MICHELLE AFKHAMI
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
2320 Storer Hall
Davis, CA 95616
Population Biology Graduate Group
University of California, Davis
michelleafkhami.wordpress.com
Email: meafkhami@ucdavis.edu
Phone: 530-752-8416 (lab)
713-417-4102 (home)
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Population Biology, expected June 2013. (GPA: 4.0/4.0)
University of California, Davis, CA.
Dissertation advisor: Sharon Strauss
Dissertation committee: Kevin Rice, Jennifer Rudgers, and John Stachowicz,
M.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (thesis-based), completed July 2007, conferred Jan 2008. (GPA: 4.0/4.0)
Rice University, Houston, TX.
Thesis advisor: Jennifer Rudgers
Thesis committee: Kenneth Whitney and Julian N. Holland
B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, May 2006. (GPA: 3.973/4.0, Magna Cum Laude)
Rice University, Houston, TX.
Honors Thesis advisors: Joan Strassmann and David Queller
PUBLICATIONS AND COMPLETED MANUSCRIPTS
Afkhami, M.E., J.A. Rudgers, and J.J Stachowicz. (Proposal Accepted) Multiple Mutualist Effects: The importance of
mutualist diversity in ecology. Ecology Letters. Reviews and Synthesis section.
N.D. Charlton, K.D. Craven, M.E. Afkhami, G.A. Swoboda, B.A. Hall, S.R. Ghimire, and C.A. Young. (In Review) Genetic
diversity in epichloid endophytes of Bromus laevipes provides evidence for independent hybridization events.
Molecular Ecology.
Gorischek, A.M., M.E. Afkhami, E.K. Seifert, and J.A. Rudgers. (Revision) Fungal symbiont manipulates host plant
reproduction. American Naturalist.
Afkhami, M.E. and P.J. McIntyre. (Revision) Beyond the fundamental niche: Niche expansion at a rangewide scale linked
to a mutualist. American Naturalist.
Afkhami, M. E. (2012) Fungal endophyte-grass symbioses are rare in the California floristic province and other
regions with Mediterranean-influenced climates. Fungal Ecology special issue. 5(3): 345-352.
Afkhami, M. E. and J. A Rudgers. (2009) Endophyte-mediated resistance to herbivores depends on herbivore
identity in the wild grass, Festuca subverticillata. Environmental Entomology. 38(4): 1086-1095.
Rudgers, J.A., M. E. Afkhami, M. A. Rúa, A. J. Davitt, S. Hammer, and V. M. Huguet. (2009) A fungus
among us: broad patterns of endophyte distribution in the grasses. Ecology. 90(6): 1531-1539.
Afkhami, M. E. and J. A. Rudgers. (2008) Symbiosis Lost: Imperfect vertical transmission of fungal endophytes in
grasses. The American Naturalist. 172(3): 405-416.
Afkhami, M. E. and J. E. Strassmann. (2007) Adult Yellow-crowned Night-herons face in opposite directions at the nest.
The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 119(4):747–749.
MANUSCRIPTS IN PREP
Afkhami, M.E. and S.Y. Strauss. (in prep) Linking an experimental test of drought tolerance to rangewide patterns of
mutualist-mediated niche expansion and differentiation in a fungal endophyte-grass symbiosis.
Afkhami, M.E. and S.Y. Strauss. (in prep) Experimental test of mutualist-mediate effects on the niche in a grass-fungal
endophyte symbiosis at a large spatial scale.
.
HONORS, AWARDS, AND FELLOWSHIPS (total raised ≈ $210,000)
Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Award ($10,000) 2012.
Dean’s Mentorship Award, College of Biological Sciences ($5,000) 2012.
Hardman Foundation Research Award ($2,100) 2012.
American Association of University Women Dissertation Fellowship Alternate 2012.
Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Award ($10,000) 2011.
Hardman Foundation Research Award ($2,500) 2011.
Center for Population Biology Travel Grant ($500) 2011.
National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant ($14,991) 2010.
Mildred E. Mathias Graduate Student Research Grant ($1,729) 2009.
MICHELLE AFKHAMI
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
2320 Storer Hall
Davis, CA 95616
Population Biology Graduate Group
University of California, Davis
michelleafkhami.wordpress.com
Email: meafkhami@ucdavis.edu
Phone: 530-752-8416 (lab)
713-417-4102 (home)
Center for Population Biology Research Grant ($2,100) 2010.
Center for Population Biology Travel Grant ($800) 2010.
Center for Population Biology Research Grant ($1,500) 2009.
Golden Key International Honour Society. 2008.
Center for Population Biology Research Grant ($1,700) 2008.
Bodega Marine Laboratory Travel Grant Award ($975) 2007.
National Science Foundation Graduate Student Fellowship ($121,500) 2007.
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Endowed Fellowship ($35,033) 2006.
Julian Huxley Excellent Thesis Award, Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University ($100) 2006.
Phi Beta Kappa 2006.
President’s Honor Roll 2003-2006,
First Place Poster at Nanodays Conference ($250) 2003.
TEACHING AND MENTORING EXPERIENCE
Teaching Assistant:
2011-2 Introduction to Biology: Principles of Ecology and Evolution
2007 Insect Biology
2004-5 Organic Chemistry (Grader)
University of California, Davis
Rice University
Rice University
Mentored:
33 Undergraduate Students: 28 from UC Davis, 4 from Rice University, 1 from Howard University
5+ students have completed degrees and is/was in graduate school or holds technician job
2 High School Students: Young Scholars Program
Dean’s Mentorship Award for outstanding mentorship of UC Davis College of Biological Sciences undergraduates
SERVICE AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
Population Biology Graduate Group Admissions Committee (2011-2012) The graduate student representative on
committee that determines admittance of graduate students to the Population Biology Graduate Group.
Quail Ridge Reserve Advisory Committee (2009-2011) The graduate student representative on committee that
oversees the maintenance and future direction of Quail Ridge Reserve.
Kids into Discovering Science (KiDS) Modules for McLaughlin Reserve Field Trip (2011, 2012) Co-designed and
carried-out an ecology learning module for an annual field trip to a research reserve for 5 th graders from a low income,
rural school in Lower Lake, CA. The 2011 module was on disturbance and diversity and the 2012 module was on
predator-prey interactions in serpentine vs. non-serpentine plant communities. Planned participation in 2013.
Picnic Day Community Outreach: Native Grass and Wildflower Booth (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) Organized and ran a
booth each year that provides information, seeds, and plants to people interested in learning about native plants and
native gardening at a community outreach day. Planned participation in 2013.
Other Service: Evolution and Ecology Faculty Search Graduate Student Panel Member (2012)
Center for Population Biology Postdoc Search Graduate Student Panel Member (2012)
Picnic Day Community Outreach Organizational Committee (2012)
Chancellor’s Ambassador for University of California, Davis (2011-2012)
Center Population Biology Workshop on Hierarchical Model Co-organizer (2011)
Graduate Student Recruitment Field Trip to Quail Ridge Reserve Co-Organizer (2011 and 2012)
Evolution of Mutualism Seminar Co-Organizer (2010)
Symbiosis Discussion Group Co-organizer (2009-2010)
Reviewer for: African Journal of Agriculture, Ecological Entomology, Ecology, Fungal Ecology, Journal of Ecology, and
Plant and Soil
Professional Societies (within last 5 years): American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Botanical
Society of America (BSA), Ecological Society of America (ESA), Center for Population Biology (CPB), Mycological Society
of America (MSA), Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) International
MICHELLE AFKHAMI
University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue
2320 Storer Hall
Davis, CA 95616
Population Biology Graduate Group
University of California, Davis
michelleafkhami.wordpress.com
Email: meafkhami@ucdavis.edu
Phone: 530-752-8416 (lab)
713-417-4102 (home)
PRESENTATIONS (total = 17)
Afkhami, M.E. and S.Y. Strauss (upcoming, 2012) Mutualist-mediated effects on the niche in a grass-fungal endophyte
symbiosis. Department of Plant Pathology Seminar Series. Davis, CA. (Invited Oral Seminar)
Afkhami, M.E. and S.Y. Strauss (2012) Mutualist-mediated niche expansion and differentiation in a grass-fungal
endophyte symbiosis: Linking an experimental test of drought tolerance to rangewide patterns of mutualistmediated niche effects. Ecological Society of America. Portland, OR. (Oral)
Craven, K.D., S.R. Ghimire, C.A. Young, N.D. Charlton, G. Swoboda, B. Hall, and M.E. Afkhami. (2012) Hybrids hybrids
everywhere: The role of hybridization in the evolution of Neotyphodium grass endophytes. American
Phytopathological Society. Providence, RI. (Oral)
Swoboda, G., B. Hall, N.D. Charlton, M.E. Afkhami. S.R. Ghimire, K.D. Craven, and C.A. Young. (2012) Epichloid
endophytes of Bromus laevipes. American Phytopathological Society. Providence, RI. (Poster)
Afkhami, M.E. and S.Y. Strauss (2012) Mutualist-mediated niche expansion and differentiation in a wild grass-fungal
endophyte symbiosis at a rangewide scale. Symbiosis Workshop. Yosemite National Park, CA. (Invited Oral)
Afkhami, M.E. (2012) Mutualist-mediated niche expansion and differentiation in a newly discovered grass-fungal
endophyte symbiosis. Mathias Symposium. Bodega Bay, CA. (Invited Oral)
Young, C.A., N.D. Charlton, J.E. Takach, G.A. Swoboda, B. Hall, J. Pan, C.L. Schardl, K.D. Craven and
M.E. Afkhami (2012) Genotypic and chemotypic diversity of epichloid endophytes. 7th International Symposium
on the Molecular Breeding of Forage and Turf. Salt Lake City, UT. (Invited Oral).
Afkhami, M.E. and S.Y. Strauss (2011) Mutualistic endophye may confer resistance to enemies resulting in niche
expansion of its grass host. Ecological Society of America. Austin, TX. (Oral)
Afkhami, M.E. and P.J. McIntyre (2010) Niche expansion and partitioning mediated by mutualism in a native grass-fungal
endophyte symbiosis. Ecological Society of America. Pittsburgh, PA. (Oral)
Afkhami, M.E. and P.J. McIntyre (2010) Mutualist-mediated niche expansion and partitioning in a newly-discovered native
grass fungal endophyte symbiosis. International Symposium on Fungal Endophyte of Grasses – Mycological
Society of America Joint Meeting. Lexington, KY. (Oral)
Afkhami, M.E. and P. J. McIntyre (2010) Symbiosis Lost: Imperfect vertical transmission of fungal endophytes in native
grasses. International Symposium on Fungal Endophyte of Grasses – Mycological Society of America
Joint Meeting. Lexington, KY. (Poster)
Afkhami, M.E. and P. J. McIntyre (2010) Mutualist-mediated niche expansion and partitioning in a newly-discovered native
grass fungal endophyte symbiosis. International Symposium on Fungal Endophyte of Grasses – Mycological
Society of America Joint Meeting. Lexington, KY. (Poster)
Afkhami, M. E. and J. A. Rudgers (2009) Context-dependency of a symbiotic mutualism: Benefits of fungal endophytes to
the native, wild grass Festuca subverticillata depend on herbivore identity. Ecological Society of
America. Albuquerque, NM. (Oral)
Gorischek, A.M., M.E. Afkhami, E.K. Seifert, and J.A. Rudgers. (2009) Do fungal endophytes manipulate host plant
allocation to male versus female function? Ecological Society of America. Albuquerque, NM. (Poster)
Afkhami, M. E. and J. A. Rudgers (2007) Imperfect vertical transmission of fungal endophytes in native grass species.
Ecological Society of America – Society for Ecological Restoration Joint Conference. San Jose, CA. (Poster)
Afkhami, M. E. and J. A. Rudgers (2007) Impact of herbivory and drought on imperfect vertical transmission of fungal
endophytes in native grass species. Gordon Conference on Plant-Herbivore Interactions. Ventura, CA (Poster)
Afkhami, M. E. and J. A. Rudgers (2006) Imperfect Vertical Transmission in Grass-Endophyte Symbioses.
Syracuse University. Syracuse, NY. (Oral)