Trina E. Roberts
Appointments
Education
- Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (1993-1997)
- A.B. magna cum laude (Biology) awarded June 1997. Senior honors thesis: These birds are made for walking: Effective mechanical advantage and muscle force in walking and running rheas; awarded High Honors.
Research & Professional Experience
Research Interests
- Evolutionary biogeography, phylogeography, molecular systematics; using DNA data to infer evolutionary and demographic processes; integrating geographic and genetic data; using old and new museum specimens in genetic research; focus on Southeast Asian and North American mammals.
- Roberts, T.E., T.R.B. Davenport, K.B.P. Hildebrandt, T. Jones, W.T. Stanley, E.J. Sargis, and L.E. Olson. (2009) The biogeography of introgression in the critically endangered African monkey Rungwecebus kipunji. Biology Letters, online before print. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2009.0741
- Roberts, T.E., E.J. Sargis, and L.E. Olson (2009). Networks, trees, and treeshrews: Assessing support and identifying conflict with multiple loci and a problematic root. Systematic Biology 58(2): 257-270.
- Roberts, T.E. (2006). Mitochondrial DNA reveals multiple levels of allopatric divergence in the endemic Philippine fruit bat Haplonycteris fischeri (Pteropodidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 88: 329-349.
- Roberts, T.E. (2006). History, ocean channels, and distance determine phylogeographic patterns in three widespread Philippine fruit bats (Pteropodidae). Molecular Ecology 15: 2183-2199.
- Heaney, L.R. and T.E. Roberts. (In press, to be published in late 2009). New perspectives on the long-term biogeographic dynamics and conservation of Philippine fruit bats. In Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation of Island Bats, T.H. Fleming and P.A. Racey, editors. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Software
- Roberts, T.E. and L.E. Olson. ComPairWise: Comparing alternate sequence alignments. R package, available from CRAN.
Research Grants
- NSF Small Grant for Exploratory Research DEB–079787, 2007 ($20,000). To T.E. Roberts (P.I), L.E. Olson (co-P.I.), E.J. Sargis (co-P.I.). SGER: Rescuing an important collection of Cambodian mammal specimens for curation and archiving at the University of Alaska Museum.
- NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant DEB–0206596, 2002 ($10,000). To L.R. Heaney (P.I.), T.E. Roberts (co-P.I.), J.M. Bates (co-P.I.). Comparative phylogeography of six Philippine fruit bats.
- University of Chicago Provost’s Academic Technology Innovation Grant, 2002 ($22,150). Grant co-writer; grant awarded to Dr. C.A. Pfister (students were not allowed to be PIs). Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology for the Committee on Evolutionary Biology.
- American Society of Mammalogists Grant-in-Aid of Research, 2002 ($1,000). Comparative phylogeography of Philippine fruit bats.
- Hinds Grant, University of Chicago Committee on Evolutionary Biology, Winter 2001 and Fall 2001 ($2,700 total). Phylogeography and population structure of Philippine fruit bats (Pteropodidae).
Research Experience
- 2008-present: Postdoctoral research, National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent). Sticky tips and misplaced roots: Is there a bias in intraspecific phylogenetics?
- 2005-2008: Postdoctoral research, University of Alaska Museum. Molecular systematics of treeshrews (Scandentia) and phylogeography of the Tupaia belangeri/Tupaia glis species complex. Postdoctoral advisor: Link E. Olson.
- 1999-2005: Dissertation research, University of Chicago and Field Museum of Natural History. Comparative phylogeography of six Philippine fruit bats. Advisors: John M. Bates and Lawrence R. Heaney.
- 2003-2005: DNA sequencing in the Field Museum’s Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution for several studies of Philippine and North American mammals.
- 1997: Research assistant, Harvard Forest. Biomechanics of water transport and cavitation repair in trees. Advisor: N. Michele Holbrook.
- 1995-1997: Undergraduate research, Concord Field Station (Harvard University). Biomechanics of locomotion in vertebrates, including pronghorn and rheas. Advisor: Peter G. Weyand.
Field Experience
- 2007: University of Alaska Museum small mammal survey, Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area, Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia. Pitfall trapping and mistnetting survey.
- 2006: University of Alaska Museum/Bureau of Land Management small mammal survey, Kilbuck Mountains, Alaska. Small mammal trapping and preparation of museum specimens under remote conditions.
- 2002-2005: Field Museum research in Utah. Annual elevational surveys of montane small mammal communities, including trapping and preparation of specimens and tissues.
Ongoing Research & Collaborators
- With L.E. Olson and E.J. Sargis: Systematics and phylogeography of treeshrews (Scandentia); biogeography and evolution of Cambodian mammals.
- With J. Tung and C.C. Babbitt: Evolutionary history of a hybrid baboon population.
- With L.R. Heaney: Biogeography, systematics, and diversification patterns in Philippine fruit bats.
- With L.R. Heaney, R.J. Rowe, E.A. Rickart, and A.R. Gates: Biogeography of the small mammals of the Intermountain West.
- With W.T. Stanley, L.E. Olson, T. Davenport, E.J. Sargis, and T. Jones: Systematics and biogeography of African mammals.
Fellowships, Awards, & Honors
- American Society of Mammalogists Elmer C. Birney Award, 2005.
- Field Museum Women in Science Graduate Fellowship, 2003-2004.
- Association for Women in Science Certificate of Merit, 2003.
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, 2000-2003.
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention, 1999-2000.
Professional Development & Coursework
- Effective College Teaching workshop, NESCent, 2008. Led by Jory Weintraub.
- MaNIS/ORNIS/HerpNET Georeferencing Road Show, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2008. Led by John Wieczorek, Carol Spencer, and Heather Constable.
- Workshop on Molecular Evolution and Extended Topics Session, Marine Biological Laboratories, Woods Hole, MA, 2003. Course director: Michael Cummings.
- Summer Institute in Statistical Genetics (Probability and Statistical Inference; Population Genetic Data Analysis; Systematic Biology; Markov Chain Monte Carlo for Geneticists; Coalescent Theory), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 2003. Course director: Bruce Weir.
Presentations to Professional Meetings & Symposia
- Roberts, T.E., E.J. Sargis, and L.E. Olson (2009). Antique DNA reveals broad geographic patterns in the Tupaia belangeri/Tupaia glis species complex. Oral presentation, Evolution meeting, Moscow, ID, and American Society of Mammalogists, Fairbanks, AK.
- Roberts, T.E., E.J. Sargis, and L.E. Olson (2008). Multilocus systematics of treeshrews (Mammalia; Scandentia): Concatenation, coalescence, or consensus? Oral presentation, Evolution meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
- Roberts, T.E., E.J. Sargis, and L.E. Olson (2007). Multilocus systematics of the Tupaiidae: Conflict and consensus in treeshrew trees. Oral presentation, American Society of Mammalogists, Albuquerque, NM.
- Stanley, W.T., G.B. Rathbun, T.E. Roberts, K. Hildebrandt, and L.E. Olson. (2007). A preliminary analysis of morphological and molecular differentiation among the three species of Rhynchocyon. Oral presentation by W.T. Stanley, American Society of Mammalogists, Albuquerque, NM.
- Roberts, T.E. (2006). Divergence, dispersal, and DNA: Inferring divergence times and colonization routes in the Philippine fruit bats Cynopterus brachyotis and Macroglossus minimus. Oral presentation, American Society of Mammalogists, Amherst, MA.
- Roberts, T.E. (2005). Geographic distance and ocean channels determine phylogeographic patterns in three widespread Philippine fruit bats. Elmer C. Birney Award presentation (plenary session), American Society of Mammalogists, Springfield, MO.
- Gates, A.R., T.E. Roberts, R.J. Rowe, E.A. Rickart, and L.R. Heaney (2005). Phylogeography of Sorex palustris among Utah’s montane islands. Poster presentation, American Society of Mammalogists, Springfield, MO.
- Roberts, T.E. (2005). Ocean channels and geographic distance determine phylogeographic patterns in three widespread Philippine fruit bats. Oral presentation, Evolution meeting, Fairbanks, AK.
- Roberts, T.E. (2004). Reduced mtDNA diversity in endemic Philippine fruit bats on small, isolated islands. Oral presentation, Evolution meeting, Fort Collins, CO.
- Roberts, T.E. (2004). Reduced mtDNA diversity in endemic Philippine fruit bats on small, isolated islands. Oral presentation, American Society of Mammalogists, Arcata, CA.
- Heaney, L.R. and T.E. Roberts (2004). The biogeography of genetic divergence in Philippine fruit bats. Invited symposium presentation, Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Miami, FL.
- Roberts, T.E. (2004). Phylogeography of the endemic Philippine fruit bat Ptenochirus minor. Evolutionary Biology Student Symposium, University of Chicago.
- Roberts, T.E. (2003). Phylogeography of the endemic Philippine fruit bats Ptenochirus jagori and Ptenochirus minor. Oral presentation, Evolution meeting, Chico, CA.
- Roberts, T.E. (2003). Phylogeography of the endemic Philippine fruit bats Ptenochirus jagori and Ptenochirus minor. Poster presentation, International Biogeography Society, Mesquite, NV.
- Roberts, T.E. (2002). Phylogeography of the endemic Philippine fruit bat Haplonycteris fischeri. Oral presentation, American Society of Mammalogists, Lake Charles, LA.
- Roberts, T.E. (2002). Comparative phylogeography of the fruit bats Haplonycteris fischeri and Cynopterus brachyotis in the Philippines. Poster presentation, Evolution meeting, Champaign-Urbana, IL.
Invited Seminars
- Biology department seminar, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, September 2009. Disentangling treeshrew evolution and biogeography with antique DNA.
- Zoology seminar, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, May 2009. Disentangling treeshrew evolution and biogeography with "antique" DNA.
- Systematics Discussion Group, Duke University, October 2008. Phylogenetic mixture models.
- BBL seminar, National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, September 2008. A tale of two treeshrews (or maybe more): Systematics and biogeography in an obscure mammalian family.
- Life Sciences seminar, University of Alaska Fairbanks, February 2006. Divergence, dispersal, distance, and disequilibrium: Comparative phylogeography of Philippine fruit bats.
- Evolution seminar, Northwestern University, April 2005. Patterns of divergence in Philippine fruit bats: Implications for diversification and conservation priorities.
- Research seminar, Field Museum of Natural History, December 2004. Genetics, geography, and the deep history of an endemic Philippine fruit bat.
- Natural History seminar, Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, April 2003. Phylogeography of Philippine fruit bats: Progress and prospects.
Teaching, Outreach, & Professional Service
Teaching Experience
- Presenter, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Toolbox (workshop series for graduate students and faculty), University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2007.
- Guest lecturer, History of Earth and Life (undergraduate course), University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2007.
- Guest lecturer, Conservation Genetics (graduate/undergraduate course), University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2007.
- Guest lecturer, Mammalogy (undergraduate course), University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2006.
- Guest lecturer, Molecular Evolution (graduate/undergraduate course), University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2005.
- Invited discussion leader, Advanced Topics in Evolution: Biogeography (graduate seminar), University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2005.
- Tutorial leader, Science and Engineering in Research and Teaching Synthesis (SERTS) program (undergraduate course), Northwestern University, 2002, 2003, & 2004.
- Guest lecturer, Biogeography (graduate/undergraduate course), University of Chicago, 2002 & 2004.
- Guest lecturer, Mammalian Evolution (graduate/undergraduate course), University of Chicago, 2003.
- Teaching Assistant, Biogeography (graduate/undergraduate course), University of Chicago, 2002.
- Teaching Assistant, Ecology and Evolution (undergraduate course), University of Chicago, 2001.
- Teaching Assistant, Grants, Publications, & Professional Issues (graduate course), University of Chicago, 2000.
Advising & Mentoring
- Assisted as a mentor and advisor for Vuthy Va, a Cambodian graduate student, on the University of Alaska Museum field project in Keo Seima Biodiversity Area, Mondulkiri, Cambodia, spring 2007.
- Helped train and advise Josie Bonham and Sarah Moore, University of Alaska Fairbanks undergraduate lab assistants working with Link Olson, 2007.
- Co-mentor for Kyndall Hildebrandt (University of Alaska Fairbanks) for her undergraduate project on the phylogeography and taxonomy of water shrews (Sorex palustris and S. alaskanus) in Alaska, 2005-2006.
- Co-advisor for RuthAnn Dohner (West Valley High School, Fairbanks, AK) for her project in the Alaska Statewide High School Science Symposium, 2005-2006.
- Mentor and independent study advisor for Amber Gates, University of Chicago undergraduate student, 2004-2005.
Exhibits & Public Presentations
- Content contributor, University of Alaska Museum of the North special exhibit "The Nature and Art of Collections", 2006.
- Public education and outreach programs on Mammalogy Department research and DNA sequencing, University of Alaska Museum, 2005-2006.
- "Scientist at the Field" three-hour public question-and-answer session on DNA sequencing and research at the Field Museum, 2003.
- Public education and outreach programs, Field Museum Division of Mammals and Pritzker Laboratory, 2001-2005.
Memberships in Professional Societies
- Society for the Study of Evolution
- American Society of Mammalogists
- International Biogeography Society
- Society for Systematic Biology
- National Postdoctoral Association
Professional Service
- Local organizing committee, American Society of Mammalogists 2009 annual meeting in Fairbanks, AK.
- Organizer, Ecological & Evolutionary Genetics Seminars and visiting speaker series (including John Huelsenbeck, Mary Kuhner, May Berenbaum, Jeff Thorne, and Peter Raven), University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2006-2007.
- Referee for Evolution, Journal of Mammalogy, Journal of Biogeography, Animal Conservation, Molecular Ecology, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society.
- Member of Honoraria Committee (2006-present) and Grants-in-Aid Committee (2007-present), American Society of Mammalogists.
- Student presentation evaluator, American Society of Mammalogists, 2005-2009.
- Webmaster and board member, University of Chicago Women in Science, 2001-2003.
