Allison Welch SPIRE Postdoctoral Fellow Department of Biology CB #3280, Coker Hall University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280 welcha@unc.edu (919) 962-3595

Allison M. Welch

Curriculum Vitae

Current Position

SPIRE Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biology, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. Advisor: David Pfennig

Education

Ph.D., Biological Sciences, University of Missouri–Columbia, 2000. Advisors: Ray Semlitsch & Carl Gerhardt

B.S., Biology, summa cum laude, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO, 1993

Specialized training

Quantitative Genetics, Summer Institute for Statistical Genetics, NC State University, 2002

Teaching workshop series, Center for Teaching and Learning, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2001

Tropical Biology field course, Organization for Tropical Studies, 1996

Teaching Experience

Courses taught

Ecology, lecture and laboratory, Shaw University, 2004

Evolution, lecture, North Carolina A&T State University, 2003

Ecology, lecture and laboratory, North Carolina Central University, 2001

General Biology, lecture, William Woods University, 1998

Guest lectures

Sexual selection – Evolution courses (UNC-CH, UNC-Pembroke, Univ. of Missouri)

Population genetics, quantitative genetics, and disease – Molecular basis of disease interactive video teleconference courses (UNC-CH, Shaw Univ., Johnson C. Smith Univ.)

Sex and evolution – Ecology course (NC A&T State Univ.)

Population and quantitative genetics – Genetics courses (NC A&T State Univ., Shaw Univ.)

Mate choice – Animal Behavior course (UNC-CH)

Teaching assistantships

Ecology (laboratory), University of Missouri, 1999

Evolution (grader for writing intensive course), University of Missouri, 1997

Introductory Biology (laboratory and discussion groups), University of Missouri, 1994, 1998

Genetics (discussion groups), Truman State University, 1993

General Biology (discussion groups), Truman State University, 1992

Introductory Biology (labs and discussion groups), Truman State University, 1990-1991

Mentoring Experience

Undergraduate research projects mentored

Michael Reichert, UNC-CH honors thesis research: “How do social interactions and body condition affect male calling behavior in gray tree frogs?” (partially funded by Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research)

Michael Sroka, UNC-CH honors thesis: “Do long calls signal high lipid content and high genetic quality in gray tree frogs?” (manuscript in preparation)

Timothy Gilbert, UNC-CH honors research: “Heritability of lipid content in gray tree frogs”

Vicki Derevyanny, UNC-CH honors research: “Identifying polymorphic allozyme loci in Spea multiplicata”

Kristen Beckert, UNC-CH honors research: “Endoparasites of Hyla chrysoscelis”

Tiffany Woods, Tougaloo College: “Heritability of lipid content in gray tree frogs, Hyla chrysoscelis” (UNC-CH Summer Pre-Graduate Research Experience program)

Reiesha Robbins, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore: “Using microsatellite DNA to determine relatedness in gray tree frogs, Hyla chrysoscelis” (UNC-CH Summer Pre-Graduate Research Experience program)

Grace Doty, University of Missouri: “Effects of father's call duration, predator presence and food availability on tadpole behavior” (see publication)

Rachel Duzenberry, University of Missouri: “Effect of father's call duration on tadpole feeding and growth rates”

Alexa Bullerdieck, University of Missouri: “Induction of predator avoidance morphology in gray tree frog tadpoles”

Amy Winkeler, University of Missouri: “Behavior of ‘macho’ and ‘wimp’ tadpoles in the presence of crayfish”

Other students mentored

Matt Luzum, Mac Bowen, Emily Pilcher, Loren Mitchell, Dustin Allis – honors research, UNC-CH

Chrissy Lin (East Chapel Hill High School) – Research Apprenticeship Program at UNC-CH

Gahmya Drummond-Bey, April Denning – Science Math and Research Training program, UNC-CH

Jennifer Webber, Richard Lew – undergraduate volunteers, UNC-CH

Awards

Fellowships

SPIRE (Seeding Postdoctoral Innovators in Research and Education) postdoctoral fellowship, UNC-CH, 2000-present

National Science Foundation/NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship (declined), 2000

G. Ellsworth Huggins Scholarship, University of Missouri, 1997-2000

National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship, 1994-1997

Teaching awards

Green Chalk Teaching Assistant Award, College of Arts & Sciences, University of Missouri, 2000

Donald K. Anderson Graduate Student Teaching Award, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 2000

Other awards

Superior Graduate Achievement Award, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 1999

Herpetologists’ League Award for Graduate Research, honorable mention, 1999

Outstanding Biology Major, Truman State University, 1993

Research Grants

National Science Foundation, “Interactions between good genes and the environment in gray tree frogs” (Co-PI, with Carl Gerhardt, U. of Missouri), NSF IBN-0415972, Jan. 2005 – Dec.2007, $300,000

Graduate Research Grant, Animal Behavior Society, 1999

American Women in Science, Educational Foundation Predoctoral Award, 1999

Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund grant, American Museum of Natural History, 1999

Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research, 1994, 1998

Publications

Welch, A. M. 2003. Genetic consequences of a female mating preference in gray tree frogs are context dependent. Evolution 57: 883-893

Doty, G. V.* and A. M. Welch. 2001. Advertisement call duration indicates good genes for offspring feeding rate in gray tree frogs (Hyla versicolor). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 49: 150-156. * undergraduate coauthor

Semlitsch, R. D., C. M. Bridges and A. M. Welch. 2000. Genetic variation and a fitness tradeoff in the tolerance of gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor) tadpoles to the insecticide carbaryl. Oecologia 125: 179-185.

Bultman, T. L., A. M. Welch, R. A. Boning and T. I. Bowdish. 2000. The cost of mutualism in a fly-fungus interaction. Oecologia 124: 85-90.

Welch, A. M., R. D. Semlitsch and H. C. Gerhardt. 1998. The handy-dandy kitchen device–Response. Science 282: 1994.

Welch, A. M., R. D. Semlitsch and H. C. Gerhardt. 1998. Call duration as an indicator of genetic quality in male gray tree frogs. Science 280: 1928-1930.

Bultman, T. L., J. F. White Jr., T. I. Bowdish and A. M. Welch. 1998. A new kind of mutualism between fungi and insects. Mycological Research 102: 235-238.

Bultman, T. L., J. F. White Jr., T. I. Bowdish, A. M. Welch and J. Johnston. 1995. Mutualistic transfer of Epichloe spermatia by Phorbia flies. Mycologia 87: 182-189.

Welch, A. M. and T. L. Bultman. 1993. Natural release of Epichloe typhina ascospores and its temporal relationship to fly parasitism. Mycologia 85: 756-763.

Presentations at National Meetings

Social context affects calling behavior of male gray tree frogs. (poster) Animal Behavior Society, Oaxaca, Mexico, 2004

Ecological genetics of larval and metamorphic traits: how do populations respond to fluctuating selection? Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, New Orleans, LA, 2004

Female preference strength and male call duration affect offspring fitness in gray tree frogs. (poster) Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Toronto, ON, 2003

Parental genetic quality and genetic compatibility affect offspring growth in gray tree frogs. Animal Behavior Society, Bloomington, IN, 2002

How do parental genetic quality and genetic compatibility affect offspring growth in gray tree frogs? (poster) Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Anaheim, CA, 2002

What is good about “good genes” in gray tree frogs: How is call duration linked with larval quality? Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Chicago, IL, 2001

What is good about “good genes” in gray tree frogs: How is call duration linked with larval quality? Animal Behavior Society, Atlanta, GA, 2000

Call duration indicates genetic quality in male gray tree frogs: Evidence from the field. Animal Behavior Society, Lewisburg, PA, 1999

Male call duration correlates with larval behavior in gray tree frogs: Mechanism of a good genes effect? American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, State College, PA, 1999

Call duration indicates genetic quality in male gray tree frogs: Evidence from the field. International Symposium honoring Murray Littlejohn, Columbia, MO, 1999

Call duration indicates genetic quality in male gray tree frogs. Animal Behavior Society, Carbondale, IL, 1998

Call duration indicates genetic quality in male gray tree frogs. Society for the Study of Evolution, Vancouver, BC, 1998

Male call duration indicates genetic quality in gray tree frogs: Implications for the evolution of female choice. American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists, Seattle, WA, 1997

Effects of female mate choice on offspring fitness in the gray tree frog (Hyla versicolor). American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists, New Orleans, LA, 1996

Cost/benefit analysis of mutualism in a fly fungus interaction. National Conference on Undergraduate Research, Salt Lake City, UT, 1993

Invited Seminars

Lehigh University, Department of Biological Sciences, 2004

University of Akron, Department of Biology, 2004

Colgate University, Department of Biology, 2003

College of the Holy Cross, Department of Biology, 2003

University of Puget Sound, Department of Biology, 2003

Duke University, Population Biology Group, 2002

North Carolina A&T State University, Department of Biology, 2002

East Carolina University, Department of Biology, 2002

Fayetteville State University, Department of Biology, 2002

North Carolina Central University, Department of Biology, 2001

Bucknell University, Department of Biology and Animal Behavior Program, 2001

Truman State University, Department of Biology, 1999

Professional Service

Reviewer for Animal Behaviour, Behavioral Ecology, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Biotropica, Copeia, Ecology, Evolution, Herpetologica, Oecologia, and Science

Judge for Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research, 2001

Judge for student paper and poster awards, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Division of Animal Behavior, 2002, 2003

Student and Postdoctoral Affairs committee, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, 2003

Undergraduate Research committee, North Carolina Central University, 2001

Behavioral Biology search committee, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998-1999

Professional Affiliations

Animal Behavior Society

American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists

Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology

Society for the Study of Evolution