TRACY S. FELDMAN

CURRICULUM VITAE

May 2005

 

Address:         Department of Biology              Telephone:     (919) 684-5257

                        Box 90338                                           Fax:                 (919) 660-7293

                        Duke University                                   

                        Durham, NC 27708-0338                    E-mail:            tsf@duke.edu

 

Education:

 

·        Duke University, Durham, NC: Ph.D. received May 2005

·        University of Florida, Gainesville, FL: M.S. received May 1998

·        Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY: B.A. in Biology received May 1995

 

Fellowships and Awards:

 

·        National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (received May 2002)

 

·        Duke University Graduate Student Teaching Mini-grant for Insect Biology using the case study method (received spring 2002; see below)

 

·        Biology Department grant-in-aid-of research (received 2001)

 

·        Duke University Graduate Student Teaching Mini-grant for re-writing laboratory exercises for Ecology (Biology 110) (received spring 2001, in conjunction with Jason McLachlan, Jennifer Nelson, and Colin Saunders)

 

·        Sigma Xi grant-in-aid-of-research (received winter 1998)

 

·        National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship (received 1997)

 

Publications:

 

Feldman, T.  S., Morris, W. F., and Wilson, W. G.  2004.  When can two plant species facilitate each other’s pollination?  Oikos 105:197-207.

 

Feldman, T. S. and Haber, W. A. 1998. Oviposition behavior, host plant use, and diet breadth of Anthanassa butterflies using plants in the Acanthaceae in a Costa Rican community.   The Florida Entomol. 81(3):396-406.

 

Feldman, T. S. 1998. Fatal Interactions?: when exotic plants are lethal to native insects.  Wildland Weeds.

 

 

Publications in progress:

 

Feldman, T. S. Pollinator aggregative and functional responses to flower density: oviposition Does pollinator response to patches of plants accelerate at low-densities? (submitted in May 2005).

 

Feldman, T. S. Consequences of ovipositing on an unsuitable plant: oviposition choice, enemy-free space, and larval dispersal in Anthanassa ardys (Nymphalidae: Melitaeini).

 

Presentations:

 

Feldman, T.S. 2004.  Can one species rescue another from low-density effects?  Ecological Society of America meetings.

 

Feldman, T.  S., Morris, W. F., and Wilson, W. G.  2003.  When can two plant species facilitate each other’s pollination?  (theory and data). Ecological Society of America meetings.

 

Research Experience:

 

·        Ph.D. research: Can pollination facilitation mitigate the Allee effect?   Conducted large field experiments, designed mathematical models, and constructed a matrix demographic model to determine effects of low density on population growth rates in Piriqueta caroliniana, a sandhill plant.

 

·        Masters Thesis:  Studied effects of an introduced plant on oviposition choice and larval survival of native butterflies (Anthanassa spp.) in Monteverde, Costa Rica; Worked with volunteer field assistants on many aspects of the project.

 

·        Participant in the Organization for Tropical Studies course in Tropical Biology (97-1, winter 1997); Also conducted independent post-course research on possible incidental pollination of Begonia by beetles at La Selva biological station in Costa Rica.

 

·        Studied oviposition behavior, host plant use, and diet breadth of Anthanassa butterflies using plants in the family Acanthaceae in Monteverde, Costa Rica (winter 1996, Dr. William Haber, supervisor).

 

Independent Teaching Experience:

 

 

·        Part-time faculty, teaching Introductory Botany for the Continuing Education Program at Guilford College (fall 2003).  I developed and taught the entire course, including syllabus, seven 2.5-hour lecture classes, six 2.5-hour laboratory classes, quizzes, exams, written assignments on three readings, all grading, student evaluations, etc.

 

·        Co-designed and co-taught an introductory course in insect biology for advanced undergraduates (using the case study method) at Elon University, during January term 2003, with Lisa Carloye, professor of biology.  I designed and facilitated two activities involving case studies during the course.

Teaching Assistantships:

 

·        Organismal Evolution at Duke University (spring 2003 and 2004).  I lectured on the Insecta as part of the course (2003), designed and implemented a laboratory on Arthropoda as part of the course (2004).  I also taught one lab section, wrote and graded quizzes and a lab practical, graded exams and individual student projects involving presentations and papers.

 

·        The Diversity of Life at Duke University (fall 2002).  I co-taught a lab section (two times per week), graded exams and lab practicals.

 

·        Introduction to Ecology at Duke University (fall 2000 and fall 2004).  I taught one lab section, graded exams and student projects.  In fall 2004, I ran a lecture class about mutualisms.

 

·        Animal Physiology at Duke University (spring 2000).  I taught one lab section, graded exams and student projects.

 

·        Introductory Biology at Duke University (fall 1999).  I taught one lab section and one seminar section (leading small-group discussions), graded exams, student projects, helped develop a new active learning exercise on effects of introduced species on the avifauna of Hawaii.

 

·        Introductory Biology at the University of Florida (fall 1996).  I taught two lab sections, grading student writing assignments and lab practicals.

 

·        Sierra Club Inner City Outings group:  assisted on excursions with young children from urban and low-income neighborhoods to area parks for hiking and some environmental education (2001-present).  

 

Synergistic Activities:

 

• Biology Teaching Certificate Program, Duke University 1999-present
• Certificate in Teaching in Biology, committee, Duke University Biology Department, 2003-2004
• Graduate Research Symposium Committee, Duke University Biology Department, 2001-2002
• Graduate super-speaker coordinator, Duke University Biology Department 2000-2001

·        Graduate Committee, University of Florida Zoology Department, fall 1998

 

Collaborators & other Affiliations:

 

i. Collaborators.

William A. Haber, Ph.D. Biology, Missouri Botanical Gardens

William F. Morris, Professor of Biology, Duke University

Will G. Wilson, Professor of Biology, Duke University

ii. Graduate and Postdoctoral Advisors.

Thomas C. Emmel, University of Florida (Masters advisor)

William F. Morris, Duke University (Ph.D. advisor)

 

Professional Memberships:

 

·        Ecological Society of America

 

Language Skills:

 

·        Moderate facility with Spanish (I have spent ten months in Costa Rica and Panama)

 

Other Activities:

 

·        Violin, guitar and voice: perform solo and in groups (contemporary folk, classical, etc.), write songs, compose music.  Recordings: 1.  Standing Room Only (1999).  2.  Sea of Lucky Numbers (2003).  Organize yearly benefit concerts to raise funds for causes that further peace in situations that affect international stability.