Current Grad Students - P-Z

Email: aschwend@ku.edu

Advisor: Thomas Taylor

Education: Current Ph.D. aspirant in botany; B.S. in biology from Truman State University.

Hometown: O’Fallon, MO

Research Interests: Paleobotany and paleoclimatology

Recent Publications:

• Schwendemann, A.B., Taylor, T.N., and Taylor, E.L. In review. Pollen of the Triassic cycad Delemaya spinulosa and implications of cycad evolution. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology.

Recent Presentations:

• Schwendemann, A.B. 2007. Gondwanan ferns from the Triassic of Antarctica; Botanical Society of America, Chicago, IL, July.
• Schwendemann, A.B. 2007. Permineralized plants from the Jurassic of Antarctica; Botanical Society of America, Chicago, IL, July.

Email: camsiler@ku.edu

Advisor: Rafe Brown

Education: Current Ph.D. candidate in ecology and evolutionary biology; B.S. in biology from the University of Texas—Austin.

Hometown: Englewood, CO

Research Interests: Evolution of limb reduction and loss in a group of SE Asian skinks (lizards)

Recent Publications:

• Siler, C.D., A.C. Alcala, A.C. Diesmos, and R.M. Brown. In review. A new species of limestone forest frog, genus Platymantis (Amphibia: Anura: Ceratobatrachidae) from eastern Samar Island, Philippines. Herpetologica.
• Brown, R.M., C. Oliveros, C.D. Siler, and A.C. Diesmos. In review. A new Gekko from the Northern Philippines. Herpetologica.
• Siler, C.D., C.W. Linkem, A.C. Diesmos, and A.C. Alcala. 2007. New species of the genus Platymantis (Amphibia; Anura; Ranidae) from Panay Island, Philippines. Herpetologica 63(3): 351-364.
• Rosler, H., Siler, C.D., Brown, R.M., Demegillo, A.D., and Gaulke, M. 2006. Gekko ernstkelleri sp. n.—a new gekkonid lizard from Panay Island, Philippines. Salamandra 42(4): 197-211.

Recent Presentations:

• Siler, C.D. 2007. Phylogeography and partitioned genetic analysis of Philippine bent-toed gekkos (genus Cyrtodactylus); Annual Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, St. Louis, MO, July.
• Siler, C.D. 2005. Systematic analysis of ecomorphology within Philippine narrow mouth frogs (genus Kaloula); Kansas Herpetological Society, Pittsburg, KS, November.

Recent Awards:

• Fulbright-Hayes Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Program, 2008. Bridging the science-language barrier: An integrative approach to conservation and education in the Philippines.
• National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant, 2008. Historical processes and genetic implications of limb reduction and loss in an island skink lineage.
• Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship, 2005-2009.

Email: kasparks@ku.edu

Advisor: Helen Alexander

Education: Current Ph.D. aspirant in ecology and evolutionary biology; B.S. in biology from Denison University

Hometown: Findlay, OH

Research Interests: Plant ecology and evolution

Email: ycsu@ku.edu

Advisor: Deborah Smith

Education: Current doctoral aspirant in entomology; M.S. in biology from Tunghai University, Taiwan; B.S. in biology from Tunghai University, Taiwan.

Hometown: Taiwan

Research Interests: Behavioral ecology, population genetics, and phylogenetics of spiders

Recent Publications:

• Su, Y. C., Chang, Y. H., Lee, S. C. and Tso, I. M. 2007. Phylogeography of the giant wood spider (Nephila pilipes, Araneae) from Asian–Australian regions. Journal of Biogeography 34: 177-191.
• Lee, J. W., Jiang, L., Su, Y. C. and Tso, I. M. 2004. Is Central Mountain Ridge a geographic barrier to giant wood spider Nephila pilipes (Araneae, Tetragnathidae) in Taiwan? A population genetic approach. Zoological Studies 43(1): 112-122.

Recent Presentations:

• Su, Y. C., Tso I.M. and Smith D. 2008. Phylogeography of Macrothele taiwanesis on Taiwan and Ryukyu Island Arc. American Arachnological Society 32^nd annual meeting; Berkely, CA, June.

Email: jeet@ku.edu

Websites:

• KU Herpetology:
  http://nhm.ku.edu/herpetology/
• Frogs of the Malay Peninsula: http://frogweb.gov/
• HerpWatch Philippines: http://www.herpwatch.org/
• Photograph Galleries: http://www.jeetworks.com/

Advisors: Rafe Brown and Mark Holder

Education: Current Ph.D. candidate in ecology and evolutionary biology; B.S. in biology from the University of Texas—Austin; M.S. in zoology from the University of Malaya

Research Interests: Biogeographical methods and simulations, phylogenetic methods, historical biogeography and phylogenetics of reptiles and amphibians of Southeast Asia

Recent Publications:

• Sukumaran, J. and C. W. Linkem. Submitted. Choice of topology estimators in Bayesian phylogenetic analysis. Molecular Biology and Evolution.
• Wiens, J., J. Sukumaran, A. Pyron and R. Brown. In review. Parallel causes of the latitudinal diversity gradient in Old World and New World frog clades (Ranidae and Hylidae). Evolution.
• Holder, M. T., J. Sukumaran and P. O. Lewis. In press. Minimum posterior expected loss trees. Systematic Biology.
• Sukumaran, J., I. Das and A. Haas. 2006. A synopsis of bioacoustic studies of Anuran Amphibians of Borneo. Herpetological Review 37(3): 288-293.
• Sukumaran, J., Norsham Y., D. Yong. 2006. The herpetofauna of the Southeast Pahang peat-swamp forests. Hamadryad 30(1&2): 75-91.
• Brown, R.M., S. Richards, J. Sukumaran, and J. Foufopoulos. 2006. A new morphologically cryptic species of forest frog (genus Platymantis) from New Britain Island, Bismarck Archipelago. Zootaxa 1334: 45-68.
• Norsham Yaakob & J. Sukumaran. 2006. An inventory of the amphibians of Pasoh Forest Reserve, Negeri Sembilan, Peninsular Malaysia. Hamadryad 30(1&2): 102-107.
• Grismer, L., J. Sukumaran, J., Grismer, T. Youmans, P. Wood, R, Johnson. 2005. Report on the herpetofauna from the Temengor forest reserve, Perak, West Malaysia. Hamadryad 29(1): 15-32.
• Sukumaran, J. 2002. The amphibian fauna of a forested area in Temengor, Northern Peninsular Malaysia. Hamadryad 27(1): 1-10.

Email: tiemannl@ku.edu

Advisor: Sharon Billings

Education: Current Ph.D. aspirant in ecology and evolutionary biology; B.M. 1997 Trumpet Performance University of Wyoming

Hometown: Lakewood, CO

Research Interests: Soil ecology, soil microbiology, biogeochemistry, ecosystem ecology

Recent Publications:

• Tiemann, L. K. and S. A. Billings. In review. Nitrogen amendments and woody encroachment increase enzymatic activity driving decomposition in a mesic grassland.
• Tiemann, L. K. and S. A. Billings. 2008. Carbon controls on nitrous oxide production with changes in substrate availability in a North American grassland. Soil Science 173: 332-341.
• Tiemann, L. K. and T. R. Seastedt. 2006. Study shows introduced thistle may facilitate growth of some native grasses (Colorado). Ecological Restoration 24: 58-59.

Recent Presentations:

• Tiemann, L.K. 2008. Nitrogen amendments and woody encroachment increase enzymatic activity driving decomposition in a mesic grassland; Ecological Society of America, 93^rd annual meeting, Milwaukee, WI, August.
• Tiemann, L.K. 2007. Grassland and forest soil organic matter transformations and microbial function in the North American Midwest, Ecological Society of America, 92^nd annual meeting, San Jose, CA, August.

Recent Awards:

• 2008 First Place, University of Kansas Graduate Student Research Competition.
• 2008 Third Place, Sigma Xi University of Kansas Graduate Student Research Paper Competition.
• 2008 Honorable Mention, ESA Soil Ecology Travel Grant Program.
• 2008 University of Kansas Field Station and Ecological Reserves Small Grant.
• 2007 University of Kansas Field Station and Ecological Reserves Small Grant
• 2006 Ida H. Hyde Scholarship, University of Kansas Division of Biological Sciences.
• 2006 University of Kansas Graduate School First-Year Fellowship

Email: oscartoro@ku.edu

Advisor: Mark Mort

Education: Current Ph.D. aspirant in ecology and evolutionary biology; Bachelor’s in biology from the Universidad de Concepción

Hometown: Santiago, Chile

Research Interests: Systematics of Chilean plants

Recent Publications:

• Ruiz E., Toro O., Crawford D., Stuessy T., Negritto M.A., Baeza C.M., & J. Becerra. In press. Phylogenetic relationships among Chilean species of Drimys (Winteraceae) based on ITS sequences and insertion/deletion events. Gayana Botánica 65(2).

Awards:

• Fulbright Award, 2008–09
• KU Tuition Scholarship, 2008–09

Email: lynnsv@ku.edu

Advisor: Deborah Smith

Education: Current Ph.D. candidate in ecology and evolutionary biology; M.S., Genetics, University of the Philippines, Los Baños; B.S., Biology (genetics), University of the Philippines, Los Baños.

Research Interests: Diversity and Phylogeography of Asian Honeybees.

Dissertation Research: Diversity of the complementary sex-determining (CSD) gene in Apis cerana F .

Recent Presentations:

• Villafuerte, L. 2004. Phylogeographic Analysis of mtDNA genes of Philippine Apis dorsata; 7th Asian Agricultural Association Conference, Philippines, February.

Advisor: James Thorp

Education Current Ph.D. aspirant in ecology and evolutionary biology; M.S. in biology from the University of Central Arkansas; B.S. in biology from the University of Central Arkansas.

Research Interests: Ecology of large rivers and macroinvertebrates

Recent Publications:

• S.R. Adams, M.D. Schroeder, R.L. Clark, and B.S. Williams. In preparation. Fish assemblages across a riparian wetland connectivity gradient in the lower Arkansas River floodplain. Wetlands.

Recent Awards:

• Kansas Academy of Science, Student Research Grant, 2008.

Email: cuckoo3@ku.edu

Advisor: Larry Martin

Education: Current Ph.D. candidate in ecology and evolutionary biology; M.S. in biology from Georgia College & State University; B.A. in history from Berry College.

Hometown: Cartersville, GA

Research Interests: Quaternary vertebrate paleoecology

Recent Publications:

• Williams, D.R. 2007. Avian taphonomy in Natural Trap Cave (Late Pleistocene-Holocene), Wyoming. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Abstracts of Papers for the 67^th Annual Meeting 27(3): 166A.
• Williams, D.R. 2007. The Late Pleistocene and Holocene avifauna of Natural Trap Cave, Wyoming. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 110(3/4): 309-310.
• Williams, D.R. and L.D. Martin. 2006. Istopic fluctuation and climate change in the Great Plains. Current Research in the Pleistocene 23: 189-192.
• Martin, L.D. and D.R. Williams. 2006. Late Pleistocene biodiversity in the central plains. Current Research in the Pleistocene 23: 172-174.
• Williams, D.R. and B.L. Beatty. 2005. Book Review: Biodiversity response to climate change in the Middle Pleistocene, The Porcupine Cave Fauna from Colorado. Anthony D. Barnosky ed. Palarch, published April 1, 2005.
• Williams, D.R. 2005. Fossil moles of the Santa Fe River 1B, Florida. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Abstracts of Papers for the 65^th Annual Meeting 25(3): 130A.

Recent Presentations:

• Williams, D.R. 2005. Fossil moles of the Santa Fe River 1B, Florida; national meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Mesa, AZ, October.
• Williams, D.R. 2006. The fossil Leporidae of Natural Trap Cave, Wyoming; Kansas Academy of Sciences, Wichita, KS, April.

Email: ricw@ku.edu

Advisor: A. Townsend Peterson

Education: Current Ph.D. candidate in ecology and evolutionary biology; The University of Edinburgh, English Literature and Language, 2:1 MA (Hons); Open University, Natural Sciences (with Biology), 2:1.

Hometown: London, UK

Research Interests: Ecological niche modeling applied to a broad range of taxa (viral, bacterial, plant and insect), presently concentrating on the other major bird-borne scourge—bird ´flu

Recent Publications:

• Williams, R. A. J., Fasina, F. O., & Peterson, A. T. 2008. Predictable ecology and geography of avian influenza (H5N1) transmission in Nigeria and West Africa. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 102:471-9.
• Martin Cereceda, M., Williams, R., & Novarino, G. 2008. Easy visualization of the protist Oxyrrhis marina grazing on a live fluorescently-labelled heterotrophic nanoflagellate. Journal of Current Microbiology 57: 45-50
• Peterson, A. T. & Williams, R. A. J. In press. Risk mapping of highly pathogenic avian influenza distribution and spread. Ecology and Society.
• Peterson, A. T., Williams, R. & Chen, G. 2007. Predicting the global invasive potential of Asian Gypsy Moths (Lymantria dispar). Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 125: 39–44.
• Martin Cereceda, M., Williams, R., Guinea, A., & Novarino, G. 2007. An investigation of the fine structure, cell surface carbohydrates and appeal of the diatom Extubocellulus as prey for small flagellates. Protoplasma 232: 69-78.
• Nakazawa, Y., Williams, R., Peterson, A. T., Mead, P., Staples, E. & Gage, K. L. 2007. Climate change effects on Plague and Tularemia in the USA. Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases 7:529-540.
• Mohammed, K. Papes, M. Williams, R. Benz, B. & Peterson, A. 2006. Global invasive potential of ten parasitic witchweeds and related Orobanchaceae. Ambio-A Journal of the Human Environment 35: 281-288.

Recent Presentations:

• Williams, R.A. 2007. Predictable ecology and geography of avian influenza (H5N1) transmission in Nigeria and West Africa; American Ornithological Union Annual Meeting, Laramie, WY, August.
• Williams, R.A. 2007. Ecological niche modeling and disease; Joint Workshop on Ecological Forecasting: An Indo-US Initiative, Indo-US Science and Technology Forum, Pune, India, August.
• Williams, R.A. 2007. Serosurvey for West Nile virus in Kansas Ecological Reserves and other sites in Kansas, KSR, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, May.
• Williams, R.A. 2006. Ecology and epidemiology of West Nile virus in Kansas and beyond, Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS.
• Williams, R.A. 2005. Ecological, temporal and geographical dynamics of plague in North America. GIS Symposium, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, November.
• Williams, R.A. 2004. Ecological and geographical dynamics of tularemia in North America. GIS Symposium, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, November.