Education
Doctorate of Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
Concentration: Plant Biology • June 2007 to Present (Expected May 2013)
Bachelor of Arts, Knox College, Galesburg, IL
Major: Biology, Minor: English Literature • September 2003 to June 2007
Concentration: Plant Biology • June 2007 to Present (Expected May 2013)
Bachelor of Arts, Knox College, Galesburg, IL
Major: Biology, Minor: English Literature • September 2003 to June 2007
Publications
Curtis, M., K. Chi, & B. Molano-Flores. 2013. Seed ecology of Synthyris bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare endemic of the Midwestern USA. Botany 91: 884-889. [Abstract]
Teaching & Mentoring Experience
Laboratory/Discussion Teaching Assistant, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL • August 2007 to Present
Courses: Plants, People, and the Environment (2007); Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Lab (2008, 2009, 2011); Genetics (2009); Anatomy and Physiology (2010, 2012); Ecology (2010, 2011); Honors Anatomy and Physiology (2012); Discussions in Plant Biology (2012)
Research Mentor/Supervisor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL • January 2010 to Present
Undergraduate Assistants: Bridgette Moen (2010), Dalya Abou-El-Seoud (2010 to 2011), Michelle Collins (2010 to 2012), Margaux Leja (2011 to 2012), Samantha Chavez (2011 to 2012), Falon Dandridge (2011), Ethan Kessler (2011), Dana Robinson (McNair Fellow, 2011), Hannah Grant (2011)
Merit Program Instructor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL • August 2011 to December 2011
Course: Ecology Merit Workshop (2011)
Course Coordinator, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL • January 2011 to May 2011
Course: Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Lab
Laboratory Teaching Assistant, Knox College, Galesburg, IL • March 2006 to June 2006
Course: Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity Lab (2006)
Courses: Plants, People, and the Environment (2007); Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Lab (2008, 2009, 2011); Genetics (2009); Anatomy and Physiology (2010, 2012); Ecology (2010, 2011); Honors Anatomy and Physiology (2012); Discussions in Plant Biology (2012)
Research Mentor/Supervisor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL • January 2010 to Present
Undergraduate Assistants: Bridgette Moen (2010), Dalya Abou-El-Seoud (2010 to 2011), Michelle Collins (2010 to 2012), Margaux Leja (2011 to 2012), Samantha Chavez (2011 to 2012), Falon Dandridge (2011), Ethan Kessler (2011), Dana Robinson (McNair Fellow, 2011), Hannah Grant (2011)
Merit Program Instructor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL • August 2011 to December 2011
Course: Ecology Merit Workshop (2011)
Course Coordinator, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL • January 2011 to May 2011
Course: Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Lab
Laboratory Teaching Assistant, Knox College, Galesburg, IL • March 2006 to June 2006
Course: Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity Lab (2006)
Awards & Honors
Consistently ranked “Excellent” as a TA on student evaluations, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (2007 to Present)
Heiligenstein TA Award for Excellent Teaching, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (2011)
Heiligenstein TA Award for Excellent Teaching, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (2011)
Funding
John R. Laughnan Fund Grant, Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois, 2012
Student Research Grant, Illinois State Academy of Sciences, 2011
Special Wildlife Funds Grant, Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund, Department of Natural Resources, 2010
Research Grant, Illinois Native Plant Society, 2009
Francis M. & Harlie M. Clark Grant, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 2009
Research Small Grant, Prairie Biotic Research, Inc., 2009
Organization for Tropical Studies Travel Grant, American Genetics Association, 2008
Special Wildlife Funds Grant, Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund, Department of Natural Resources, 2008
Francis M. & Harlie M. Clark Grant, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 2008
Burney Dunn Memorial Fellowship, Department of Biology, Knox College, 2005
Student Research Grant, Illinois State Academy of Sciences, 2011
Special Wildlife Funds Grant, Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund, Department of Natural Resources, 2010
Research Grant, Illinois Native Plant Society, 2009
Francis M. & Harlie M. Clark Grant, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 2009
Research Small Grant, Prairie Biotic Research, Inc., 2009
Organization for Tropical Studies Travel Grant, American Genetics Association, 2008
Special Wildlife Funds Grant, Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund, Department of Natural Resources, 2008
Francis M. & Harlie M. Clark Grant, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 2008
Burney Dunn Memorial Fellowship, Department of Biology, Knox College, 2005
Presentations & Guest Lectures
Environmental mediation of plant-pollinator interactions and the decline of the rare prairie endemic Besseya bullii (Plantaginaceae)
Botany Meeting, Columbus, OH • 2012 • Oral Presentation • Annual Meeting • Botanical Society of America
Presence and intensity of pre-dispersal seed predation in response to habitat quality
Knox College, Galesburg, IL • 2012 • Oral Presentation • 104th Annual Meeting • Illinois State Academy of Science
Presenter: Margaux Leja (Undergraduate Assistant)
Awarded: “Best Student Talk (Botanical Division)”
Effects of habitat quality on plant morphology and reproductive output in the rare plant Besseya bullii (Plantaginaceae)
Knox College, Galesburg, IL • 2012 • Oral Presentation • 104th Annual Meeting • Illinois State Academy of Science
Presenter: Samantha Chavez (Undergraduate Assistant)
Shading effects on the reproductive ecology of Besseya bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare species.
Botany and Economic Botany Meeting, St. Louis, MO • 2011 • Oral Presentation • 2011 Annual Meeting • Botanical Society of America
Shading effects on the reproductive ecology of Besseya bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare species.
International Botanical Congress, Melbourne, Australia • 2011 • Poster Presentation • 18th Annual Meeting • International Botanical Congress
Presenter: Dr. Brenda Molano-Flores (Co-Author)
Shading effects on the reproductive ecology of Besseya bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare species.
Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL • 2011 • Poster Presentation • 103rd Annual Meeting • Illinois State Academy of Science
Presenters: Dalya Abou-El-Seoud & Michelle Collins (Undergraduate Assistants)
Awarded: “Best Student Poster (Botanical Division)”
Shading effects on the reproductive ecology of Besseya bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare species.
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Symposium, Urbana, IL • 2011 • Poster Presentation • 13th Symposium • Graduates in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Effects of shading on the reproductive ecology of Synthris bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare species
Natural Areas Conference, Osage Beach, MO • 2010 • Oral Presentation • 37th Annual Conference • Natural Areas Association
Population surveys and reproductive ecology of Synthris bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare Illinois species
Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago, IL • 2009 • Poster Presentation • Global Plant Conservation Science & Outreach Symposium
Community Ecology: Classic Models of Competition and Predation
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL • 2009 • Guest Lecture • Course: Wildlife Ecology
Population surveys and reproductive ecology of Synthris bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare Illinois species
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL • 2009 • Oral Presentation • 101st Annual Meeting • Illinois State Academy of Science
Awarded: “Best Student Talk (Botanical Division)”
Botany Meeting, Columbus, OH • 2012 • Oral Presentation • Annual Meeting • Botanical Society of America
Presence and intensity of pre-dispersal seed predation in response to habitat quality
Knox College, Galesburg, IL • 2012 • Oral Presentation • 104th Annual Meeting • Illinois State Academy of Science
Presenter: Margaux Leja (Undergraduate Assistant)
Awarded: “Best Student Talk (Botanical Division)”
Effects of habitat quality on plant morphology and reproductive output in the rare plant Besseya bullii (Plantaginaceae)
Knox College, Galesburg, IL • 2012 • Oral Presentation • 104th Annual Meeting • Illinois State Academy of Science
Presenter: Samantha Chavez (Undergraduate Assistant)
Shading effects on the reproductive ecology of Besseya bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare species.
Botany and Economic Botany Meeting, St. Louis, MO • 2011 • Oral Presentation • 2011 Annual Meeting • Botanical Society of America
Shading effects on the reproductive ecology of Besseya bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare species.
International Botanical Congress, Melbourne, Australia • 2011 • Poster Presentation • 18th Annual Meeting • International Botanical Congress
Presenter: Dr. Brenda Molano-Flores (Co-Author)
Shading effects on the reproductive ecology of Besseya bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare species.
Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL • 2011 • Poster Presentation • 103rd Annual Meeting • Illinois State Academy of Science
Presenters: Dalya Abou-El-Seoud & Michelle Collins (Undergraduate Assistants)
Awarded: “Best Student Poster (Botanical Division)”
Shading effects on the reproductive ecology of Besseya bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare species.
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Symposium, Urbana, IL • 2011 • Poster Presentation • 13th Symposium • Graduates in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Effects of shading on the reproductive ecology of Synthris bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare species
Natural Areas Conference, Osage Beach, MO • 2010 • Oral Presentation • 37th Annual Conference • Natural Areas Association
Population surveys and reproductive ecology of Synthris bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare Illinois species
Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago, IL • 2009 • Poster Presentation • Global Plant Conservation Science & Outreach Symposium
Community Ecology: Classic Models of Competition and Predation
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL • 2009 • Guest Lecture • Course: Wildlife Ecology
Population surveys and reproductive ecology of Synthris bullii (Plantaginaceae), a rare Illinois species
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL • 2009 • Oral Presentation • 101st Annual Meeting • Illinois State Academy of Science
Awarded: “Best Student Talk (Botanical Division)”
Technical Reports & Summaries
Population surveys and reproductive ecology of Besseya bullii
Fish & Wildlife Service • Research Summary • 2010
Reproductive ecology and population genetics of Besseya bullii, a rare species
Illinois Department of Natural Resources • Research Final Report • 2009
Reproductive ecology and population genetics of Besseya bullii, a rare species
Illinois Native Plant Society • Research Final Report • 2009
Population surveys and reproductive ecology of Synthris bullii
The Nature Conservancy • Research Summary • 2009
Population surveys and reproductive ecology of Synthris bullii
Fish & Wildlife Service • Research Summary • 2009
Reproductive ecology and population genetics of Besseya bullii
The Nature Conservancy • Research Summary • 2008
Reproductive ecology and population genetics of Besseya bullii
Fish & Wildlife Service • Research Summary • 2008
Fish & Wildlife Service • Research Summary • 2010
Reproductive ecology and population genetics of Besseya bullii, a rare species
Illinois Department of Natural Resources • Research Final Report • 2009
Reproductive ecology and population genetics of Besseya bullii, a rare species
Illinois Native Plant Society • Research Final Report • 2009
Population surveys and reproductive ecology of Synthris bullii
The Nature Conservancy • Research Summary • 2009
Population surveys and reproductive ecology of Synthris bullii
Fish & Wildlife Service • Research Summary • 2009
Reproductive ecology and population genetics of Besseya bullii
The Nature Conservancy • Research Summary • 2008
Reproductive ecology and population genetics of Besseya bullii
Fish & Wildlife Service • Research Summary • 2008
Outreach Experience
Science Night, Frank Hall Elementary School, Aurora, IL (2012)
Girls Do Science Camp, Orpheum Children’s Museum, Champaign, IL (2012)
iView Greenhouse Tours, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Decatur, IL (2012)
Family Science Night, Leal Elementary School, Urbana, IL (2012)
Backyard Ecology, Urbana Free Library, Urbana, IL (2011)
National Pollinator Week, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (2010)
Wildlife in the Classroom, Busey Elementary School, Champaign, IL (2009)
150th Anniversary Celebration, Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, IL (2008)
Girls Do Science Camp, Orpheum Children’s Museum, Champaign, IL (2012)
iView Greenhouse Tours, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Decatur, IL (2012)
Family Science Night, Leal Elementary School, Urbana, IL (2012)
Backyard Ecology, Urbana Free Library, Urbana, IL (2011)
National Pollinator Week, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (2010)
Wildlife in the Classroom, Busey Elementary School, Champaign, IL (2009)
150th Anniversary Celebration, Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, IL (2008)