ASHLEY L. ASMUS
501 South Nedderman Street | The University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, TX 76019 | ph 512·636·3421 | ashley.asmus@gmail.com
| ashleyasmus.weebly.com
EDUCATION
2012 – Present | Ph.D., Quantitative Biology | The University of Texas at Arlington
2008 – 2012 B.S., Biology: Ecology , Evolution, & Behavior | The University of Texas at Austin
2005 – 2006 | Middlebury College | Middlebury, Vermont
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
2012 – Present | NSF – GRA | The University of Texas at Arlington | Birds & Seasonality Project | Dr. Laura Gough
 Monitoring seasonal insect abundance and community composition in arctic Alaska
 Part of a broader project investigating migratory songbird phenological constraints and climate change
2011- 2012 | NSF – REU | The University of Texas at Austin | Switchgrass Research Project | Dr. Thomas Juenger
• Investigated wild switchgrass ecotypes in Texas; including collections trips, a common garden experiment, and
greenhouse crosses
• Mapped geographic variation in genome size of wild switchgrass using flow cytometry
2010 – 2011 | Lab Assistant | The University of Texas at Austin | Fire Ant Research Lab | Dr. Robert Plowes
• Investigated genetic determinants of fire ant aggression using behavioral trials and PCR
2010 -2011 | Lab Assistant | The University of Texas at Austin | Ipomopsis QTL Mapping | Dr. Amanda Kenney
• Assisted Dr. Kenney with her doctoral research focusing on QTL mapping in scarlet gillia
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Fall 2013 | Introductory Biology II for non-majors | The University of Texas at Arlington
Spring 2013 | Entomology Lab | The University of Texas at Arlington
Fall 2012 | Introductory Biology II Lab | The University of Texas at Arlington
GRANTS AND AWARDS
2013 | Annual Celebration of Excellence in Students | Sustainability Award for Best Oral Presentation | $200
2013 | Annual Celebration of Excellence in Students | President’s Award for Best Oral Presentation | $300
2013 | Eastern Bird Banding Association Research Grant | $500
2013 | The University of Texas Biology Department Grant Supplement | $250
2011 | National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) | $3500
COURSEWORK
Graduate
 Adaptation and Natural Selection Seminar
 Experimental Design
 Biology Department Seminar
 Global Change and Biodiversity Seminar
 R Programming Seminar
 Landscape Ecology
 Wetlands Ecology
 Biometry
Dr. Trey Fondon
Dr. Matt Walsh
Dr. Matt Walsh
Drs. Laura Gough Matt Walsh
Dr. Jeff Demuth
Dr. Sophia Passy
Dr. Laura Gough
Dr. James Robinson
Fall 2013
Fall 2013
Fall 2013
Spring 2013
Spring 2013
Spring 2013
Fall 2012
Fall 2012
PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
Amanda Koltz, Ashley Asmus, Laura Gough, and Matt Wright. Effects of an Arctic fire on aboveground arthropod communities.
In prep
Ashley L Asmus, Amanda Koltz, Laura Gough, and Matt Wright. Long-term fertilization effects on an Arctic aboveground
arthropod food web. In prep
Ashley L Asmus, Laura Gough, Natalie T. Boelman, John C. Wingfield, Shannan K. Sweet, Jesse S. Krause, Jonathan H. Perez, and
Helen E. Chmura. Multi-trophic impacts of shrub dominance on arctic arthropod assemblages. Poster presented at: Society for
Integrative and Comparative Biology; 2014 January 3-7; Austin, TX. In prep
Helen E. Chmura, Jesse S. Krause, Jonathan H. Perez, Shannan K. Sweet, Ashley L. Asmus, Natalie T. Boelman, Laura Gough, and
John C. Wingfield. Interannual variability in arctic phenology and reproductive success in the White-crowned sparrow
(Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) and Lapland longspur (Calcarius lapponicus). Poster presented at: Society for Integrative
and Comparative Biology; 2014 January 3-7; Austin, TX. In prep
Ashley L. Asmus and Laura Gough. Investigating the potential for northward range expansion of Jumping Plant Lice
(Homoptera: Psylloidea) in arctic Alaska. Poster presented at: Entomological Society of America; 2013 November 6-10; Austin,
TX. In prep
Jesse S. Krause, Jonathan H. Perez, Shannan K. Sweet, Ashley L. Asmus, Karen R. Word, Matthew E. Rich, Jake Schaas, John C.
Wingfield, Laura Gough, Natalie T. Boelman. Impacts of Changing Seasonality and the Potential for Trophic Mismatches in the
Arctic. Poster presented at: Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology; 2013 January 6-8; San Francisco, CA.
Laura Gough, Natalie T. Boelman, John C. Wingfield, Jesse Krause, Matthew Rich, Shannan Sweet, Ashley Asmus, and Team Bird
2010-2012. Effects of increasing shrubs in arctic tundra on associated arthropods and migratory songbirds. Poster presented
at: Long Term Ecological Research Network All-Scientists Meeting; 2012 September 10-13; Estes Park, CO.
RELATED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2013 – Present | President | Phi Sigma Graduate Student Society | The University of Texas at Arlington
2013 – Present | Student Representative of the Arctic LTER | NSF LTER (Long-Term Ecological Research) Network