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Nicola Plowes: Curriculum vitae (pdf) (updated Nov 25 2007)
To perform essential
research in social insect behavior that is applicable in the understanding
of complex adaptive systems, conservation biology, behavioral ecology and
the evolution of sociality in social insects.
To inspire and guide my
students to fulfill their roles as the next generation of ecologically
conscious, connected decision-makers. Always to teach to the individual,
instilling a sense of pride and the highest standards.
I grew up in Zimbabwe and Botswana, far from any
cities, entertained by a plethora of interesting flora and fauna. Nature
became a source of inspiration and deep passion. Before the age of 10 I
had collected Therapsid fossils above coal seams near Victoria Falls,
explored the Kalahari desert and roamed some of the last remaining
remnants of ancient cloud forests in eastern Zimbabwe. Since then my
explorations of five continents have made me acutely aware of the
desperate need for higher level understanding of community interactions to
help conserve the rapidly diminishing global biodiversity.
As a child, I was always fascinated with social insects. Perhaps I stood too long in the shadow of 12 feet high Macrotermes mounds or was inoculated by marauding “Matabele ants” (Megaponera foetens). Nevertheless, serendipity and luck have allowed me to further this obsession. After graduating from the University of Texas, I spent two years working on fire ant ecology in Texas, and became convinced that I would spend the rest of my life learning more about social insects. After a brief interlude at Yale University, to pick up molecular techniques, I began my Ph.D. work with Eldridge Adams at the University of Connecticut. For the last 5 years I my focus has been on understanding the behavioral mechanisms behind territoriality in ants.
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2006 Ph. D. Entomology in progress (to be completed in 2008). Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut. |
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2003 Participant in the "Ants of the Atlantic Northeast Workshop" held by the Acadian and Maine Entomological Society, at the University of Maine, Bar Harbor, ME. |
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2001 Participant in The Ant Course, an intensive course in myrmecology held by the American Museum of Natural History and California Academy of Sciences in Portal, AZ. |
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1999 B.S. Biology (Ecology, Evolution and Conservation). The University of Texas at Austin. |
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1996 University of Cambridge Advanced Level Certificates in Biology, Chemistry, Geography, and Mathematics. Maru-a-Pula School, Gaborone, Botswana, Africa. |
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1994 University of Cambridge Ordinary Level Certificates. Received 8 distinctions (A*), highest score in country. Maru-a-Pula School, Gaborone, Botswana, Africa. |
Plowes NJR (in prep) Patterns of recruitment to
territorial wars in the Pavement ant (Tetramorium caespitum). (Tentative
Title)
Plowes NJR (in prep) Spatio-temporal dynamics of
territorial wars in the Pavement ant (Tetramorium caespitum). (Tentative
Title)
Plowes NJR & Adams ES (2005) An empirical test of Lanchester's square
law: mortality during battles of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta. Proceedings
of the Royal Society of London, Series B.
272:1809-1814.
Russell, K.S., Plowes, N.J.R., Bender, J.R. (2001) Effects of cytokines on vascular endothelial synthesis and secretion of neuregulin. American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. Publishing ID: 989 Abstract ID: 116585.
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2007 Fall: Ecology Discussion and Lab |
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2007 Spring: Biology 102, Introduction to Biology Lab (for non-majors) |
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2006 Fall: Ecology Discussion and Lab |
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2006 Spring: Biology 108, Introduction to Biology (plant based) |
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2005 Spring: Biology 102, Introduction to Biology Lab (for non-majors) |
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2004 Fall: Ecology Discussion and Lab |
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2004 Spring: Biology 107, Introduction to Biology Lab |
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2003 Fall: Ecology Discussion and Lab |
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2003 Spring: Biology 107, Introduction to Biology Lab |
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2002 Spring: Biology 107, Introduction to Biology Lab |
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1999 Substitute Teacher Austin I.S.D. Texas. |
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Harvard Mind Brain Behavior: War and Conflict, May 11th 2006: An Empirical Test of Lanchester’s Square Law: Mortality During Battles of the Fire Ant Solenopsis invicta. |
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NEEC March 19th 2005: How to win a battle against [sic] a colony of ants: Territory and War. |
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Graduate Student Symposium, March 18th 2006: When to follow a leader: recruitment behavior in the Pavement ant, Tetramorium caespitum. |
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Graduate Student Symposium, Feb 26th 2005: How to win an Ant War: Territoriality and Battles. |
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Graduate Student Symposium, March 2nd 2002: Small warriors: the costs of waging war. |
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UT Austin, Mueller Lab (2001): Ant wars. |
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Invasive Biology (2006): Assessing Biotic Invasions: Space and Time |
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Insect Phylogeny (2002): Phylogeny of the Hymenoptera and Evolution of Sociality. |
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Decision making in Animals (2004): Introduction to Stochastic Dynamic Programming. |
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Seminar in Biodiversity (2001): Modeling Ant Battles. |
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Connecticut Entomological Society (2005): Identification of Common New England Ants. (With Dr. E. Adams) |
Modeling
Complex Ant Behaviors (The University of Connecticut )
My PhD thesis work analyzes territorial conflicts and use of space in ants as model systems for understanding self-organizing conflicts. Many species of social insects have colonies that defend foraging space around their nest, referred to as a territory. A territory can be considered an emergent property, the result of self-organization of hundreds or thousands of individuals. Previous territory models have tended to concentrate on the higher-level organization of the colony rather than of the constituent individuals (Adams 2001).
A review of the extent and nature of territoriality in ants showed that the following elements of behavior must be examined to understand the temporal and spatial dynamics of battles: (i) mortality pattern (a process that subtracts ants from battle, and the cost that governs decision-making); (ii) recruitment (the main process bringing ants into battle, which controls much of the spatial development); (iii) assessment (controlling much of recruitment and withdrawal); and (iv) movement patterns (giving rise to the characteristic shapes of battles). These elements have been investigated by conducting controlled experiments with two territorial invasive ant species, the fire ant Solenopsis invicta and the pavement ant Tetramorium caespitum.
My focal species is T. caespitum, whose colonies stage prolonged territorial battles in spring. During 2003, I discovered that battles have very interesting spatial dynamics and oscillatory patterns at the colony level. Since then, I have developed techniques and established field sites (2004), done comparative study of recruitment to food and enemies, tested existing microsatellites (from other ant genera) to use for future genetic studies with T. caespitum (2005), and investigated colony level behavior (territorial battles) (2006). A computer model is being developed (in collaboration with Dr Adams) that will test the relative importance of behavioral components in the generation of complex spatio-temporal dynamics during battles of T. caespitum.
Fire Ant Biocontrol
(The University of Texas at Austin )
Solenopsis invicta
is in an invasive species from South America . In South America there are
at least 18 species of Phorid flies in the genus Pseudacteon that
are known to parasitize fire ants. Research in Dr.
L. Gilbert's lab concentrated primarily on one species P. tricuspis,
which is species-specific for S. invicta. Field work and lab
experiments investigated the life histories and complex interactions of
Phorids, S. invicta and the native ant community. The first
experimentally released Phorids have now successfully established in
Florida and Central Texas.
In 1999 I performed a survey of the ant fauna in 13 Texas counties in collaboration with the Texas Department of Agriculture. Specimens collected from surveys and fieldwork were identified. I made field guide to the common ants of Texas. In collaboration with Dr. U. Mueller at UT Austin, a web version of the key was constructed for public use. (Texas Ant Key)
Signal Transduction
involving Neuregulin ( Yale University )
Current methods in ecology and evolutionary biology
increasingly use molecular tools. The opportunity to work on the
Neuregulin system has allowed me dedicated learning of valuable molecular
techniques, which I will apply to organismal biology.
Neuregulins (NRGs) are epidermal growth factors that cause cell proliferation and differentiation in mammals and Drosophila . I conducted research for a leading cardiologist, Dr. K. Russell to examine the control of NRG synthesis and secretion in vivo (Russell, Plowes & Bender 2001). Experimental procedures that I have mastered include: protein analysis by immunoassay, tissue culture and analysis by histochemistry and nucleic acid analysis using PCR.
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Graduate assistant/Teaching assistant, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. 2001-present. |
Performed original research in social insect behavior (for more information, see Research Summary). Taught both introductory biology and ecology to undergraduates.
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Lab research assistant, Cardiology Department, Yale University , New Haven, CT. 2000-2001. |
Conducted experiments investingating signal transduction pathways in heart tissues. Used cellular and molecular biological techniques to answer specific questions about the stimuli for and effects of Neuregulin in vivo and vitro.
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Lab research assistant, Gilbert Lab, The University of Texas, Austin , TX . 1999-2000. |
Performed field and lab research of fire ant biocontrol agents. Created and published key to the ant taxa in Austin. Identified and curated voucher specimens. Surveyed 13 counties for ant diversity.
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Animal technician, City of Austin Department of Health. 1999. |
Assessed animal health and temperament. Aided veterinarian with disease testing and vaccinations. Managed database of bite victims and rabies results. Trained as Certified Animal Control Officer for the Texas Department of Health.
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Animal assistant, Transgenic mouse facility, The University of Texas, Austin, TX. 1999. |
Performed routine lab tasks in restricted areas (Biohazard level 3), including maintaining a barrier and semi-barrier colony of transgenic mice under strict ALAAS and OSHA standards.
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Field manager, U.S. Public Interest Research GroupU.S. Public Interest Research Group, Austin , TX.1998. |
Directed teams in an environmental awareness campaign
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Research assistant, Texas Commission for the Blind, Austin, TX. 1998. |
Assisted visually impaired Ph D. student in researching and editing his thesis paper.
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Research assistant, Veld Products, Botswana, Africa. 1996. |
Researched data concerning the sustainable use of indigenous edible and medicinal plants in Southern Africa.
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GIS: working knowledge of Arcview and IDRISI. |
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Statistics: standard ecological uses of parametric/nonparametric frequentist statistics, basic Bayesian statistics (using Winbugs). Programs used include: SAS and R. (Graduate level classes: Probability and Statistics, Design of Experiments, Elementary Stochastic Processes, Seminar in Bayesian Statistics.) Programming: (in the process of learning!) basic programming in Visual C++, Delphi, Mathematica and R. |
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Molecular techniques: use of microsatellites for genetic analysis (ABI sequencer, Relatedness); immunohistochemisty; protein, DNA and RNA extraction/elucidation/analysis; tissue culture; sterile technique (worked in Biohazard Level 3). |
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Video: digital video capture in field and lab, video editing and processing. |
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Image analysis: Image J. |
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Field skills: extensive experience in the field on 4 continents (Africa, Europe, Australia, North America and Central/South America), field identification, ability to work under extreme conditions (from Kalahari desert to Tropical Rainforest). |