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CURRICULUM VITAE

DAN S. KJAR, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology
Elmira College
1 Park Place
Elmira, New York 14901

Phone: (607) 735-1826
E-mail: dkjar@elmira.edu

RESEARCH INTERESTS

  • The ecology of invasive plants and ants.
  • Alien organisms are now the number one problem in conservation of our natural areas.
  • No conservation effort is possible today without understanding the threat of alien organisms. The study of alien plants and ants is a critical component of my ecological work on ant communities.
  • The ecology of North American ants:
    • The ant fauna of North America offers limitless research opportunities. In particular I am interested in ant communities in disturbed natural areas. Such research is essential for the promotion and conservation of ants in urban/suburban habitats.
  • Ecological modeling
    • Computer modeling is critical for a thorough analysis of observational data in ecology. Specifically I am working on modeling the outcome of changes in abiotic and biotic factors on ant and plant communities. More importantly, I am modeling the sampling methods used to detect these changes in the field. This is a critical step in determining if detection of predicted effects is possible and minimizing type I and II errors.
EDUCATION

Georgetown University, Washington, DC 9/00-12/05 Ph.D. Biology

Georgetown University, Washington, DC 9/00-10/02 M.S. Biology

Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD 9/95-5/99 B.S. /cum laude/ Biology

INVITATIONS, HONORS AND FELLOWSIHPS

2006

  • Invited to speak on the effects of imperfect sampling regimes and species patchiness on species estimators at the International Union for the Study of Social Insects 2006 Congress, Washington, D.C. July 31st -- August 4th.
  • Participated as the Myrmecologist in the Potomac Gorge Bioblitz organized by The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service. July.
  • Featured in the documentary movie "On the Edge: The Potomac River Dyke Marsh" World premier at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. Mar 21st

2005

  • "A new frontier for a very old science: Modern bioinformatics and database organization in taxonomy" guest lecturer for the Howard Hughes Summer Scholars bioinformatics course at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
  • "How to study & monitor life on Earth" at the National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian Institution) and the Heinz Center. Feb 21st and 22nd. http://www.discoverlife.org/pa/ev/me/2005dc/

2004

  • Invited as a guest panelist to the National Academy of Sciences Vietnam Education Foundation Fellows Conference.

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

"Impacts of randomized sample site selection on ant survey data and richness estimators" invited symposia speaker, International Union for the Study of Social Insects Congress, Washington, D.C., August 2006

"Studies on the ants, alien and native plants, and ant sampling methods in a U.S. National Park." presentation and defense of Ph.D. dissertation, Georgetown University, Washington D.C., 1 December 2005

"Alien plants in an eastern riparian forest: is there an impact on ants and native plants?" presentation to the Washington Biologists' Field Club, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington, D.C., 22 April 2005

"The Ants of Dyke Marsh Preserve: Are Alien Plants Changing the Native Ant Community?" Presentation to the Entomological Society of Washington, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., 3 March 2005

"Using Coldfusion, Discoverlife.org, and the internet to monitor and identify species: Demonstrations of a literature database, a sampling event database, online matrix keys, and real-time mapping of species information online." Presentation to National Park Service employees from the Rock Creek Park and the Center for Urban Ecology, Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC, 11 February 2005

"Alien Invasion In The U.S. Capital: Arthropod and Plant Community Changes Associated With Introduced Plant Species." poster presented at the 7th International Conference on the Ecology and Management of Alien Plant Invasions, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 3-7 November 2003

Kjar, D. S. and E. M. Barrows. 2004. Arthropod community heterogeneity in a Mid-Atlantic forest highly invaded by alien organisms. Banisteria. 24: 26-37

Kjar, D. S. and T. R. Suman. A first record of the Japanese Ant /Vollenhovia emeryi/ (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) in Virginia, and previously unpublished records of this ant in three Eastern U.S. States. The Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 109: 596 - 604

WEBSITES

Barrows, E. M. and D. S. Kjar. 2004. Arthropods of Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, Virginia: A Searchable Online Database (ADMWPD). Website. http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/barrowse/nps/dmwp.cfm

Barrows, E. M. and D. S. Kjar. 2004. Biodiversity Database of the Washington, D.C., Area (BDWA). Website. http://biodiversity.georgetown.edu

Barrows, E. M., D. S. Kjar, C. R. Bird, B. Q. Chung, T. Q. Chung, and M. R. Minor. 2004. Arthropods of the Washington, D.C., Area: A Searchable Online Database (AWDCAD). Website. http://data.georgetown.edu/faculty/barrowse/nps

Kjar, D.S. Smithsonian Ant Type Specimen Image and Literature Database. Website. http://141.161.196.100/nmnhtypedb (in prep)

Updated: 25 July, 2007

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