Associate Professor, Comparative Invertebrate Biology
Email: ewesterm@uark.edu
University of Arkansas, Department of Biological Sciences
Science and Engineering, Room 416
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Shipping address:
850 W. Dickson St.
SCEN 601
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Academic Appointments
University of Arkansas, Department of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor Aug 2022-present
University of Arkansas, Department of Biological Sciences, Assistant Professor Aug 2016-2022
Education
Yale University, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. New Haven, CT Ph.D. 2012
Thesis: The effect of social experience and rearing environment on mating behavior in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana; Advisor: Antónia Monteiro
University of New Hampshire, Zoology. Durham, NH M.Sc. 2007
Thesis: Impacts of changing water temperatures in the life histories of two invasive ascidians in the Gulf of Maine: Botryllus schlosseri and Botrylloides violaceus;
Advisors: Larry Harris and Jessica Bolker
Yale University, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. New Haven, CT B.S. Intensive 2003
Thesis: Phenotypic plasticity and the effect of temperature on two species of marine rotifer in the Brachionus plicatilis Muller species complex, Brachionus plicatilis sensu stricto and Brachionus rotundiformis; Advisor: Sean Rice
Postdoctoral Research
University of Chicago, Ecology & Evolution. Chicago IL, Sept 2012-Aug 2016
Postdoctoral scholar: genetics, social components, and neurobiology of visual mate preference.
PI: Dr. Marcus Kronforst
Selected Publications (for an updated list please check the lab publications page)
Zhang, W., Westerman, E., Nitzany, E., Palmer, S., Kronforst, M.R. (2017) Tracing the origin and evolution of supergene mimicry in butterflies Nature Communications 8:1269 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01370-1 pdf
Westerman, E.L., Monteiro, A. (2016) Rearing temperature influences adult response to changes in mating status. PLoS ONE Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146546 pdf
Westerman, E.L., Chirathivat, N+., Schyling, E+., Monteiro, A. (2014) Mate preference for a phenotypically plastic trait is learned, and may facilitate preference-phenotype matching. Evolution 68(6) 1661-1670 Doi: 10.1111/evo.12381 pdf
Westerman, E.L., Drucker, C.B+, Monteiro, A. (2014) Male and female mating behavior is dependent on social context in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana. Journal of Insect Behavior
27(4) 478-495 Doi: 10.1007/s10905-014-9441-9 pdf
Westerman, E.L. Monteiro A (2013) Odour influences whether females learn to prefer or
avoid wing patterns of male butterflies. Animal Behaviour 86: 1139-1145. Doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.09.002 pdf
Westerman, E.L., Hodgins-Davis, A., Dinwiddie, A., Monteiro, A. (2012) Biased learning affects mate choice in a butterfly. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109(27) 10948-10953. Doi: 10.1073/pnas.1118378109 pdf
Buss, L.W., Anderson, C., Westerman, E.L., Kritzberger, C+., Poudyal, M., Moreno, M., Lakkis, F. (2012) Allorecognition triggers autophagy and subsequent necrosis in the cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. PLoS ONE 7(11): e48914. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048914 pdf
Dijkstra, J., Westerman, E., Harris, L.G. (2011) The effects of climate change on species composition, succession and phenology: A case study. Global Change Biology 17: 2360-2369. Doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02371.x pdf
Bear, A., Simons, A+., Westerman, E., Monteiro, A. (2010) The genetic, morphological, and physiological characterization of a dark larval cuticle mutation in the butterfly, Bicyclus anynana. PLoS ONE 5(7): e11563. Doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011563 pdf
Smits A+., Cooley J.R., Westerman E. (2010) Twig to root: Egg-nest density and underground nymph distribution in a periodical cicada (Hemiptera: Magicacada septendecim (L.)). Entomologica Americanan 116:73-77. Doi: 10.1664/09-RA-004R.1 pdf
Westerman, E., Dijkstra, J., Harris, L.G. (2009) High natural fusion rates in a botryllid ascidian. Marine Biology 156(12): 2613-2619. Doi: 10.1007/s00227-009-1287-x pdf
Westerman, E. Whitlatch, R., Dijkstra, J., and Harris, L.G. (2009) Variation in brooding period masks similarities in response to changing temperatures. Marine Ecology Progress Series 391:13-19. Doi: 10.3354/meps08107 pdf
Dijkstra, J., Dutton, A+., Westerman, E., Harris, L.G. (2008) Heart rate reflects osmotic stress levels in the two introduced colonial ascidians Botryllus schlosseri and Botrylloides violaceus. Marine Biology 154(5): 805-811. Doi: 10.1007/s00227-008-0973-4 pdf
Dijkstra, J., Harris, L.G., Westerman, E. (2007) Distribution and ecology of four colonial ascidians: Botryllus schlosseri, Botrylloides violaceus, Diplosoma listerianum and Didemnum sp. in the Gulf of Maine. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 342: 61-68. Doi: 10.1016/j.jembe.2006.10.015 pdf
+=undergraduate coauthor
Funding Awards
NSF IOS Behavioral Systems Research Grant (2020-2024)
Arkansas Biosciences Institute Grant (2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2022-2023)
University of Arkansas Provost’s Collaborative Research Grant, Co-PI (2022)
University of Arkansas Chancellor Innovation Award (2019-2023)
University of Arkansas Collaborative Research Grant (2016-2017)
Chicago Biomedical Consortium Postdoctoral Research Grant (2014-2015)
Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant, NSF (2011-2013)
National Estuarine Research Reserve Fellowship, NOAA (2006-2008)
Honors
Robert C. and Sandra Connor Endowed Faculty Fellowship (2019)
University of Arkansas Associated Student Government Outstanding Faculty Nominee (2019)
Lepidopterists’ Society Clench Award (2011)
Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology Division of Animal Behavior Best Student Oral Presentation (2011)
Service (select examples, for full list see CV link below)
• Integrative and Comparative Biology Assistant Editor, Division of Animal Behavior 2020-present
• Society of Integrative & Comparative Biology (SICB) Student Presentation Judge 2014-present
• SICB Division of Animal Behavior Secretary 2018-2021
• UARK BISC Departmental Diversity and Inclusion Committee Member 2019-present, Chair 2022-present
• UARK BISC faculty search committee member, 2016-2017; 2017-2018; 2019-2020
• University of Chicago Postdoctoral Association Survey Committee Co-Chair 2013-2019
• Yale University Graduate Student Assembly Departmental Rep 2009-2012, Steering Committee 2011-2012
• Conference Organizational Committee Member 2005-2006
12th International Echinoderm Conference, at University of New Hampshire, August 2006.
Scientific Outreach (select examples, for full list see CV link below)
• Leads collaborative Community Scientist Butterfly Behavior project with the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks (BGO). Fall 2016-present.
• Participated in, and led a station for, Earth Days at the BGO, an outreach event which teaches ~1,600 local elementary school students about biology and our environment over two days of interactive activities. 2017-present.
• Led a station at the 2022 InsectFest organized by the UARK Entomology and Plant Pathology Dept, which was attended by ~3,000 community members fall 2022.
• Organized and led a workshop at the annual Animal Behavior Society Outreach Fair.
Summer 2013,2015
• Co-organized and led a workshop at the Expanding Your Horizons event at the University
of Chicago to introduce and engage low income middle-school-aged girls in science.
Spring, 2014, 2015
Research Tool Set
Animal behavior: focal watches of avian and lepidopteran species, wing pattern, social environment, and physical environment manipulations for experimental animal behavior, studies of mate choice, visual learning, and mating behavior in butterflies, feeding behavior and nest location in song birds, reproductive isolation in rotifers
Molecular biology and genetics: PCR, qPCR, DNA and RNA extraction, library preparation for Illumina sequencing, design and execution of breeding programs to determine trait heritability
Bioinformatics and genomics: NextGen sequence processing and data analysis for genome wide association studies, templated genome assembly
Physiology and morphology: dissection and sample preparation of insect eye and brain for light microscopy, macro-invertebrate whole body fluorescent time-laps microscopy, transmitted electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, resin embedding, ultramicrotome sectioning, gelatin embedding and freezing microtome sectioning, cryostat sectioning, light spectroscopy
Field ecology: underwater transect sampling using SCUBA, terrestrial transect sampling, marine invertebrate rapid assessment surveys, long-term fouling community abundance and reproduction assays, avian mist netting, avian blood sample acquisition, bander on an endangered species permit
Professional Affiliations
Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB)
Animal Behavior Society (ABS)
Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE)
International Society of Behavioral Ecology (ISBE)
National Postdoctoral Association (NPA)
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