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Department of Biology and Biochemistry219 Marshall St. #242

University of HoustonHouston, TX, 77006

Houston, TX, 77006chelse.prather@gmail.com

CURRENT POSITION

Postdoc in Biology and Biochemistry.  May 2011-present.  Adviser: Steve Pennings.

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

Postdoc in Biology, History and Philosophy. August 2010-May 2011. Research Adviser: Tom Miller (Biology).  Training grant advisers: Nora Underwood (Biology), Brian Inouye (Biology), Fritz Davis (History), Michael Ruse (Philosophy). Integrative Training in Biology and the Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL.

Ph.D. in Biology, 2010. Adviser: Gary, E. Belovsky. University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN.

B.S. cum laude in Biology, 2003. Adviser: James Krupa. University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.

FUNDING AWARDS

Laws, AN, CM Prather, SG Pelini. 2009. Invertebrate impacts on ecosystem services under climate change:  A synthesis using insights from the LTER network.  NSF LTER Cross-Site Synthesis Grant ($7,250) PDF

Prather, CM. 2008. The effect of invertebrate herbivores and detritivores on decomposition, microbial communities, nutrient cycling and primary productivity in tropical forests. Bayer Fellowship ($8,000).

Kominoski J, W Mahaney, H Adams, B Ball, C Crenshaw, H Dalgleish, H Guo, S Jones, E Kane, T Kuhman, T Loecke, C Prather, T Robinson, D Sobota, C Solomon. 2006. The influence of changes in terrestrial plant community structure on aquatic ecosystem function across the LTER network. NSF LTER Cross-Site Synthesis Grant ($7,500).

Prather, CM. 2002. Attracting native pollinators to agricultural fields. University of Kentucky, Ribble Research Scholarship ($1,000).

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Choate, DM*, CM Prather*, MJ Michel, AK Baldridge, MA Barnes, D Hoekman, CJ Patrick, J Rüegg, TA Crowl. Integrating Theory: a Graphical Model for Graduate Students and Researchers. Bioscience. (Accepted; *=authors contributed equally to manuscript) Choate_et_al_100611.pdf

Ball, BA, JS Kominoski, HE Adams, SE Jones, ES Kane, TD Loeke, WM Mahaney, JP Martina, CM Prather, TMP Robinson, CT Solomon. 2010. Direct and Terrestrial Vegetation-mediated Effects of Environmental Change on Aquatic Ecosystem Processes. Bioscience: 60: 590-601.

Prather, CM, DM Choate, MJ Michel. 2009. Putting the Ph. back in PhD: framing graduate research in a theoretical context. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 7: 389-390.

PUBLICATIONS IN REVIEW / PREPARATIONS

Prather, CM, GE Belovsky. Consumers alter plant production in a rainforest understory. Ecology (In review).

Prather, CM, S Pelini, A Laws, I del Torro, CK Ho, J Kominoski, TAS Newbold, S Parsons, A Joern. Do sweat the small stuff: Mitigation climate change effects on ecosystem services must consider invertebrates. Biological Reviews. (In review).

Prather, CM, GE Belovsky. Consumers alter nutrient distributions and availability in a rainforest understory. (In prep for Biotropica)

Prather, CM, GE Belovsky, SA Cantrell Rodríguez, G González. Tropical consumers alter decomposition rates by modifying resources available to microbial communities. (In prep for Ecology).

Prather, CM, GE Belovsky, TA Crowl. Synthesizing consumer influences on ecosystem processes: A trophic interaction model. (In prep for Biotropica).

Pastore A, CM Prather, E Gornish, RD Ellis, and TE Miller.  Testing mechanisms of the intermediate disturbance hypothesis using long-term data of saxicolous lichens.  (In prep for Ecology).

NON PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Prather, CM and AK Hardison. 2010. The Role of Student Research in Long-Term Studies: Insights into Climate Change and Disturbance Theory. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 91:455–457.

HONORS AND AWARDS

2009Pollard Fellowship, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame.

2008ESA travel award, Microbial Section.

2007-2010University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center fellowship.

2003Cum Laude honors, Honors in Biology and in the Honors program, University of Kentucky.

2002Brooks Scholarship, University of Kentucky.

2001University of Kentucky Merit Scholarship

INVITED TALKS

2011Rice University, Ecology and Evolution Seminar, Houston, TX.

2011Florida State University, Ecology and Evolution Seminar, Tallahassee, FL.

2010Michigan State University, Hanover Seminar, Forestry Department, East Lansing.

2009Luquillo LTER Annual Meeting, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

2009University of Kentucky, EcoLunch Series, Lexington, KY.

2008Harvard Forest, Seminar Series, Petersham, MA.

2008Universidad del Turabo, Department of Microbiology, Gurabo, PR.

PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

The rise and fall of philosophy in ecology. 2011. CM Prather. Ecological Society of America, Austin, TX.

When can philosophy be valuable to ecologists?  Why to put the Ph back in PhD. 2011. CM Prather. Southeastern Ecology and Evoluion Conference, Auburn, AL.

The little things that run the world. 2010. CM Prather. History and Philosophy of Science Seminar Series, FSU. Tallahassee, FL.

Rainforest consumers influences on ecosystem processes are amplified in disturbed sites. 2010. CM Prather. Ecological Society of America,, Pittsburgh, PA.

What is the role of graduate students in the LTER network? 2009. CM Prather, AK Hardison. LTER ASM, Estes Park, CO.

Resource-mediated effects of invertebrate consumers in the understory of the rainforest. 2009. CM Prather and GE Belovsky.  LTER ASM, Estes Park, CO.

Invertebrate detritivores, not herbivores, affect plant growth in a rainforest understory. 2009. CM Prather and GE Belovsky. Ecological Society of America,, Albuquerque, NM.

Invertebrate herbivores alter microbial community composition and leaf decomposition rates in a tropical forest. 2008 CM Prather, GE Belovsky, SA Cantrell Rodríguez, G González. Ecological Society of America, Milwaukee, WI.

Invertebrate herbivores alter microbial community composition and leaf decomposition rates in a tropical forest.  2008 CM Prather, GE Belovsky, SA Cantrell Rodríguez, G González. Association of Tropical Biology and Conservation Meeting, Paramaribo, Suriname.

Trophic Interaction Model. CM Prather, GE Belovsky, and TA Crowl. 2007. Long Term Ecological Research All Scientists Meeting, Estes Park, CO.

TEACHING AND MENTORING EXPERIENCE

Co-Instructor for field course “Environmental Field Methods”, University of Houston, 2011.

Guest Lecturer for “Community ecology”, Florida State University, 2011.

Instructor for seminar, “Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Ecology”, Florida State University, Spring 2011.

Instructor for seminar, “The value of philosophy for ecology and evolution”. Florida State University, Fall 2010.

Mentor to four Florida State University PhD students, Interdisciplinary Training in Biology and Society at Florida State University: Abe Gibson (History), Christina Kwapich (Biology), Martha Lang (Philosophy), Jennifer Schellinger (Biology). 2010-2011.

Interpretive Naturalist, Notre Dame Pre-College Program, Summer 2010.

Teaching Assistant, General Ecology lab, University of Notre Dame: Lead TA—Fall 2009: Section TA—Fall 2008, Fall 2007.

Teaching Assistant, General Biology Lab, University of Notre Dame: Fall 2006, Spring 2006, Fall 2005.

Advisor to REU students, Luquillo LTER: Daniel Dlugos (2008) and Erik Jansen (2005).

Advisor for undergraduate research, University of Notre Dame: Spring 2004 (Trevor Smith).

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

2010Organized an ESA Organized Oral Session with Amber Hardison at ESA, “The                 Role of Student Research in Long-Term Studies:  Insights into Climate Change and Disturbance Theory”, Pittsburg, PA.

2009-2010Organizing a workshop, “Invertebrate Impacts on Ecosystem Services under Climate Change”, Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA.

2009Organized a working group, “Invertebrate effects on ecosystem services under climate change” at LTER All Scientist Meeting, Estes Park, CO.

2009Planned poster sessions at Luquillo LTER annual meeting / NSF site review, Luquillo, Puerto Rico.

2008-2010LTER Graduate student Co-Chair with Amber Hardison, Sally Koerner.

2008-2010Member of the LTER Science Council.

2009Symposium organizer, LTER Graduate Student Symposium, Estes Park,  CO.

2008-2009Planning committee, LTER All Scientists Meeting, Estes Park, CO.

2008Planned field trip at ATBC, Suriname.