CV

PDF Version here (Updated as of 9-8-2017). For descriptions of my past research activities, see my Past Experiences section.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Aug 2013- current

University of Tennessee, Knoxville- Ph.D, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology; Concentration: Behavior

Committee: Susan Riechert, Daniel Simberloff, James Fordyce, Todd Freeberg

Dissertation title: Living on the edge: Range expansion in the globally invasive orbweaver spider, Cyrtophora citricola

May 2012

University of California, Berkeley- B.Sc., Molecular Environmental Biology, Concentration: Entomology

Minor, Forestry and Natural Resources

Thesis title: Size and motherhood of the spider Pholcus ancoralis (Araneae: Pholcidae) affects whirling and other defensive behaviors

PREVIOUS RESEARCH EXPERIENCES

May 2013 – Jul 2013 Research Assistant, I-Min Tso Lab, Tunghai University, Taiwan

Jan 2013 – Feb 2013 Field Assistant, Caribbean Biogeography of Arachnids Expedition 2013, Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean

Jul 2012 – Oct 2012 Field Assistant, Steven Beissinger Lab, Hato Masaguaral Research Station, Venezuela

Jun 2012 – Jul 2012 Field Assistant, Caribbean Biogeography of Arachnids Expedition 2012, Dominican Republic

Jan 2012 – May 2012 Lab Preparation Assistant, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California

Sept 2011 – Dec 2011 Student Researcher, Biology and Geomorphology of Tropical Islands Course, Mo’orea, French Polynesia

Jan 2010 – May 2011 Lab Assistant, Miguel Altieri Lab, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California

PUBLICATIONS

Zhao, L., Panayotova, I. N., Chuang, A., Sheldon, K. S., Bourouiba, L., & Miller, L. A. (2017). Flying Spiders: Simulating and Modeling the Dynamics of Ballooning. In Women in Mathematical Biology (pp. 179-210). Springer, Cham. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-60304-9_10

Sheldon, K. S., Zhao, L., Chuang, A., Panayotova, I. N., Miller, L. A., & Bourouiba, L. (2017). Revisiting the physics of spider ballooning. In Women in Mathematical Biology (pp. 163-178). Springer, Cham. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-60304-9_9

Chuang, A. and Peterson, C. R. 2016. Expanding population edges: theories, traits, and trade-offs. Global Change Biology 22: 494–512.

Blamires, S., Piorkowski, D., Chuang, A., Tseng, Y.-H., Toft, S., and I-M Tso. 2015. Can differential nutrient extraction explain property variations in a predatory trap? Royal Society Open Science. 2:140479. DOI:10.1098/rsos.140479

PUBLISHED REVIEWS

Chuang, A. & J. M. Bush. (2017). Book Review: Judith S. Weis and Daniel Sol (eds): Biological Invasions and Animal Behaviour, Biological Invasions.

Chuang, A. (2017). Game changers, Science. 355(6325): 587-587.

TEACHING

Fall 2017 Primary Instructor, Honors: Skills of Biological Investigation

2016 Guest Lecturer, “Crash Course in Statistics”, Honors: Skills of Biological Investigation. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

2016 Practitioners Level Certification, Best Practices in Teaching Course, Center for Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

2016 Associates Level Certification, Facilitating Undergraduate Evidence-Based Learning in STEM Course, Center for Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

Jan 2015 – May 2015 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Skills of Biological Investigation

Aug 2014 – Dec 2014 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Honors: Skills of Biological Investigation

FUNDING ($145,188 in total)

RESEARCH GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS ($22,922, internal grants italicized)

2017 David F. Ludwig Memorial Student Travel Scholarship, Association for

Environmental Health and Sciences Foundation, $1000

2017 Dept. EEB Research Grant, University of Tennessee, $1800

2016 Dept. EEB Research Grant, University of Tennessee, $1050

2016 Arachnological Research Fund, American Arachnological Society, $300

2016 Love of Learning Grant, Phi Kappa Phi, $500

2016 W.K. McClure Scholarship Fund for the Study of World Affairs, University of Tennessee, $3000

2016 The Explorers Club Exploration Fund- Mamont Scholars Program, $2000

2015 Dept. EEB Research Grant, University of Tennessee, $1072

2015 Young Explorers Grant, National Geographic Society, $5000

2015 The Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research, American Philosophical Society, $5000

2014 Grants-In-Aid of Research, Sigma Xi, $700

2014 Dept. EEB Research Grant, University of Tennessee, $1072

2013 Dept. EEB Research Grant, University of Tennessee, $428

2011 Institute of International Studies Undergraduate Merit Scholarship, UC Berkeley, $1000

FELLOWSHIPS, AWARDS, AND HONORS ($120,186)

2017 Tom Hallam Award for outstanding contributions to the grad experience, Dept. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, $500

2017 Travel Award, Graduate Student Senate, University of Tennessee, $480

2017 Diversity Travel Award, Animal Behavior Society, $125

2017 Travel Award, Graduate Researchers in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, $150

2017 Graduate Student Senate Award for Excellence in Research, University of Tennessee

2016 Chancellor’s Funds and Stipend Top-off awards, University of Tennessee, $4375

2016 Travel Award, Graduate Student Senate, University of Tennesssee, $710

2016 Travel Award, Graduate Researchers in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, $130

2016 Travel Award, American Arachnological Society, $537

2015 Tom Hallam Award for outstanding contributions to the grad experience, Dept. EEB, University of Tennessee

2015 Chancellor’s Funds and Stipend Top-off awards, University of Tennessee, $3728

2014 Chancellor’s Funds and Stipend Top-off awards, University of Tennessee, $3978

2013 Chancellor’s Funds and Stipend Top-off awards, University of Tennessee, $3728

2013 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, $102,000 total

2012 Best Paper Award, Institute of International Studies, $1000

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

JOURNAL REVIEWER

2015 – 2016 Biological Invasions (3), Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology (1)

SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP

2016 American Arachnological Society

2015 – 2016 Graduate Women in Science; Animal Behavior Society

2014 – 2016 Citizen Science Association; Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society

2013 – 2016 International Society of Arachnology

WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT

2015 Women in Mathematical Biology: Aerodynamics of spider ballooning, National Institute of Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, Knoxville, TN

UNDERGRADUATE MENTORSHIP

2015 Ashish Gauli, Nathan Wikle, Ryan Yan: “Ships, Ports, Invasions, and Math: Invasive Species Movements through Global Shipping Routes”, Summer Research Experience project at the National Institute of Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, Knoxville, TN

LEADERSHIP

2016 – 2017, Spring 2016 President, Graduate Researchers in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution (GREBE), University of Tennessee

Fall 2015 Vice President, GREBE, University of Tennessee

2015 – 2016 University of Tennessee Graduate Student Senate Travel Awards Committee

2015 – 2016 University of Tennessee Graduate Student Senator

2014 – 2015 Dept. EEB Friday Seminar Committee organizer, University of Tennessee

COMMUNITY SERVICE

2016-2017 Volunteer Instructor, Kids University: Vertebrate Zoology, UT Knoxville, TN

2015 Volunteer, THRIVE program for underprivileged students, Knoxville, TN

2015 Volunteer Instructor, Kids University: Animal Behavior, UT Knoxville, TN

2015 Volunteer, Pond Gap Elementary School, Knoxville, TN

2014 – 2016 Volunteer, UTK Darwin Week, UT Knoxville, TN

2014 Volunteer Instructor, Kids University: BUGS, UT Knoxville, TN

2014 Volunteer, U.S. Science and Engineering Fair, Washington D.C.

2013 – 2016 EEB Undergraduate Mentor, UT EEB Department, Knoxville, TN

2013 – 2015 Volunteer, Bat Exhibit, Boo at the Zoo, Knoxville Zoological Gardens, TN

2013 Leader, Spider Outreach Camp, Caribbean Expedition, Dominican Republic

2009 – 2011 Volunteer, Hands on Science, Le Conte Elementary School, Berkeley, CA