Curriculum Vitae

November 29, 2006

 

NAME/AFFILIATION:                       Stephen E. Davis, III

                                                      Assistant Professor

                                                      Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

 

CONTACT INFORMATION:               Texas A&M University

                                                      College Station, TX 77843-2258

                                                      Phone:  979-458-3475

                                                      Fax:  979-845-4096

                                                      E-mail:  sedavis@tamu.edu

                                                      Web: http://wfsc.tamu.edu/davislab/

 

Contents                                                 Page #

A.    Professional Training and Skills                   1

B.    Teaching                                                     2

C.    Service                                                        4

D.    Research and Funding                                 4

E.    Publications                                                6

F.     Presentations/Workshops                             7

 

 

A. Professional Training and Skills

 

EDUCATION:

1999                 Doctor of Philosophy:  Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University (FIU), Miami, FL  33199.

                        Dissertation Title:  ÒThe Exchange of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus in Dwarf and Fringe Mangroves of the Oligotrophic Southern Everglades.Ó  (D.L. Childers, Dissertation Advisor)

 

1995                 Master of Science:  Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Morehead State University (MSU), Morehead, KY  40351.  Thesis Title:  Water Quality Analysis of Seven Eastern Kentucky Reservoirs (B.C. Reeder, Thesis Advisor)

 

1993                 Bachelor of Science:  Majors in Biology and Environmental Science, Minor in Chemistry. Georgetown College (GC), Georgetown, KY

 

POSITIONS:

2005-present                   Faculty of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Texas A&M Interdisciplinary Degree Program in Water.

2001-present                   Assistant Professor, Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M University.

1999-2001                                 Post-doctoral Research Associate, Southeast Environmental Research Center and Florida Coastal Everglades LTER, Florida International University.

1995-1999                                 Teaching and Research Assistant, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University.

1993-1995                                 Teaching Assistant, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Morehead State University.

 

HONORS AND AWARDS:

2006                       Travel Award from the Office of the Vice President for Research for NSF Proposal Development

2002                       Visiting Scientist Award at University of South CarolinaÕs Baruch Marine Field Laboratory  

2001                       Highest student evaluation of all graduate courses taught in Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences during first semester at Texas A&M.

1999                       Student Travel Award to attend the meeting of the Estuarine Research Federation, New Orleans, Louisiana.

1999                       Best Student Presentation Award at the Annual Meeting of the Gulf Estuarine Research Society in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

1998                       Student Travel Award, Gulf Estuarine Research Society, Galveston, Texas.

1998                       Best Student Presentation Award at the Annual Meeting of the Gulf Estuarine Research Society in Galveston, Texas.

1997                       Student Travel Award, Estuarine Research Federation, Providence, Rhode Island.

 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

¤       Estuarine Research Federation

¤       Sigma Xi Research Society

 

TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE:

1992-present                   Extensive experience with numerous techniques of plant and animal community measurements in terrestrial and aquatic environments.

1992-present                   Extensive experience operating small (<25 ft) boats.

1993-present                   Experience with a variety of automated and manual analytical approaches to quantifying various forms of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and iron in plant tissue, soil, and water.

1993-present                   Extensive experience with the Macintosh OS and various word processing, spreadsheet, graphical, modeling, and statistical packages.

1995-present                   Experience in establishing and maintaining large-scale water quality monitoring network.

 

B. Teaching

 

COURSES TAUGHT:

At Texas A&M University:

¤       WFSC 628: Wetland Ecology: every fall semester since 2001

¤       WFSC 428: Wetland Ecosystem Management: spring semesters starting January 2004

¤       WFSC 489: Special Topics in Wetland Ecosystems (spring 2002 and 2003)

¤       WFSC 489: Special Topics in Tropical Coastal Ecology (Study Abroad in Belize; Summer 2002)

¤       Mangrove Ecology (taught to undergraduate students in Puerto Rico; Summer 2003)

¤       WFSC 689: Seminar in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Spring 2002)

 

Overall means of teaching evaluations, in chronological order, for Wetland Ecosystem Management (WFSC 428; taught as 489 ÒSpecial TopicsÓ course in Spring 2002 and 2003) and Wetland Ecology (WFSC 628).

Course, Semester/Year

Score (5.0 max)

Course, Semester/Year

Score (5.0 max)

WFSC 628 Fall 2001

4.85

WFSC 489 Spring 2002

4.57

WFSC 628 Fall 2002

4.36

WFSC 489 Spring 2003

4.75

WFSC 628 Fall 2003

3.94

WFSC 428 Spring 2004

4.39

WFSC 628 Fall 2004

4.76

WFSC 428 Spring 2005

4.47

WFSC 628 Fall 2005

4.88

WFSC 428 Spring 2006

4.72

WFSC 628 Fall 2006

IN PROGRESS

WFSC 428 Spring 2007

 

 

At other Institutions:

¤       Ecology Lab (FIU, MSU)

¤       Human Biology Lab and General Biology Lab (FIU)

¤       Limnology Lab (MSU)

 

 

GUEST LECTURES:

2006           ÒImportance of Freshwater Inflows to EstuariesÓ (1 session; WFSC 101, K. Arnold, Instructor)

2005           ÒCoastal Wetland RestorationÓ (1 session; RLEM 689, G. Moore, Instructor)

2004                 ÒCoastal Wetland EcologyÓ (1 session; PLAN 689, S. Brody, Instructor)

2003                 ÒEstuaries and Freshwater InflowsÓ (1 session; PLAN 689, S. Brody, Instructor)

2003                 ÒMangrove EcologyÓ (1 session; MARS 655, T. Linton, Instructor)

2002                 ÒMangrove EcologyÓ (1 session; WFSC 611, T. Linton, Instructor)

2002           ÒGeneral Wetland EcologyÓ (1 session; WFSC 101, K. Arnold, Instructor)       

 

MENTORING OF Graduate StudentS*:

Committee Chair or Co-Chair

Christina Bernal (Chair): M.S. candidate; 2006-

ˆ      Graduate Diversity Fellowship in Water Management and Hydrological Sciences Program

Rachel Butzler (Chair): M.S. candidate; 2002-2006

ˆ      Thesis title:  ÒSpatial and Temporal Patterns of Lycium carolinianum Walt., the Carolina Wolfberry, in Salt Marshes of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, TexasÓ

ˆ      Sustainable Coastal Margin Program Graduate Fellowship (2002)

ˆ      Texas Water Resources Institute Mills Scholarship (2003)

ˆ      Texas Aquatic Plant Management Society Scholarship (2004)

ˆ      Texas A&M Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences ÒBest Masters StudentÓ (2005)

ˆ      John Knauss Fellowship in Marine Policy (2005)

Matthew Driffill (Chair): M.S. student; 2005-present

Tyson Hart (Chair): M.S. student; 2004-present

ˆ      TXU Environmental Fellowship (2004-2006)

ˆ      Co-PI of TXU Research Grant ($71,000)

George Gable (co-Chair with D. Roelke): M.S. student; 2004-present

ˆ      EEB Travel Grant award to attend 2006 GERS Meeting in Corpus Christi, TX

Hsiu-Ping (Erin) Li (co-Chair with D. Roelke): Ph.D. student; 2004-present

ˆ      EEB Travel Grant award to attend 2006 GERS Meeting in Corpus Christi, TX

Kung-Jen (Calvin) Liu (Chair): Ph.D. student 2007-present

Carrie Miller (co-Chair with D. Roelke): M.S. student; 2004-present

ˆ      Awarded:  Texas A&M RegentÕs Fellow (current)

ˆ      EEB Travel Grant award to attend 2006 GERS Meeting in Corpus Christi, TX

ˆ      Graduate Student Research Award at 2006 GERS Meeting, Presentation title: ÒPlankton and the chambers of inflow:  Findings from microcosm experiments on plankton communities from San Antonio BayÓ

Melissa Romigh (Chair): M.S. student; 2002-2005

ˆ      Thesis title:  ÒOrganic Carbon Flux at the Mangrove Soil-Water Column Interface in the Florida Coastal EvergladesÓ

ˆ      Texas A&M RegentÕs Fellow (2002-2003)

ˆ      Texas Water Resources Institute Mills Scholarship (2003)

ˆ      Florida Coastal Everglades LTER student travel award (2003)

ˆ      ASLO student travel award (2004)

 

Graduate Committees

Name                            Dept./Institution      MS or PhD           Graduation Year

Bryan Allison                 GEOG/TAMU               MS                          05

Jenipher Cate                  MARB/TAMUG            MS                         

Jenny Cochran                WFSC                         MS

Bibiana Correa                WFSC                         PhD

Kim Crumpler (Hart)        FRSC/TAMU               MS                          06

Jeremiah Dye                  ENTO/TAMU               MS                          05

Daniele Ebnother             GEOG/TAMU               MS                          06

Wei-Ta Fang                   RLEM/TAMU               PhD                         04

Darcy Gibbons                MARB/TAMUG            MS                          03

Lara Hinderstein              MARB/TAMUG            PhD

David Hoeinghaus           WFSC/TAMU               PhD                         06

Greg Koch                      BIO (@ FIU)                 PhD

Dale Kruse                     RLEM                         PhD                        

Alyce Lee                       OCNG/TAMU               PhD

Steve Lichlyter                GEOG/TAMU               MS                          06

Paula Lorente                  LAUP                          PhD                        

Stephanie MacDonald       OCNG/TAMU               MS                          06

Israel Medina                  OCNG/TAMU               PhD

Jose Vicente Montoya      WFSC/TAMU               PhD

Jeff Morin                      OCNG                         PhD

Clifton Nunnally             MARB/TAMUG            PhD

Nena Phillips                  RLEM/TAMU               MS                          06

Stephanie Powers            WFSC                         MS

Clint Robertson              WFSC                         MS

Virginia Shervette            WFSC/TAMU               PhD                         06

Matt Simmons                RLEM/TAMU               PhD

Christie Taylor                MARB/TAMUG            MS

Terrence Tysall                MARB/TAMUG            PhD

Lisa Williamson              GEOG/TAMU               MS

Steven Zeug                   WFSC/TAMU               PhD

Saijin Zhang                   MARS/TAMUG            PhD

 

UnderGraduate MENTORING:

Rene Aguilera: Undergraduate from University of New Mexico (summer 2006 REU Program; LTER Network)

¤       Importance of labile organic carbon in governing early mangrove leaf decay.

 

Christopher Llewellyn:

¤       Undergraduate from Texas A&M University (student worker; Fall 2005—Spring 2006)

¤       Conducting an experiment to understand the effects of inundation and salinity on Lycium carolinianum, a perennial halophyte (summer 2006 REU Program; Texas A&M).

 

Bruce Simons: Undergraduate from Texas A&M Corpus Christi: (summer 2002 REU program; Texas A&M)

¤       Assessing benthic invertebrate community structure in created and natural salt marshes in Galveston Bay (TX) and North Inlet (SC).

 

 

C. Service

 

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL SERVICE:

2003-present                   Panelist: NSF–SBIR/STTR Phase I and Phase II; Louisiana Coastal Restoration and Enhancement through Science and Technology; Maryland Sea Grant

2003-present                   Proposal reviewer for NSF (DEB) and USGS (NIWR)

2001                                            Panelist: Estuarine Research Federation workshop on ÒAcademic Job Searches, Transitions, and Early Academic CareersÓ

2001-present                   Judged student posters and oral presentations at annual and biennial meetings of the Society for Wetland Scientists and Estuarine Research Federation, respectively

1998-present                   Referee for the following journals: Archiv FŸr Hydrobiologie; Aquatic Botany, Biota Neotropica, Ecological Engineering; Ecology; Estuaries; Estuaries and Coasts; Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science; Hydrobiologia, Indian Journal of Marine Science; Journal of Coastal Research; Journal of Geophysical Research–Atmospheres; Mangroves and Salt Marshes; Marine Ecology Progress Series, Wetland Ecology and Management; and Wetlands

 

University/DEpartment SERVICE:

2006-present                   Curriculum Committee Chair for Faculty of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

2006                             Search Committee for WFSC Department Head

2005-2006                      Faculty advisor for Association of Graduate Wildlife & Fisheries Scientists

2005-2006                      Seminar Committee for Faculty of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

2005                             Committee for Water Week Symposium at Texas A&M University

2003-present                   Presentation judge at Annual Wildlife & Fisheries Student Research Symposium

2004-2006                      Faculty advisor to Ecological Integration Symposium Committee

2002-present                   Hosted or co-hosted 5 seminar speakers

2002-present                   Faculty advisor to Graduate Program Enhancement Fund Committee

2002-2004                                 co-Chair of SCMP Ecosystem Function Topical Focus Area

2002                             Judged 13 graduate research posters in ÒRenewable ResourcesÓ at the 2002 Ag Program Conference

2001-2005                      Member SCMP Advisory Council

 

 

D. Research and Funding

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Ecological research in my lab focuses on understanding the interrelationships between ecosystem structure and function and considers the various biotic and abiotic drivers of aquatic ecosystems.  Research projects range from investigations on the role of freshwater inflows in driving spatial and temporal patterns in water quality and water column productivity to controlled experiments of macrophyte growth and decay.  Many of our studies have applied aspects that pertain to ecological restoration and ecosystem development as modified by eutrophication or hydrological alteration.

 

PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:

2005-present                  Rapid assessment of primary productivity and phytoplankton community structure: A new tool for understanding the importance of phytoplankton communities as a bio-indicator of estuary health (co-PI).

 

2004-present                  Use of High-Resolution Spatial Mapping to Estimate Plankton Response to Freshwater Inflows Entering Galveston Bay: Importance to Watershed Development and Ecosystem Health (PI)

 

2004-2006                      Ecological Assessment of Created Wetlands at Big Brown Mine (PI)

 

2004-2005                      Development of Environmental Flow Recommendations for Caddo Lake (co-PI)

 

2003-present                  Reduced Freshwater Inflows and Productivity in the Guadalupe Estuary Use of High-Resolution Spatial Mapping (co-PI)

 

2003-present                  Bridging the Gap Between Plankton Dynamics and Spatial Variability in Water Quality in the Guadalupe Estuary (TX): The importance of freshwater pulses (PI)

 

2002-present                  Linking Freshwater Inflows and Marsh Community Dynamics in San Antonio Bay to Whooping Cranes (co-PI)

 

2002-2004                      Seasonal Variation of Productivity and Respiration in a Tropical Blackwater River: The role of allochthonous organic matter and inorganic nutrients (co-PI)

 

2002-2003                      Biogeochemistry of Macroalgal-Derived Floc Layer: Examination of an apparent nutrient source to mangroves bordering shallow ponds at Twin Cays, BZ (co-PI)

 

2001-present                  Benthic Macro-invertebrate Communities and Habitat Characteristics of Created and Natural Salt Marshes in Galveston Bay, TX (PI)

 

2001-2004                      Investigating the Flux of Organic Carbon in a Mangrove Forest Along Lower Shark River, FL (collaborator)

 

1999-2001                      Sources and fate of macrophyte-derived DOM and nutrients in the Everglades and the importance of storm events in driving exchanges (Post-Doctoral Research Associate)

 

1999-2001                      Coastal mangrove and seagrass ecosystem restoration and monitoring in the Florida Keys (consultant)

 

1999-2001                      Everglades Mangrove Estuary Transition Conceptual Model and Florida Bay Model Workshops (participant in meetings to establish goals for Everglades Restoration)

 

GRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:

1995-1999                      Graduate Research Associate (Dissertation Project): Nutrient exchange between Florida Bay and the Everglades salinity transition zone

 

1994                             Graduate Research Assistant (Thesis project): Spatial variability in water quality and plankton communities in seven Eastern Kentucky reservoirs

 

1994                             Graduate Research Assistant: Non-point source pollution study of Triplett Creek (KY) and its tributaries

 

1993-1995                      Graduate Research Assistant: The short-term effects of fertilization on primary productivity in Grayson Lake, KY

 

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:

1991-1992                      Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) Summer Internship:  Characterization of sediments and measurement of sediment-water column nutrient fluxes in three geologically different tidal creeks of North Inlet, SC

 

Current Grants/Contracts:

2006-2012: ÒAntigua-Barbuda Coastal Marine Ecosystem ProjectÓ (co-PI, with approximately 60 other TAMU and UM PIs; funded by Stanford Development Group): $100 million total (approx. $780,000 Davis portion).

 

2006-2012: ÒFCE II, Coastal Oligotrophic Ecosystems Research; Phase II funding for the Florida Coastal Everglades LTER ProgramÓ (collaborator; funded by NSF): $4.9 million total (approx. $240,000 Davis portion).

 

2006-2007: ÒFactors influencing Prymnesium parvum demographics in Lake Granbury, TXÓ (co-PI; funded through U.S. Department of Energy): $230,000 total (approx. $7,500 Davis portion).

 

2006-2008: ÒEstuarine Wetland Control of Nitrogen Loading to Florida BayÓ (co-PI; funded by NOAA): $400,000 total (approx. $143,000 Davis portion).

 

2005-2007: Linking Freshwater Inflows and Marsh Community Dynamics in San Antonio Bay to Whooping Cranes IIÓ (co-PI; funded by Guadalupe Blanco River Authority and San Antonio River Authority): $275,380 total (approx. $100,000 Davis portion).

 

2005-2006: ÒRapid assessment of primary productivity and phytoplankton community structure: A new tool for understanding the importance of phytoplankton communities as a bio-indicator of estuary health.Ó (co-PI; funded by TX Coastal Management Program): $80,546 total (approx. $3,500 Davis portion).

 

2004-2006: ÒUse of High-Resolution Spatial Mapping to Estimate Plankton Response to Freshwater Inflows Entering Galveston Bay: Importance to Watershed Development and Ecosystem HealthÓ (PI; funded by TX Commission for Environmental Quality through the Galveston Bay Estuary Program): $134,992 total (approx. $105,000 Davis portion).

 

2004-2006: ÒEcological Assessment of Created Wetlands at Big Brown MineÓ (PI; TXU Environmental Fellowship and Research Grant for Mr. Tyson Hart funded by TX Utilities): $71,000 total (entire grant to Davis lab).

 

2004-2006: ÒDevelopment of Environmental Flow Recommendations for Big Cypress Creek and Caddo LakeÓ (co-PI; Caddo Lake Institute): $67,000 total (approx. $8,000 Davis portion).

 

2004-2006: ÒReduced freshwater inflows and productivity in the Guadalupe Estuary: Use of high-resolution spatial mappingÓ (co-PI; funded by Texas Sea Grant): $227,776 total (approx. $45,000 Davis portion).

 

2003-2006: ÒBridging the gap between plankton dynamics and spatial variability in water quality in the Guadalupe Estuary (TX): The importance of freshwater pulsesÓ (PI; funded by U.S. Geological Survey and National Institutes of Water Resources): $233,953 total (approx. $177,000 Davis portion).

 

2002-2007: ÒLinking Freshwater Inflows and Marsh Community Dynamics in San Antonio Bay to Whooping CranesÓ (co-PI; funded by Guadalupe Blanco River Authority, San Antonio River Authority, and San Antonio Water System): $1,859,344 total (approx. $670,000 Davis portion).