Message from the DEE Leadership

Frances Bonier, Chair, chair.dee@sicb.org; Christine W. Miller, Secretary, secretary.dee@sicb.org; Martha Muñoz, Program Officer, dpo.dee@sicb.org; Anusha Shankar, Graduate Student/Postdoctoral Representative

In this issue, we share updates on the 2022 SICB Division of Ecology and Evolution news, celebrate the winners of our Huey Awards for best student presentations, introduce to you our outstanding candidates for elections (please vote!), and we provide guidance on how to get started planning your symposium for a future SICB meeting! Welcome to the Spring 2022 DEE Newsletter.

Please vote in the Spring 2020 Elections (candidate biographies can be found below). The deadline to vote is June 9, and the ballot can be found in the link provided here.

DEE Officers

Sarah Diamond just finished her term as Division Program Officer at the end of the 2022 SICB meeting with Martha Muñoz stepping into this new role. Tonia Schwartz is continuing in her second year as Division Chair-Elect. And Ryan Earley has just started his one-year term as Secretary-Elect. We wish to thank Sarah Diamond for doing an amazing job with DEE programming during two challenging years. We have elections coming up this spring for Chair-Elect and Program Officer-Elect – see below for statements from our four candidates for these positions!

SICB Annual Meeting

This year, SICB sought to strike a balance between preserving opportunities for in-person gathering, along with safe, inclusive opportunities for connecting, by having both in person and virtual options for the annual meeting. We hope you all managed to find a way to experience the connection and inspiration that the SICB meetings can provide.

DEE sought to preserve what we value most, like connecting early career biologists with mentors in our Beers & Brains event, which we pulled off in large part due to the efforts of DEE Postdoc Rep Anusha Shankar. Despite the pandemic, the Beers & Brains event at SICB 2022 was a great success. Almost sixty of us met at an outstanding outdoor venue in Phoenix. Mentors interacted with mentees, and food and drinks were enjoyed by all!

Beers & Brains will continue to grow in size, in part due to a vote by the DEE membership to allow division member dues. We are excited for what this event can be in the future and encourage feedback on how to make it the most inclusive and welcoming event it can be.

Would you like to organize a symposium?

SICB symposia are part of the lifeblood of the society. DEE supports many of the symposia that you see at the annual meeting. We are, by nature, a broad division: our symposia cover many topics in ecology and evolution. Symposia occur throughout the conference and highlight emerging trends in integrative and comparative biology from a diverse range of biological fields. In addition, the papers from these symposia populate our companion journal, Integrative and Comparative Biology.

We encourage you to reach out with your symposia ideas! If you’ve got an idea for a symposium, let’s talk! Please reach out to Martha Muñoz, your DEE Program Officer. As the PO, Martha helps SICB members pitch and refine proposals for symposia, and helps the other POs plan the annual meeting program.

The sooner you reach out, the better. Symposia proposals are due in August or September (it varies between years) for symposia 16 months later at the annual meeting. Give yourself a few months to make your plan. Detailed information about the process can be found on this link (please click on ‘Symposium Proposal Guidelines’ on the right-hand side). The document is quite detailed, and if those details feel daunting, don’t worry! Martha is here to help. Martha has spoken in a number of SICB symposia and co-ran a symposium in 2019 with an associated networking luncheon for students. She secured NSF funding to support the costs of the events. Whether this is your first or fifteenth symposium, we would enjoy helping you out! We can help you talk through your ideas and speakers, make a funding plan, and build capacity (companion sessions, lunches, etc.) for your symposium. Early career researchers – we are especially eager to hear from you! Your ideas and vision are exciting to us, and we would be delighted to help you plan a symposium proposal.

Winners of the Raymond B. Huey Best Student Presentation Awards

We want to congratulate all the finalists who presented their research at the Raymond B. Huey Awards for the DEE Best Student Presentations. The winner of the best oral presentation was Amanda Cicchino from Colorado State University for her talk “Acute effects of temperature confound estimates of acclimation capacity of critical thermal maximum with consequences for vulnerability assessments,” and the best poster winner was Sriram Ramamurthy from UC Santa Barbara for his poster “Social distancing before it was cool: fine-scale spatial distribution of the sea anemona Anthopleura sola.”

Oral Presentation Winner: Amanda Cicchino

Position: PhD Candidate, Funk Lab, Colorado State University

Talk Title: Acute effects of temperature confound estimates of acclimation capacity of critical thermal maximum with consequences for vulnerability assessments.

My research interests lie at the interface of physiology, genomics, and conservation. I strive to understand the creation and maintenance of trait variation, and the role of this variation in response to global change. Currently, my research is focused on identifying patterns of vulnerability along environmental gradients for two tailed frog species (Ascaphidae). Specifically, my collaborators and I are investigating the drivers of variation in thermal physiological traits and acclimation capacity, as well as population evolvability in response to warming temperatures.

I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to present some of this work as part of the DEE Ray Huey BSP session this year at SICB! I truly enjoyed the fantastic seminars and connecting with so many amazing researchers, especially at the “Beers and Brains” event (shoutout to Anusha Shankar!). As I work to complete my dissertation and begin new research collaborations, I will be looking forward to next year’s SICB!

 

Poster Presentation Winner: Sriram Ramamurthy

Position: Undergraduate Researcher, Kuris Lab, UC Santa Barbara

Poster Title: Social distancing before it was cool: Fine-scale spatial distribution of the sea anemone Anthopleura sola.

I am broadly interested in understanding processes and interactions that shape patterns of distribution and diversity in coastal marine ecosystems. Currently, I am a senior undergraduate at UC Santa Barbara, where I am majoring in biology – with a concentration in ecology, evolution, and marine biology – in the College of Creative Studies. At UCSB, I have mainly worked in the Kuris and Oakley labs. I have also conducted research while undertaking internships at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and Stanford University. I will pursue a PhD in marine ecology and evolution next year.

My research that I presented at SICB showed that for A. sola, intraspecific aggression leads to uniform population distributions in the rocky intertidal zone. This finding is interesting as uniform distribution patterns are relatively uncommon in nature compared to clumped and random distribution patterns. This gives insights into the ecological role of aggression and the evolution of clonality in sea anemones.

 

Candidates for Chair-Elect

Christian Cox

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Florida International University; Research Associate, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Education: B.S. Zoology, Iowa State University; MS in Biological Sciences, University of Alabama; PhD in Quantitative Biology, University of Texas at Arlington

Professional Experience: Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Virginia; Assistant Professor at Georgia Southern University

SICB Activities: Member since 2006; Assistant Editor for Integrative and Comparative Biology starting in 2022; judge for Best Student Paper (Huey Award), Mentor for Beers & Brains

Other Memberships: Society for the Study of Evolution, American Society of Naturalists

Research Interests: My lab studies the evolution of diversity in nature. Our research integrates evolutionary biology, physiology, transcriptomics, and genomics to understand both the evolution and function of phenotypic and genetic variation at different levels of biological organization – between sexes, within species, and among species. We study this diversity in ecosystems from the subtropics of south Florida to lowland tropical rainforest in central Panama and the arid highlands of southwestern North America.

Statement of Goals: One of the greatest strengths of SICB in general and DEE in particular is how we support our students, from affordable membership and registration to the Huey awards and Beers & Brains. I benefitted from many of these programs as a student, and one of my primary goals as Chair-Elect and Chair would be to continue to expand and enhance support for early career researchers. Making science more accessible for new scientists will also enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in our discipline. In particular, understanding how to apply a background in research to get academic or non-academic jobs can be challenging. This task can be particularly difficult for early career researchers in DEE, which often have highly integrative that span several fields of research. Having broad and diverse experience is a strength but can make it difficult to determine fit for a particular position and craft job applications. To that end, I would like to develop resources (such as workshops) and social networking opportunities that would explicitly focus on career and professional development for the DEE membership. The training would include job application strategies, approaches for creating job application documents for academic positions, and preparing a professional resume and other documents for non-academic careers. The faculty membership of DEE can provide excellent guidance for academic jobs, and SICB sponsors and other contacts in non-academic positions can provide guidance for job opportunities with the government, NGOs, and industry. The goal of these resources would be to make the path to academic and non-academic careers more open and equitable, which would support a thriving and diverse community of scientists for the future of DEE and SICB.

 

Eric J. Gangloff

Current Position: Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University (2019-present)

Education: BA, English, Cornell University (2000); MA, Digital Media Studies, University of Denver (2004); Secondary Teaching License, University of Colorado at Denver (2006); PhD, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (with Anne Bronikowski), Iowa State University (2016)

Professional Experience: Instructor, Girls Inc. of Metro Denver (2001-2005), Public High School Teacher, Denver, Colorado (2005-2011); Adjunct Instructor, Community College of Denver (2004-2007); Member of Board of Directors, Breakdown Book Collective & Community Space (2001-2004); Member of Board of Directors, Colorado Reptile Humane Society (2003-2010); Post-doctoral Research Associate (with Anne Bronikowski), Iowa State University (2017); Marie Skłodowska-Curie Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (with Fabien Aubret), Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS (2017-2019)

SICB Activities: Member (DAB, DCE, DCPB, DVM, DEE) since 2015; Recipient, Grant-in-Aid-of-Research (2012); Regular and enthusiastic attendee since 2016; Best student poster judge (DCPB, 2022); participated in DEE’s Beers & Brains (2022)

Other Memberships: American Physiological Society, Sigma Xi, Society for the Study of Reptiles and Amphibians

Research Interests: My research integrates field observations, controlled laboratory experiments, and molecular techniques to identify the mechanisms that allow – or limit – the success of individuals and populations in changing or novel environments. This work has focused on a variety of reptile species to date, including integrating life-history, physiology, and behavioral studies in garter snakes; exploring the thermoregulatory potential of reptile embryos; and quantifying the interaction of variation in temperature and oxygen availability on lizards living at high elevation. More recently, work in the lab has taken a turn toward functional morphology to follow student interests as we investigate populations of the common wall lizard that have successfully established in Cincinnati and elsewhere in Ohio.

Statement of Goals: I bring two unique perspectives that will help continue the tradition of making SICB generally, and DEE specifically, a leader in supporting a diverse array of researchers and promoting outstanding integrative science. First, I am currently an assistant professor at Ohio Wesleyan University, a small, liberal-arts, undergraduate-serving institution. In this position, I am keenly interested in and dedicated to supporting students from diverse backgrounds – especially those that have been traditionally excluded – in their educational and career paths in STEM. Especially given SICB’s recent efforts to better support primarily undergraduate institutions, I can offer valuable perspective as the first person from a PUI to serve as chair in some years. Second, I took the long path to academia. This has provided me with invaluable experiences in education, non-profit work, and community building that I will bring to DEE. Specifically, I hope to leverage my experience in building partnerships and advocacy to continue and expand programs that broaden participation and support students and early-career researchers, that connect with local communities through sci-comm programs, and that continue to make DEE a place where all are not only welcome but invited and supported.

Candidates for Program Officer-Elect

Lauren Cirino

Current Position: Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Education: BS Biological Sciences, Clemson University (2006), MS Entomology & Nematology, University of Florida (2016), PhD Entomology & Nematology, University of Florida (2020)

Professional Experience: University of Florida Graduate School Fellow (2016-2020), Science Teacher at Hayfield Secondary in Alexandria, VA (2008-2014), Science Teacher at Cooper City High School in Cooper City, FL (2007-2008)

 SICB Activities: Member since 2017, Session chair for the DEE Huey Award (2022), participated in DEE Beers and Brains (2019, 2022)

 Other memberships: Animal Behavior Society (ABS)

 Research Interests: The central theme of my research is how dynamic environments contribute to the causes and consequences of variation in reproductive success. Change can occur quickly in the wild, altering the direction or intensity of selection, and potentially changing the tempo of the evolutionary process. I use insects to understand how nutrition and social interactions influence resource allocation decisions to pre- versus post-copulatory traits, behavioral decisions, and reproductive success. SICB is the perfect place to network with scientists in other disciplines that intersect with my research interests which include evolution and ecology, animal behavior and invertebrate zoology.

Statement of Goals: I am committed to highlighting student and early career scientists’ research, connecting these groups with senior scientists in the field, and providing support to help our members be successful in their careers. I believe I can meet this goal, in part, by becoming the program officer of DEE. If elected as the program officer, I plan to promote the division’s Huey Awards that supports and recognizes the amazing work of student researchers. I plan to increase awareness of this competition through collaborations with the Broadening Participation Committee as well as early advertisement on social media and the SICB newsletter. I also plan to support the networking events that make the DEE division stand out at SICB as well as expand upon them such as hosting a lunch and learn to help better equip students and early career scientists for the job market. Additionally, I am passionate about connecting with a variety of scientists both early and established in their careers that will contribute to a diverse array of research symposia. I have a wealth of event organization experience (e.g., Vice President of the Entomology & Nematology Student Organization, journal club coordinator, high school science fair coordinator, etc.) that has equipped me with the skillset needed for the program officer position. I hope that I can contribute to this division’s goals and give back to SICB.

 

Kristi Montooth

Current Position: Susan J. Rosowski Associate Professor of Biology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Education: B.S., Biology, University of California, Irvine (1998); Ph.D. Genetics, Cornell (2005)

Professional Experience: NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Brown University (2005-2008); Assistant Professor, Indiana University (2008-2014); Associate Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2014-present).

Other Memberships: Genetics Society of America; Society for the Study of Evolution

SICB Activities: Attended SICB meetings for over 20 years as DEE and DCPB member; participated in DEE Beer & Brains; mentored undergraduate meeting attendees; participated in multiple symposia; served as DCPB Division Program Officer (2019-2021).

Research Interests: I am an integrative biologist creating interdisciplinary spaces to discover how genes, physiology, and evolution shape a diverse world. I work collaboratively to build communities for inclusive integrative biology research that empower people with skills and practices to achieve diverse aspirations. Our research group uses the lens of energetics in ectotherms from Paramecium to aquatic snails to insects to investigate how gene-environment interactions drive ecological and evolutionary dynamics.

Statement of Goals: As DCPB Program officer, I enjoyed playing a role in developing symposia that anchor the meeting and are important for the impact of our society journal ICB. I have experience with society publishing, serving as associate editor for Evolution and on the oversight committee of Evolution Letters. I would look forward to working with DEE members to create inclusive and impactful symposia for the meeting and journal. SICB and DEE are welcoming spaces, but there is always work to be done to ensure equity and broaden participation. Some is as straightforward as working with symposia proposers to ensure that speaker lineups reflect the diversity that exists among integrative biologists. Some is more innovative work with division and society leadership to create meeting structures and solicit workshops that make our society, research, and journal more inclusive and impactful. As SSE council member, I helped make the Evolution Meetings a more welcoming, safe, and empowering place for attendees, particularly those from groups that have been marginalized in our field. I have developed inclusive mentoring and writing structures, and I would welcome the opportunity to bring workshops for inclusive mentoring and writing to SICB meetings. My overall goal is to work creatively and collaboratively within DEE and across divisions to preserve the best that SICB has to offer, and to create new opportunities for SICB to attract diverse early-career scientists and grow a creative and thriving society.