Susan Lorraine Tremblay
Department of Integrative Biology & Jepson and University Herbaria
University of California, Berkeley
1001 Valley Life Sciences Building
Berkeley, CA 94720-2465
(510) 643-9556
stremblay@berkeley.edu
Professional Preparation:
School of Visual Arts, New York, NY B.F.A. Media Arts/Animation
Biological Sciences coursework completed at Santa Rosa Junior College and
Sonoma State University 2003-2007
University of California, Berkeley, Department of Integrative Biology
Advancement to Candidacy for Ph.D. 2009
Appointments:
2011 Spring: Graduate Student Researcher, UC Berkeley, Looy Lab: Imaging and
analysis of Permian conifer cuticles.
2010 Fall: Graduate Student Instructor, UC Berkeley: Evolution
2010 Summer: Content creation for initial release of My-Plant.org, a botany social
networking site
2010 Spring: Graduate Student Instructor, UC Berkeley: General Biology 1B
2009 Fall: Graduate Student Instructor, UC Berkeley: Diversity of Plants and
Fungi
2009 Spring/Summer: Graduate Student Researcher, Developing Conceptual
Underpinnings of Evolution NSF 0228729, PI Kathleen Metz, Graduate
School of Education, UC Berkeley
2008 Fall: Graduate Student Instructor, UC Berkeley: Evolution
2008 Summer: Curatorial Assistant, UC Berkeley Herbarium
2008 Spring: Graduate Student Instructor, UC Berkeley: General Biology 1B
2007 Fall: Graduate Student Instructor, UC Berkeley: General Biology 1B
Research Interests:
I am interested in all aspects of early land plant evolution and the transition of
green plants to land. I am especially interested in liverworts, the sister group to all other
extant embryophytes. My dissertation research is focused on the evolution and function
of liverwort oil bodies, which are unique, morphologically diverse organelles of unknown
function.
Only a handful of fossil liverwort taxa are known from the Paleoizoic and most of
those from a single locality. I would like to participate in renewed efforts to find fossil
evidence of the earliest land plants and to incorporate fossil evidence into bryophyte
phylogenies in order to form a more complete picture of their early evolution.
Meetings:
Tremblay, Susan L. 2010. Evidence of oil bodies in Paleozoic liverwort fossils. 25th
New Phytologist Symposium: Colonization of the Terrestrial Environment
(poster)
Tremblay, Susan L. 2009. Evolution and Function of Oil Bodies. Botany 2009
(meeting)
Tremblay, Susan L. 2005. Terpenoids and Aromatic Compounds from Six
Liverwort Species. The Association of North Bay Scientists (poster)
Awards:
2011 UC Museum of Paleontology Research Award, $3000
Department of Integrative Biology Research Award, $3000
2010 Department of Integrative Biology Summer Stipend Award, $5000
New Phytologist Student Travel Award, $1650
Resetko Family Scholarship, $2250
2009 Department of Integrative Biology Summer Stipend Award, $5000
Department of Integrative Biology Summer Research Award (GRAC), $300
2008 Department of Integrative Biology Summer Stipend Award, $2000
Synergistic Activities:
2010 Coordinator and Assistant Teacher of Jepson Herbarium Workshop: Intro to
Bryophytes
2009 Designed and created poster of early land plant evolution for Darwin’s 200th
Birthday celebration at UC Berkeley
2008-2009 Created displays of early diverging plant groups and interpreted them
for members of the public for “Cal Day” public outreach days.
2000-2007 Volunteer, ACR’s Bouverie Preserve, Glen Ellen, CA:
Led docent training sessions on bryophytes.
Directed renovation of native plant garden, collecting seeds on the
preserve and establishing over 30 species of perennials and self-seeding
annuals: this successful garden has been incorporated into native plant classes
for the public and docent training classes.
Graduate Advisors: Brent Mishler, Cynthia Looy, Chelsea Specht
Affiliations with Professional Organizations:
Association of Bryologists and Lichenologists
Audubon Canyon Ranch
California Native Plant Society