JESS VICKRUCK
Department of Biological Sciences
Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, L2S 3A1
1 905 359 7531
jvickruck@gmail.com
EDUCATION____________
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PhD (Biology - Ecology and Evolution)
Sept. 2010 – Present
Brock University
Thesis: Population and nest structure of the facultatively social carpenter bee Xylocopa virginica
Supervisor: Dr. M.H. Richards
MSc (Biology - Ecology and Evolution)
Sept. 2007 - March 2010
Brock University
Thesis: Nesting biology of the Ceratina of the Niagara Region (Hymenoptera: Apidae): new species, nest site
selection and parasitism
Supervisor: Dr. M.H. Richards
BSc Honours (Zoology)
Sept. 2002 - May 2006
University of Guelph
Thesis: Effects of high ammonia environments on nitrogen excretion in the mangrove killifish (Rivulus
marmoratus)
Supervisor: Dr. P.A. Wright
PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
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Vickruck, J.L. (2015) Development of sixteen novel microsatellite markers for the eastern carpenter bee,
Xylocopa virginica (Hymenoptera: Apidae), through paired-end Illumina sequencing. Conservation Genetics
Resources 7: 427-429.
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards, M.H. (2012) Niche partitioning based on nest site selection in the small carpenter
bees Ceratina mikmaqi and C. calcarata. Animal Behaviour 83: 1083-1089.
Vickruck, J.L., Rehan, S.M., Sheffield, C.S. and Richards, M.H. (2011) Nesting biology and barcode analysis of
two cryptic species within Ceratina dupla, with comparisons to C. calcarata (Hymenoptera: Apidae:
Xylocopinae). The Canadian Entomologist 143: 254-262.
Richards, M.H., Rutgers-Kelly, A., Gibbs, J., Vickruck, J.L., Rehan, S. M. and Sheffield, C.S. (2011) Bee
diversity in naturalizing patches of Carolinian grasslands in southern Ontario. The Canadian Entomologst 143:
279-299.
Vickruck, J.L., Huber, J.T. and Richards, M.H. (2010) Natural enemies of the bee genus Ceratina
(Hymenoptera: Apidae) in the Niagara Region, Ontario Canada. Journal of the Entomological Society of Ontario
141: 11-26.
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Richards, M. H., Vickruck, J.L. and Rehan, S.M. (2010) Colony social organization of Halictus confusus in
southern Ontario, with comments on sociality in the subgenus H. (Seladonia). Journal of Hymenoptera Research
19 (1): 144-158.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS _______
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Vickruck, J. 2008. Book review of ‘Insects: Their natural history and diversity. by S.A. Marshall.’ J. Ent. Soc.
Ont. 139: 69-70.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
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Bees in your backyard
(Given to multiple grade 2-4 classes)
2013-14
Bees!
(Presentation during Bees, Bugs and Tiny Beasts week at Youth
University- Brock University)
2013
Creepy Crawly Week presenter
(The Boys and Girls Club of Fort Erie)
2013
Bug-a-palooza- Introducing kids to the fascinating world of insects
(The Welland Public library)
2013
Bridging our worlds through Science- Aboriginal Outreach Program
(Designed and ran entomology lab for high school students)
2010
Created and ran ‘Insect Investigators’
(A morning of insect discovery at the Welland Public Library)
2009
UNIVERSITY SERVICES
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Ecology Project Leader- Scientifically Yours Brock University
(STEM program for high school students)
2015
Graduate student representative for the department of biological
sciences - Brock University
2012-14
Co-organizer - BeeCon 2012
Southern Ontario Bee Researchers Symposium
2012
Biology Representative - Graduate Students Association
2011-12
Scientific review of children's book:
The Buzz About Bees by Kari-Lynn Winters
2012
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Assisted in Organizing the Entomological Society of Ontario's
Annual Meeting- held at Brock University
2011
Organized Ecology and Evolution Journal Club
2011
Supervised high school mentorship student (Brock University)
2010-11
Helped compile the 2010 edition of the Directory of Entomological
Education in Canada
2010
Niagara Regional Science and Engineering Fair Judge (in French)
2009
Helped supervise high school mentorship student (Brock University)
2007
AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS ______________________
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Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution AGM
Honourable mention- oral presentation
Travel Grant ($500)
May 2015
Ontario Graduate Scholarship ($15 000)
May 2015
IUSSI- North American section travel award to the international congress in
Cairns, Australia ($2 000)
Apr. 2014
IUSSI- North American break out meeting
Outstanding talk in social communication and caste
Oct. 2012
IUSSI- North American Section Travel Award ($300)
Oct. 2012
L'Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science Postgraduate Scholarship Supplement
Alternate candidate
Sept. 2012
Department of Graduate Studies Excellent Scholarship ($22 500 over 3 years)
Sept. 2011-14
NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship - Doctoral ($63 000 over 3 years)
Sept. 2011-14
Ontario Graduate Scholarship ($15 000 - Declined)
May. 2011
Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology ($13 857)
Sept. 2010
Ontario Entomological Society Travel Award ($250)
Sept. 2010
Distinguished Graduate Student Award- MSc Biological Sciences ($100)
May 2010
Brock University MSc Excellence in Research Award ($1 500)
May 2010
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Dean of Graduate Studies Spring Research Award ($2 000)
May 2009
TEACHING EXPERIENCE______________________
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Animal Behaviour - Lab demonstrator
(Taught by Dr. M.H. Richards)
Jan.-Apr. 2012, '13, '15
Biostatistics - Teaching assistant
(Taught by Dr. L. Vasseur)
Jan.-Apr. 2011
Insect Biology - Lab demonstrator
(Taught by Dr. F. Hunter)
Sept.-Dec. 2010
Molecular Ecology - Teaching assistant
(Taught by Dr. M.H. Richards 2008, '12, '13 and Dr. S.M. Rosloski 2010)
Jan.-Apr.2008, '10, '12, '13
Principles of Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology - Teaching assistant
(Taught by Dr. C.S. Sheffield)
Jan.-Apr. 2009
Principles of Population and Community ecology - Lab demonstrator
(Taught by Dr. M.H. Richards 2007-09 and Dr. L. Vasseur 2011, '14)
Sept.-Dec.2007-09,
'11, '14
FIELD AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
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Technical and Layout Editor
Journal of the Entomological Society of Ontario
May 2010-Jan 2014
Course Participant
Computational Molecular Evolution
Offered by Coursera through the Technical University of Denmark
Jan. 2014
Course Participant
Computing for Data Analysis
Offered by Coursera through Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
Jan. 2013
Workshop participant
R for Biodiversity Analysis
Next Generation Sequencing Data in Ecology and Evolution
(Each a one day workshop at Evolution 2012 conference)
July 2012
Guest Blogger
Biodiversity in Focus- "Uninvited (but very cool) houseguests"
Interactive Module Designer- Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology
Tophat Monacle for Brock University
Jan. 2011
Dec 2010-Jan 2011
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Coral reef survey volunteer,
Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Advanced open water S.C.U.B.A. certification (PADI)
INVITED LECTURES
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Oct-Dec 2006
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Vickruck, J.L. Foraging. Guest lecturer for Animal Behaviour (3rd year), Brock University, February 2015.
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards, M.H. 2013. 'Illuminat'ing relationships in a facultatively social bee. Insect
Genomics Symposium, Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of Canada and the Entomological
Society of Ontario. Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Vickruck, J.L. Developing molecular markers. Molecular Ecology (3rd year), Brock University, November
2012.
Vickruck, J.L. Insect pollination and the Hymenoptera. Insect Biology (3rd year), Brock University, November
2010.
Vickruck, J.L. Behavioural ecology of the Ceratina (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of the Niagara Region. Behavioural
ecology and evolution (2nd year). Brock University, Februrary 2011.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS AND POSTERS_______
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Vickruck, J.L. and Richards, M. H. 2015. Population structure of the Eastern Carpenter bee, (Xylocopa virginica)
across eastern North America. Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Oral Presentation).
Richards, M.H., Vickruck, J.L., Botezatu, I.A., and Pickering G. 2015 Do Bees Smell...Like Kin? Chemical and
genetic variation in eastern carpenter bee colonies. Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Society for Ecology
and Evolution. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards, M. H. 2015. Population structure of the Eastern Carpenter bee (Xylocopa
virginica): Geographic barriers, climate change and anthropogenic disturbance. Ontario Ecology, Ethology, and
Evolution Colloquium. Toronto, Ontario (Oral Presentation).
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards, M. H. 2015. Behavioural interactions of pre-reproductive eastern carpenter bees:
What is going on in the nest? BeeCon. Toronto, Ontario (Oral Presentation).
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards, M. H. 2014. Phylogeography of the Eastern carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica.
Entomological Society of Ontario Annual General Meeting. Toronto, Ontario (Oral Presentation)
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards, M. H. 2014. Kin selection and reproductive strategies in a facultatively social bee.
International Union for the Study of Social Insects International Congress. Cairns, Australia (Oral presentation)
Richards, M.H., Botezatu, A., Vickruck, J.L and Pickering, G. 2014. Do eastern carpenter bees use cuticular
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hydrocarbons to recognize nest-mates? Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution Annual Meeting. Montreal,
Ontario, Canada (Oral presentation)
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards, M.H. 2013. Should I stay or should I go (now)? Subordinate dispersal in a
facultatively social bee. Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution Annual Meeting. Kelowna, British
Columbia, Canada (Oral presentation)
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards, M.H. 2012. Dominance heirarchies and reproductive strategies in the large
carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica. BeeCon 2012. Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Oral Presentation)
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards, M.H. 2012. Is it better to be bigger or older? The influence of size and age on
dominance rankings in the large carpenter be, Xylocopa virginica. International Union for the Study of Social
Insects- North American Breakout Meeting. Greensboro, North Carolina, USA (Oral Presentation)
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards, M.H. 2012. Dominance hierarchies and potentially flexible reproductive strategies
in the large carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica. Evolution 2012 - 1st Joint Congress of Evolutionary Biology.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (Oral Presentation)
Richards, M.H., Course, C. and Vickruck, J. L. 2012. Activity patterns of Xylocopa virginica reveal colony
social organization. Evolution 2012 - 1st Joint Congress of Evolutionary Biology. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
(Poster)
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards, M.H. 2012. The plasticity of alternate reproductive strategies in the large carpenter
bee, Xylocopa virginica. Ontario Ecology, Ethology and Evolution Colloquium. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (Oral
Presentation)
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards, M.H. 2011. Spring in-nest behaviour of the large carpenter bee Xlyocopa virginica
(Hymenoptera: Apidae). Entomological Society of Ontario Annual Meeting. St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
(Oral presentation)
Vickruck, J.L., Rehan, S.M, Sheffield, C.S. and Richards, M.H. 2010. Nesting biology and barcode analysis of
two cryptic species within Ceratina dupla, with comparisons to C. calcarata (Hymenoptera: Apidae:
Xylocopinae). Ontario Entomological Society Annual Meeting. Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada (Oral presentation)
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards M.H. 2010. Observational and experimental evidence for niche partitioning based
on nest site selection in Ceratina mikmaqi and C. calcarata. Southern Ontario Universities Bee Researchers
Symposium. Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Oral Presentation)
Richards, M.H., Vickruck, J.L., Rehan, S.M., and Sheffield, C. 2009. Niche partitioning based on nesting
biology in twig-nesting carpenters bee revealed by congruent variation in behaviour, morphology, and DNA
barcodes. Third International DNA Barcoding Conference, Mexico City, Mexico. (Oral presentation)
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards, M.H. 2009. Niche partitioning by Ceratina dupla and C. calcarata (Hymenoptera:
Apidae). Ontario Entomological Society Annual Meeting. Dorset, Ontario, Canada (Oral presentation)
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards M.H. 2009. Nest site selection and microclimate variation in two species of dwarf
carpenter bee (Ceratina dupla and C. calcarata). Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution Annual Meeting.
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Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (Oral presentation)
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards M.H. 2009. Nest site selection and microclimate variation in two species of dwarf
carpenter bee (Ceratina dupla and C. calcarata). Ontario Ecology and Ethology Colloqium. Kingston, Ontario,
Canada (Oral presentation)
Vickruck, J.L. and Richards, M.H. 2008. Substrate preferences and the consequences of substrate choice in two
species of dwarf carpenter bees, Ceratina dupla and C. calcarata. Joint annual meeting of the Entomological
Society of Ontario and the Entomological Society of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (Oral presentation)
PROFESSIOINAL MEMBERSHIPS
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Entomological Society of Ontario (2007-Present)
Entomological Society of Canada (2007-Present)
Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution (2009-Present)
International Union for the Study of Social Insects (2011-Present)
REVIEWED MANUSCRIPTS
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Insectes Sociaux (3)
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