2009 Presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology: R.A. Satterlie – Nervous System “Centralization” in Jellyfish (oral presentation)
2008 Presentations at annual meeting of the Society for Integrative an Comparative Biology
 R.A. Satterlie – Two types of mechanoreceptors in the wings of a pteropod mollusc.
(oral presentation)
 B.G. Szymik and R.A. Satterlie – Changes in wingstroke kinematics associated with
an increase in swimming speed in a pteropod mollusk, Clione limacina. (poster
presentation)
2008 International Molluscan Neuroscience meeting – San Juan, Puerto Rico (invited oral
presentation). Title: “In the Mood: Neurobiological Analysis of Behavioral States in the
Pteropod Mollusc Clione limacina.
2007 Opisthobranch Neurobiology Symposium – June, Friday Harbor Laboratories, Friday
Harbor, Washington (invited participant) Title, “Neural Control of
Locomotory Speed in a Pteropod Mollusk.”
2007 Symposium participant – Recent Developments in Neurobiology – Symposium to Honor
Professor Douglas G. Stuart (Phoenix Meeting, January 2006). Presentation title:
“Neural Control of Locomotory Speed in a Pteropod Mollusk.”
2007 Poster Presentations – 2007 annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology (Phoenix, AZ)
 Gray, G.C. and R.A. Satterlie. – Ultrastructure of Invaginated Synapses in the Retina of
Cubomedusan Complex Eyes
 Hayward, R. and R.A. Satterlie - Pacemaker coordination in Scyphozoan Jellyfish
 Jacobson, B. and R.A. Satterlie - Structure and Function of Rhopalial Stalk Musculature in
Cubomedsuae
2006 Invited Seminar – University of South Carolina – “Neural Control of Locomotory Speed
Control in a Flying Mollusk”
2006 Invited symposium presentation - Satterlie, R.A. and B. Szymik. “Changing Locomotor
Speed in a Mollusk: From Neurobiology to Mechanics.” In the Biomechanics and
Neuromuscular Control symposium (organized by Kiisa Nishikawa).
2006 Invited presentation at annual meeting Southeastern Nerve Net, Atlanta, GA.
Satterlie, R.A. “How Jellyfish Swim.” Evening invited talks.
2006 Poster presentation - Annual meeting, SICB: Szymik, B, and R.A. Satterlie. Kinematics
of Pteropod Swimming from Tethered and Freely Swimming Animals.”
2005 Oral Presentation – 2005 annual meeting, Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology (San Diego) “In the Mood: Neurobiological Characteristics of Motivational
State and Arousal in a Pteropod Mollusk.”
2005 Poster Presentations – 2005 annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and
204
Comparative Biology
 501

 Pirtle, T.J. and R. A. Satterlie. “The Relative Contribution of Cellular and Circuit Level
Properties to Swim Acceleration in Clione limacina”
 Thomas, K.S. and R.A. Satterlie. “How do Jellyfish Turn? Neuromuscular Considerations”
 Szymik, B.G. and R.A. Satterlie. “A Three-Dimensional Analysis of Pteropod Swimming at
Different Speeds”
2005 Popular Presentation: Planet Ocean Series, UNCW (CMS) “When Molluscs Fly”

Grants:
1999 National Science Foundation – (Co-PI) “IGERT: Musculo-Skeletal and Neural Adaptations
in Form and Function” – 5 years, $2,699,999.
2000 NIH – RO1 – “Neural Control of a Ballistic Startle Response” 3 years, $471,529
2001 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship – “Modular and Multifunctional
Nature of Arousal Systems” - 1 year, $26,161
2004 National Science Foundation – “Acquisition of a Confocal Microscope” (co-PI)
3 years, $310,173
2009 National Science Foundation – “Control of Directional Swimming in Cubomedusae” 5
years, $400,181.
2009 National Science Foundation – “Expansion of the Seawater System of the Center for
Marine Science” 3 years, $109,920.
2009 Office of Naval Research MURI program “Jellyfish Autonomous Node and Colonies:
Modeling Biological Structure and Behavior, System Architecture Design and
Implementation” (PI – S. Priya) 5 years, $4,000,000.

Honors and Awards:

2002 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship (Academic Year 2002-03)
2007-2009 President-elect, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
2009-2011 President, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
2011-2013 Past President, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology

Other Creative Activities:

Novels published:
Phoenix Historical Fiction Whiskey Creek Press, July 2006
Something Bad Horror Medallion Press, October 2007
Agnes Hahn Psychological Suspense Medallion Press, August 2008
Imola Psychological Suspense Medallion Press, September 2009
3.99 Psychological Suspense Musa Publications 2012

The Stick (Horror short story), published in Fear: An Anthology of Horror and Suspense
Whiskey Creek Press, September 2006

Rollicking Anthropomorphisms and Other Observations on the Human Condition (Poetry

Collection), Whiskey Creek Press, January 2008.

205
 502

Frederick S. Scharf
Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology
University of North Carolina Wilmington
601 South College Rd., Wilmington, NC 28403-5915
Tel. (910) 962-7796; Fax. (910) 962-4066
email: scharff@uncw.edu

Education
2001 Ph.D., Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Dissertation: The influence of behavior on size-structured predator-prey interactions:
prey susceptibility, predator selection, and population-level consequences for
estuarine fishes

1997 M.Sc., Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Thesis: Predator size-prey size relationships and predator dynamics of marine fish on
the Northeast U. S. Continental Shelf

1994 B.Sc., Biology major/Marine Sciences minor, State University of New York at
Stony Brook.

Research areas
Recruitment processes in marine and estuarine fishes, mortality estimation, early life history,
sampling and experimental design, population assessment, behavioral ecology of fishes, fish
associations with structured habitats, predator-prey interactions, fish physiology and growth
dynamics, fish reproduction

Professional appointments
Aug 2012 – present Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of
North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC

Aug 2008 – Jul 2012 Associate Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology,
University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC

Jan 2003 – Jul 2008 Assistant Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology,
University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC

Sep 2001 – Dec 2002 National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow, National Marine
Fisheries Service, Sandy Hook, New Jersey

Aug 1998 – Aug 2001 Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Natural Resources
Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Jul 1997 - Aug 1998 Fisheries Biologist, Coastal Fisheries Division, Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department

Aug 1994 - Jul 1997 Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Forestry and Wildlife
Management, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
206
 503

Jan 1993 - Aug 1994 Research Assistant, Marine Sciences Research Center, State
University of New York at Stony Brook

Teaching experience (* indicates graduate course)

Courses taught: Fisheries Biology, Ecology of Fishes, Biostatistics*, Experimental Design*,
Principles of Zoology, Population Ecology*

Invited lectures and seminars

University of Massachusetts, Amherst (1995, 1996, 1997)
Harvard University (1996, 1999)
University of South Alabama (2002)
NOAA, James J. Howard Marine Laboratory (2002)
University of North Carolina Wilmington (2002, 2003, 2004, 2007)
East Carolina University (2005)
College of Charleston, Fort Johnson Seminar Series (2005)
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (2005)
North Carolina State, Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (2007)
NOAA Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research (2010)

Professional service

Reviewed articles for:

Aquaculture Research
Bulletin of Marine Science
Ecology
Estuaries
Fishery Bulletin
Journal of Fish Biology
Limnology and Oceanography
Marine and Coastal Fisheries
Marine and Freshwater Research
Northeastern Naturalist
Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries
Brazilian Journal of Oceanography
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
Ecological Applications
Estuarine and Coastal Shelf Science
ICES Journal of Marine Science
Journal of Freshwater Ecology
Marine Biology
Marine Ecology Progress Series
North American Journal of Fisheries Management
PLoS ONE
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society

Reviewed proposals for:

NOAA Bluefish-Striped Bass Research Program NOAA CMER Program
National Science Foundation (NSF) Texas Sea Grant
Georgia Sea Grant Maryland Sea Grant
Hudson River Foundation Virginia Sea Grant
NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office Austrian Science Fund

Professional society memberships:

American Fisheries Society since 1993
Early Life History Section (AFS) ***Hosted 2011 Larval Fish Conference***
Tidewater Chapter (AFS) – 2009-10 President ***Hosted 2009 Tidewater Chapter annual
meeting***
Southern Division Rep - Marine Fisheries Section (AFS) 2003-2010
207
 504

Fishery management advisory committees:

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries southern regional advisory committee (co-chair since
2013)
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries red drum advisory committee (co-chair)

Peer-reviewed publications since 2007 (student authors are in bold; 1 = undergraduate, 2 = MS, 3
= PhD)

Submitted or accepted:
Wang, V.H.3, M.A. McCartney, and F.S. Scharf. In review. Population genetic structure of
southern flounder inferred from multilocus DNA profiles. Marine and Coastal Fisheries:
Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science
Anderson, D.A.2, A.S. Willard, and F.S. Scharf. In review. Thermal sensitivity and maintenance
of osmoregulation of juvenile red drum exposed to winter temperatures. Comparative
Biochemistry and Physiology Part A
Klibansky, N.3 and F.S. Scharf. In review. Assessing gonadal maturity in hermaphroditic fishes:
comparisons between macro- and microscopic methods. Journal of Fish Biology
Midway, S.R.3, S.X. Cadrin, and F.S. Scharf. In press. Southern flounder (Paralichthys
lethostigma) stock structure inferred from otolith shape analysis. Fishery Bulletin

Published:
Anderson, D.A.2 and F.S. Scharf. 2014. The effect of variable winter severity on size-dependent
overwinter mortality caused by acute thermal stress in juvenile red drum (Sciaenops
ocellatus). ICES Journal of Marine Science 71(4):1010-1021.
Midway, S.R.3, J.W. White, W. Roumillat, C.B. Batsavage, and F.S. Scharf. 2013. Improving
macroscopic maturity determination in a pre-spawning flatfish through predictive modeling
and whole mount methods. Fisheries Research 147:359-369.
Klibansky, N.3 and F.S. Scharf. 2013. Size-dependent and temporal variability in batch number
and fecundity of red porgy (Pagrus pagrus), an indeterminate protogynous hermaphrodite
in the US South Atlantic. Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and
Ecosystem Science 5:39-52.
Friedl, S.E.2*, J.A. Buckel, J.E. Hightower, F.S. Scharf, and K.H. Pollock. 2013. Telemetry-
based mortality estimates of juvenile spot in two North Carolina estuarine creeks.
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 142:399-415.
Midway, S.R.3 and F.S. Scharf. 2012. Histological analysis reveals larger size at maturity for
southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) with implications for biological reference
points. Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science
4:628-638.
Facendola, J.J.2 and F.S. Scharf. 2012. Seasonal and ontogenetic variation in the diet and daily
ration of estuarine red drum derived from field-based estimates of gastric evacuation and
consumption. Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem
Science 4:546-559.
Gillum, Z.D.1, J.J. Facendola2, and F.S. Scharf. 2012. Consumption and gastric evacuation in
juvenile red drum Sciaenops ocellatus (Linnaeus): estimation of prey type effects and
validation of field-based daily ration estimates. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology
and Ecology 413:21-29.
Smith, W.E.2, and F.S. Scharf. 2011. Post-release survival of sub-legal southern flounder
captured in a commercial gill-net fishery. North American Journal of Fisheries
208
Management 31:445-454.
 505

Smith, W.E.2, and F.S. Scharf. 2010. Demographic characteristics of southern flounder,
Paralichthys lethostigma, harvested by an estuarine gill net fishery. Fisheries
Management and Ecology 17:532-543.
Goshe, L.R.2, L. Avens, F.S. Scharf, and A.L. Southwood. 2010. Estimation of age at
maturation and growth of Atlantic green turtles (Chelonia mydas) using skeletochronology.
Marine Biology 157:1725-1740.
Smith, W.E.2, F.S. Scharf, and J.E. Hightower. 2009. Fishing mortality in North Carolina’s
southern flounder fishery: Direct estimates of F from a tag-return experiment. Marine and
Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science 1:283-299.
Scharf, F.S., J.A. Buckel, and F. Juanes. 2009. Contrasting patterns of resource utilization
between juvenile estuarine piscivores: the influence of relative prey size and foraging
ability on the ontogeny of piscivory. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
66:790-801.
Balmer, B.C.3, Wells, R.S., Nowacek, S.M., Nowacek, D.P., Schwacke, L.H., McLellan W. A.,
Scharf, F.S., Rowles, T. K., Hansen, L.J., Spradlin, T.R, and Pabst, D.A. 2008. Seasonal
abundance and distribution patterns of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) near St.
Joseph Bay, Florida, USA. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 10(2):157-
167.
Bacheler, N.M.3*, L.M. Paramore, J.A. Buckel, and F.S. Scharf. 2008. Recruitment of juvenile
red drum in North Carolina: spatiotemporal patterns of year-class strength and validation of
a seine survey. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 28:1086-1098.
Stewart, C.B.2, and F.S. Scharf. 2008. Estuarine recruitment, growth, and first year survival of
age-0 juvenile red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) in North Carolina. Transactions of the
American Fisheries Society 137:1089-1103.
Fabrizio, M.C., F.S. Scharf, G.R. Shepherd, and J.E. Rosendale. 2008. Factors affecting catch
and release mortality of bluefish. North American Journal of Fisheries Management
28:533-546.
Barnes, C., Bethea, D. M., Buckel, J. A., Carlson, J. K., Satterwhite, M., Brodeur, R. D., Spitz, J.,
Ridoux, V., Pusineri, C., Chase, B. C., Hunsicker, M. E., Juanes, F., Conover, D. O.,
Kellermann, A., Lancaster, J., Menard, F., Labrune, C., Shin, Y.-J., Asine, A.-S., Bard,
F.-X., Munk, P., Pinnegar, J. K., Scharf, F. S., Rountree, R. A., Stergiou, K. I., Fourtouni,
H., Sassa, C., Sabates, A., and Jennings, S. 2008. Predator and prey body sizes in marine
food webs. Data paper in Ecology 89:881.
Lanier, J.M.2 and F.S. Scharf. 2007. Experimental investigation of spatial and temporal
variation in estuarine growth of age-0 juvenile red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). Journal of
Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 349:131-141.

Professional presentations since 2007 (presenter is underlined; students in bold; 1 =

undergraduate, 2 = MS, 3 = PhD)

Hollensead, L. D.3, Scharf, F. S., White, J. W. Annual meeting, AFS Tidewater Chapter, Newport
News, VA, "Monitoring movement of southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) to examine
habitat use and migration patterns in a North Carolina estuary", Academic, Regional. (March
2014).
Poland, S. J.2, Scharf, F. S. Annual meeting, AFS Tidewater Chapter, Newport News, VA,
"Trophic Dynamics of Large Pelagic Fish Predators in the US South Atlantic", Academic,
Regional. (March 2014).
Poland, S. J.2, Scharf, F. S. Annual meeting, AFS Southern Division, Charleston, SC, "Trophic
Dynamics of Large Pelagic Fish Predators in the U.S. South Atlantic", Academic, National. 209
(January 2014).
 506

Anderson, D. A.2, Williard, A. L., Scharf, F. S. Annual meeting, American Fisheries Society, Little
Rock, AR, "Determining The Temperature Sensitivity Of Gill Na+/K+ Atpase Function: An
Alternative Method and Interpretation", Academic, International. (September 2013).
Peacock, T.2, Overton, A. S., Scharf, F. S., Paramore, L. M., Roumillat, W., Arnott, S. Annual
meeting, American Fisheries Society, Little Rock, AR, "Feeding Ecology of Adult Red Drum
Sciaenops Ocellatus From Coastal Waters of North Carolina and South Carolina: Responses to
Spatiotemporal Differences in Prey Assemblages", Academic, International. (September 2013).
Scharf, F. S. Annual meeting, American Fisheries Society, Little Rock, AR, "Impacts of Winter On
Productivity of YOY Red Drum: Field and Laboratory Evidence for Cohort Modification
Toward the Northern Edge of the Range", Academic, International. (September 2013).
Bacheler, N. M., Paramore, L. M., Buckel, J. A., Scharf, F. S. Annual meeting, American Fisheries
Society, Little Rock, AR, "Recruitment of Juvenile Red Drum in North Carolina: Spatiotemporal
Patterns of Year-Class Strength and Validation of a Seine Survey", Academic, International.
(September 2013).
Klibansky, N.3, Scharf, F. S. Annual meeting, American Fisheries Society, Little Rock, AR,
"Success and Failure of Macroscopic Gonad Analysis in Two Protogynous Hermaphrodites
(black sea bass, Serranidae; red porgy, Sparidae)", Academic, International. (September 2013).
Poland, S. J.2, Brasso, R. L.3, Scharf, F.S. North Carolina Sea Grant research symposium,
Raleigh, NC, “Seasonal and size-specific variation of total mercury content in large pelagic
fishes off North Carolina”, Professional, State. (April 2014).
Hollensead, L.3, Scharf, F. S. Annual meeting, AFS Southern Division, Charleston, SC,
"Examining Fine-Scale Movement of Estuarine Southern Flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma)
Using a Combination of Active and Passive Acoustic Techniques", Academic, National. (January
2014).

Anderson, D. A.2, Scharf, F. S. Annual Meeting of the Tidewater Chapter of the American
Fisheries Society, Solomons, MD, "Size-selective patterns of juvenile red drum mortality as a
result of variable winter severity", Academic, Regional. March 2013. **Won best student paper
award**
Anderson, D. A.2, Williard, A. L., Scharf, F. S. Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, San Francisco, CA,
"Osmoregulatory disruption due to acute cold stress in a juvenile estuarine fish", Academic,
International. January 2013.
Binion, S. M.3*, Reich, B. J., Buckel, J. A., Scharf, F. S. Annual meeting of the Tidewater Chapter
of the American Fisheries Society, Solomons, MD, "Bayesian nonparametric approach to
estimate the number of stomachs required to fully describe fish diet", Academic, Regional.
March 2013.
Grieshaber, C.1, Midway, S. R.3, Scharf, F. S., Luckenbach, A., Middleton, M. Annual meeting of
the Tidewater Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Solomons, MD, "Seasonal
physiological changes in maturing southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma", Academic,
Regional. March 2013. **2nd place: best student poster award**
Poland, S. J.2, Scharf, F. S., Staudinger, M. D. Annual meeting of the Tidewater Chapter of the
American Fisheries Society, Solomons, MD, "Trophic dynamics of large pelagic fish predators in
the US South Atlantic", Academic, Regional. March 2013.
Grieshaber, C.1, S.R. Midway3, J.A. Luckenbach, M.A. Middleton, and F.S. Scharf. Evaluation
of an accurate and non-lethal tool to assess maturity of North Carolina southern flounder.
Poster presentation at the 142nd annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society, St.
Paul, MN, August 2012.
210
 507

Midway, S.R.3, F.S. Scharf, and J.W. White. Using macroscopic traits to hindcast and predict
maturity in southern flounder. Oral presentation at the 142nd annual meeting of the American
Fisheries Society, St. Paul, MN, August 2012.
Klibansky, N.3 and F.S. Scharf. Annual fecundity in the indeterminate spawner, Pagrus pagrus:
Incorporatings size-based variation in reproductive indicators. Oral presentation at the 142nd
annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society, St. Paul, MN, August 2012.
Anderson, D.A.2 and F.S. Scharf. Experimental evaluation of patterns and mechanisms of
juvenile red drum mortality due to acute cold stress during severe winters. Oral
presentation at the Larval Fish Conference (ELHS – AFS), Bergen, Norway, July 2012.
Honorable mention – Sally Richardson best paper award
Midway, S.R.3, J.W. White, and F.S. Scharf. Using macroscopic traits to hindcast and forecast
maturity in southern flounder. Oral presentation at the 26th annual meeting of the Tidewater
Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Beaufort, NC, March 2012.
Klibansky, N.3 and F.S. Scharf. Seasonal fecundity and reproductive pattern for red porgy in the
US South Atlantic. Oral presentation at the 26th annual meeting of the Tidewater Chapter of
the American Fisheries Society, Beaufort, NC, March 2012.
Midway, S.R.3, Davis, M.M.1, and F.S. Scharf. Stock structure of southern flounder,
Paralichthys lethostigma, in the US South Atlantic inferred from otolith morphometrics.
Poster presented at the 26th annual meeting of the Tidewater Chapter of the American Fisheries
Society, Beaufort, NC, March 2012.
Grieshaber, C.1, Midway, S.R.3, and F.S. Scharf. Evaluation of an accurate and non-lethal tool to
assess maturity of North Carolina southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma. Poster presented
at the 26th annual meeting of the Tidewater Chapter of the American Fisheries Society,
Beaufort, NC, March 2012.
Midway, S.R.3 and F.S. Scharf. Updating size and age at maturity schedules for southern
flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma, in North Carolina. Oral presentation at the 141st annual
meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Seattle, WA, September 2011.
Anderson, D.A.2 and F.S. Scharf. Experimental evaluation of patterns and mechanisms of
juvenile red drum mortality due to acute cold stress during severe winters. Poster presented
th
at the 26 annual meeting of the Tidewater Chapter of the American Fisheries Society,
Beaufort, NC, March 2012.
Staudinger, M.D., A.K. Koske, F. Juanes and F.S. Scharf. The challenges to collecting foraging
ecology data from fish landed at recreational fishing tournaments. Oral presentation at the
62nd annual tuna conference on tunas and billfish, Lake Arrowhead, CA, May 2011.
Klibansky, N.3 and F.S. Scharf. Batch fecundity, spawning frequency, and other aspects of
reproduction of black sea bass, Centropristis striata (Serranidae). Oral presentation at the
Fish Reproduction and Fisheries (FRESH) working group conference, Vigo, Spain, May
2011.
Anderson, D.A.2 and F.S. Scharf. Patterns and mechanisms of mortality in juvenile red drum due
to acute cold stress. Poster presentation at the Larval Fish Conference (ELHS – AFS),
Wilmington, NC, May 2011.
Klibanski, N.3 and F.S. Scharf. Egg production and reproductive investment in black sea bass,
Centropristis striata (Serranidae). Oral presentation at the Larval Fish Conference (ELHS –
AFS), Wilmington, NC, May 2011.
Midway, S.R.3 and F.S. Scharf. Updating size and age at maturity schedules for southern flounder,
Paralichthys lethostigma, in North Carolina. Oral presentation at the Larval Fish Conference
(ELHS – AFS), Wilmington, NC, May 2011.
Gillum, Z.D.1, F.S. Scharf, J.J. Facendola2, and J.S. Vanderfleet. Consumption and gastric
211
 508

evacuation in juvenile red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus): validation of field-based daily ration
estimates. Oral presentation given at the Tidewater Chapter (American Fisheries Society)
annual meeting, Gloucester Point, VA, March 2011.
Midway, S.R.3, and F.S. Scharf. Updating size and age at maturity schedules for southern
flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma, in North Carolina. Oral presentation given at the Tidewater
Chapter (American Fisheries Society) annual meeting, Gloucester Point, VA, March 2011.
1 1
Staudinger, M.D., B.N. Salmon , M.S. Bell , and F.S. Scharf. Trophic ecology of pelagic
predators in the South Atlantic Bight determined from stable isotope analyses. Oral
presentation given at the Tidewater Chapter (American Fisheries Society) annual meeting,
Gloucester Point, VA, March 2011.
Salmon, B.N.1, M.D. Staudinger, M.S. Bell1, and F.S. Scharf. Food habits of dolphinfish,
Coryphaena hippurus, in the South Atlantic Bight. Poster presented at the Tidewater Chapter
(American Fisheries Society) annual meeting, Gloucester Point, VA, March 2011.
Bell, M.S.1, M.D. Staudinger, B.N. Salmon1, and F.S. Scharf. Regional food habits of wahoo
(Acanthcybium solandri). Poster presented at the Tidewater Chapter (American Fisheries
Society) annual meeting, Gloucester Point, VA, March 2011.
Davis, M.M.1, S.R. Midway3, and F.S. Scharf. Determining intra-ovary developmental
differences in southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma. Poster presented at the Tidewater
Chapter (American Fisheries Society) annual meeting, Gloucester Point, VA, March 2011.
Midway, S.R.3 and F. S. Scharf. Updating size- and age-at-maturity schedules for southern
flounder in North Carolina. Poster presented at the American Fisheries Society 140th
annual meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, September 2010.
Klibansky, N.3 and F.S. Scharf. Diel spawning in red porgy (Pagrus pagrus: Sparidae) in North
Carolina. Oral presentation given at the American Fisheries Society 140th annual meeting,
Pittsburgh, PA, September 2010.

S.E. Friedl, J.A. Buckel, J.E. Hightower, F.S. Scharf, and K.H. Pollock. Telemetry-based mortality
estimates of juvenile spot in two North Carolina estuarine creeks. Oral presentation given at the
American Fisheries Society 140th annual meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, September, 2010.

Scharf, F.S., W.E. Smith2, and J.K. Craig. Southern flounder ecology and population dynamics in
NC waters. Invited seminar at the NOAA Beaufort laboratory, February, 2010.
Facendola, J.J.2 and F.S. Scharf. Predation by sub-adult red drum on juvenile blue crabs:
estimation of daily ration and seasonal variation in the contribution of blue crabs to the
diet. Oral presentation given at the Southern Division (American Fisheries Society) annual
meeting, Ashville, NC, February, 2010. Best student paper award winner
Facendola, J.J.2, C.R. Foster1, M.T. Benavides1, J. Vanderfleet1, and F.S. Scharf. Ontogenetic
variation in the diet of estuarine red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) in North Carolina. Poster
presented at the Tidewater Chapter (American Fisheries Society) annual meeting,
Annapolis, MD, March 2010.
Klibansky, N.3, E.A. Lange1, and F.S. Scharf. Verifying macroscopic maturity staging with
histology in female red porgy. Poster presented at the Tidewater Chapter (American
Fisheries Society) annual meeting, Annapolis, MD, March 2010.
Klibansky, N.3 and F.S. Scharf. Diel spawning in red porgy (Pagrus pagrus: Sparidae) in North
Carolina. Oral presentation given at the Tidewater Chapter (American Fisheries Society)
annual meeting, Annapolis, MD, March 2010.
Klibansky, N.3 and F.S. Scharf. Diel spawning in red porgy (Pagrus pagrus: Sparidae) in North
Carolina. Oral presentation given at the Southern Division (American Fisheries Society)
annual meeting, Ashville, NC, February, 2010.
212
 509

Staudinger, M.D., Koske, A.K., Juanes, F., and F.S. Scharf. Foraging ecology of large pelagic
predators in the northwest Atlantic. Poster presented at the Tidewater Chapter (American
Fisheries Society) annual meeting, Annapolis, MD, March 2010.
Friedl, S.E.2, J.A. Buckel, J.E. Hightower, F.S. Scharf, & K.H. Pollock. Telemetry-based
mortality estimates of juvenile spot in two North Carolina estuarine creeks. Oral
presentation given at the Tidewater Chapter (American Fisheries Society) annual meeting,
Annapolis, MD, March 2010.
Friedl, S.E.2, J.A. Buckel, J.E. Hightower, F.S. Scharf, & K.H. Pollock. Telemetry-based
mortality estimates of juvenile spot in two North Carolina estuarine creeks. Poster
presented at the 5th annual Graduate Student Research Symposium, North Carolina State
University, Raleigh, NC, March 2010.
Friedl, S.E.2, J.A. Buckel, J.E. Hightower, F.S. Scharf, & K.H. Pollock. Telemetry-based
mortality estimates of juvenile spot in two North Carolina estuarine creeks. Poster
presented at the Southern Division (American Fisheries Society) Spring meeting, Asheville,
NC, February, 2010.
Midway, S.R.3 and F. S. Scharf. Updating size- and age-at-maturity schedules for southern
flounder in North Carolina. Poster presented at the Tidewater Chapter (American Fisheries
Society) annual meeting, Annapolis, MD, March 2010.
Midway, S.R.3 and F. S. Scharf. Updating size- and age-at-maturity schedules for southern
flounder in North Carolina. Poster presented at the Southern Division (American Fisheries
Society) Spring meeting, Asheville, NC, February 2010.
Friedl, S.E.2, J.A. Buckel, J.E. Hightower, F.S. Scharf, and K.H. Pollock. Telemetry-based
survival estimates of juvenile spot in two North Carolina estuarine creeks. Poster presented
at the Early Life History Section (AFS) annual meeting, Portland, OR, July 2009.
3
Scharf, F.S., W.E. Smith *, and J.C. Taylor. Re-evaluating size and age at maturity of southern
flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) using reproductive histology and otolith
microchemistry. Poster presented at the 4th workshop on gonadal histology of fishes,
Cadiz, Spain, June 2009.
Klibansky, N.3 and F.S. Scharf. Evaluating macroscopic maturity staging in Centropristis striata
with photographic reassignment and histology. Poster presented at the 4th workshop on
gonadal histology of fishes, Cadiz, Spain, June 2009.
Morgan, D.E.1 and F.S. Scharf. A comparison of otolith aging precision using scanning electron
and light microscopy. Poster presented at the spring Sigma Xi chapter meeting,
Wilmington, NC, April 2009.
Facendola, J.J.2 and F.S. Scharf. Predation by juvenile red drum on blue crabs: estimation of
daily ration and ontogenetic variation in the contribution of blue crab to the diet. Invited
oral presentation given at the NC Sea Grant Fisheries Forum, New Bern, NC, March 2009.
Smith, W.E.2, F.S. Scharf, J.E. Hightower, and K. Craig. Tag-return estimates of fishing
mortality in the NC southern flounder fishery. Invited oral presentation given at the NC
Sea Grant Fisheries Forum, New Bern, NC, March 2009.
Bacheler, N.M.*, L.M. Paramore, J.A. Buckel, and F.S. Scharf. Recruitment of juvenile red drum
in North Carolina: Spatiotemporal patterns of year-class strength and validation of a seine
survey. Oral presentation given at the Tidewater Chapter (AFS) annual meeting,
Wilmington, NC, March 2009.
Friedl, S.E.2, J.A. Buckel, J.E. Hightower, F.S. Scharf, and K.H. Pollock. Effects of
implanting a relatively large sonic telemetry tag on growth, survival, and tag retention in
age-1 spot. Poster presented at the Tidewater Chapter (AFS) annual meeting, Wilmington, NC,
March 2009.
213
 510

Morgan, D.E.1 and F.S. Scharf. A comparison of otolith aging precision using scanning electron
and light microscopy. Poster presented at the Tidewater Chapter (AFS) annual meeting,
Wilmington, NC, March 2009.
Smith, W.E.2 and F.S. Scharf. Post-release survival of sub-legal southern flounder (Paralichthys
lethostigma) captured in a commercial gill net fishery. Poster presented at the Tidewater
Chapter (AFS) annual meeting, Wilmington, NC, March 2009.
Martin, C.R.2 and F.S. Scharf. Intracohort variation in vital rates of age-0 red drum (Sciaenops
ocellatus): testing for demographic restructuring overwinter. Oral presentation given at the
Tidewater Chapter (AFS) annual meeting, Wilmington, NC, March 2009.
Facendola, J.J.2 and F.S. Scharf. Predation by age-0 red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) on juvenile
blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus): estimation of daily ration and seasonal variation in the
contribution of blue crab to the diet. Oral presentation given at the Tidewater Chapter
(AFS) annual meeting, Wilmington, NC, March 2009.
Smith, W.E.2, F.S. Scharf, J.E. Hightower, and K. Craig. Fishery management and tag-return
estimates of fishing mortality: an example in the NC southern flounder fishery. Oral
presentation given at the American Fisheries Society annual meeting, Ottawa, Can, August
2008.
Martin, C.R.2 and F.S. Scharf. Intracohort variation in growth and mortality of age-0 red drum
(Sciaenops ocellatus) with evidence for demographic restructuring during the overwinter
period. Oral presentation given at the American Fisheries Society annual meeting, Ottawa,
Can, August 2008.
Facendola, J.J.2 and F.S. Scharf. Predation by sub-adult red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) on
juvenile blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus): estimation of daily ration and seasonal variation
in the contribution of blue crab to the diet. Poster presented at the American Fisheries
Society annual meeting, Ottawa, Can, August 2008.
Klibansky, N.3, F.S. Scharf, D.M. Wyanski, and M.S. Baker. Improving the accuracy of maturity
staging in black sea bass (Centropristis striata). Poster presented at the American
Fisheries Society annual meeting, Ottawa, Can, August 2008.
Benavides, M.T.1, J.J. Facendola2, and F.S. Scharf. Reconstruction of original prey sizes from
digested remains using predictive linear equations with applications for interpreting predator-
prey relationships. Poster presented at the Sigma Xi chapter meeting,Wilmington, NC, April
2008.
Martin, C.R.2 and F.S. Scharf. Intracohort variation in vital rates of age-0 red drum (Sciaenops
ocellatus) with evidence for demographic restructuring during winter. Oral presentation
given at the Tidewater Chapter (AFS) annual meeting, Gloucester Point, VA, March 2008.
Facendola, J.F.2 and F.S. Scharf. Predation by juvenile red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) on
juvenile blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus): estimation of daily ration and seasonal variation
in the contribution of blue crab to the diet. Poster presented at the Tidewater Chapter
(AFS) annual meeting, Gloucester Point, VA, March 2008.
Brown, E.E.1, H.A. Lane2, H.N. Koopman, W.E. Smith2, and F.S. Scharf. Seasonal and size-
dependent patterns of energy storage by southern flounder in a southeastern North Carolina
estuary. Poster presented at the Tidewater Chapter (AFS) annual meeting, Gloucester
Point, VA, March 2008.
Benavides, M.T.1, J.J. Facendola2, and F.S. Scharf. Reconstruction of original prey sizes from
digested remains using predictive linear equations with applications for interpreting
predator-prey relationships. Poster presented at the Tidewater Chapter (AFS) annual
meeting, Gloucester Point, VA, March 2008.
Smith, W.E.2, F.S. Scharf, and J.E. Hightower. Fishery management and tag-return estimates of
fishing mortality: an example in the NC southern flounder fishery. Oral presentation
214
 511

given at the North Carolina chapter (AFS) annual meeting, Greenville, NC, February 2008. Best
student paper award winner
Bacheler, N.M.*, L.M. Paramore, J.A. Buckel, and F.S. Scharf. Recruitment of juvenile red drum
in North Carolina: Spatiotemporal patterns of year-class strength and validation of a seine
survey. Invited oral presentation at the NCDMF Southeast Regional Advisory Committee
meeting, Wilmington, NC, January 2008.
Bacheler, N.M.*, L.M. Paramore, J.A. Buckel, and F.S. Scharf. Spatiotemporal patterns of red
drum recruitment. Poster presented as part of the Best Student Poster Symposium at the
American Fisheries Society annual meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 2007.
Smith, W.E.2 and F.S. Scharf. Harvest mortality and maturity of southern flounder based on tag-
return experiments in the New and Neuse Rivers, NC. Oral presentation given at the
American Fisheries Society annual meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 2007.
Martin, C.R.2 and F.S. Scharf. Testing for demographic restructuring within cohorts of age-0
juvenile red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). Poster presented at the American Fisheries
Society annual meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 2007.
Smith, W.E.2 and F.S. Scharf. Harvest mortality and maturity of southern flounder based on a
tag-return experiment in the New River, NC. Invited oral presentation given to the North
Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries Southeast Advisory Committee, Wilmington, NC,
March 2007.
Scharf, F.S., D.A. Beresoff, and C.B. Stewart2. Recruitment and first year ecology of North
Carolina red drum: comparison of southeastern estuaries. Invited oral presentation at the
North Carolina Fisheries Forum, New Bern, NC, March 2007.
Martin, C.R.2 and F.S. Scharf. Testing for demographic restructuring within cohorts of age-0
juvenile red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). Poster presented at the Sigma Xi chapter
meeting,Wilmington, NC, March 2007.
Scharf, F.S. Population dynamics of North Carolina red drum: the potential contribution of
variable growth and mortality in the juvenile stage. Invited oral presentation at the Center
for Marine Sciences and Technology, North Carolina State University, Morehead City,
NC, February 2007.
Bacheler, N.3*, J.A. Buckel, F.S. Scharf, and L. Paramore. Spatial and temporal patterns of
recruitment of North Carolina red drum. Poster presented at the Tidewater Chapter (AFS)
annual meeting, Lewes, DE, February 2007.
Martin, C.R.2 and F.S. Scharf. Testing for demographic restructuring within cohorts of age-0
juvenile red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). Poster presented at the Tidewater Chapter (AFS)
annual meeting, Lewes, DE, February 2007.
Smith, W.E.2 and F.S. Scharf. Harvest mortality and maturity of southern flounder based on a
tag-return experiment in the New River, NC. Oral presentation at the Tidewater Chapter
(AFS) annual meeting, Lewes, DE, February 2007.

Extramural funding since 2007

NC Division of Marine Fisheries Marine Resources Fund: Scharf, F. S. (Principal), Buckel, J.A.
(Co-Principal), Hightower, J.E. (Co-Principal), “Estimating mortality for southern flounder using a
combined telemetry and conventional tagging approach”,$456,059.00, Funded. (start: July 1, 2014,
end: June 30, 2018).

North Carolina Sea Grant: White, J. (Co-Principal), Scharf, F. S. (Principal), Arnott, S. (Co-
Principal), "Population connectivity of southern flounder in the US South Atlantic", $127,958.00,
Funded. (start: February 1, 2014, end: January 2016).
215
 512

Mid-Atlantic Sea Grant: Scharf, F. S. (Co-Principal), Miller, T. (Principal), Jones, C. (Co-

Principal), Frisk, M. (Co-Principal), Nye, J. (Co-Principal), Jensen, O. (Co-Principal), Place, A.
(Co-Principal), Grant, "Regional fisheries management in a dynamic environment: a case study of
the black sea bass fisheries of the Mid-Atlantic", $660,000.00, Declined.

NC Division of Marine Fisheries Marine Resources Fund: An acoustic tagging study to evaluate
migration dynamics and within-estuary habitat use of southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma)
in North Carolina
Scharf, F.S., White, J.W., Collier, W.C., and Batsavage, C.
Funded at $229,466 for 7/1/2012 – 6/30-2014

North Carolina Sea Grant: Estimating the potential influence of hormone-disrupting compounds on
North
Carolina estuarine fishes
White, J.W., Brander, S.M., and Scharf, F.S.
Requested $73,170 for 2/1/2012 – 1/31/2014; (declined)

North Carolina Sea Grant: A comprehensive evaluation of biological and ecological factors
influencing the sustainable management of large pelagic fishes in North Carolina waters
Staudinger, M.D. and Scharf, F.S.
Funded at $66,960 for 2/1/2012 – 1/31/2014

Partnership for Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Science (NOAA): Assessing error rates and efficiency of a
two stage approach to determine the sex and maturity stage of black sea bass
Klibansky, N. and Scharf, F.S.
Funded at $68,724 for 6/1/2011 – 5/31/2012

NC Division of Marine Fisheries Marine Resources Fund: Trophic ecology of dolphinfish

(Coryphaena hippurus) in North Carolina waters
Staudinger, M.D. and Scharf, F.S.
Requested $136,037 for 7/1/2011 – 8/31-2013; (declined)

National Science Foundation – UBM Group: BioMaSS: Biological and Mathematic Synergistic
Science
Borrett, S., Freeze, M., Scharf, F.S. (co-PI), Simmons, S. and Van Tuinen, M.
Requested $239,546 for 6/15/10 – 6/14/13; (declined)

NC Division of Marine Fisheries Marine Resources Fund: Stock structure of southern flounder
(Paralichthys lethostigma) in North Carolina and US South Atlantic waters
Scharf, F.S., McCartney, M.A., and Batsavage, C.
Funded at $281,508 for 8/1/2010 – 7/31/2013

North Carolina Sea Grant: Updating size and age at maturity schedules for southern flounder
through examination of reproductive tissue and otolith microchemistry (year 2)
Scharf, F.S. and Taylor, J.C.
Funded at $47,221 for 8/1/10 – 7/31/11

North Carolina Sea Grant: The physiological basis of winter-induced stress and mortality in juvenile
red drum
216
Scharf, F.S. and Southwood, A.
 513

Funded at $66,338 for 2/1/2010 – 1/31/2012

North Carolina Sea Grant: Effects of habitat alteration and biotic interactions on survival of juvenile
estuarine fish
Buckel, J.A., Hightower, J.E., Letcher, B.H., and Scharf, F.S.
Funded at $120,000 for 2/1/2010 – 1/31/2012

North Carolina Sea Grant: Laboratory validation of field-based estimates of red drum foraging rates
Scharf, F.S. (sole PI)
Funded at $1,725 for 8/1/09 – 7/31/10

North Carolina Sea Grant: Impact of predation by red drum on juvenile blue crabs: estimation of
predator densities, juvenile blue crab loss rates, and fractional loss due to predation
Scharf, F.S. (sole PI)
$54,488 for 8/1/09 – 7/31/11 – declined

North Carolina Sea Grant: Updating size and age at maturity schedules for southern flounder
through examination of reproductive tissue and otolith microchemistry
Scharf, F.S. and Taylor, J.C.
$94,441 for 8/1/09 – 7/31/11 – funded at $47,221

North Carolina Sea Grant: Does density-dependent mortality in a juvenile estuarine fish limit
recruitment?
Buckel, J.A., Scharf, F.S. (co-PI), Hightower, J.E., and Pollock, K.H.
Funded at $116,849 for 2/1/2008 – 1/31/2010

NOAA Cooperative Research Program: Batch fecundity and spawning frequency as a function of
size, age, and season for black sea bass and red porgy in the US South Atlantic
Scharf, F.S. (co-lead PI w/Baker), Baker, M.S., Wyanski, D., Burgess, T., and Shertzer, K.
Funded at $222,716 for 8/1/07 – 7/31/09

North Carolina Sea Grant: Predation by red drum on juvenile blue crabs: estimation of daily ration
and seasonal and ontogenetic variation in the contribution of blue crab to the diet
Scharf, F.S. (sole PI)
Funded at $46,041 for 8/1/07 – 7/31/09

217
 514

Ann E. Stapleton

a. Education and Professional Preparation

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, B.S. (Biology) 1983
University of Chicago, Ph.D. (Genetics) 1990
Postdoctoral Research: UNC-Chapel Hill Maize Pollen Biology 1990-91
Postdoctoral Research: Stanford University Maize Ultraviolet Radiation Responses 1991-1996
b. Appointments
8/01-present Assistant then Associate Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology,
University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC
10/98 and 10/00 International Visiting Professor, taught graduate course on "Plant Molecular
Responses to Ultraviolet Radiation", University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
8/96-7/01 Assistant Professor, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of
Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN
c. Publications since 2007 (student co-authors bold type), see full list at
http://www.uncw.edu/bio/faculty_stapleton.html.

Manching, Heather C., Peter J. Balint-Kurti, and Ann E. Stapleton. "Southern leaf blight disease
severity is correlated with decreased maize leaf epiphytic bacterial species richness and the
phyllosphere bacterial diversity decline is enhanced by nitrogen fertilization." Frontiers in plant
science Plant-Microbe Interactions 5 (2014).

Landers, Dustin A., and Ann E. Stapleton. "Genetic interactions matter more in less-optimal
environments: a Focused Review for “Phenotype uniformity in combined-stress environments has a
different genetic architecture than in single-stress treatments”(Makumburage and Stapleton, 2011)."
Frontiers in plant science Plant Genetics and Genomics 5 (2014).

Stapleton, A. E. (2014) A biologist, a statistician and a bioinformatician walk into a conference

room… and walk out with a great metagenomics project plan. Opinion review. Frontiers in Plant
Science Plant-Microbe Interactions 5 (2014): 250.

Yishi Wang, Susan J. Simmons, Latasha L. Smith and Ann E. Stapleton (2104) A novel metric
distance on registered curves with application to a Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy analysis
of maize. Journal of the Indian Society of Agricultural Statistics, in press. (peer-reviewed
international journal, not ISI-listed, ISSN 0019-6363)

Makumburage, GB, Kandianis, CB, Michenfelder, AS, Simmons, SJ, Grusak, MA and
Stapleton, AE (2013) Abiotic stress growth conditions induce different responses in kernel iron
concentration across genotypically distinct maize inbred varieties. Frontiers in Plant Science
Genetics and Genomics, 4: 488 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2013.00488.

Makumburage, G. B., Richbourg, H. L., LaTorre, K. D., Capps, A., Chen, C., and Stapleton, A.
E. (2013). Genotype to phenotype maps: multiple input abiotic signals combine to produce growth
effects via attenuating signaling interactions in maize. G3 Genes Genomes Genetics 3, 2195–2204.
218
 515

Balint-Kurti P, Simmons SJ, Blum JE, Ballare CL and Stapleton AE (2010) Maize Leaf Epiphytic
Bacteria Diversity Patterns Are Genetically Correlated with Resistance to Fungal Pathogen
Infection. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions 23:473-484.

Balint-Kurti, P., Pridgen, P., Stapleton, A. E. (2011) Antibiotic Resets the Maize Leaf Phyllosphere
Community and Increases Resistance to Southern Leaf Blight Acta Horticulturae, 905,
http://www.actahort.org/books/905/.

Mariana Conte, Silvia de Simone, Susan J Simmons, Carlos L Ballare and Ann E Stapleton (2010)
Chromosomal Loci Important for Cotyledon Opening Under UV-B in Arabidopsis thaliana BMC
Plant Biology, 10:112.

Kristin M. Morrison, Susan J. Simmons, Ann E. Stapleton (2010) Loci controlling nitrate
reductase activity in maize: ultraviolet-B signaling in aerial tissues increases nitrate reductase
activity in leaf and root when responsive alleles are present. 2010, Physiologia Plantarum
140(4):334-41.

Bayesian Hierarchical Models to Identify Quantitative Trait Loci Using Replicated Lines Susan J.
Simmons, Ann E. Stapleton, Fang Fang, Qijun Fang, and Karl Ricanek (2010) Journal of the
Indian Society of Agricultural Statistics 64, 11-18.

Peer-reviewed book chapter: Assessment of DNA damage as a tool to measure UV-B tolerance in
soybean lines differing in foliar flavonoid composition. Sullivan,J.H., L.C. Pope, B. M.
Sutherland, P. V. Bennett, J. E. Blum, A. Stapleton and D.C. Gitz III. In “UV Radiation in Global
Change: Measurements, Modeling and Effects on Ecosystems” jointly published by Springer-
Verlag and Tsinghua University Press in Beijing, China, 2010, pp. 437-457.

Harjes CE, Rocheford TR, Bai L, Brutnell TP, Kandianis CB, Sowinski SG, Stapleton AE,
Vallabhaneni R, Williams M, Wurtzel ET, Yan J, Buckler ES (2008) Natural genetic variation in
lycopene epsilon cyclase tapped for maize biofortification. Science 319: 330-333.

EL Boone, SJ Simmons, H Bao, AE Stapleton (2008) Bayesian hierarchical regression models for
detecting QTLs in plant experiments. Journal of Applied Statistics 35 (7), 799-808.

CR Blanding, SJ Simmons, P Casati, V Walbot, AE Stapleton (2007) Coordinated regulation of

maize genes during increasing exposure to ultraviolet radiation: identification of ultraviolet-
responsive genes, functional processes and associated potential promoter motifs. Plant
Biotechnology Journal 5 (6), 677-695.

d. Presentations (since 2007)

Ann E. Stapleton, Dustin Landers, and the iPlantCollaborative Better together: the iPlant/iAnimal
cyberinfrastucture for biology. SQG13: Impact of Large-Scale Genomic Data on
Statistical and Quantitative Genetics, November 24-26, 2013

I taught an iPlant tools and services workshop at Linfield College, OR Jan 31-Feb1 2014; I
presented the genetic analysis modules.
219
 516

Simmons, Susan J., Borsay, Amy, White, Maria, Allery, Danielle, Chang, Megan M. Stapleton,
Ann E. Genetics of Combined Abiotic Stress—Mapping Genes for Synergy Using Dose-Response
Surfaces, Quantitative Genetics Gordon conference, Galveston, TX Feb 22-26 2013.

Lawson, Peter and Stapleton, Ann E. Presentation at the 55th Annual Maize Genetics Meeting
March 2013. St. Charles, IL

Stutts, Lauren and Stapleton, Ann Presentation at the 55th Annual Maize Genetics Meeting March
2013. St. Charles, IL

Manching, Heather, Stapleton, Ann E., Simmons, Susan J Leaf Epiphyte Function: How Abiotic
Stress and Fungal Disease Organisms Interact with Community Structure Presentation at the 55th
Annual Maize Genetics Meeting March 2013. St. Charles, IL

I gave an invited talk for CI Days at Michigan State University on October 26, 2012 entitled Better
Data Analysis for Biologists: Help Build the Factory, Not Just the Tools.

I gave an invited talk Northern Arizona University Jan 31, 2012 on phyllosphere diversity genetics.

Presentation given at Oregon State University Aug 2011 “What can iPlant do for me right now?"

Simmons, Susan J., Borsay, Amy, White, Maria, Allery, Danielle, Chang, Megan M. Stapleton,
Ann E. Genetics of Combined Abiotic Stress—Mapping Genes for Synergy Using Dose-Response
Surfaces, Quantitative Genetics Gordon conference, Galveston, TX Feb 22-26 2013.

Smith, Latasha and Stapleton, Ann E. Drought and Genotype Affect Maize Phyllosphere
Communities Presentation at the 54th Annual Maize Genetics Meeting March 2012. Portland, OR

Simmons, Susan J., Borsay, Amy, White, Maria, Allery, Danielle, Chang, Megan M. Stapleton,
Ann E. Genetics of Combined Abiotic Stress—Mapping Genes for Synergy Using Dose-Response
Surfaces Presentation at the 54th Annual Maize Genetics Meeting March 2012. Portland, OR

Manching, Heather, Stapleton, Ann E., Simmons, Susan J Leaf Epiphyte Function: How Abiotic
Stress and Fungal Disease Organisms Interact with Community Structure Presentation at the 54th
Annual Maize Genetics Meeting March 2012. Portland, OR

I presented a public talk on the science as compared to perception of GMOs in the Dosher series in
October 2011, http://prezi.com/qnp1ghcy7zmt/sea-gmo-talk/.

Presentation at the 2011 Gordon Conference on Quantitative Genetics and Genomics: Combining
two stresses creates a joint-stress environment that has a different genetic architecture G.
Buddhika Makumburage2 H. Lee Richbourg2, Cuixian Chen, Andrew Capps2, Kalindi
LaTorre1, and Ann E. Stapleton

Presentation at Keystone Abiotic Stress and Global Agriculture meeting: Combining two stresses
creates a joint-stress environment that has a different genetic architecture G. Buddhika
Makumburage2 H. Lee Richbourg2, Cuixian Chen, Andrew Capps2, Kalindi LaTorre1, and Ann
E. Stapleton
220
 517

I gave an invited talk at the Phyllosphere 2010 conference, “Host effects on the composition of the
microbial community”.

I gave an invited talk at the International Workshop on Postharvest Biological Control:

Challenges and Opportunities; my title was ‘Genetic Control of Plant Microflora”. I also facilitated
the new research directions planning session.

I gave an invited talk at East Carolina University titled “Genetic Control of Maize Phyllosphere
Diversity” in 2010.

In 2009 I presented seminars about iPlant data analysis and compute resources at University of
Missouri Columbia, University of Missouri St. Louis, New York University, Colorado State
University, Rice University, and Portland State University.

Invited presentation at the Illinois Corn Breeding School, Mar 1-2, 2010. Conference paper and
presentation, http://www.conferences.uiuc.edu/conferences.

UNCW Sigma Xi keynote speaker, April 23 2009

SAIL 09 May 13, 2009 Science Librarian conference invited speaker, topic: cyberinfrastructure and
data lifecycles.

Poster presentation: “Genetic Architecture of Multiple Stress Responses in Maize” Cuixian Chen,
H. Lee Richbourg, Ann E. Stapleton Gordon Conference on Quantitative Genetics and Genomics,
Galveston Island, TX

Poster presentation “Multiple Stress Dose Response Comparison of Two Genotypes” Kalindi
LaTorre, Susan J. Simmons, Ann E. Stapleton 51th Annual Maize Genetics Meeting, Feb 27-Mar 2,
2009 St. Charles, IL

Poster presentation “Relative Iron Concentrations Within Kernels Vary Between Inbred Lines and
in Response to Drought and Low Nitrogen Conditions” Abigail Michenfelder, Ann E. Stapleton
51th Annual Maize Genetics Meeting, Feb 27-Mar 2, 2009 St. Charles, IL

Poster presentation “Genetic Architecture of Multiple Stress Responses” Cuixian Chen, H. Lee
Richbourg, Ann E. Stapleton 51th Annual Maize Genetics Meeting, Feb 27-Mar 2, 2009 St.
Charles, IL

Poster presentation “Coming of Age of the iPlant Collaborative” Stapleton, Ann E ; Steve Goff, The
iPlant Collaborative 51th Annual Maize Genetics Meeting, Feb 27-Mar 2, 2009 St. Charles, IL

e. Grants (since 2007)

NSF BIO PGRP PI Stephen Howell, Iowa State University, CoPIs Diane Bassham, ISU, Federica
Brandizzi, Michigan State University, Ann E. Stapleton, UNCW Role of the unfolded protein
response in environmental stress tolerance in maize. 12/1/2015-12/31/2017 UNCW
subcontract $381,156, in review. 221
 518

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Data-Driven Discovery Investigator Competition, PI Ann E.
Stapleton Tying networks together: tighter connections between bottom-up simulations and data
analysis method development to better predict biological system function. Not funded (success rate
93/1095).

Senior personnel on NSF DUE WIDER PI Chris Finelli, Building & Using Systems (BUS): Strategies
to increase data-driven STEM teaching. $248,647 Not funded.

I was a collaborator on an NSF proposal from the University of Missouri, PI Toni Kazic, which was
not funded.

The NIH and USDA conference grants I wrote in February and March 2014 for the Gordon
Research Foundation are in review.

Genetic Architecture of Combined Drought And Ultraviolet Radiation Stress Responses In Maize,
USDA CSREES NRI, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, $293,209, 12/15/2008 –
12/14/2013.

NSF PGRP PI Ann E. Stapleton, coPIs Barbara Methe, JCVI, Brad Goodner, Hiram College, Stuart
Gordon, Presbyterian College GEPR Plant host control and feedback responses to phyllosphere
microbes: Change in metagenomes and plant traits in response to environmental stress. $601, 475.
Current. I am the supervisor of all grant activities, with coPI Methe responsible for sequencing and
annotation and coPIs Goodner and Gordon responsible for educational modules for undergraduate
classroom and labs.

NSF PSCIC PI S. Goff, University of Arizona The iPlant Collaborative: A Cyberinfrastructure-

Based Community for a New Plant Biology $50 million renewal for five years. UNCW subcontract
$626,997 Stapleton role: Education, Outreach and Training, Genotype-to-Phenotype Science,
including supervision of genotype-to-phenotype data analysis method integration, supervision of
UNCW undergraduate and graduate students, and strategic planning across the project.

UNCW International Programs Faculty Travel Award, $1000, 5/21/13.

UNCW eTEAL proposal: Getting Ready for Applied Learning—Developing Teaching Assistant
Training Modules to Prepare Undergraduates for Applied Learning in Research Laboratories, not
funded.

PEER NSF NAS partnership program (with my NSF PGRP grant): PROINPA Collaborative
Proposal “Quinoa and drought: can leaf microbial diversity play a role in drought tolerance?”, funds
for Bolivian graduate students to visit UNCW to learn phyllosphere analysis methods. Not funded.

I agreed to take over as PI for two federal grants that were previously managed by BK Song in
2012; I supervised one graduate student from the Song lab.

NSF UBM PI Stuart Borrett coPIs Michael Freeze, Susan Simmons, Marcel van Tuinen, Fred
Scharf, Senior Associates Nolan McMurray and Ann Stapleton BioMaSS: biological and
mathematical synergistic science. $287,311 three years. Responsible for network analysis of
metabolic and gene regulation pathways--student research and classroom modules. Not 222
funded.
 519

NSF OISE U.S.-U.K. Planning Visit: Biochemical characterization of a candidate plant UV-B
photoreceptor $10,296 7/15/2008-6/30/2010.

NCBC EEG PI Pyott, coPIs Taylor, van Tuinen, Lema, Shafer, Stapleton Instrumentation to
Incorporate Biotechnology Skills Across the Undergraduate Biology Curriculum” $89,151
3/16/2009 – 3/15/2010.

UNCW Cahill PI Stapleton Living on Leaves: Influence of Host Genotype and Abiotic Stress on
Maize Phyllosphere Community Structure $3000 1/15/2009-11/15/2009

UNCW International Programs 2009 $1000

NSF CDI Preliminary Proposal PI Borrett, coPIs Stapleton, Sztipanovits (Vanderbilt), Levy (GMU)
Title: CDI-TYPE I: Meta-modeling for the computational discovery of cross scale processes. Not
funded.

NSF DBI SGER PI Stapleton, coPI Brown MotifGPS: Stochastic Diffusion Search For Biological
Motifs $154,463 two years. Not funded.

f. Honors, Awards and Professional Service (since 2007)

Head of the vice-provost for research’s planning group for the UNCW Data Science professional
science masters. The program will emphasize UNCW strengths and ties to local clinical research
and environmental industries.
Awarded the first UNCW Honors Mentor award in 2012.
Chair for 2014 Maize Genetics meeting to be held in Beijing, China, with full responsibility for all
program, financial and administrative details for this large volunteer-run meeting.
Served on the Committee of Visitors for the NSF. Panel member for NSF Eukaryotic Genetics, CDI,
ABI, OISE, etc. Panel Member, USDA Plant Genome Program, NRICGP Plants and Environmental
Adaptations Program. Acting Panel Manager, USDA RICECAPS panel. Panel Manager for $10
million USDA CAP Applied Genomics Program.
Manuscripts reviewed for more than 20 journals including: Plant Physiology, Plant Cell and
Environment, Planta, PNAS, Plant Cell, Global Change Biology, Genetics, Bioinformatics,
Microbial Ecology, Field Crops Research, PLOS Genetics. Associate editor for Frontiers in
Genetics and Genomics. Reviewed manuscripts for BMC Plant Biology, American Journal of
Botany, Environmental Microbiology, IEEE Computer, Journal of Photobiology B.

I was elected the next chair for the Quantitative Genetics and Genomics Gordon Conference; I am
co-chair in 2015 and chair in 2017, then I join the past-chairs executive committee—an exclusive
group! I wrote the NIH and USDA conference grants for this group, as the chair for 2015 is
European.

I am an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Plant Genetics and Genomics, with Rich Jorgensen as
Editor-in-Chief. I organized a Research Topic in Metagenomics for the journal, with Gane Ka-Shu
Wang and Jeffery Chang as co-editors. 223
 520

I reviewed a proposal for the Canadian national Killiam faculty award.

I was interviewed for an article about maize genomics that appeared in BioScience in 2012 (a
professional publication from AIBS); two pictures of my UNCW students were featured in the
article.

I was invited to be the discussion leader for one of the four sessions at the Quantitative Genetics and
Genomics Gordon conference in 2013. I gave a presentation to introduce the topic area and provide
background for the research talks that were in my session; I also selected the student and postdoc
talks for my session. I was nominated for vice-chair of the conference (but luckily a European was
elected, as the next conference will be in Europe).

I was inducted into the James F. Merritt million dollar club at UNCW in 2010.

224
 521

Alison Rosemary Taylor

Department of Biology and Marine Biology
University of North Carolina, Wilmington
601 South College Road, Wilmington North
Carolina, 28403. USA Tel: 910 962 2176,
Fax: 910 962 4096 Email: taylora@uncw.edu

EDUCATION
1985 B.Sc. (Hons) Biological Science, University of Leicester, Leicester, England. 1991
Ph.D. Neurobiology, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, England.
APPOINTMENTS
Aug 2012-Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina,
Wilmington, USA
Aug 2010-July 2012 Associate Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of
North Carolina, Wilmington, USA
Jan 2007-July 2010 Assistant Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of
North Carolina, Wilmington, USA
Aug 2006-Dec 2006: Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology,
University of North Carolina, Wilmington, USA
Aug 2001-Dec 2006: Marine Biological Association Research Fellow & Senior Research Fellow,
Marine Biological Association, UK.
Aug 1999-Jul 2001: Leverhulme Special Research Fellow, Marine Biological Association,
Jul 1998-Jul 1999: Postdoctoral researcher, Marine Biological Association, UK.
Apr 1996-Apr 1998: Postdoctoral researcher, University of California, Davis, USA.
Oct 1993-Apr 1996: Postdoctoral researcher, Marine Biological Association, UK.
Mar 1993-Sept 1993: Visiting scholar, Harvard University, USA.
Jan 1990-Feb 1993: Postdoctoral researcher, Marine Biological Association, UK.
Jan 1987-Dec 1989: Research technician, Brookes University, Oxford, UK.
PUBLICATIONS-Students and post-docs in BOLD
1. Taylor, A., Brownlee, C. (2014) Calcification. In: Developments in Applied Phycology
Microalgal Physiology Michael Borowitzka, John Beardall & John Raven (eds), Springer: [in review]

2. Echevarria, M. L., Wolfe, G. V., Strom, S. L., Taylor, A.R. (2014) Connecting alveolate cell
biology with trophic ecology in the marine plankton using the ciliate Favella as a model. FEMS
Microbial Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1574-6941.12382
3. Drescher B., Dillaman R.M., & Taylor A.R. (2012) Calcification in the coccolithophore
Schyphosphera apsteinii (Lohman). Journal of Phycology, 48: 1343-1361 [cover article]
4. Taylor, A.R. Brownlee C., Wheeler G.L. (2012) Proton channels in algae: Reasons to be excited.
Invited Review: Trends in Plant Sciences, 17: 675-684 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2012.06.009
5. McLachlan, D., Taylor, A.R., Geider, R., Underwood, G., Brownlee, C. (2012) Calcium release
from intracellular stores is necessary for the photophobic response in the benthic diatom Navicula
perminuta (Bacillariophyceae). Journal of Phycology 48: 675-681, DOI: 10.1111/j.1529-
8817.2012.01158.x
6. Bloom, A.J., Randall, L., Taylor, A.R. & Silk W.K. (2012) Deposition and of ammonium and
nitrate in the roots of maize seedlings supplied with different nitrogen salts. Journal of Experimental
Botany. doi:10.1093/jxb/err410 +
7. Taylor, A.R, Chrachri, A., Wheeler, G., Goddard, H., Brownlee, C. (2011) A voltage-gated H225
channel underlying pH homeostasis in calcifying coccolithophores. PLoS Biol 9(6): e1001085.
doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001085.
 522

8. Echevarria M.L. and Taylor A.R. (2011) Marine algal neurotoxins: Pandora’s box or Panacea?
Invited article for The Biochemist 33 (3): 14-18. www.biochemist.org/bio/03303/0014/033030014.pdf
9. Cock J.M., Coelho S., Brownlee C., Taylor A.R. (2010) Commentary: The Ectocarpus genome
sequence: insights into brown algal biology and the evolutionary diversity of the eukaryotes New
Phytologist: 188: 1-4. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03454.x
10. Verret, F., Wheeler, G., Taylor, A.R., Farnham, G., Brownlee, C. (2010) Calcium channels in
photosynthetic eukaryotes: Implications for evolution of calcium-based signalling. New Phytologist
187: 23-43. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03271.x
11. Milne, A., Davey, M.S., Worsfold, P.J., Achterberg, E.P. & Taylor, A.R. (2009). Real-time
detection of reactive oxygen species generation by marine phytoplankton using flow injection–
chemiluminescence. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods 7: 706–715. doi:10.4319/lom.2009.7.706
+ 2+
12. Taylor, A.R. (2009) A fast Na /Ca -based action potential in a marine diatom. PLoS ONE 4(3): e4966.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0004966
13. McLachlan D, Brownlee C, Taylor A.R., Geider R. and Underwood G. (2009) Light induced
motile responses of the estuarine benthic diatoms Navicula perminuta and Cylindrotheca closterium
(Baccillariophyceae). Journal of Phycology 45: 592-599. doi:10.1111/j.15298817.2009.00681.x

14. Bowler C, Allen AE, Badger JH, Grimwood, […], Taylor A.R., […], Armbrust EV, Green BR, Van de
Peer Y, Grigoriev IV (2008) The Phaeodactylum genome reveals the evolutionary history of diatom
genomes. Nature 456: 239-244, doi:10.1038/nature07410
15. Thompson, S.E.M., Taylor, A.R., Brownlee, C., Callow, M.E., Callow, J.A. (2008) The role of
nitric oxide in diatom adhesion in relation to substratum properties. Journal of Phycology 44: 967-976.
doi: 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2008.00531.x
16. Thompson, S.E.M., Callow, J.A., Callow, M.E., Wheeler, G.L., Taylor, A.R., Brownlee, C
(2007) Membrane recycling and calcium dynamics during zoospore settlement in Ulva linza
(Chlorophyta) Plant Cell and Environment, 30: 733-744
17. Taylor, A.R. Russell MA, Harper G, Collins T, Brownlee CB (2007) Dynamics of the formation and
secretion of hetercoccoliths by Coccolithus pelagicus (ssp Braarudii). European Journal of Phycology 42:
125-136. doi:10.1080/09670260601159346
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
1. Taylor, A.R. Invited seminar, Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, ‘The acid
test: pH homeostasis of marine plankton in a changing ocean’, Academic, Regional. (April 2014).
2. Taylor, A.R. Invited Seminar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, ‘Marine microbial
cell biology and homeostasis: Unraveling ecophysiology and cellular responses to environmental cues’,
Academic, National, Invited. (November 2013).
3. Taylor, A.R., Chrachri, A., Brownlee, C., Wheeler, G. Molecular Life of Diatoms, European
Molecular Biology Department, Paris, France, ‘Ion fluxes in diatoms: molecular mechanisms,
physiological roles and responses to future oceans’, Academic, International, Invited. (June 2013).
4. Taylor, A.R. ‘Marine protist sensory biology and homeostasis: Approaches to understand
microscale interactions’, Microscale Interactions in Aquatic Ecosystems, Les Houches School of Physics,
Grenoble, France, March 2013.
5. Taylor, A.R. ‘Homeostasis and signaling in marine protists: Unraveling ecophysiology and
cellular responses to environmental cues’. Duke Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, North Carolina, USA,
th
February 6 2013
6. Taylor, A.R. ‘Proton channels, pH homeostasis and signaling in unicellular algae.’ North
American Society of Protistologists, North American Section, North Carolina Central University.
nd 226
September 22 2012.
7. Taylor, A.R. Rush School of Medicine, Rush School of Medicine, Chicago,
‘Signaling and homeostasis in marine protists: Unraveling ecophysiological and cellular
responses to
 523

environmental cues’ October

th
8. Taylor, A.R. ‘Signaling and homeostasis in marine protists-towards understanding cellular
15 2012.
responses to environmental cues’, Gordon Research Conference on Marine Microbes, Gordon Research
Conferences, Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort Lucca (Barga), Italy. (June 2012).
+
9. Taylor A.R ‘The Acid Test: H Transport and pH Homeostasis in Marine Phytoplankton’.
th
Department of Biology and Marine Biology, UNCW, 11 November th
2011, departmental seminar.
10. Taylor A.R. ‘Electrophysiology of plant and algal cells’ 28 Plymouth Cell Physiology
th th
Workshop, Plymouth, UK September 7 -20 2011.
11. Taylor A.R. ‘Sensory biology and homeostasis in marine protists: Mechanistic and evolutionary
th
insights’ Invited seminar-Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, Maine, USA. March 28 2011.

12. Taylor A.R., ‘A Proton Conductance in Coccolithis pelagicus – Implications for Coccolithophore pH
Homeostasis in a Changing Ocean’ Ocean Sciences-Annual Meeting, American Society if Limnology and
th
Oceanography, Portland, Oregon, February 20 -26th 2010.
13. Taylor, A.R. ‘Membrane transport and signaling in algae-ecophysiological implications and
th
evolutionary insights’ 9 International Plant Molecular Biology Congress, St Louis, MO, USA, October
th th
25 -30 2009
14. Taylor A.R. ‘Ion transport and signaling in marine protists – ecophysiological implications and
th
evolutionary insights’ Seminar UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Biology September 4 2009

15. Taylor, A.R. ‘The biology of coccolithophores’, Phytoplankton Identification Workshop, Sir Alistair
th th
Hardy Foundation for Ocean Sciences and Marine Biological Association, Plymouth, UK. July 12 -16
2009.
16. Taylor, A.R. ‘Membrane physiology and signaling in marine protists: some recent advances,
th
ecological implications and evolutionary insights’. Invited plenary talk at 41 Sandbjerg Meeting on
th th
Membrane Transport, Sandbjerg Estate, Sønderborg, Denmark. May 13 -May 15 2009
17. Taylor, A.R. ‘Electrophysiology and imaging in marine protists-unraveling membrane transport and
rd
signaling’ International speaker at Kiel Week, University of Kiel, June 23 2008
18. Taylor A.R., ‘The diatom action potential-environmental sensing and ecological significance’ IFM-
th
GEOMAR, Kiel University, Germany, June 27 2008
19. Taylor, A.R. ‘Unravelling Secrets of Marine Protist Cell Biology’ Woods Hole Oceanographic
th
Institute, USA. March 5 2008
20. Taylor, A.R. Emiliania huxleyii pre-annotation discussion meeting, Station Biologique,
th th
Roscoff, France. March 19 -20 2007
21. Taylor, A.R. ‘Calcification in coccolithophores: ion transport and cellular homeostasis’ selected for
th th
special symposium at American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Santa Fe, USA February 4 -9
2007

PRESENTATIONS AT CONFERENCES graduate students and post-docs, undergraduates

1. Sterling, A., Echevarria, M., Borrett, S. R., Taylor, A. State of North Carolina Undergraduate
Research and Creativity Symposium, UNC-Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, ‘Swimming under the
influence: Effect of algal toxins on the behavior of the marine ciliate Favella sp.’ November 2013.
2. Grandal, M., McCall, J., Taylor, A., Baden, D. G., Bourdelais, A. 7th Symposium on Harmful
Algae in the U.S., Sarasota, Florida, ‘Determining Functional Effects of Brevetoxin and Brevetoxin
Antagonists’. October 2013
3. Brownlee, C., Abdul, C., Taylor, A., Cecelia, B., Susan, K.-H., Wheeler, G. International
Phycological Congress, Orlando, Florida, ‘Understanding the mechanisms of cell and population
responses of coccolithophores to changing ocean chemistry’. August 2013. 227
 524

4. Himes, M., Wadsworth, G., Drescher B., Taylor, A.R. International Society of Protistologists,
North American Section, North Carolina Central University, ‘Phagocytosis implies dynamic
nutritional strategies in calcifying coccolithophore’. September 2012
5. Echevarria M.E., Wolfe, G.V., Taylor. A.R. International Society of Protistology, North
American Section Meeting. North Carolina Central University, Durham. ‘Ionotropic regulation of feeding
and predator evasion behaviors in Favella sp.’ September 2012
6. Echevarria M.E., Wolfe, G.V., Taylor. A.R. ‘Ionotropic regulation of feeding and predator
evasion behaviors in Favella sp’. Gordon Conference on Marine Miscrobes, Marine Microbes: Bridging
th
the Gaps from Genomes to Biomes, Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort, Lucca, Italy. June 24-29
2012.
7. Brownlee, C., Schroeder, D. Baker, A., Wheeler, G., Chrachri, A. and Taylor A.R. ‘Functional
and population genomics of coccolithophores: Understanding biogeochemical drivers at the molecular
th
level’ Oceans 2025 Science of the Blue Planet. Institute of Physics, London December 13 2011.

8. Drescher B.D., Dillaman R.M. and Taylor A.R. ‘An ultrastructural examination of calcification in
a polymorphic coccolithophorids Scyphosphaera apsteinii’. Phycological Society of America and
th
International Society of Protistology Annual Meeting, Seattle July 14-18 2011
9. Kitchen S.A. and Taylor A.R. ‘Brevetoxin interaction with voltage activated ion channels in a
marine diatom’. Phycological Society of America and International Society of Protistology Annual
th
Meeting, Seattle July 14-18 2011
10. Echevarria M.L., Kitchen S.A. and Taylor A.R. ‘Experimental strategies for investigating
membrane excitability, calcium signalling and cellular homeostasis in chromalveolates’.
Phycological Society of America and International Society of Protistology Annual Meeting, Seattle
th
July 14-18 2011
11. Taylor A.R. Chrachri A., Wheeler G. and Brownlee C. ‘Proton conductance in coccolithophores is an
integral component of pH homeostasis during calcification’. Phycological Society of America and
th
International Society of Protistology Annual Meeting, Seattle July 14-18 2011
12. Highfield, AC, Panayi, M, Ripley, S, Drescher, B, Walne, AW, Taylor, AR, Hall, MJ, Miller, PI, and
Schroeder DC. ‘Blooming Marvellous: Long term dynamics, diversity and drivers within Emiliania
huxleyi-dominated phytoplankton blooms’. British Phycological Society Annual Meeting. Cardiff January
th th
5 -7 2011
13. McLachlan, D, Underwood, GJC, Taylor, A, Geider, R and Brownlee, C. ‘Calcium signalling in the
regulation of gliding motility and phototaxis in a benthic diatom’. British Phycological Society Annual
th th
Meeting. Cardiff January 5 -7 2011
14. Himes, M., Metwally, A., Bourdelais, A., Borrett, S., Taylor, A.R. ‘Do algal toxins affect sensory
th th
behavior of marine cilliates?’ South Eastern Phycological Colloquy, October 29 -30 2010.
15. Drescher B., Taylor A.R. ‘Ultrastructure of the polymorphic coccolithophore Scyphosphaera
th th
aspteinii-novel mechanistic insights’. South Eastern Phycological Colloquy, October 29 -30 2010. –
*Won SEPC prize for oral presentation*.
16. Kitchen S, Bourdelais A, Tomas C and Taylor A.R. ‘An Electrophysiological Investigation of
th
Karenia brevis’. UNCW Health Sciences Symposium, April 9 2010
17. Taylor, A.R., Lawreck, L., Russell, M., Chrachri, A. & Brownlee, C. ‘Biomineralization in
th
coccolithophores: Calcium and pH homeostasis’. UNCW Heath Sciences Symposium, April 9 2010.

18. Brownlee C, Verrett F, Wheeler G, Taylor A.R. ‘Ion channels, signalling and cellular homeostasis in
diatoms and other algal groups’. Ocean Sciences-Annual Meeting, American Society if Limnology and
th
Oceanography, Portland, Oregon, February 20 -26th 2010.
19. Taylor, A.R. ‘Membrane Transport and Signaling in Marine Protists-A Key Step in Understanding 228
Environmental Physiology’. International Society of Protistologists, North American Section Meeting,
th
Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island, June 11-13 , 2009
 525

20. Kitchen, S.A., Bourdelais, A., Tomas, C. and Taylor, A.R. ‘An Electrophysiological Investigation of
Karenia brevis’. International Society of Protistologists, North American Section Meeting, Roger Williams
th
University, Bristol, Rhode Island, June 11-13 , 2009 *Student poster prize*
21. Schroeder, D.C., Ripley, S., Mackinder, L., Taylor, A.R., Wheeler, G., Iglesias-Rodriguez D.,
Riebesell, U. & Brownlee, C. ‘Biomineralization in Emiliania huxleyi’. Emiliania huxleyi genome
th
annotation jamboree, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, USA. June 17-19 2009
22. Wheeler, G., Taylor, A.R., Chrachri, A., & Brownlee, C. ‘Ion fluxes and transport mechanisms
associated with calcification in Emiliania huxleyi’. Emiliania huxleyi genome annotation jamboree,
th
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, USA. June 17-19 2009
23. Al-Said, T., Schroeder , D., Taylor, A., Achterberg, E. ‘The speciation of trace metals post
th th
Emiliania huxleyii bloom 2005-2006’. ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Nice, France, 25 -30 January
2009
24. Taylor, A.R., ‘Membrane Transport & Signaling in Marine Protists’ Bermuda Institute of Ocean
th
Science, March 13 2009
25. Chrachri, A., Taylor, A.R. & Brownlee, C. ‘Intracellular pH regulation during calcification in
rd
coccolithophores’ Marine Biological Association Annual Meeting, 23 April 2009
26. Verret, F., Schroeder, D.C., Hall, M.J., Rundle, J., Taylor, A.R. & Brownlee, C. ‘Genomics and
functional characterization of diatom voltage activated ion channels’, Annual Meeting of The Marine
rd
Biological Association, 23 April 2008
27. Al-Said, T., Schroeder, D. Taylor, A. & Achterberg, E. ‘The role of E. huxleyii viruses in copper
nd th
cycling’ ASLO Ocean Sciences Meeting, Orlando, Florida, USA, 2 -7 March 2008
28. Al-Said, T., Schroeder, D., Taylor, A.R., & Achterberg, E. ‘The role of coccolithoviruses in trace
th th th
metal speciation’. Algal Virus Workshop 5 meeting Vancouver, 6 -11 July 2008
29. Taylor, A.R., Verret, F., Schroeder, D., Kitchen, S., Brownlee, C. ‘Evolution of the action
th
potential and membrane excitability’. UNCW Heath Sciences Conference, Nov. 7 2008
30. Taylor, A.R., Lawreck, L., Russell, M., Chrachri, A. & Brownlee, C. ‘Biomineralization in
th
coccolithophores: Calcium and pH homeostasis’. UNCW Heath Sciences Conference, Nov. 7 2008

31. McClachlan DH, Taylor AR, Underwood GJ, Geider R & Brownlee C. ‘Calcium signalling in the
regulation of gliding motility and direction reversal in a benthic diatom’. British Phycological Society
th th
Annual Meeting. Bristol, January 4 -7 2008
32. Verret, Frederic G., Schroeder, Declan C., Hall, Matthew J., Rundle, John., Taylor, Alison R. and
Brownlee, C. ‘Genomics and functional characterisation of diatoms voltage activated ion channels
rd
Marine Biological Association Annual Science Meeting. UK April 23 2008
33. Brownlee, C., Taylor, A.R., & Verret, F. ‘Functional characterisation of diatom voltage activated ion
th
channels’. Diatomics final meeting, Eilat, Israel, November 22-25 2007
34. Brownlee, C., Taylor, A.R., Farnham, G., Rauh, N.. Wheeler, G., Bothwell, J.& Verret, F. ‘Calcium
signaling mechanisms in plants and algae: Evolutionary implications from physiological and genomic
studies’. New Phytologist Special Symposium: Calcium-based signalling systems in plants. Royal Dublin
th
Society, Dublin, Ireland 5–7 December 2007
RESEARCH GRANTS AWARDED
1. NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: ‘Feast or Flee: How do microzooplankton
detect and avoid predators?’ IOS -1407059. Alison R. Taylor (PI) and Michael L. Echevarria (Co-I).
August 2014, $18,752.
2. Charles L. Cahill Award, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Taylor, A.R. (Principal),
‘Fate of Brevetoxins in the Microbial Community’, March 2014-June 2014, $3,000.00.
3. CSURF Advisory board Enhancing Undergraduate Research and Creativity Award. Taylor, A.R. 229
(Principal). April 2013-June 2013, $3402.
 526

4. Friends of UNCW Support for student teaching and research in transmission electron
microscopy-re-sharpening of diamond knives for ultra-thin sections, Taylor, A.R. (Principal). March
2013, $1500.
+
5. NERC U.K. ‘H fluxes in phytoplankton -a mechanistic and modeling study of their
physiological roles and community responses to ocean acidification’. Standard grant Glen Wheeler
(Plymouth Marine Laboratory, PI) Prof Brownlee (Marine Biological Association, UK, Co-I) Alison
Taylor (named visiting investigator). August 2012-September 2015, $638,000, ($29,000 to UNCW).

6. UNCW Grant Writing Incentive Program Taylor A.R. November 2012, $3,600.
7. NSF Major Research Infrastructure. ‘Acquisition of a FEI Tecnai G2 Spirit BioTWIN
Transmission Electron Microscope’. Dick Dillaman (PI), Steve Kinsey, Carm Tomas, Art
Frampton and Alison Taylor. August 2012-July 2013. $632,000.
8. UNCW International Faculty Travel Award. May 2012, $1,000.
9. NIH-NINDS-Development of High Affinity Analogues of Brevenal: Novel Molecular Probes
for Neuronal Sodium Channels, Andrea Bourdelais (PI), Dan Baden, Allen Goodman, Henry Jakocks,
Alison Taylor, Mary Wolfe. 1R21NS067503-01A1, July 2010-June 2013, $432,000.
10. NSF: REU supplement Alison Taylor (PI), Feb 2010-Jan 2013, $8,500.
11. NSF: Ecological functions of algal neurotoxins-do they interact with ion channels and cellular
signalling in non-toxic phytoplankton species? Alison Taylor (sole-PI) Feb 2010-Jan 2013, $299,870.

12. Charles L. Cahill Award, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Taylor, A.R. (Co-
Principal), Finelli, C. (Co-Principal), ‘Development of a high speed motion analysis system for
biological research and education at UNCW’. 2009-2010, $3,000.00.
13. NCBiotech Education Enhancement Grant (Co-I): Instrumentation to Incorporate
Biotechnology Skills across the Undergraduate Biology Curriculum at the University of North Carolina at
Wilmington. Sonja Pyott (PI), Co-I’s Alison Taylor, Marcel van Tuinen, Sean Lema, Thomas Shafer,
Ann Stapleton. May 2008-June 2009, $89,151.
14. CMS Pilot Grant Initiative (PI). Dr Carm Tomas (Co-I) Do algal toxins interact with ion
channels in non-toxic phytoplankton? 2008-2009, $27,052.
15. NERC Standard Grant Co-PI (PI Colin Brownlee MBA). Cellular mechanisms and constraints
of coccolithophore calcification in relation to ocean pH. 2007-2010, £378,500/ $719,950.
16. Senior Visiting Fellowship (PI) Alison Taylor (PI) Cellular mechanisms of calcification and
signalling in marine protists. Marine Biological Association. 2007-2012, $85,952.
17. EU FP6 Diatomics Consortium (Co-I) Gene function, ecology and evolution of diatoms.
Specific objective -functional characterisation of nutrient transporters. Consortium grant. April 2005-
March 2008. €163,000 of €1.8M.
HONORS
2014 Shortlisted for Hilda Carter-Lund Prize; British Phycological Society.
2012 Inducted into UNCW Million Dollar Club (grants and extramural awards secured)
2012 Nominated for UNCW College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Research Scholar Award
2011 Guest lecturer and tutor, International Cell Physiology Workshop, Marine Biological
th
Association, UK, September 7-20 2011
2011 Nominated for UNCW Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award
2010 Student award-Mr Brandon Drescher won best student oral presentation. South Eastern
Phycological Colloqy. 2010
2010 Guest editor for special issue of New Phytologist accompanying publication of the
Ectocarpus genome
230
2009 Student award-Ms Sheila Kitchen won a student poster prize for thesis work presented at
International Society of Protistologists, North American Meeting. Rhode Island. 2009
 527

st
2009 Invited Plenary-41 Sandjberg Meeting on Membrane Transport, University of Aarhus, Denmark.
2009 2008 Kiel Week Guest-University of Kiel and Institutes of Physiology and Marine Science

IFM-GEOMAR. Invitation to participate in Kiel Week Science and Cultural Festival. 2007-
Appointed to the Editorial Advisory Board of the journal New Phytologist 2007-Visiting Senior
Fellowship Awarded by the Marine Biological Association 2007 Kathleen Drew-Baker Prize-Best
paper published in European Journal of Phycology.

PROFESSIONAL and UNIVERSITY SERVICE

2000-pres. Journal Reviewing for: Science, New Phytologist, Plant Journal, Plant Cell, Journal of
Phycology, Limnology and Oceanography Biofouling, Marine Biotechnology, Journal of the Marine
Biological Association, UK, Protoplasma, Journal of Experimental Botany
(>45 to date) 2014-2015 UNCW-ECU Joint PhD in Coastal and Marine Science Planning
Committee 2014 Steering committee-OCB Workshop: Improving predictive biogeochemical models

through single cell-based analyses of marine plankton physiological plasticity, genetic

diversity and evolutionary processes. Bigelow Laboratory for Oceans Sciences, USA. 2014 Grant
reviewer for NSF Antarctic Organisms & Ecosystems (AOE) Program 2013-pres Director of UNCW
Microscopy Facility 2013 Grant reviewer for NSF Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Program (multiple)
2013 Grant reviewer for NSF Biological Oceanography; Ocean Acidification Program 2013-2014 UNCW
Search Committee for Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate School 2012 Review panel member NIEHS
Oceans and Human Health Program, Chapel Hill, NC. 2011 Grant reviewer for ‘Future Oceans’ cluster of
excellence, CAU, Kiel, Germany. 2011 Grant reviewer for NSF International Research Experience for
Students (IRES) program 2011 Grant reviewer for MBA Peter Baker Fellowship 2010-2012 UNCW
University Studies Implementation Committee 2010 Grant reviewer for NERC Ocean Acidification Panel
2009 Grant reviewer for NSF Plant Fungal and Microbial Development panel RUI. 2008 Invited review of
The Plant and Microbial Science Committee Responsive mode portfolio

of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, UK. 2008 Grant reviewer for Natural
Environment Research Council, UK 2008-2013 Faculty Leader for UNCW-University of Southampton
Exchange Field Course, Bermuda. 2007-pres. Appointed Editorial Advisory Board member for the Journal
New Phytologist 2007 Grant Reviewer for Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, UK
2007-pres Departmental service including the following committees: multiple searches (1 chaired),

Long Range Plan, Chairs Advisory, Undergraduate Assessment, Advancement and

Student Relations, Post Tenure Review, Peer Review, Assessment Review. 2007-pres 20
Undergraduate DIS or Honors students mentored, 8 undergraduate thesis committees. 2007-pres 5
Graduate students mentored, 23 Graduate student committees

231
 528

Carmelo R. Tomas
Center for Marine Science
University of North Carolina Wilmington
5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane
Wilmington, NC 28409
Phone: 910-962-2385
Fax: 910-962-2410
E-mail tomasc@uncw.edu

Education:
American International College B.A. Biology 1964
University of Rhode Island, B.S. Botany 1971
University of Rhode Island Ph.D. Biological Sciences 1977
Appointments
2004-present Professor, Dept. of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina
Wilmington, NC.
1999-2004 Associate Professor, Dept. of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North
Carolina, Wilmington, NC
1986-1999 Research Scientist, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and
Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, FL
1982-1986 Head of Marine Botany, Zoological Station, Naples, Italy
1980-1982 Marine Scientist, Graduate School of Oceanography, URI, Kingston, RI
1979-1980 Fulbright Hays Fellow – Zoological Station, Naples, Italy
1977-1979 Research Associate, Graduate School of Oceanography, URI, Kingston, RI (Post
Doctoral Fellow)
1971-1977 Research Assistant and Doctoral Student, GSO, URI, Kingston, RI
I. Pertinent Publications (Partial list of 82 total)
1. Anke Kremp, Pia Tahvanainen, Wayne Litaker, Bernd Krock, Sanna Suikkanen, Chui Pin
Leaw, Carmelo Tomas. 2013. PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS, MORPHOLOGICAL
VARIATION, AND TOXIN PATTERNS IN THE ALEXANDRIUM OSTENFELDII
(DINOPHYCEAE) COMPLEX: IMPLICATIONS FOR SPECIES BOUNDARIES AND
IDENTITIES. Jour. Phycology DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12134
2. Holland, W. C., Litaker, R. W., Tomas, C. R., Kibler, S. R., Place, A. R., Davenport, E. D.
& Tester, P. A. Differences in the toxicity of six Gambierdiscus (Dinophyceae) species
measured using an in vitro human erythrocyte lysis assay. Toxicon (2013) 65:15-33.
3. Avery O. Tatters, Ryan M. Van Wagoner, Jeffrey L.C. Wright, Carmelo R. Tomas. 2012. Regulation
of spiroimine neurotoxins and hemolytic activity in laboratory cultures of the dinoflagellate
Alexandrium peruvianum (Balech & Mendiola) Balech & Tangen. Harmful Algae (in press)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hal.2012.07.002
4. David G. Borkman, Theodore J. Smayda, Carmelo R. Tomas, Robert York, Wendy Strangman, Jeffrey
L.C. Wright. 2012. Toxic Alexandrium peruvianum (Balech and de Mendiola) Balech and
Tangen in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island (USA). Harmful Algae 19: 92-100.
5. Tomas, C.R., van Wagoner, R., Tatters, A.O., White, K. D., Hall, S., Wright, J.L.C. (2012)
Alexandrium peruvianum (Balech and Mendiola) Balech and Tangen a new toxic species for coastal
North Carolina. Harmful Algae 17: 54-63.
6. Howard, M. D. A., Jones, A.C., Schnetzer, A., Countway, P., Kudela, R., Chia, P., Charon, D.,
Tomas, C.R., (2012). Quantitative Real-Time PCR for Cochlodinium fulvescens (Dinophyceae), a
Potentially Harmful Dinoflagellate from California Coastal Waters. J. Phycol.
7. Van Wagoner, R. M., Misner, I., Tomas, C. R. Wright, L. C., (2011). Occurrence of 12 –
Methylgymoddimine in a spirolide-producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium peruvianum and the 232
biogenic implications. Tetrahedron Letters 52:4243-4246.
 529

4. Mangoni, O., Imperatore, I., Tomas, C. R., Costantino, V., Saggiomo, V. Mangoni, A. (2010). The
new carotenoid pigment “moroxanthin” is associated with a toxic alga. Mar. Drugs 9(2), 242-255.
5. Barreto, F., Tomas, C. R., McCartney, M., (2011). AFLP Fingerprinting Shows that a Single
Prymnesium parvum Harmful Algal Bloom Consists of Multiple Clones. Journal of Heredity
Advance Journal of Heredity Advance 102:747-752.
6. Tatters, A. O., Muhlstein, H. I., Tomas, C. R. (2010). The hemolytic activity of Karenia selliformis
and two clones of Karenia brevis throughout a growth cycle. Journal of Applied Phycology, 22, 435-
442.
7. Meng, Y., Van Wagoner, R. M., Ian, M., Tomas, C. R., Wright, J. L. (2010). Structure and
Biosynthesis of Amphidinol 17, a Hemolytic Compound from Amphidinium. Journal of Natural
Products, 73, 409-415.
8. Lekan, D. and C. R. Tomas (2010) The brevetoxin and brevenal composition of three Karenia
brevis clones at different salinities and nutrient conditions. Harmful Algae 9 (2010) 39–47.
9. Giner, J. L., Zao, Hui and Tomas, C.R. (2008) Sterols and fatty acids of three harmful algae
previously assigned as Chattonella. Phytochemistry 69:2167-2171.
10. Tomas, C.R. and T. J. Smayda. (2008) Red Tide Blooms of Cochlodinium polykrikoides in a
coastal cove. Harmful Algae.7 (3): 308-317.
11. Book - Tomas, C. (Editor), 1997 Identifying marine phytoplankton. Academic Press, San
Diego, USA. 858 pp.
Synergistic Activities:
1. International Advanced Workshops – Advanced International Course on Identification of Marine
Phytoplankton, Zoological Station, Naples Italy held in 1985, 1990, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2008.
Advanced training for Gulf of Mexico researchers – EPA GOMA Program – 2010 – Campeche and
Tabasco; 2011- Yucatan and Quintana Roo.
2. Harmful Algal Culture Collection – 1999-present. Establish and maintain over 500 clonal cultures of
harmful marine microalgae for studies on physiology, ecology and chemistry of bioactive
compounds. Serves as a collaborative tool for graduate students, national and international
researchers.
3. Development of mass cultivation photobioreactors for biological studies of active compounds. This
is done in conjunction with a local commercial partner (IKA Works).
4. Collaborative research involving genetics and detection of harmful species via qpcr probes with
colleagues from NOAA Beau ford Laboratory (W. Litaker).
5. Development of presentations for undergraduate and graduate students studying biology, taxonomy
and ecology of harmful algal species. Includes help and guidance in High School and K-12 Marine
Quest Program at CMS – UNCW.
Collaborators:
Anderson, Donald WHOI, Massachusetts
Baden, Daniel UNCW – CMS
Barreto, Filipe USC
Bailey, J. Craig UNCW – CMS
de Boer, Karin University of Groningen, Netherlands
Eikrem, Wenche Univ. of Oslo, Norway
Giner, Jose SUNY Syracuse
Hasle, Grethe Univ. of Oslo, Norway
Litaker, Wayne NOAA, Beaufort NC
Mangoni, Olga, Univ. of Naples, Italy
Shumway, Sandra Univ. Connecticut
Song, B.K. UNCW – CMS
Steidinger, Karen Florida Wildlife Research Institute
Throndsen, Jahn Univ. of Oslo, Norway
Wilson, William Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Studies (CCMP collection)
Wright, L.C. UNCW - CMS
Von Wagnor, Ryan University of Utah
Zingone, Adriana Stazione Zoologica, Naples, Italy 233
 530

Present Graduate Students

Danielle Silver Masters in Marine Science – mentor
Monica Catanach Masters in Marine Science – mentor
Michael Eceheverria Ph.D. Marine Biology – committee member
Amy Barbera Masters in Chemistry – committee member
Nicholas Fowler Masters in Marine Science – committee member
Anette Engesmo Ph.D. Marine Biology, Univ. Oslo, committee member

Former STUDENTS Present Activities

Debora Cedeño Maldonado (Ph.D.) Univ. Puerto Rico
Michelle Gomperts (Saboun) MS Brunswick Community College, Instructor
Melissa Clouse MS Old Dominion University, VA (Research Associate)
Tyler, Cyronak, MS Univ. Southern Cross, Australia (Ph.D)
Danelle Lekan, MS Univ. Wellington, NZ (Ph.D.)
Avery Tatters, MS Univ. Southern California (Ph.D.)
Reger, Robert MS NIH Bethesda, MD
Leigh Zimmermann, MS Knauss Fellow and NOPP - Program Coordinator
Joann Kelly MS PPD Richmond VA, Research Scientist
Erika Swartz, MS U. Texas at Austin (Ph.D.)
Michelle Stewart, MS U. Maryland (Research Associate)
William C. Holland, MS NOAA Laboratory, Beaufort, NC

Thesis Advisor, Smayda, Theodore URI, Graduate School of Oceanography

Brief History of International Experience - Activities in chronological order:

1977 – Cruise Leader, University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography, Led 25
scientific crew to the Campeche Banks, Mexico including two Mexican nationals/students.
Involved arrangements for Mexicans to participate on a US ship in Mexican waters.
1979-1980 – Fulbright Hays Fellow to the Zoological Station, Naples Italy. This Marine Biological
Station founded in 1873 has been continuously operating through the initial opening. I worked with
an ecology group studying the Gulf of Naples and the blooms there. While there, I interacted in
scientific projects, gave seminars, instructed staff and co scientist. I was fluent in Italian and
attended two national scientific meetings in mainland Italy and Sardinia.
1979 – While as a Fulbright Hays fellow I was invited to give research seminars to the scientist at
the Laboratoire de Endoume, in Marsielles, France.
1982-1986 I became a resident scientist in charge of the marine botany laboratory at the Zoological
Station in Naples, Italy. I led a staff of 10 people (Italian nationals) and a variety of visiting
scientist from various countries. Prof. Fritz Kapraun was one of the visitors while in Naples. As
was the custom at Stazione, visitors from all over Europe and Asia came for short or protracted
research visits. One of these was Prof. Alfredo Soler B. from Panama (Dean of the Limnology and
Oceanographic Laboratory) in Panama. Prof. Soler stayed for 3 years.
1983 – I attended the prestigious International Course on Identification of Marine Phytoplankton
(APC3) Oslo, Norway. I was one of 20 participants in this three week training course and was
given the opportunity to teach specialized techniques with phytoplankton species. (APC3)
1985 – As head of the Marine Botany Laboratory at the Zoological Station, Naples, I was able to
arrange to relocate the International Course from Oslo to Naples. As principal organizer, I was in
charge of logistics for the international attendees as well as faculty, procurement of funds, interface
with the staff at Zoological Station. We had 22 participants from 14 different countries for the 3
week workshop/course. (APC 4)
1986 – Returned to US at the Florida Research Institute and participated in EPA Gulf of Mexico
program which again interacted with Mexican scientist from Vera Cruz.
234
 531

1988 Seminar on Red Tides and Mortality of Marine Organisms in the Caribbean. July 2-9,
Cumaná, Venezuela
1990 – International Phytoplankton Identification Course, APC5 June 7-28. Casa Micchola, Ischia
(Naples) Italy. Faculty/organizer
1996 – 1st Gulf States Harmful Algae Taxonomy Workshop – June 7-14, FWC St. Petersburg
Florida (with participants from Mexico)
1998 – International Phytoplankton Identification Course APC6, 10-30 May. Vico Equense,
(Naples) Italy.
2007 - 2nd Gulf States Harmful Algae Taxonomy Workshop – FWC St. Petersburg Florida (with
participants from Mexico
2000 Course on HAB identification – University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Faculty.
2000 – Advanced Phytoplankton Course APC7, May 8-28, Zoological Station A. Dohrn, Naples,
Italy
2005 - Advanced Phytoplankton Course APC8 International Phytoplankton Course, May 4-15,
Zoological Station, A. Dohrn, Naples, Italy
2008 – 2nd Gulf States Regional Harmful Algae Taxonomy Workshop, Jun XXX South Padre
Island, Texas (sponsored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. (participants from Mexico
included).
2009 - Advanced Phytoplankton Course 9th International Phytoplankton Course, May 10-29,
Naples, Italy
2009 - Invited speaker and visiting scientist to the Lagoon Ecology Program, Jun 22, University of
Sassari, Sardinia, (Italy).
2009 – 3rd Gulf States Regional Harmful Algae Taxonomy Workshop, St Petersburg, FL
2009 – 1st International Phytoplankton Identification Course, 6-17 July, Marine Biological
Association Laboratory, Plymouth, UK .
2009 - Course/workshop on the detection, Identification and Quantification of Harmful Algal
Blooms and other species of phytoplankton in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico., Nov. 30 –
Dec. , Campeche, Mexico, Sponsored by US EPA Gulf of Mexico Program.
2010 – Binational Mexico-USA Course/Workshop on Taxonomy of Harmful Algal Bloom. Dec 7-
11. Tabasco, Mexico. Sponsored by US EPA Gulf of Mexico Program.
2011 – Binational Mexico-USA Course/Workshop on Taxonomy of Harmful Algal Bloom, Feb. 7-
11, Merida Mexico. Sponsored by US EPA Gulf of Mexico Program.
2011 – Binational Mexico-USA Course/Workshop on Taxonomy of Harmful Algal Bloom, Feb. 14-
18. Chetumal, Mexico. Sponsored by US EPA Gulf of Mexico Program.
2011 – Algal Culturing Techniques Course, Jun. 6-11 National Culture Collection of Marine
Phytoplankton, Bigelow, Maine (Participants from US, Canada, India, Korea).

2011 - 4th Gulf States Regional Harmful Algae Taxonomy Workshop, Dec. 12-16. Keys Marine
Lab, Layton Key, FL
2012 - Algal Culturing Techniques Course, Jun 10-16. National Center for Marine Algae and
Microbiota (formerly CCMP), Bigelow, Maine.
2012 – 2nd International Phytoplankton Identification Course, July 1-14, Marine Biological
Association Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
2012 – International Workshop on Taxonomy of Lagoonal Phytoplankton, Oct. 8-17, 2012.
University of Salento, Lecchi, Italy.
2012 –Advanced Phytoplankton Course APC10, Nov 12-23, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
2013 – Algal Culturing Techniques, June 3-14. National Culture Collection of Marine Phytoplankton
(NCMA) Bigelow, Maine.

235
 532

BRIEF CURRICULUM VITA

Wm. David Webster

Department of Biological Sciences
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, NC 28403-5915
Phone: 910/962-3756 FAX: 910/962-4066

EDUCATION:
University of North Carolina at Wilmington: B.S. in Biology, 1976
Michigan State University: M.S. in Zoology, 1978
Texas Tech University: Ph.D. in Zoology, 1983

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, UNCW
2006-present
Professor, Member of the Graduate Faculty, Director of the Vertebrate Collections,
and Curator of Mammals, Department of Biological Sciences, UNCW
1993-present
Director of the Vertebrate Collections, UNCW
1998-present
Affiliate Member of the Graduate Faculty, Western Carolina University
1998-2007
Research Associate, Virginia Museum of Natural History, Martinsville, VA
1995-2009
Adjunct Associate Professor and Member of the Graduate Faculty, Department of
Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University
1991-1994
Coordinator, Environmental Studies Program, UNCW
1990-1995
Associate Professor, Member of the Graduate Faculty, and Curator of Mammals,
Department of Biological Sciences, UNCW
1989-1993
Tenure awarded, Department of Biological Sciences, UNCW
1989
Assistant Professor, Member of the Graduate Faculty, and Curator of Mammals,
Department of Biological Sciences, UNCW
1983-1989
Member of seven professional societies and seven advisory boards

AWARDS AND COMMENDATIONS:

UNCW Distinguished Teaching Professor Award
2006
UNCW Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award
2005

236
 533

BOOKS PUBLISHED:
Webster, W.D. 2010. Mammalian diversity in nineteen Southeast Coast Network parks.
Natural Resource Report NPS/SECN/NRR—2010/XXX. National Park Service, Fort Collins,
Colorado.
Webster, W.D. 1993. Systematics and evolution of bats of the genus Glossophaga. Spec. Publ.
Mus., Texas Tech
Univ., 36:1-184.
Parnell, J.F., W.D. Webster, and T.L. Quay. 1992. Birds and mammals of the Cape Hatteras
National Seashore:
thirty-five years of change. UNC Sea Grant Communications, UNC-SG-92-01, 96 pp.
Webster, W.D., J.F. Parnell, and W.C. Biggs, Jr. 1985. Mammals of the Carolinas, Virginia,
and Maryland.
University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 255 pp.

CHAPTERS IN BOOKS: 18

OTHER PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS: 59

Journal of Mammalogy
Mammalian Species
American Midland Naturalist
Journal of Mammalian Biology
Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Mammalia
American Museum Novitates
Texas Academy of Science
Jeffersoniana
American Journal of Tropical Medicine
and Hygiene
Brimleyana
Journal of Wildlife Management
Canadian Journal of Zoology
Holarctic Ecology
Southwestern Naturalist
The Canadian Field-Naturalist
Herpetological Review
Occasional Papers, The Museum, Texas Tech University
Museo Nacional Historia Naturales de Bolivia, Communicacion
Association of Southeastern Biologists Bulletin
Journal of the North Carolina Academy of Science
Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society

GRANTS AND CONTRACTS AWARDED: 55 for $518,764

National Science Foundation U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Geological Service, SAR Program National Park Service
U.S. Forest Service U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Natl. Estuarine Research Reserve, NOAA U.S. Air Force
Cape Lookout National Seashore The Nature Conservancy
Cape Hatteras National Seashore N.C. Dept. Environ. & Nat. Resources
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission N.C. Natural Heritage Program

N.C. Department Transportation Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries

Coastal Zone Resources, Inc. N.C. Academy of Science
Duke Energy Langley and McDonald, P.C.
Society for Masonboro Island, Inc. UNCW Faculty R&D Fund
Thorpe Group of Companies, Inc. New Hanover County, NC

Roosevelt Memorial Fund, AMNH, NY

PAPERS PRESENTED OR ABSTRACTS PUBLISHED: 81

GRADUATE RESEARCH DIRECTED:

J. E. Williams. In progress. Bat diversity across a landscape gradient. 237
 534

A. M. Cherry Millis. In Progress. The timing of sexual maturation in the eastern red bat
(Lasiurus borealis) and evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis).
M. W. Danaher. In Progress. Amphibian diversity in isolated ephemeral wetlands in
managed pine plantations in the Green Swamp, North Carolina.
S. J. Hutchinson. 2010. Phylogeography of Cryptotis parva in the United States using
morphometrics and population genetics.
K. M. Roman. 2008. Reproductive success of Least Terns and Black Skimmers in southeastern
North Carolina.
M. L. Leslie. 2005. Diurnal time activity budgets of nesting Least Terns and Black
Skimmers.
D. Piatkowski. 2002. Effects of beach renourishment on the nesting environment of
loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta).
C. B. Quel. 2001. Interseasonal nesting patterns of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta)
on Bald Head Island, North Carolina.
M. A. Shipp-Pennock. 2000. Systematics of the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)
in the mid-Atlantic region.
D. K. Ray. 2000. Phylogenetics and evolution of woodrats (genus Neotoma) in the southern
Appalachian Mountains.
B. L. Wilson. 1999. Resource selection by the eastern woodrat (Neotoma floridana
floridana).
D. R. Rabon, Jr. 1999. Infant ultrasonic vocalizations in two species of voles (Microtus).
S. D. Wolfson. 1998. Nongeographic and geographic variation in the Amazon tree frog,
Hyla geographica Spix 1824.
C. T. Thomas. 1997. Aerial census of the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, along the
East Coast of Florida.
T. P. Pinion. 1996. Reproductive output of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) nesting
on Bald Head Island, North Carolina.
B. E. Gurshaw. 1996. Protein electrophoresis and allozymic differentiation in two
subspecies of the southeastern shrew (Sorex longirostris).
K. A. Cook. 1994. Intraseasonal nesting activity of loggerhead sea turtles on Bald Head
Island, North Carolina.
C. A. Murray. 1991. The mammalian fauna of Hammocks Beach State Park, North
Carolina.
T. A. Fitzgerald. 1991. The critical period for sexual differentiation in the loggerhead sea
turtle (Caretta caretta) from southeastern North Carolina.
A. Neville. 1990. The effects of nest temperature on hatchling emergence in the loggerhead
sea turtle.
K. W. Markham. 1989. Habitat and dietary relationships of marsh rabbits on coastal islands
in southeastern
North Carolina.
W. F. Adams. 1989. Utilization of estuarine habitats by bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in
southeastern North Carolina.
J. F. Gouveia. 1988. The timing of sexual determination in the loggerhead sea turtle
(Caretta caretta).

HONORS RESEARCH DIRECTED: 17

238
 535

CURRICULUM VITAE
ANDREW JOHN WESTGATE

Education
B.Sc. University of Guelph, 1989, Biological Science.
M.Sc. University of Guelph, 1995, Zoology. Advisor: David E. Gaskin
Ph.D. Duke University, 2005, Environment. Advisor: Andrew J. Read.

Appointments

Research Assistant Professor

Biology and Marine Biology
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, NC U.S.A. 28403
westgatea@uncw.edu
Phone: 910-962-2783

Senior Marine Biologist

Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station
24 Route 776
Grand Manan, NB, Canada, E5G 1A1

Research Collaborator
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
Division of Mammals
P.O. Box 37012
Washington, D.C.
20013-7012

Publications

In Review Koopman, H.N., Westgate, A. J., Siders, Z. A., and Morse, N. E. Maternal and
environmental influences on fecundity and egg quality in the American lobster (Homarus
americanus). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
2014 Koopman, H., Westgate, A.J, Siders, Z., Cahoon, L. Rapid sub-surface ocean warming in
the Bay of Fundy as measured by free-swimming basking sharks. Oceanography 27:14-1.
2014 Balmer, B. C., Wells, R. S., Howle, L. E., Barleycorn, A. A., McLellan, W. A., Ann Pabst,
D., Rowles, T. K., Schwacke, L. H., Townsend, F. I., Westgate, A. J. and Zolman, E. S.
Advances in cetacean telemetry: A review of single-pin transmitter attachment techniques
on small cetaceans and development of a new satellite-linked transmitter design. Marine
Mammal Science, 30: 656–673.
doi: 10.1111/mms.12072
2014 Westgate, A. J., Koopman, H. N., Siders, Z. A., Wong, S. N., and Ronconi, R. R.
Population density and abundance of basking sharks in the lower Bay of Fundy, Canada.
Endangered Species Research 23:177-185.
2013 Siders, Z. A., Johnston, D. W., Westgate, A. J., Murison, L. M., and Koopman, H. N.
Seasonal variation in the spatial distribution of basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus)
239
 536

in the lower Bay of Fundy, Canada. PLoS ONE 8(12): e82074.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0082074
2013 McKinstry, C. A. E., Westgate, A. J., Koopman, H. N. Annual variation in the energy
content and lipid composition of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus from the Bay of Fundy,
Canada. Endangered Species Research
2012 Koopman, H.N., Westgate, A.J. Solubility of nitrogen in marine mammal blubber depends
on its lipid composition. Journal of Experimental Biology 215:3865-3863.
2012 McClelland, S. J., Gay, M., Pabst, D. A., Dillaman, R., Westgate, A. J., and Koopman, H.
N. Microvascular patterns in the blubber of shallow and deep diving Odontocetes. Journal of
Morphology.
2011 Balmer, B. C., Wells, R. S., Schwacke, L. H., Rowles, T. K., Hunter, C., Zolman, E.
S.,Westgate A.J., Pabst, D. A. (2011). Evaluation of a single-pin, satellite-linked transmitter
deployed on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) along the coast of Georgia,
USA. Aquatic mammals, 37(2), 187-192.
2010 Ronconi, R. A., Koopman, H.N., Mckinstry, C.A., Wong, S.N.P., Westgate, A.J. Inter-
annual variability in diets of non-breeding pelagic seabirds (Puffinus sp.) at migratory
staging areas: evidence from stable isotopes and fatty acids. Marine Ecology Progress
Series. 419: 267–282.
2010 Lane, H.A., Westgate, A.J., Koopman, H.N. Ontogenetic and temporal variability in the fat
content and fatty acid composition of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) from the Bay of
Fundy, Canada. Fisheries Bulletin. 109:113–122.
2010 Ronconi R.A., Swaim, Z.T., Lane, H.A., Hunnewell, R.W., Westgate, A.J., Koopman, H.N.
Modified hoop-net techniques for capturing birds at sea and comparison with other capture
methods. Marine Ornithology 38:23-29
2010 DeRuiter, S. L., Hansen, M., Koopman, H.N., Westgate, A.J., Tyack, P.L., Madsen, P.T.
Propagation of narrow-band-high-frequency clicks: Measured and modeled transmission
loss of porpoise-like clicks in porpoise habitats. Journal of the Acoustic Society of
America.127:560-567.
2009 Swaim, Z. T., Westgate, A. J., Koopman, H. N., Rolland, R. M., Kraus, S. D.
Lipid metabolism by North Atlantic right whales: using fecal samples to assess assimilation
of copepod triacylglycerols and wax esters. Endangered Species Research 6:259-271.
2009 Mirimin L., Westgate A.J., Rogan E., Rosel P., Read A., Coughlan J. and Cross T.
Population structure of short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in the North
Atlantic Ocean as revealed by mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers. Marine Biology
156: 821-834.
2008 Neimanis, A.S., Koopman, H.N., Westgate, A.J., Nielsen, K., Leighton, F.A. Evidence of
exposure to Brucella sp. in harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from the Bay of Fundy,
Canada. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 44: 480-48.
2008 Meagher, E.M., McLellan, W.A., Westgate, A.J., Wells, R.S., Blum, J.E., Pabst,
D.A. Seasonal patterns of heat loss in wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Journal
of Comparative Physiology B. 178: 529-543.
2007 Westgate, A.J., McLellan, W.A., Wells, R.S., Scott M.D., Meagher, E.M., Pabst, D.A. A
new device to remotely measure heat flux and skin temperature from free-swimming
dolphins. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 346:45-59.
2007 Westgate, A.J. Geographic variation in cranial morphology of short-beaked common
dolphins (Delphinus delphis) from the North Atlantic. Journal of Mammalogy. 88:678-688.
2007 Westgate, A.J. and Read, A.J. Life history of short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus
delphis) from the western North Atlantic. Marine Biology 150:1011-1024.
240
 537

Book Chapters:
2010 Vital rates and population dynamics. Baker, J., Westgate, A.J., and Eguchi, T. In:
Marine mammal ecology and conservation: A handbook of techniques. Eds. Boyd I. L.,
Bowen. W.D., Iverson. S.J. Oxford Press.

Presentations:
2014 Lonati, G. L., Westgate, A. J., and Koopman, H. N. Differences in lipid composition may
influence nitrogen solubility and risk of barotrauma in odontocete intramandibular and
extramandibular fats. SEAMAMMS (Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal
Symposium) meeting, March 28-30, Wilmington, NC.
2014 Lonati, G. L., Westgate, A. J., and Koopman, H. N. Nitrogen solubility related to lipid
composition in toothed whale fats. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
meeting, Austin TX Jan 3-7. This presentation was awarded the DCPB Jeffrey B. Graham
student presentation award.
2014 Koopman, H., Westgate, A.J, Siders, Z. Potential biological implications of rapid ocean
warming in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
meeting, Austin TX Jan 3-7.
2013 Lonati, G. L., Westgate, A. J., and Koopman, H. N. Variation in lipid composition of
odontocete acoustic fats may affect gas loading during dives. Society for Marine
Mammalogy 20th Biennial Meeting, Dunedin New Zealand, December 9-13.
2013 Koopman, H., Westgate, A.J., Siders, Z. Rapid ocean warming in the Bay of Fundy,
Canada, and potential biological implications. Regional Association for Research in the Gulf
of Maine meeting, Portsmouth, N.H. October 8.

2012 Camilleri, S.A., Koopman, H.N., Westgate, A.J., Gannon, D., Mauck, R., and Kucklick, J.
Provisioning of chicks by Leach’s Storm-Petrels: Insights into energy content, lipid content,
and contaminants of stomach oils. North American Ornithological Conference. Vancouver,
B.C. August 14-18.
2011 Camilleri, S. A., Koopman, H. N., Westgate, A. J., Gannon, D. P., Mauck, R., and
Kucklick, J. Provisioning of Chicks by Leach's Storm-Petrels: Preliminary Insights into
Energy Content and Contaminants of Stomach Oils. SETAC, Boston, November 2011.
2010 McKinstry, C. A. E., Westgate, A. J., and Koopman, H. N. Annual variation in energy
content of the copepod, Calanus finmarchicus from the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Benthic
Ecology Meeting 2010, Wilmington NC, March 10-13, 2010.
2009 Koopman H.N., Westgate, A.J. Solubility of nitrogen gas in odontocete blubber: Are deep
divers more vulnerable to nitrogen absorption? 18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of
Marine Mammals, 2009. Quebec City, Quebec.
2009 McClelland, S., Gay, M., Pabst, D. A., Dillaman, R., Westgate, A. J, Koopman, H. N.
Variation in the vascular patterns of blubber in shallow and deep diving Odontocetes:
Implications for diving physiology? 18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine
Mammals, 2009. Quebec City, Quebec. This talk was selected as the Best Oral
presentation by an M.Sc. Student.
2009 Westgate, A.J. Development of satellite tags for small cetaceans. Cetacean Tag Design
Workshop. Office of Naval Research. Arlington VA.
2009 McClelland, S., Gay, M., Pabst, D. A., Dillaman, R., Westgate, A. J., and Koopman, H. N.
Blubber vasculature of the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, and pygmy sperm whale,
Kogia breviceps. 2009 SEAMAMMS meeting (Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine
Mammal Symposium), Wilmington, North Carolina, April 3-5, 2009.
2009 McKinstry, C. A. E., Westgate, A. J., and Koopman, H. N. Breakfast of Champions:
241
A preliminary analysis of the annual variation in energy content and lipid composition
 538

of the copepod, Calanus finmarchicus from the Bay of Fundy, Canada. 2009 SEAMAMMS
meeting (Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium), Wilmington, North
Carolina, April 3-5, 2009.
2007 Swaim, Z. T., Westgate, A. J., Koopman, H. N., Rolland, R. M., and Kraus, S. D. A wax
ester digester? Comparing the lipid content and composition of right whale fecal material to
those of their copepod prey. North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium Annual Meeting, New
Bedford, MA.
2007 Swaim, Z. T., Westgate, A. J., Koopman, H.N., Rolland, R., Kraus, S. Waxing poetic:
comparing the lipid content and composition of right whale fecal material to those of their
copepod prey. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium, Beaufort, NC.
Awarded Best Oral Presentation by an M.Sc. Student.

Scientific Funding

2012 Nitrogen solubility in adipose tissues of diving animals: implications for human divers and
for modeling diving physiology. $446,553. PIs: Koopman , H.N. and Westgate, A.J.
2012 Documenting migration patterns and abundance of Canadian Maritime basking sharks
(Cetorhinus maximus). PI AJ Westgate. Canadian Wildlife Federation. $19,500
2011 Critical habitat and migration patterns of Canadian Maritime basking sharks. Royal
Caribbean Ocean Fund. $38,875. PIs: Koopman, H. N., Westgate, A. J., Wong, S. N., and
Ronconi, R. A.
2010 Linking variation in egg quality to hatching success and larval survival in blue crabs. PI:
Koopman, H.N. CoPI: Posey, M., Alphin, T., Westgate, A. Funded by North Carolina Sea
Grant (two years for $18,355).
2010 Risk assessment, critical habitat and migration patterns of Canadian Maritime basking
sharks (Cetorhinus maximus). PI: A. J. Westgate. Funded by the Canadian Wildlife
Federation for $16,700.
2010 Monitoring the migration patterns of Bay of Fundy basking sharks. PI: A. J. Westgate. New
Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund. Funded in the amount of $5,400.
2008 Development of an archival data logger tag for basking sharks. Westgate, A.J. PADI
Foundation. $4,000. June 2008-Jan 2009.
2008 Navigating to the most remote place on Earth: marine habitat use, migration patterns, and
seasonally variable niche partitioning of Atlantic shearwaters. Westgate, A.J., Ronconi,
R.A. National Geographic Society. $21,000 from Jan. 2008 to Jan 2010.

Graduate Student Committee Member*

*as a Research Professor, I am not eligible to be the Chair [official supervisor] of graduate student
committees, however I have been heavily involved in managing the projects and theses of Swaim,
McKinstry, McClelland, Siders, Lonati, and Gabler

Lisa Hollensend UNCW Ph.D

Molly Gabler UNCW Ph.D
Gina Lonati, UNCW, M. Sc.
Zach Siders, UNCW, M.Sc.
Sarah McClelland, UNCW, M.Sc.
Zachary Swaim, UNCW, M.Sc.
Caitlin McKinstry, UNCW, M.Sc.
James Casey, UNCW, M.Sc.
Jessica Snoddy, UNCW, M.Sc.
242
Brian Balmer, UNCW, Ph.D.
 539

Reviewer
Canadian Journal of Zoology
Fishery Bulletin
Marine Mammal Science
Environmental Pollution
Journal of Zoology, London
Acta Theriologica
Marine Biology
Endangered Species Research
Polar Biology

243
 540

J. WILSON WHITE
EDUCATION
2007 Ph.D. Ecology, Evolution, & Marine Biology
University of California, Santa Barbara

2000 B.S. Biology (with honors); magna cum laude

Davidson College, Davidson, NC.

APPOINTMENTS
2010- Assistant Professor
Dept. Biology & Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington

2007-2010 Postdoctoral scholar

Dept. Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology and Bodega Marine Laboratory,
University of California, Davis

PUBLICATIONS (since 2007)

(UNCW graduate students in bold)

PEER-REVIEWED
44. Nickols KJ, White JW, Gaylord B, Largier JL (2014) Marine population connectivity:
reconciling large-scale dispersal and high self-retention. American Naturalist, in press

43. Botsford LW, White JW, Carr MH, Caselle JE (2014) Marine protected areas in
California, USA. In: Advances in Marine Biology: Marine Managed Areas and Fisheries,
vol. 69. (Johnson ML and Sandell J, eds.). Elsevier, Oxford, UK. In press.

42. Wang HY, Botsford LW, White JW, Fogarty MJ, Juanes F, Hastings A, Holland MD,
Brander K (2014) The influence of temperature on life histories sets the sensitivity of
Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, to fishing. Marine Ecology Progress Series, in press

41. White JW, Morgan SG, Fisher JL (2014) Planktonic larval mortality rates are lower than
widely expected. Ecology, in press DOI: 10.1890/13-2248.1

40. White JW, Schroeger J, Drake PT, Edwards CA (2014) The value of larval connectivity
information in the static optimization of marine reserve design. Conservation Letters, in
press DOI 10.1111/conl.12097

39. Birk MA, White JW (2014) Experimental determination of the spatial scale of a prey
patch from the predator's perspective. Oecologia 174: 723-729

38. White JW, Rassweiler A, Samhouri JF, Stier AC, White C. (2014) Ecologists should not
use statistical significance tests to interpret simulation model results. Oikos 123: 385-
389 244
 541

37. Burgess SC, Nickols KJ, Griesemer CD, Barnett LAK, Dedrick AG, Satterthwaite EV,
Yamane L, Morgan SG, White JW, Botsford LW (2014) Beyond connectivity: how
empirical methods can quantify population persistence to improve marine protected
area design. Ecological Applications 24: 257-270

36. Stier AC=, White JW = (2014) Predator density and the functional response of coral reef
fish. Coral Reefs 33: 235-240 =These authors contributed equally

35. White JW, Botsford LW, Hastings A, Holland MD (2014) Stochastic models reveal
conditions for cyclic dominance in sockeye salmon populations. Ecological Monographs
84: 69-90

34. Brander SM, Connon RE, He G, Hobbs JA, Smalling KL, Teh SJ, White JW, Werner I,
Denison MS, Cherr GN (2013) From ‘omics to otoliths: responses of an estuarine fish
to endocrine disrupting compounds across biological scales. PLOS ONE 8: e74521

33. Midway SR, White JW, Roumillat W, Batsavage C, Scharf FS (2013) Improving
macroscopic maturity determination in a pre-spawning flatfish through predictive
modeling and whole mount methods. Fisheries Research 147: 359-369

32. Moffitt EA, White JW, Botsford LW (2013) Accurate assessment of marine protected
area success depends on metric and spatiotemporal scale of monitoring. Marine
Ecology Progress Series 489: 17-28

31. White JW, Botsford LW, Hastings A, Baskett ML, Kaplan DM, Barnett LAK (2013)
Transient responses of fished populations to marine reserve establishment.
Conservation Letters 6: 180-191

30. Miller SH, Morgan SG, JW White, Green PG (2013) Can trace element signatures in
larval soft tissues reveal dispersal and population connectivity? Marine Ecology
Progress Series 481: 1-10

29. Sorte CJB, JW White (2013) Competitive and demographic leverage points of
community shifts under climate change. Proceedings of the Royal Society (B) 280:
20130572

28. Bucaram SJ, White JW, Sanchirico JN, Wilen JE (2013) Behavior of the Galapagos
fishing fleet and its consequences for the design of spatial management alternatives for
the red spiny lobster fishery. Ocean and Coastal Management 78: 88-100

27. White JW, Scholz AJ, Rassweiler A, Steinback C, Botsford LW, Kruse S, Costello C,
Mitarai S, Siegel D, Drake PT, Edwards CA (2013) A comparison of approaches used
for economic analysis in marine protected area network planning in California. Ocean
and Coastal Management 73: 77-89

26. Miller SH, Morgan SG, White JW, Green PG (2013) Interannual variability in an atlas of
trace element signatures for determining population connectivity. Marine Ecology
Progress Series 474: 179-190
245
 542

25. Hunsicker ME, Ciannelli L, Bailey KM, Buckel JA, White JW, Link JS, Essington TE,
Anderson TW, Brodeur RD, Chan KS, Chen K, Englund G, Frank KT, Frietas V,
Gaichas S, Hixon MA, Hurst T, Johnson DW, Kitchell JF, Reese D, Rose GA, Sjodin H,
Sydeman WJ, van der Veer H, Vollset K, Zador S (2011) Functional responses and
scaling in marine predator-prey interactions: contemporary issues and emerging
concepts. Ecology Letters 14:1288-1299

24. Fischer DT=, White JW =, Botsford LW, Largier JL, Kaplan DM (2011) A GIS-based tool
for representing larval dispersal for marine reserve selection. The Professional
Geographer 63: 489-513 =these authors contributed equally

23. Standish JD, White JW, Warner RR (2011) Spatial pattern of natal signatures in the
otoliths of juvenile kelp rockfish, Sebastes atrovirens, along the California coast. Marine
Ecology Progress Series 437: 279-290

22. White JW, Botsford LW, Baskett ML, Barnett LAK, Barr RJ, Hastings A (2011) Linking
models and monitoring data for assessing performance of no-take marine reserves.
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 9: 390-399

21. White JW (2011) Can inverse density dependence at small spatial scales produce
dynamic instability in animal populations? Theoretical Ecology 4: 357-370

20. White JW, Samhouri JF (2011) Oceanographic coupling across multiple trophic levels
shapes source-sink dynamics in marine metacommunities. Oikos 120: 1151-1164

19. Botsford LW, Holland MD, Samhouri JF, White JW, Hastings A (2011) Importance of
age structure in models of the response of upper trophic levels to fishing and climate
change. ICES Journal of Marine Science 68: 1270-1283

18. Morgan SG, White JW, McAfee ST, Gaines SD, Schmitt RJ (2011) Weak synchrony in
the timing of larval release in upwelling regimes. Marine Ecology Progress Series 425:
103-112

17. Moffitt EA, White JW, Botsford LW (2011) The utility and limitations of size and spacing
guidelines for designing marine protected area networks. Biological Conservation 144:
306-318

16. White JW, Rogers-Bennett L (2010) Incorporating physical oceanographic proxies of

recruitment into population models to improve fishery and marine protected area
management. CalCOFI Reports 51: 128-149

15. White JW, Nickols KJ, Clarke L, Largier JL (2010) Population effects of larval
entrainment in cooling water intakes: spatially explicit models reveal shortcomings of
traditional assessments. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 67: 2014-
2031

14. White JW, Botsford LW, Moffitt EA, Fischer DT (2010) Decision analysis for designing
marine protected areas for multiple species with uncertain fishery status. Ecological
Applications 20: 1523-1541
246
 543

13. White JW, Samhouri JF, Stier AC, Wormald CL, Hamilton SL, Sandin SA (2010)
Synthesizing mechanisms of density dependence in reef fishes: behavior, habitat
configuration, and observational scale. Ecology 91: 1949-1961

12. White JW (2010) Adapting the steepness parameter from stock-recruit curves for use
in spatially explicit models. Fisheries Research 102: 330-334

11. White JW, Botsford LW, Hastings A, Largier JL (2010) Population persistence in
marine reserve networks: incorporating spatial heterogeneities in larval dispersal.
Marine Ecology Progress Series 398: 49-67

10. Brander SM, Werner I, White JW, Deavonic LA (2009) Toxicity of a dissolved
pyrethroid mixture to Hyallela azteca at environmentally relevant concentrations.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 28: 1493-1499

9. Botsford LW, White JW, Coffroth MA, Paris C, Planes S, Shearer TL, Thorrold SR,
Jones GP (2009) Connectivity and resilience of coral reef metapopulations in MPAs:
matching empirical efforts to predictive needs. Coral Reefs 28: 327-337

8. White JW, Standish JD, Thorrold SR, Warner RR (2008) Markov chain – Monte Carlo
methods for assigning larvae to natal sites using natural geochemical tags. Ecological
Applications 18: 1901-1913

7. White JW, Caselle JE (2008) Scale-dependent changes in the importance of larval

supply and habitat to abundance of a reef fish. Ecology 89: 1323-1333

6. White JW (2008) Spatially coupled larval supply of marine predators and their prey
alters the predictions of metapopulation models. American Naturalist 171: E179-E194

5. White JW, Warner RR (2007) Safety in numbers and the spatial scaling of density-
dependent mortality in a coral reef fish. Ecology 88: 3044-3054

4. White JW, Warner RR (2007) Behavioral and energetic consequences of group

membership in a coral reef fish. Oecologia 154: 423-433

3. White JW (2007) Spatially correlated recruitment of a marine predator and its prey
shapes the large-scale pattern of prey mortality Ecology Letters 10: 1054-1065

2. White JW, CJ Grigsby, Warner RR (2007) Cleaning behavior is riskier and less
profitable than an alternative strategy for a facultative cleaner fish. Coral Reefs 26: 87-
94

1. White JW, Ruttenberg BI (2007) Discriminant function analysis in marine ecology: some
common oversights and their solutions. Marine Ecology Progress Series 329: 301-305

SUBMITTED/IN REVIEW
McCarthy EK, White JW. Density-dependent prey mortality is determined by the spatial
scale of predator foraging. In review, Biology Letters.
247
White JW. Marine reserve design theory for species with ontogenetic migration. In
 544

revision, Biology Letters

Kimbro DL, White JW, Grosholz ED. Benthic population dynamics: integration of top-down,
bottom-up, and supply-side influences on intertidal oysters. In review, American
Naturalist

Heintz MM, Brander SM, White JW. Endocrine disrupting compounds alter risk-taking
behavior in fish (Poecelia reticulata). In review, Ethology

PRESENTATIONS
INVITED PRESENTATIONS BY J. W ILSON W HITE
2014 School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL
2014 Dept. of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
2012 Presidential Symposium, Western Society of Naturalists annual meeting, Seaside,
CA
2012 Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, CA
2012 Ecology & Evolution Seminar Series, Rutgers University. New Brunswick, NJ
2012 Institute of Marine Science, University of North Carolina. Morehead City, NC
2011 Dept. Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough. Toronto, ON, Canada
2011 North Carolina State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology.
Morehead City, NC
2011 NOAA Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research. Beaufort, NC
2010 Dept. of Biological Science, Florida State University, Elise B. Newell Seminar
Series. Tallahassee, FL
2010 Coastal & Marine Laboratory, Florida State University, Elise B. Newell Seminar
Series. St. Theresa, FL
2009 California Cooperative Oceanographic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI)
Symposium. Asilomar, CA
2009 California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative. Oxnard, CA; Carlsbad, CA.
2009 Dept. of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Wilmington, NC.
2008 Center for Population Biology, UC Davis. Davis, CA.
2008 California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative.. El Segundo, CA.
2008 Science and Technical Advisory Committee, Oregon Ocean Policy Advisory Council
(OPAC). Charleston, OR.
2008 Program for Interdisciplinary Mathematics, Ecology, and Statistics (PRIMES),
Colorado State University. Bodega Bay, CA.
2007 Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) Scientific
Symposium. Corvallis, OR.
2007 Bodega Marine Laboratory, UC Davis. John & Mary Louise Riley Seminar Series.
Bodega Bay, CA.

RECENT CONTRIBUTED PRESENTATIONS

(Presenting author underlined; Graduate student authors listed in bold)

Botsford, L. W., White, J., Nickols, K. J., Carr, M. E., Moffitt, E. A., Barnett, L. A.K.,
Baskett, M., Hastings, A. ICES Annual Meeting, International Council for Exploration
of the Seas, A Coruña, Spain, "Adaptive Management based on Monitoring of 248
Marine Protected Areas in California" (September 2014).
 545

White, J.W., Nickols, K. J., Cordoleani, F., Botsford, L. W., Hastings, A., Malone, D., Carr,
M., Caselle, J. E. 99th Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Ecological
Society of America, Sacramento, CA, "Accounting for non-equilibrium transient
dynamics in the design and assessment of marine reserves" (August 2014).
Vogel, K. S., White, J. 99th Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Ecological
Society of America, Sacramento, CA, "The time scale of transient population
dynamics hampers the utility of rotational schemes for marine reserves" (August
2014).
Hameed, S. O., White, J., Miller, S. H., Nickols, K. J., Morgan, S. G. International Marine
Conservation Congress, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, "Coupled reproduction and
settlement in a coastal metapopulation: evidence of low connectivity in a network of
marine protected areas?" (August 2014).
Brander, S.M., Jeffries, K., Cole, B., DeCourten, B., DeGroot, B., White, J.W., Fangue, N.,
Connon, R. SETAC Europe 2014, Society of Environmental Toxicology and
Chemistry Europe, Basel, Switzerland, "Use of an estuarine model teleost to evaluate
pollutant impacts at multiple biological scales" (May 2014).
Garland, H., White, J., Kimbro, D. L. 27th Annual Meeting of the Florida Association of
Benthologists (FAB), Apalachicola, FL, "Apalachicola Bay's imperiled oysters: better
monitoring and experiments to understand the collapse and the potential for
recovery", (November 2013).
Botsford, L., White, J.W., Baskett, M., Hastings, A., Barnett, L., Nickols, K. J., Moffitt, E.
Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) conference, San Diego, CA,
"Adaptive management for population resilience in marine protected areas"
(November 2013).
Hameed, S. O., White, J., Miller, S. H., Nickols, K. J., Morgan, S. G. Coastal and Estuarine
Research Federation (CERF) conference, San Diego, CA, "Coupled reproduction and
settlement, connectivity, and local retention of rocky shore metapopulations in an
upwelling region" (November 2013).
Nickols, K., White, J., Botsford, L., Malone, D., Carr, M., Barnett, L., Baskett, M., Hastings,
A. Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) conference, San Diego, CA,
"Setting expectations for marine protected area performance: matching population
models to monitoring data" (November 2013).
Brander, S., Jeffries, K. M., Cole, B. J., DeCourten, B. M., DeGroot, B. C., White, J.W.,
Cherr, G. N., Fangue, N. A., Connon, R. E. Biomarker Workshop, California Dept.
Fish and Wildlife, Davis, CA, "Linking the benchtop to the bay: Menidia species as
indicators of endocrine disruption." (October 24, 2013).
Nickols, K. J., Botsford, L. W., White, J.W., Malone, D. P., Carr, M. H., Barnett, L. A.,
Baskett, M. L., Hastings, A. 42nd Benthic Ecology Meeting, Savannah, GA,
"Expectations for marine protected areas: too much too soon? A case study from
Central California", (March 2013).
Heintz, M. M., Brander, S., White, J.W. 42nd Benthic Ecology Meeting, Savannah, GA,
"Guppy gladiators: endocrine disrupting compounds alter risk-taking behaviors when
facing a predator in the arena" (March 2013).
White, J.W. 42nd Benthic Ecology Meeting, Savannah, GA, "Potential benefits and
drawbacks of spatial management for ontogenetically migrating fishes" (March 2013).
Hanmer, J., White, J.W., Pawlik, J. R. 42nd Benthic Ecology Meeting, Savannah, GA,
"Shifting diets: quantifying the effects of resource availability on redband parrotfish
feeding on Caribbean coral reefs" (March 2013).
249
 546

Dingeldein, A., White, J.W. 42nd Benthic Ecology Meeting, Savannah, GA, "To be or not
to be (in a group)? Larval traits influence group-joining behavior in a coral reef fish"
(March 2013).
White, J.W., Botsford, L., Moffitt, E., Nickols, K., Barnett, L., Baskett, M., Hastings, A. State
of the California Central Coast Symposium, California Ocean Science Trust,
Monterey, CA, "Expected population responses to the implementation of MPAs on
California’s Central Coast" (February 2013).
Nickols, K., White, J.W., Botsford, L., Malone, D., Carr, M., Barnett, L., Baskett, M.,
Hastings, A. State of the California Central Coast Symposium, California Ocean
Science Trust, Monterey, CA, "Interpretation of population observations from the first
5 years of MPA monitoring in Central California" (February 2013).
Hameed, S. O., White, J.W., Miller, S. H., Nickols, K. J., Morgan, S. G. Western Society of
Naturalists annual meeting, Seaside, CA, "Coupled reproduction and settlement,
connectivity, and local retention of rocky shore metapopulations in an upwelling
region", (November 2012).
Nickols, K. J., White, J.W., Malone, D. P., Carr, M. H., Botsford, L. W., Barnett, L. A.,
Baskett, M. L., Hastings, A. Western Society of Naturalists annual meeting, Seaside,
CA, "Detecting effects of marine protected areas on fished species: an integrated
approach using population models and monitoring data" (November 2012).
Midway, S. R., Scharf, F. S., White, J. 142nd Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries
Society, St. Paul, MN, "Using macroscopic traits to hindcast and predict maturity in
southern flounder" (August 2012).
White, J.W., Botsford, L., Hastings, A., Baskett, M., Kaplan, D. Ecological Society of
America, Portland, OR, "Transient responses of exploited populations to
establishment of no-take marine reserves" (August 2012).
Brander, S., Connon, R. E., He, G., Smalling, K. L., White, J., Hobbs, J. A., Teh, S. J.,
Werner, I., Denison, M. S., Cherr, G. N. Ecological Society of America, ESA,
Portland, OR, "From ‘omics to otoliths: Using responses to endocrine disrupting
compounds at multiple biological scales to predict population dynamics" (August 5,
2012).
Hameed, S. O., White, J., Miller, S. H., Nickols, K. J., Morgan, S. G. 10th International
Larval Biology Symposium, Berkeley, CA, "Coupled reproduction and settlement,
connectivity, and local retention of rocky shore metapopulations in an upwelling
region", Academic, International, Accepted. (July 2012).

PUBLIC SEMINARS
2014 Cape Fear Flyfishers, Southport, NC
2013 Osher Lifetime Learning Institute, Univ. North Carolina Wilmington
2012 College Day, Univ. North Carolina Wilmington

GRANTS
2013 National Science Foundation – Biological Oceanography. Collaborative Research:
RUI: Effects of size-selective mortality on sex-changing fishes. (with co-PIs M.
Steele, S. Hamilton, M. Adreani) (UNCW portion: $210,326)
2013 Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Florida’s imperiled Apalachicola
oysters: paired experimentation, monitoring, and modeling to understand collapse of
oyster reefs and to promote recovery. (with co-PIs D. Kimbro and C. Stallings)
(UNCW portion: $109,753)
2013 UNCW eTEAL Pedagogy Initiative. Collaborative learning of population 250
models for conservation biology. ($3500)
 547

2013 NC Sea Grant. Population connectivity of southern flounder in the U.S. South
Atlantic. (with co-PI F. Scharf) ($97,955)
2013 Florida Sea Grant. Installation of an oyster-reef monitoring framework throughout
Apalachicola Bay, FL, to understand declining oyster landings and alternative
management strategies. (with co-PI D. Kimbro) ($10,000)
2012 NC Division of Marine Fisheries. An acoustic tagging study to evaluate migration
dynamics and within-estuary habitat use of southern flounder (Paralichthys
lethostigma) in North Carolina. (with co-PIs F. Scharf, C. Collier, and C. Batsavage)
($227,989)
2011 NC Sea Grant. Spatial approaches to managing ontogenetically migrating fishes.
($27,000)
2011 UNCW Center for Marine Science Pilot Grant. Scaling up endocrine disruption
effects in the Lower Cape Fear: from individual behavior to population dynamics.
(with co-PI S. Brander) ($34,978)
2010 UNCW Cahill Research Award ($2880)
2009 California SeaGrant. Adaptive management of marine protected areas: predicting
responses to MPA implementation for comparison to monitoring data (with PIs L.
Botsford, M. Baskett, and A. Hastings) ($197,000)
2008 Resources Legacy Fund Foundation. Population modeling support for the
California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative (with PI L. Botsford) ($65,000)

HONORS, AWARDS, AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

Guest Subject Editor: Ecological Applications (4 times)

Journal Referee: American Naturalist (3), Aquatic Conservation, Biological Conservation

(4), CalCOFI Reports, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic
Sciences (4), Conservation Biology, Conservation Letters (2), Coral
Reefs (3), Ecological Applications, Ecological Modelling, Ecological
Monographs, Ecology (8), Ecology Letters (3), Ecosphere,
Environmental Science & Policy, Environmetrics, Ethology (2), Fisheries
Research (2), Functional Ecology, Journal of Animal Ecology (2), Journal
of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Journal of the Marine
Biological Association of the UK, Journal of Plankton Research,
Limnology & Oceanography, Marine and Coastal Fisheries, Marine
Ecology Progress Series (14), Marine Environmental Research, Methods
in Ecology and Evolution, Nature Communications, Nature Climate
Change, Oecologia (6), PLoS One (2), Proceedings of the 10th
International Coral Reef Symposium, Proceedings of the Royal Society
B, Theoretical Ecology (3)

Grant Reviewer: California Sea Grant, NSF Comparative Analysis of Marine Ecosystem
Organization program (2), NSF OCE, International Marine Conservation
Congress, Agence Nationale de la Recherce – Programme la 6éme
Extinction, NMFS MARFIN program

Ad hoc Reviews: NMFS Endangered Species Act status review, NMFS California
251
Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment review
 548

Panelist: NOAA Aquarius Reef Base grant program

Organizer: CalCOFI Symposium, "Forecasting fishery productivity in the California

Current" (2009)

Expert Panels: Science Advisory Team. California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative,
North Coast Study Region
Region 3 Strategic Habitat Area Advisory Committee. NC Division of
Marine Fisheries.

Society Member: Ecological Society of America, Benthic Ecology Society

252
 549

1. Ami Elizabeth Wilbur

Department of Biology and Marine Biology
Center for Marine Science

2. Education
University of Delaware, Lewes, DE Ph.D. 1995 Marine Biology
University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC M.S. 1987 Biology
University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC B.S. 1985 Biology

3. Appointments
Director, 2009- ,
Shellfish Research Hatchery, Center for Marine Science, University of North
Carolina Wilmington
Associate Professor, 2005- ,
Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Assistant Professor, 1999-2005
Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC
Postdoctoral fellow, 1997-1999
Florida Marine Research Institute, St. Petersburg, FL
Postdoctoral fellow, 1996
University of Delaware, Lewes, DE
Assistant Professor, 1993-1994
Department of Biology, Salisbury State University, MD

4. Publications since 2007

Bert, TM, Arnold WS, Wilbur AE, Seyoum S, McMillen-Jackson AL, Stephenson SP,
Weisberg RH, Yarbro LA. (2014) “Florida Gulf Bay Scallop (Argopecten irradians ssp
concentricus) population genetic structure: form variation and influential factors” Journal of
Shellfish Research 33(1):99-136

Wilbur, AE, SEFord, JDGauthier, MGomez-Chiarri (2012) Use of a quantitative PCR assay
to determine prevalence and intensity of MSX (Haplosporidium nelsoni) in North Carolina
and Rhode Island oysters (Crassostrea virginica). Diseases of Aquatic Organisms
102:107-118

Bert, TM, WSArnold, ALMcMillen-Jackson, AEWilbur & CCrawford. (2011) Natural and
anthropogenic forces shape the population genetics and recent evolutionary history of
eastern USA bay scallops (Argopecten irradians) Journal of Shellfish Research 30(3):583-
608

Betancur-R., Ricardo; AHines, PAcero, GOrti, AEWilbur, DWFreshwater (2011)

Reconstructing the lionfish invasion of the Western Atlantic Journal of Biogeography DOI:
10.1111/j1365-2699.2011.02496.x

Hemond E and AEWilbur (2011) Microsatelllite loci indicate population structure and
selection between Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico populations of the Bay Scallop, Argopecten
irradians. Marine Ecology Progress Series 423:131-142
253
 550

Freshwater DW, RMHamner, SParham and AEWilbur (2009) Molecular evidence that the
lionfishes Pterois miles and Pterois volitans are distinct species. Journal of the North
Carolina Academy of Sciences 125(2):39-46

Freshwater DW, AHines, SParham, AEWilbur, MSabaoun, JLWoodhead, LAkins, BPurdy,

PEWhitfield and CParis (2009) Mitochondrial control region sequence analysis indicate
dispersal from the US East Coast as the source of the Invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois
volitans in the Bahamas. Marine biology 156(6):1213-1221

McCartney, MA, KSommer and AEWilbur. (2009) An evaluation of hemolymph extraction

as a nonlethal sampling method for genetic identification of freshwater mussel species. J.
Shellfish Res.28:1-10

Carnegie, RB, NAStokes, CAudemard, MJBishop, AEWilbur, TDAlphin, MHPosey,

CHPeterson and EMBurreson (2008) Strong seasonality of Bonamia sp infection and
induced Crassostrea ariakensis mortality in Bogue and Masonboro Sounds, North
Carolina, USA. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 98:335-343

5. Presentations since 2007

Bert, TM, Arnold WS, Wilbur AE, Seyoum S, McMillen-Jackson AL, Stephenson SP,
Weisberg RH, Yarbro LA “Considering external influences on metapopulation structure for
fisheries and resource management” (oral presentation) National Shellfisheries
Association meeting, Jacksonville FL March29-April2, 2014

Bleier, TL, Finelli CM, Wilbur AE “Susceptibility of oysters to infection by the boring sponge
Cliona celata” (poster presentation) Benthic Ecology meetings Jacksonville FL 19March-
22March 2014

Wilbur, AE “Genetic considerations in oyster restoration” (oral presentation) N.C. Oysters:

A Workshop to Chart Future Restoration, Learning from the Past 12March-13March 2014
NOAA, Pivers Island, NC

Wilbur AE “The production and field testing of North Carolina Sourced Aquaculture lines of
the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica” (oral presentation) North Carolina Aquaculture
Development Conference 21February-22February 2014 New Bern, North Carolina

Wilbur, AE “Update on Hatchery Programs: Where are we now” (oral presentation) East
Coast Shellfish Breeding Consortium, Kingston, Rhode Island 16December-17December
2013

Wilbur, AE “Update on Hatchery Programs: Where are we now” (oral presentation)

Southern NC Oyster Workgroup 6August2013, Wilmington, NC

Wilbur AE "Research at UNCW’s Shellfish Research Hatchery” Osher Life Long Learning’s
Wednesdays in Nature 20February 2013

254
 551

Fried K and AEWilbur (2012) “Intra-/ Inter-specific differences of predator-induced

defenses in the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica and the Crested oyster, Ostrea
equestris” UNCW Undergraduate Research and Creativity Showcase

Finelli C, AEWilbur, MHPosey, TAlphin (2012) "To seed or not to seed: The value of
seeding restored oyster reefs for ecosystem function” 41th Benthic Ecology Meeting,

Wilbur AE (2012) “Bigger, Better, Faster Selective Breeding and the Shellfish Research
Hatchery” invited seminar, Planet Ocean Seminar Series UNCW CMS

Bryan M and AEWilbur (2011) “The seasonal patterns of MSX (Haplosporidium nelsoni)
prevalence and intensity in Crassostrea virginica in southeastern North Carolina” UNCW
Undergraduate Research and Creativity Showcase, Wilmington, NC

Badger C and AEWilbur (2011) “Evaluation of the efficacy of non-lethal hemolymph

sampling for the study of parasite infection in the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica”
103rd National Shellfisheries Association meeting, Baltimore, MD

Campbell J and AEWilbur, National (2011) “Seasonality and transmission of parasites

infecting Ostrea equestris in Masonboro Sound, North Carolina” Shellfisheries Association
meeting, Baltimore, MD

Finelli C, AEWilbur, MHPosey, TAlphin. (2011) 40th Benthic Ecology Meeting, Mobile, AL,
"To seed or not to seed: The value of seeding restored oyster reefs for ecosystem
function”

Wilbur AE. 2011 North Carolina Aquaculture Development Conference, Atlantic Beach, NC
“Evaluation of genetic differentiation and disease status of North Carolina populations of
eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica” (February 12, 2011)

Betancur RR, PAcero GOrtí, AHines, AEWilbur and DWFreshwater (2010) Lionfish keep
spreading throughout the Western Atlantic: mitochondrial haplotype data reveal a founder
effect into the Caribbean (contributed talk) Sea American Society of Ichthyologist and
Herpetologist meeting Providence RI

Wilbur AE 2010 An assessment of genetic diversity in North Carolina populations of the

eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica using microsatellite markers (poster presentation)
Benthic Ecology Meetings, March 9-12 Wilmington NC

Sherman M, AEWilbur (2010) Whole genome analysis of bay scallop population structure
in North Carolina (poster presentation) Benthic Ecology Meetings Wilmington NC

Wilbur AE (2009) An overview of recent shellfish initiatives and activities in North Carolina”
(invited presentation) National Shellfisheries Association meeting Savannah GA

Bert T, AEWilbur, WS Arnold, AMcMillen-Jackson. (2009) Population genetics of bay

scallops (Argopecten irradians): a history of long-distance dispersal and range expansion.
(invited talk) National Shellfisheries Association meeting Savannah GA

255
 552

Sherman MW, AEWilbur (2009) Genetic structure of bay scallop populations in North
Carolina coastal waters” (Contributed poster) National Shellfisheries Association meeting
Savannah GA

Wilbur AE (2008) Genetic Considerations in Shellfish Restoration Invited Seminar, CMAST

Morehead City, NC

Wilbur AE, EHemond, TMBert, SSeyoum, WSArnold. (2008) Regional genetic population
structure of bay scallops. Invited oral presentation, National Shellfisheries Association
meeting, Providence, RI

Wilbur AE, JDGauthier, TDAlphin, MHPosey. (2008) Preliminary investigations into the
occurrence of a novel parasite (Bonamia sp.) associated with the eastern oyster,
Crassostrea virginica. National Shellfisheries Association meeting, Providence, RI

Bert TM, AEWilbur, SSeyoum, WS Arnold. (2008) Bay scallop (Argopecten irradians)
genetic population structure in the Florida gulf: metapopulation dynamics shaped by ocean
currents. National Shellfisheries Association meeting, Providence, RI

Sherman M, DSchmidt, AEWilbur. (2008) Larval releases as a method of bay scallop

restoration in Bogue Sound, North Carolina. National Shellfisheries Association meeting,
Providence, RI

Stuart CM, TELankford Jr, AEWilbur, JABuckel. (2008) Genetic stock structure in bluefish
Pomatomus saltatrix. American Fisheries Society Tidewater meetings, Virginia Institute of
Marine Science

Stuart CM, TELankford Jr, AEWilbur, JABuckel. (2008) Genetic stock structure in bluefish
Pomatomus saltatrix. ENAR International Biometrics Society in Arlington, VA

Stuart CM, TELankford Jr, AEWilbur, JABuckel. (2008) Genetic stock structure in bluefish
Pomatomus saltatrix. Sigma Xi UNCW Chapter meeting

Stuart CM, TELankford Jr, AEWilbur, JABuckel. (2008) Genetic stock structure in bluefish
Pomatomus saltatrix. UNCW Undergraduate Research Showcase

Mitchell MT, WRCollier II, AEWilbur, TELankford Jr. (2008) Development of morphometric
and molecular markers for the taxonomic identification of kingfishes (Menticirrhus spp.)
2007 Ichthyology and Herpetology meetings St. Louis, MO.

Carnegie R, MAlavi TAlphin, CAudemard MBishop, GBrown, EBurreson, DBushek,

CDungan, RFisher, SFord, XGuo, KHill, BLandau, JMoss, KPaynter, CPeterson, MPosey,
KReece, JRobledo, EScarpa, ESchott, NStokes, AWilbur, GVasta. (2007) Disease
Considerations Relative to the Proposed Introduction of Exotic Suminoe Oysters to the
Mid-Atlantic. Estuarine Research Federation meetings

EA Hemond AEWilbur. (2007) Development and application of microsatellites for the

evaluation of bay scallop restoration. Invited presentation, Institute of Marine Biology and
Genetics at the Hellenic Center for Marine Research
256
 553

Wilbur, AE, EA Hemond. (2007)Genetic structure of Florida bay scallop (Argopecten

irradians) populations based on microsatellite analysis. Pectinid Workshop. Halifax,
NovaScotia.

Wilbur, AE, JDGauthier, TDAlphin, MHPosey.(2007) Preliminary investigations into the

occurrence of a novel parasite (Bonamia sp.) in the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica.
2006 AERS/SEERS meeting. Pine Knoll Shores, NC

6. Grants
2013 Farm Bureau Award: Crop diversification for NC shellfish farmers: the sunray venus
clam Marcrocallista nimbosa. $5000 PI

2013 North Carolina Sea Grant BCSR Program: The distribution and impact of the oyster
parasite Bonamia exitiosa on the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica $49,932 PI

2013 Farm Bureau Award: Evaluation of the triploid advantage in NC oysters. $5000 PI

2012 NCSG mini-grant: Validation of a quantitative PCR TaqMan assay for the molecular
detection and quantification of the parasite Bonamia exitiosa in the eastern oyster
Crassostrea virginica PI with RCarnegie (VIMS) $5000 PI

2012 Farm Bureau Award: A floating upweller system (FLUPSY) to augment nursery
culture capacity at the UNCW Shellfish Research Hatchery $8500 PI

2012 North Carolina Sea Grant BCSR Program: “The Production and Field Testing of
North Carolina Sourced Aquaculture Lines of the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica”
$64,308 PI

2011 Farm Bureau Award: Field testing of hatchery-produced oyster (Crassostrea

virginica) lines $10,300 PI

2010-2012 NC Sea Grant: To seed or not to seed: The Value of Seeding Restored Oyster
Reefs for
Ecosystem Function $119,990 Co-PI with CFinelli (lead), MPosey and TAlphin

2009 North Carolina Sea Grant BCSR Program: Evaluation of genetic differentiation and
disease status of North Carolina populations of the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica
$65,650

2010 UNCW Pilot Project “Equipment proposal for the start-up and evaluation of the
efficacy of the culture systems at the UNCW Shellfish Research Hatchery” $30,000 (PI)

2008 North Carolina Sea Grant Program: Stock structure of Southern Kingfish: Defining
units for stock assessment and management of North Carolina fisheries. $41,049 Co-PI
with TELankford Jr., JHSchoolfield and WRCollier.

2008 UNCW Cahill Award “A preliminary evaluation of genetic structure and parasite
prevalence in the crested oyster, Ostreola equestris” $2970 (PI)
257
 554

7. Professional Service (2007-2014)

Manuscript reviews for:
Journal of Shellfish Research
Aquatic Living Resources
Aquaculture Research
Biological Bulletin
Canadian Journal of Fish and Aquatic Sciences
Journal of Theoretical Biology
Aquaculture International
Marine Ecology Progress Series
Journal of Experimental Biology and Ecology
Bulletin of Marine Science

Proposal reviews for:

National Science Foundation
New Jersey Sea Grant
Florida Sea Grant
Maryland Sea Grant
Woods Hole Sea Grant
Coastal Ocean Research
Washington Sea Grant
Texas Sea Grant
North Carolina Sea Grant
Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (Virginia)
Virginia Sea Grant Graduate Fellowship (Panel)
Maine Agricultural and Forest Experimentation Station

Member, NCDMF Oyster and Hard Clam Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee
Vice president, NC Shellfish Growers Association
Chair, Shellfish Hatchery Advisory Committee
Member, NC Hatchery Planning Committee (NCOHP)
Member, Brunswick Community College Aquaculture Advisory Committee
Member, Carteret Community College Aquaculture Advisory Committee
Chair, NCDMF Bay Scallop Fishery Management Plan Advisory Committee
NC Oyster Steering Committee, North Carolina Coastal Federation

Invited participant “Oyster Summit” March 12-13, 2014

Invited participant “Molecules to Marine Management” workshop. Duke Marine Lab,
February 28-29, 2008
Invited participant “Oyster Summit” August 28, Pine Knoll Shores, NC
Co-chair, National Shellfisheries Association student awards committee

258
 555

CURRICULUM VITAE

Amanda Southwood Williard

Dept. of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina at Wilmington
601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC, USA 28403
Tel: (910) 962-4064, Fax: (910) 962-4066, e-mail: williarda@uncw.edu

Academic Qualifications

2002 Ph.D. Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

(Advisor - Dr. David R. Jones)
“The effects of seasonal cold exposure on metabolism and behavior of juvenile green
sea turtles (Chelonia mydas)”
1997 M.Sc. Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
(Advisor - Dr. David R. Jones)
“Heart rates and diving behavior of the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys
coriacea)”
1993 B.Sc. Marine Biology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
Magna cum laude

Current Position

Associate Professor Department of Biology and Marine Biology

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Research Experience

2004 – 2005 Associate Researcher (Advisor – Dr. J. Yonat Swimmer)

NOAA Fisheries & The Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research,
University of Hawaii
Chemical ecology of sharks and sea turtles – implications for by-catch reduction in Pacific
longline fisheries
2003-2004 Post-Doctoral Fellow (Advisor – Dr. J. Yonat Swimmer)
NOAA Fisheries & The Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research,
University of Hawaii
Behavioral and physiological responses of loggerhead turtles to olfactory stimuli
1994-2002 Graduate Research Assistant (Advisor – Dr. David R. Jones)
Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia
Diving physiology and thermal ecology of sea turtles
1993-1994 Principle Laboratory Technician (Supervisor – Dr. Charles Mactutus)
Tobacco and Health Research Institute, University of Kentucky
Neurological and physiological effects of tobacco smoke on pregnant mothers and
their offspring
1991-1992 Research Assistant (Advisor – Dr. Stephen Kempf)
Research Experience for Undergraduates Grant (NSF), Department of Biology,
Auburn University 259
 556

Physiological and morphological aspects of the symbiotic relationship between

zooxanthellae and the nudibranch Berghia verrucicornis
1990 Assistant Laboratory Technician (Supervisor – Dr. James Wojiehowski)
Environmental Health Research and Testing, Lexington, KY
Sub-chronic toxicity studies with rodents

Teaching Experience

2005-2014 Lecturer – Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina
at Wilmington, Principles of Biology – Cells (BIO204), Animal Physiology
(BIO345), Herpetology (BIO454), Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation (BIO495),
Honors Seminar (HON120)
2000-2003 Facilitator - Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia
Advanced Topics in Comparative Physiology (ZOOL503)
2001-2002 Lecturer - Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia
Comparative Physiology (BIOL454)
2000-2002 Problem Based Learning (PBL) Tutor - Faculty of Medicine, University of
British Columbia, Principles of Human Biology, Cardio-Respiratory Physiology
2000-2001 Guest Lecturer - Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia
Animal Physiology (BIOL353), Comparative Physiology (BIOL454)
1996-1998 Laboratory Assistant - Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia
Human Anatomy and Physiology (BIOL153), Vertebrate Anatomy (BIOL204)

Peer-reviewed Publications (2007 – present)

†
Casey, J. P., James, M. C., and Williard, A. S. 2014. Behavioral and metabolic contributions to
thermoregulation in freely swimming leatherback turtles at high latitudes. Journal of Experimental
Biology 217: 2331-2337.

Williard, A. S. 2013. Physiology as Integrated Systems. In The Biology of Sea Turtles (vol. 3).
Wyneken, J., Lohmann, K., and J. Musick (eds.). Boca Raton, FL. CRC Press. pp 1-30.
†
Harden, L. A., Williard, A. S. 2012. Using a spatially-explicit landscape risk model to investigate
bycatch risk of terrapins in crab pots. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 467: 207-217
†
DeGregorio, B., Williard, A. S. 2011. Incubation temperatures and metabolic heating of relocated
and in situ loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nests at a northern rookery. Chelonian Conservation
and Biology, 10(1), 54-61.

Southwood Williard, A., †Harden, L.A. 2011. Seasonal changes in thermal environment and
metabolic enzyme activity in the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin). Comparative
Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A, 158(4), 477-484.
†
Casey, J.P., Garner, J., Garner, S., Southwood Williard, A. 2010. Diel foraging behavior of gravid
leatherback sea turtles in deep waters of the Caribbean Sea. Journal of Experimental Biology 213:
3961-3971.

260
 557

†
Snoddy, J.E., Southwood Williard, A. 2010. Movements and post-release mortality of juvenile sea
turtles released from gillnets in the lower Cape Fear River, North Carolina, USA. Endangered Species
Research 12: 235-247.
†
Goshe, L., Avens, L. Scharf, F., Southwood A. 2010. Estimation of age at maturation and growth of
Atlantic green turtles (Chelonia mydas) using skeletochronology. Marine Biology 157:1725-1740.

Southwood, A., Avens, L. 2010. Physiological, behavioral, and ecological aspects of migration in
reptiles. Journal of Comparative Physiology B 180(1):1-23.
†
Snoddy, J. , ‡Landon, M., Blanvillain, G., Southwood, A. 2009. Blood biochemistry of sea turtles
captured in gillnets in the lower Cape Fear River, North Carolina, USA. Journal of Wildlife
Management 73(8):1394-1401.

Southwood, A.L., Fritsches, K., Brill, R.W., Swimmer, J.Y. 2008. Sound, chemical, and light
detection in sea turtles and pelagic fishes: sensory-based approaches to bycatch reduction in
longline fisheries. Endangered Species Research 5: 225-238.

† Graduate student
‡ Undergraduate student

Selected Presentations (2007 – present)

2014 UNCW Department of Biology and Marine Biology Seminar, Wilmington, NC.
“Effects of temperature on metabolism and osmoregulation in diamondback terrapins”
2013 Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Baltimore, MD.
"Temperature effects on the dive behavior of sea turtles", Invited.
2011 Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, San Diego, CA. "Timing
and pathways of fall migration for juvenile green sea turtles in Back and Core Sounds,
NC"
2010 Auburn University, Auburn, AL. “Thermal biology of marine and estuarine turtles:
from biochemistry to behavior”
2010 Hollings Marine Lab, Charleston, SC. “Biology & conservation of diamondback
terrapins in southeastern North Carolina”
2010 Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC. “Biology and conservation of
diamondback terrapins in southeastern North Carolina”
2010 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Seattle, WA. “Temperature effects
on metabolic enzyme activity in diamondback terrapins”
2010 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Seattle, WA. “Blood biochemistry
of sea turtles entangled in longline fishing gear”
2009 Planet Ocean Seminar Series. UNCW Center for Marine Science. “Diamonds in the
Rough: Biology and conservation of diamondback terrapins”
2009 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Portland, OR. “Temperature
effects on metabolic enzyme activity in diamondback terrapins”
2009 East Carolina University Department of Biology Seminar Series. Greenville, NC.
“Turtle bycatch in coastal fisheries of North Carolina: Causes, consequences, and
prevention”
2009 Keynote speaker at Old Dominion University, Dept. of Biology graduate 261
student symposium. “Thermal biology of leatherback sea turtles”
 558

2007 Seventh International Congress of Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology.

Salvador, Brazil. “Physiology and behavior of migration in reptiles”
2007 University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
“Thermoregulation in leatherback turtles”

Funded Proposals (2007 – present)

2014 "Blood biochemistry of sea turtles incidentally captured in the recreational hook-and-line
fishery". Williard, A. S. North Carolina Sea Grant. Funded in the amount of $4,800.
2012 "Assessment of diamondback terrapin presence and abundance in Bogue Sound, NC".
Williard, A. S., Harden, L. A., Cluse, W., Wolfe, J. North Carolina Sea Grant. Funded in
the amount of $21,882.
2011 "Total body water and water turnover rates in the estuarine diamondback terrapin". Williard,
A. S. UNCW Cahill Award. Funded in the amount of $3,000.
2010 “Herpetological Survey Equipment”. Southwood Williard, A. UNCW Department of
Biology and Marine Biology Applied Learning Funds. Funded in the amount of $422.
2010 “Seasonal changes in blood biochemistry of diamondback terrapins under semi-natural
conditions”. Southwood Williard, A. UNCW Academic Affairs Minigrants. Funded in the
amount of $741.
2010 “Using Postcard surveys to investigate potential interactions between blue crab fisheries and
diamondback terrapins in coastal North Carolina”. North Carolina Sea Grant Minigrant.
Funded in the amount of $800.
2010 “The physiological basis of winter-induced stress and mortality in juvenile red drum”.
Scharf, F. and Southwood, A. North Carolina Sea Grant, omnibus funding for core research.
Funded in the amount of $41,449.
2010 “The physiological basis of winter-induced stress and mortality in juvenile red drum”.
Scharf, F. and Southwood, A. North Carolina Sea Grant, student stipend funding. Funded in
the amount of $12,500.
2010 “Sea turtle nesting activity on Masonboro Island, NC”. Southwood, A. and Snider, A.
North Carolina Coastal Reserve (DNER). $8,064.
2009 “Timing and pathways of fall migrations for juvenile green sea turtles in Back, Core, and
Pamlico Sounds, NC”. Southwood, A. McNeill, J., and Willis, E. North Carolina Sea Grant,
Fisheries Resource Grants. Funded in the amount of $44,590.
2009 “Diamondback terrapin distribution and habitat utilization in the lower Cape Fear River:
Request for Y2 funds”. Southwood, A. and Wolfe, J. North Carolina Sea Grant, Blue Crab
Research Program. Funded in the amount of $43,998.
2009 “Sea Turtle Nesting Activity on Masonboro Island, NC”. Southwood, A.L. North Carolina
Coastal Reserve (NERR). Funded in the amount of $5,801.
2008 “Diamondback terrapin distribution and habitat utilization in the lower Cape Fear River”.
Southwood, A. and Wolfe, J. North Carolina Sea Grant, Blue Crab Research Program.
Funded in the amount of $35,763.
2008 “Sea Turtle Nesting Activity on Masonboro Island, NC”. Southwood, A.L. North Carolina
Coastal Reserve (NERR). Funded in the amount of $5,393.
2007 “Upgrade to Animal Physiology Laboratory”. Koopman, H.N. and Southwood A.L.
UNCW Biology and Marine Biology Equipment Committee. Funded in the amount of
$2,669.
2007 “Sea Turtle Nesting Activity on Masonboro Island, NC”. Southwood, A.L. North 262
Carolina Coastal Reserve (NERR). Funded in the amount of $5,595.
 559

Professional memberships

American Physiological Society American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists

Sea Turtle Society Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology

Peer-Reviewer

Journal of Experimental Biology Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

Journal of Animal Ecology Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology
Biological Conservation Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology
Endangered Species Research Chelonian Conservation and Biology
Biological Reviews Marine Ecology Progress Series

263
 560

Stephan Woditschka, PhD, MSc

Department of Biology and Marine Biology

University of North Carolina Wilmington
601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403
Mail Stop: Dobo Hall Campus Box 5915
Office phone: (910) 962-3670
Email: woditschkas@uncw.edu

EDUCATION

2010 MSc Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Epidemiology Focus: Pharmaco-epidemiology, Biostatistics

2008 PhD University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Genetics Focus: Breast Cancer, Chemoprevention, Biomarkers

2002 BS University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

Biological Sciences Focus: Plant Biology

APPOINTMENTS

2014 - Present Lecturer, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC

2012 Lecturer, Howard University, Washington, DC
2008 - 2014 Postdoctoral Fellow, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
2003 - 2008 Predoctoral Research Fellow, McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, Madison,
WI

PUBLICATIONS
Woditschka S, Evans L, Duchnowska R, Reed LT, Palmieri D, Qian Y, Badve S, Sledge G, Gril B, Aladjem
M, Fu H, Flores N, Gökmen-Polar Y, Biernat W, Szutowicz-Zieliska E, Mandat T, Trojanowski T, Och W,
Czartoryska-Arlukowicz B, Jassem J, Mitchell J, Steeg PS. DNA double-strand break repair genes and
oxidative damage in brain metastasis of breast cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2014;106(7).

Palmieri D, Duchnowska R, Woditschka S, Hua E, Qian Y, Biernat W, Sosiska-Mielcarek K, Gril B, Stark

A, Hewitt S, Liewwhr DJ, Steinberg SM, Jassem J, Steeg PS. Profound prevention of experimental brain
metastases of breast cancer by temozolomide in an MGMT-dependent manner. Clin Cancer Res.
2014;20(10):2727-39.

Marino N, Woditschka S, Reed LT, Nakayama J, Mayer M, Wetzel M, Steeg PS. Breast Cancer Metastasis:
Issues for the Personalization of Its Prevention and Treatment. Am J Pathol. 2013; 183(4):1084-95.

Woditschka S, Gril B, Evans LM, Reed TL, Steeg PS. 2012. The molecular biology of brain metastasis. in:
Pamieri D (ed) Brain and Central Nervous System metastasis, the biological basis and clinical 264
considerations. Springer Press, The Netherlands.
 561

Qian Y, Hua E, Woditschka S, Skordos K, Liewehr DJ, Steinberg SM, Brogi E, Killian JK, Edelman DC, Pineda
M, Scurcie S, Degenhardt YY, Laquerre SG, Lampkin TA, MeltzerPS, Camphausen K, Steeg PS, Palmieri D.
Inhibition of Polo-like kinase-1 prevents the growth of metastatic breast cancer cells in the brain. Clin Exp
Metastasis. 2011;28(8):899-908.

Smits BMG, Sharma D, Samuelson DJ, Woditschka S, Mau B, Haag JD, Gould MN. The non-coding breast
cancer susceptibility locus Mcs5a acts during cancer progression in a non-mammary cell-autonomous fashion
to regulate T-cell gene expression, homeostasis and functions. Breast Cancer Res. 2011;13(4):R81.

Woditschka S, Habel LA, Udaltsova N, Friedmam GD, Sieh W. Lipophilic statin use and risk of breast cancer
subtypes. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2010;19(10):2479-87.

Woditschka S, Haag JD, Sullivan R, Gould MN. A short-term rat mammary carcinogenesis model for the
prevention of hormonally responsive and nonresponsive in situ carcinomas. Cancer Prevention Research.
2009;2(2):153-60.

Cotroneo MS, Haag JD, Stapel NR, Waller JL, Woditschka S, Gould MN. Freund’s vaccine adjuvant
promotes her2/neu breast cancer. BMC Cancer 2009;9:19.

Woditschka S, Haag JD, Mau B, Lubet RA, Gould MN. The chemopreventive effects of celecoxib are limited
to hormonally responsive mammary carcinomas in the neu-induced retroviral rat model. Breast Cancer
Research 2008;10:R18.

Woditschka S, Haag JD, Waller JL, Monson DM, Hitt AA, Brose HL, Hu R, Zheng Y, Watson PA, Kim K,
Lindstrom MJ, Mau B, Steele VE, Lubet RA, Gould MN. Neu-induced retroviral rat mammary carcinogenesis:
a novel chemoprevention model for both hormonally responsive and nonresponsive mammary carcinomas.
Cancer Research 2006;66(13):6884-91.

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS
Woditschka S, Palmieri D, Duchnowska D, Jassem J, Sledge GW, Steeg PS. Overexpression of RAD51
promotes brain metastases from breast cancer. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American
Association for Cancer Research; 2012; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2012. Abstract nr. 5306.

Woditschka S, Palmieri D, Flores NM, Sledge GW, Badve S, Steeg PS. The DNA double-strand break repair
genes BARD1 and RAD51 as molecular targets for brain metastases from breast cancer. In: Proceedings of the
102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia
(PA): AACR; 2011. Abstract nr. 1478.

Woditschka S, Habel LA, Udaltsova N, Friedmam GD, Sieh W. Lipophilic statin use and risk of breast cancer
subtypes. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research;
2010; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2010. Abstract nr. 1838.

GRANTS/AWARDS
2013 National Cancer Institute, Fellows Award for Research Excellence (Travel Award)
2013 Scholar in Training Award, American Association for Cancer Research (Travel Award)
2011 National Cancer Institute, Fellows Award for Research Excellence (Travel Award)
2007 National Cancer Institute, Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program Award 265
Post-doctoral Fellowship Award (Four years support)
 562

Appendix 9. Examples of faculty leadership activities.

 563

Faculty Name Professional Leadership Activities

Brian S. Arbogast Research Associate, Museum of Comparative Zoology,
Harvard University; Member of the Conservation
Committee, American Society of Mammalogists;
Coordinator of the Conservation Option for Biology Majors;
Member of the North Carolina Scientific Council on
Mammals
Timothy A. Ballard Bioscience Educational Network Scholar, American
Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Stuart R. Borret Plenary Speaker, International Conference on Environmental
Biology and Ecological Modelling, Santiniketan, India;
Guest Editor, Special Issue of Ecological Modelling;
Conference Organizing Committee, Ecological Network
Analysis, University of Georgia; Advisory Board Member,
Cape Fear Economic Development Council and Cape Fear
Museum of Science and History; Administrative Search
Committee Member for ETEAL Director and Provost and
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs; UNCW Honors
College CSURF Advisory Board Member
Susanne M. Brander Chapter Vice President, Carolinas Society of Toxicology and
Chemistry; Science Fair Judge, Wrightsville Beach
Elementary; Member of Equipment, Biotechnology and
Seminar Committees, UNCW
Lawrence B. Cahoon Certified Senior Ecologist, Ecological Society of America;
Member, Board of Directors, Cape Fear River Watch;
President, American Chemical Society, Eastern NC Section
Hsiang-Yin Chen Guest Lecture, Invertebrate Zoology, University of Alabama
at Birmingham
Robert H. Condon Contributing Editor, Marine Ecology Progress Series;
Coordinator, Oceans ROCK Outreach Event
Joseph A. Covi Team Member, Southeastern Regional Partnership for Life
Sciences Education Institute; Member of Undergraduate
Academic Assessment and Library Committees
Elizabeth S. Darrow FDA Dauphin Island Sea Lab Fellowship; Member,
Outreach and Career Development Committee, Coastal and
Estuarine Research Federation; Representative, Gulf
Estuarine Research Society; Member, Seminar Committee,
UNCW
Amanda K. Dickens Meeting Organizer, Southeastern Estuarine Research
Society; Treasurer, Southeastern Estuarine Research Society
Diane M. B. Dodd University College Advisor; Member, Synergy Selection
Committee, UNCW; Member, Honors Scholar Program
Committee, UNCW
Michael J. Durako Member, NOAA-Funded Recovery Plan Team; Team
Leader, Florida Bay Program Management Committee,
Seagrass Research Team; Member, Sigma Xi, American
Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Coastal and
Estuarine Research Federation, Southeastern Estuarine
Research Soceity
 564

Steven D. Emslie Editorial Board Member, Advances in Polar Science; NSF

Review Panel Member, Collections in Support of Biological
Research Program; Member, University Studies Advisory
Committee, Chair’s Advisory Committee; Curator, UNCW
Ornithology Collection
Patrick M. Erwin Organizing Committee, 2nd International Symposium on
Sponge Microbiology; Session Chair, 43rd Annual Benthic
Ecology Meeting; NSF Reviewer, Dimensions of
Biodiversity Program; Review Editor, Frontiers in
Microbiology; Member, Graduate Advisory, Lecturer Search
and Summer School Committees
Christopher M. Finelli Chair, Department of Biology and Marine Biology, UNCW;
Co-Leader, UNCW Site Review, and Co-Chair,
Undergraduate Programs Working Group, UNC-GA
Statewide Review of Marine Science Programs;
Arthur R. Frampton Jr. Member, American Society for Virology, American Society
for Microbiology and American Society for Gene Therapy
L. Michelle Gilley Project Manager and Senior Biologist, Environmental
Solutions & Innovations; Chair, Advancement and Student
Relations Committee; Member, Equipment Committee
Stephanie J. Kamel Session Chair, Society for the Study of Evolution Annual
Meeting; Guest Speaker, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute;
Stephen T. Kinsey Graduate Coordinator, Department of Biology and Marine
Biology; Editorial Board, Frontiers in Skeletal Muscle
Physiology; Member, Sigma Xi, American Physiological
Society and Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
Kevin B. Kiser Career Advisor, Workshop, American Society for
Microbiology General Meeting; Leader and Co-Leader for
Two Applied Learning Pedagogy Initiatives, UNCW
Julie A. Koester Academic Mentor, Mount Allison University; Peer
Reviewer, 5 National Academic Journals
Heather N. Koopman Senior Staff Biologist and Board Member, Grand Manan
Whale & Seabird Research Station; Research Collaborator,
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute;
External PhD Examiner, University of Eastern Finland;
Member, Ontario Provincial Government Review Panel on
Cetaceans in Captivity
Thomas E. Lankford Jr. Curator, UNCW Vertebrate Collection; Co-Chair, UNCW
Small Boat Committee; Co-Chair, Strategic Habitat
Committee, and Advisor, Spiny Dogfish Compliance Panel,
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries Commission
Zachary T. Long Reviewer, National Academic Journals
Susanna Lopez-Legentil Organizing Committee, 2nd International Symposium on
Sponge Microbiology; I3 Program Accreditation, Spanish
National Agency of Evaluation and Prospective; Review
Editor, Frontiers in Marine Science; Grant Reviewer, NSF,
Israel Science Foundation, German Research Foundation and
Argentinean Agency for Scientific and Technology
Advancement
 565

Jennifer R. McCall Owner and CEO, SeaTox Research Inc.; Member, Radiation
Safety Committee; Mentor, Science Olympiad for Middle
School Students; Reviewer, Immunopharmacology and
Immunotoxicology
Diane L. Melroy Leader, Summer Curriculum Development Initiative
D. Ann Pabst Adjunct Scientist, Mote Marine Laboratory; Judge, Student
Posters and Presentations, Division of Vertebrate
Morphology, Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology Annual Meeting; Coordinator, Student Judging,
Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Marine Mammal Symposium
Joseph R. Pawlik Chief Scientist, UNOLS Expedition to Bahamas, R/V Walton
Smith; Senior Editorial Advisor, Marine Ecology Progress
Series; Member, 5 Million Dollar Club, Office of Research
Administration
Martin H. Posey Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Undergraduate
Studies
Linda F. Potts Faculty Advisor, Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society; Chair,
Scholarship Committee; Member, New Hanover-Pender
Medical Society Scholarship Committee; Member,
Undergraduate Assessment Review Commmittee
Carolina Priester Senator, Faculty Senate; Panelist, CTE Forum for New
Faculty; Member, Summer School and Seminar Committees;
Advisor, Transfer Student Orientation
Ryan G. Rhodes Advisor, Beechtree Labs Inc.; Member, Seminar and
Lecturer Search Committees
Robert D. Roer Treasurer, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology;
Member, GRE Services Committee, Educational Testing
Services
Richard A. Satterlie Past President, Society of Integrative and Comparative
Biology
Frederick S. Scharf Co-Chair, Southern Regional Advisory Committee and Red
Drum Advisory Committee, North Carolina Division of
Marine Fisheries; Member, American Fisheries Society
Ann E. Stapleton Chair, Maize Genetics Meeting, Beijing, China; Co-Chair,
Quantitative Genetics and Genomics Gordon Conference;
Associated Editor, Frontiers in Plant Genetics and
Genomics
Alison R. Taylor Member, UNCW-ECU Joint PhD Planning Committee;
Grant Reviewer, NSF AOE Program; Member, Workshop
Steering Committee, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean
Sciences; Direct, UNCW Microscopy Facility; Member,
Search Committee for Associate Provost and Dean of
Graduate School
Carmelo R. Tomas Curator, Harmful Algal Culture Collection; Organizer, Algal
Culturing Techniques Course, Bigelow, ME
Wm. David Webster Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Director of
Vertebrate Collections; Curator of Mammals; Appointee,
North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission; Scientific
Advisor, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources;
 566

Chair, Scientific Council on Mammals, North Carolina

Wildlife Resources Commission
Andrew J. Westgate Senior Marine Biologist, Grand Manan Whale and Seabird
Research Station; Research Collaborator, National Museum
of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute
J. Wilson White Guest Subject Editor, Ecological Applications; Member,
Region 3 Strategic Habitat Area Advisory Committee, North
Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
Ami E. Wilbur Director, Shellfish Research Hatchery
Amanda S. Williard Member, American Physiological Society, Sea Turtle
Society, American Society of Ichthyologists and
Herpetologists, Society of Integrative and Comparative
Biology
Stephan Woditschka Member, Assessment Review Committee