GRANT THOMAS GODDEN
301 Dickinson Hall, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida 32611 • Office: (352) 273-1962 • Fax: (352) 846-2154
e-mail: g0ddengr@ufl.edu • website: http://plaza.ufl.edu/g0ddengr/
EDUCATION
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Ph.D. candidate in Botany, under the supervision of Dr. Pamela S.
Soltis; 2008-Present
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; M.S. in Plant Biology, under the supervision of Dr. L. Alan
Prather; 2009
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; advanced coursework towards B.S. in Botany and Plant
Pathology, undergraduate research under the supervision of Dr. Douglas W. Schemske; 2001-2002
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; B.A., Interdisciplinary Humanities; 2000
University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom; academic year abroad, with completion of coursework in
biological and physical sciences; 1998-1999
CURRENT RESEARCH
Out of the Bushes and into the Trees: Alternative Approaches to Complex Phylogenetic Problems.
Overview: My research uses Lamiaceae and Lamiales as case studies to evaluate new, alternative approaches
to resolving difficult phylogenetic problems and explores the limits of how evolutionary relationships can be
efficiently and cost effectively reconstructed for large groups of organisms. These approaches include
development of new research workflows and bioinformatic tools, as well as application of newly available
molecular techniques for use with next-generation sequencing and phylogenomics. Trees generated by my
studies will be used to investigate character evolution, speciation, and biogeography, as well as help revise
taxonomic classifications.
AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS, AND GRANTS
$ 14,764
$ 8,967
$ 700
$ 400
$ 2,129
$ 500
$ 4,460
$ 1,000
$ 800
$ 200
$ 100,000
$ 6,000
$ 972
$ 400
$ 225
$ 150
$ 1,370
$ 930
National Science Foundation, Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant; 2012-2014
University of Florida, Graduate Research Abroad Award; 2012
California Native Plant Society, Research Grant; 2011
American Genetic Association, Student Travel Grant; 2011
The Community Foundation, Desert Legacy Grant; 2011
Botanical Society of America, Graduate Student Research Award; 2011
The Herb Society of America, Research Grant; 2011
Michigan State University, Graduate School, Research Enhancement Fellowship; 2009
Michigan State University, Dept. of Plant Biology, P. Taylor Academic Enrichment Fellowship; 2009
Michigan State University, College of Natural Science, Travel Fellowship; 2009
University of Florida, Graduate Alumni Fellowship; 2008-2013
University of Florida, Grinter Award; 2008-2011
Michigan State University, Dept. of Plant Biology, P. Taylor Academic Enrichment Fellowship; 2008
Michigan State University, Graduate School, Graduate Student Travel Award; 2008
Michigan State University, Office of International Studies & Programs, Travel Award; 2008
Michigan State University, College of Natural Science, Travel Fellowship; 2008
Michigan State University, Graduate School, Discretionary Fellowship; 2007
Michigan State University, Dept. of Plant Biology, P. Taylor Academic Enrichment Fellowship; 2007
Curriculum Vitae: Grant Thomas Godden
PUBLICATIONS
Godden GT, Jordon-Thaden IE, Chamala S, Crowl A, García N, Germain-Aubrey CC, Heaney JM, Latvis M, Qi
X, and Gitzendanner, MA. 2012. Making next-generation sequencing work for you: approaches and practical
considerations for phylogenetic marker development. Plant Ecology and Diversity 5(4): 427-450.
Godden GT, and Soltis, PS. 2014. A new iDigBio web feature links DNA banks and genetic resources repositories in
the United States. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden (submitted).
Chamala S, Godden GT, García N, Jordon-Thaden IE, Barbazuk WB, Soltis DE, and Soltis PS. 2014.
MarkerMiner 1.0: A new pipeline and tool for phylogenetic marker development using angiosperm
transcriptomes. Applications in Plant Sciences (in prep.).
PRESENTED PAPERS, POSTERS, AND OTHER MEDIA
Godden GT, Chamala S, Soltis DE, and Soltis PS. 85 Nuclear Genes Largely Resolve the Phylogeny of Lamiales,
paper presentation at the Botany 2014 meeting, Boise, Idaho, July 26-30.
Chamala S, Godden GT*, García N, Jordon-Thaden IE, Soltis DE, and Soltis PS. MarkerMiner 1.0: A New
Pipeline and Galaxy Tool for Phylogenetic Marker Development Using Angiosperm Transcriptomes, paper
presentation at the Botany 2014 meeting, Boise, Idaho, July 26-30. *Presenting Author.
Soltis PS and Godden GT. 2014. DNA Banks, Specimen Records, and GenBank Numbers: Toward an Integrated
Network of Genetic Resources, symposium presentation at the Botany 2014 meeting, Boise, Idaho, July
26-30.
Jordon-Thaden IE, Uribe-Convers S, Godden GT, Chamala S, Tank DC, and Martine CT. 2014. A Research
Workflow for Development of Single-Copy Nuclear Loci and High-throughput Targeted Enrichment for Two
or More Phylogenetic Studies, paper presentation at the Botany 2014 meeting, Boise, Idaho, July 26-30.
Soltis PS, Marchant DB, Godden GT, and Germain-Aubrey CC. 2014. Georeferencing Natural History
Collections: A Crash Course in Translating Locality Data into Geographic Coordinates, workshop
presentation at the Botany 2014 meeting, Boise, Idaho, July 26-30.
Godden GT, Cortez MB, Chamala S, García N, Soltis DE, and Soltis PS. 2013. Out of the Bushes and Into the
Trees: Next-generation Sequencing Approaches for Resolving the Phylogeny of Lamiaceae, paper
presentation at the Botany 2013 meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, July 9-13.
Cellinese N, Crowl A, Godden GT, Haberle R, and Wu HH. 2013. A comprehensive overview of the evolution of
the broader Campanulaceae 925 taxa, 13 genes, paper presentation at the Botany 2013 meeting, New
Orleans, Louisiana, July 9-13.
Monfils AK, Shiels, DR, Shorkey AL, Schick ER, Starr JR, and Godden GT. 2013. Phylogeny of the Paraphyletic
Fuireneae (Cyperaceae), paper presentation at the Fifth International Conference on Comparative
Biology of Monocotyledons (Monocots V) meeting, New York, New York, July 7-13.
Godden GT, Burleigh JG, Soltis PS, and Soltis DE. 2011. Out of the Bushes and Into the Trees: Alternative
Approaches to a Problematic Mint Phylogeny, poster at the American Genetic Association Symposium:
Genomics and Biodiversity, Guanajuato, Mexico, July 25-26.
Godden GT, Burleigh JG, Soltis PS, and Soltis DE. 2011. Out of the Bushes and Into the Trees: Interpreting
Complex Patterns in Mint Phylogeny, paper presentation at the Botany 2011 meeting,
St. Louis, Missouri, July 9-13.
Godden GT and Prather LA. 2008. Phylogenetic relationships in Poliomintha and related genera in the Mentheae
(Lamiaceae), paper presentation at the Botany 2008 meeting, Vancouver, Canada, July 26-30.
CollectionsWeb (www.collectionsweb.org). 2007. The official website for the Research Coordination Network
(RCN): Building a National Community of Natural History Collections.
Prather LA, Godden GT, Bart HL, Blackwell M, and Woolley JB. 2007. Building a National Community of
Natural History Collections, poster at the Research Coordination Network Meeting at the US National
Science Foundation, Arlington, Virginia; September.
Godden GT. 2002. Pollination and speciation of Lepanthes: an approach to understanding orchid evolution.
Pleurothallid News and Views 14: 52–54. (Not peer reviewed)
Curriculum Vitae: Grant Thomas Godden
WORKSHOPS AND SPECIAL TRAINING
Phenotype Research Coordination Network Fourth Annual Summit; Environment and Phenotype; Biosphere2,
University of Arizona; February 2014
Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio) Workshop, Gainesville, Florida; Train-the-Trainers II:
Georeferencing Workshop; August 2013
National Science Foundation Workshop, St. Louis, Missouri; DNA Banking; January 2013
CollectionsWeb Research Coordination Network, Washington, DC; Enhancing Relationships Between Collections
and Stakeholders; May 2013
Capturing Genomes Workshop, Washington, DC; The Global Genome Initiative, National Museum of Natural
History, Smithsonian Institution; May 2013
Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio) Summit II, Gainesville, Florida; October 2012
Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio) Summit I, Gainesville, Florida; November-December 2011
National Science Foundation Workshop, Irapuato, Mexico; Evolutionary Genomics of Non-Model Species: Next
Generation Sequencing, Data Management, & Hypothesis Testing; July 2011
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom; Certificate training program in tropical plant identification;
April-May 2009
CollectionsWeb Research Coordination Network, East Lansing, Michigan; Opportunities and Challenges of Small
Collections; April 2008
RESEARCH AND FIELD EXPERIENCES
Herbarium Research:
Missouri Botanical Garden; Spring 2013
Instituto de Ecología del Bajío; Summer 2012
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Summer 2012
Arizona State University, New Mexico State University, University of New Mexico, Northern Arizona University,
and Sul Ross State University; Summer 2011
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution; Summer 2007
New York Botanical Garden; Summer 2007; Spring 2010
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Spring 2009
University of Texas at Austin; Spring 2008
Field Research:
SE United States (Florida, Lake Wales Ridge); September 2013
NE Mexico (Chihuahua and Nuevo León; Chihuahuan Desert, Sierra Madre Oriental); June – July 2012
SW United States (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona; Chihuahuan and Sonoran Deserts, Sky Islands);
August – September 2011, June 2012
Ecuador (various localities); December 2009 – January 2010
Michigan State University Herbarium (MSC), East Lansing, Michigan; Floristic inventory of the Rachana Rajendra
Neotropical Migrant Bird Sanctuary; Summer 2008
Institute for Tropical Ecosystem Studies, University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras, El Verde Field Station; Field
research in orchidology; June – August 2002
Laboratory Research:
National Laboratory of Genomics for Biodiversity (LANGEBIO-CINVESTAV), Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico;
June 2012 – September 2013
ASSISTANTSHIPS AND TEACHING EXPERIENCES
Research Assistantship:
University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, research and resource development, Integrated
Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio); Fall 2012 – Summer 2013
Curriculum Vitae: Grant Thomas Godden
Guest Lectures:
University of Florida, Department of Biology, guest lecturer for BOT 2800: Plants in Human Affairs; Spring
2014
Michigan State University, Department of Plant Biology, guest lecturer for PLB 418: Plant Systematics; Spring
2008
Michigan State University, Department of Plant Biology, guest lecturer for PLB 499: Senior Seminar in Plant
Biology; Spring 2002
Teaching Assistantships:
University of Florida, Department of Biology, laboratory instructor for BOT 2800: Plants in Human Affairs;
Fall 2013, Spring 2014
University of Florida, Department of Biology, laboratory instructor for BSC 2011L: Integrated Principles of
Biology II; Spring 2010
Michigan State University, Department of Plant Biology, laboratory instructor for PLB 418: Plant Systematics;
Spring 2008
ASSISTANTSHIPS AND TEACHING EXPERIENCES (continued)
Michigan State University, Biological Sciences Program, laboratory instructor for BS 110: Organisms
and Populations; Fall 2006, Spring and Summer 2007
Herbarium Assistantships:
Michigan State University Herbarium (MSC), vascular plant collections; Fall 2007, Summer 2008
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
Reviewing Editor, Applications in Plant Sciences; 2012-2013
Reviewing Editor, American Journal of Botany - Primer Notes and Protocols in the Plant Sciences; 2011-2012
Department Representative for the College of Natural Science Deans Student Advisory Council, Plant Biology
Graduate Student Association, Michigan State University; 2007-2008
Director, Executive Board of Directors, Greater Lansing Orchid Society; 2007-2008
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH
Florida Museum of Natural History, iDigBio Biology Careers Shadowing Day, interactive instruction in molecular
laboratory techniques; 2014
Florida Museum of Natural History, Informal Science Education, Science Café: “Despicable Plants: A botanical
world of liars, crooks, murderers, and tyrants”; 2013
Science Quest 2013, Center for Precollegiate Education and Training, University of Florida, special lecture on
pollination biology, training in molecular systematics; 2013
Florida Museum of Natural History, Earth Day Celebration, interactive education in general botany and
biodiversity research; 2012
Michigan State University Museum, Darwin Discovery Day: Celebrating Darwin’s Work with Plants, interactive
and multimedia museum exhibit with live plant display; 2008
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Genetic Association
American Society of Plant Taxonomists
American Society of Systematic Biologists
Botanical Society of America
Southern California Botanists
Curriculum Vitae: Grant Thomas Godden
PROFESSIONAL SCIENCE COMMUNICATIONS EXPERIENCE
Bioscience Communications (a Daniel J. Edelman Public Relations Worldwide Company), New York, New York,
Account Executive; 2005
Marketing Department of America, New York, New York, Account Executive for Cause-Related Marketing,
Corporate Philanthropy to Science and Education, and Strategic Planning; 2003 – 2005