CV
Education
- Ph.D in Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2022
- M.S. in Biological Sciences, DePaul University, 2017
- B.S. in Biology, St. Ambrose University, 2015
Work experience
- April 2022 - Present: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- University of British Columbia
- Supervisor: Dr. Jonathan Davies
- August 2021 - May 2022: Presidential Graduate Fellow
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Supervisor: Dr. Clay Cressler
- August 2017 - August 2021: Graduate Teaching Assistant
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- August 2015 - August 2017: Graduate Teaching Assistant
- DePaul University
Publications
* indicates undergraduate co-authors
Pfenning-Butterworth AC, Vetter RE*, and Hite JL. 2023. Natural variation in host feeding behaviors impacts host disease and pathogen transmission potential. Ecology and Evolution. In press.
Hite JL, Pfenning-Butterworth AC, and Auld SKJR. 2023. Infectious disease: the ecological theatre and the evolutionary play. Evolutionary Ecology. In press.
Pfenning-Butterworth AC and Sparkes TC. 2023. Evolutionary history and host ecology determine acanthocephalan egg shape. Evolutionary Biology. In press.
Pfenning-Butterworth AC, Nguyen DT, Hite JL, and Cressler CE. 2022. Circadian rhythms mediate infection risk in Daphnia dentifera. Ecology and Evolution 12 (9), e9264. DOI:10.1002/ece3.9264
Pfenning-Butterworth AC, Cooper RO, and Cressler CE. 2022. Daily feeding rhythm linked to microbiome composition in two zooplankton species. PLoS ONE 17(2): e0263538. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0263538
Pfenning-Butterworth AC, Amato K*, and Cressler CE. 2021. Circadian rhythm in feeding behavior of Daphnia dentifera. Journal of Biological Rhythms 36(6): 589-594. DOI:10.1177/07487304211054404
Pfenning-Butterworth AC, Davies TJ, and Cressler CE. 2021. Identifying co-phylogenetic hotspots for zoonotic disease. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 376(1837): 20200363. DOI:10.1098/rstb.2020.0363
Hite JL, Pfenning-Butterworth AC, Vetter RE*, and Cressler CE. 2020. A high-throughput method to quantify feeding rates in aquatic organisms: a case study with Daphnia. Ecology and Evolution 10(13): 6239-6245. DOI:10.1002/ece3.6352
Hite JL, Pfenning AC, and Cressler CE. 2020. Starving the Enemy? Feeding behavior shapes host-parasite interactions. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 35(1): 68-80. DOI:10.1016/j.tree.2019.08.004
Pfenning AC and Sparkes TC. 2019. Egg fibrils and transmission in the acanthocephalan Acanthocephalus dirus. Parasitology Research 118: 1225-1229. DOI:10.1007/s00436-019-06251-8
Caddigan SC, Pfenning AC, and Sparkes TC. 2017. Competitive growth, energy allocations and host modification in the acanthocephalan Acanthocephalus dirus: field data. Parasitology Research 116: 199-206. DOI:10.1007/s00436-016-5279-8
Techincal Skills
- Computer programs: R, Git, GIS, Geneious Prime, BEAST
- Molecular biology techniques: DNA/RNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis
- Field techniques: water quality sampling and analysis, aquatic vertebrate and invertebrate sampling and identification (seine and dip nets), electroshock sampling, plant sampling and identification
- Handling of experimental animals (fish and aquatic invertebrates)
- Mark and recapture techniques on semi-aquatic animals
Talks
- ESA/CSEE, Ecological Society of America/Canadian Society of Ecology & Evolution (August 2022)
- University of British Columbia, Global change at the nexus of climate, biodiversity, & disease symposium (August 2022)
- SICB+, Society of Integrative & Comparative Biology (January 2022)
- ESA, Ecological Society of America (August 2020)
- ESA, Ecological Society of America (August 2019)
- MEEC, Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference (March 2017)
Teaching
- Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2017-2021)
- Guest Lecturer, DePaul University (2017)
- Graduate Teaching Assistant, DePaul University (2015-2017)
Service and leadership
- Organizer, EcoEvo Symposium, Vancouver, BC (2022)
- Volunteer, International Biogeography Society 10th Biennial conference, Vancouver, BC (2022)
- Data Consultant, Plainfield Public Library District, Plainfield, IL (2022)
- President, Biology Graduate Student Association, Lincoln, NE (2020-2021)
- Volunteer, Biological Sciences Undergraduate Student Symposium, Lincoln, NE (2019)
- Invited Speaker Chair, Biology Graduate Student Association, Lincoln, NE (2018-2020)
- Presenter, Creative Science Investigators Club, Lincoln Public Schools, Lincoln, NE (2017-2019)
- Volunteer, Quad Cities Botanical Center, Rock Island, IL (2014-2015)
- Moderator, Undergraduate Scholars Conference, Davenport, IA (April 2013)
- Volunteer, Nahant Marsh Education Center, Davenport, IA (2011-2014)