EDUCATION

• Ph.D., Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, May 2009
University of Louisiana at Lafayette, USA, Academic Adviser: Dr. Susan Mopper

• M.Sc., Biochemistry 2000-2002; Bangalore University (BU), Bangalore, India

• B.Sc., Microbiology, Botany, Chemistry 1997-2000; BU, Bangalore, India

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Population and community ecology

• Mathematical models of population and species dynamics

• Insect-plant interactions

• Eco-physiology and chemical ecology

TEACHING ASSISTANSHIPS and GUEST LECTURES

• Introductory Biology Lab Lecturer – Summer ‘09

• TA - Introductory Biology Lab (BIOL 112) – Fall ‘08

• TA - Entomology Lab (BIOL 321) – Spring ’04, ‘08

• TA - Introductory Biology Labs (BIOL 103,104) – Fall ’04, ‘05, Spring ’05, ‘07

• TA - Biomathematics (MATH 451(G)) – Spring ‘06

• TA - Honors Biology Lab (BIOL 142) – Fall ’06, ‘07

• Lecture - Entomology (BIOL 321), Spring ‘04

• Lecture - Introductory Biology (BIOL 121), Fall ‘04

• Lecture - Evolutionary Biology Group (ULL), Fall ‘03

MENTORING EXPERIENCE

• National Science Foundation Undergraduate Training in Biology and Mathematics, 2005-2009

Claire Petit, Lauren Cole, Jay Monte, Tom Ngyuen – 2005-2007

Grant G Guidry, Jessie Castille, Les Begnaud, Brandon Dejean, Robert Tesch, Caleb Williams – 2006-2008.

Anthony Mai, Amy Demourelle, Geoffrey Goudeaux, and Jared Guilbeaux – Summer 2009

• Undergraduate Student Project:  ‘Change in temperature and pH reduces the activity of the enzyme amylase’.  Undergraduate Biology Student Competition.  Fall ’08. By Caroline Smith, Emily Yocham, Torri Choate, Ashley Broussard.

• Undergraduate Student Project:  ‘Soil contaminant delays germination and growth in Phaseolus vulgaris (kidney beans)’.  Undergraduate Biology Student Competition.  Fall ’08.  By John Roethlisberger, Marcie Lemeaux, Bernadetta castille, and Zeneshia Zenon.  First Prize

• Undergraduate student project: ‘Effects of water stress on the growth of    Phaseolus vulgaris (kidney beans)’.  Undergraduate Biology Student Competition and ULL Fall Honors Invitational.  Fall ’08.  By Matthew Piteo, Breshaud Woodard, Tremaine Rossyion, and Terrance Guidry.  Third Prize

• Undergraduate Student Project: ‘Comparative Anatomy of Native and Invasive Irises under Salt Stress.’  Undergraduate Biology Student Competition.  Fall ’07.  By Camille Dugas, Carolina Germane, John Lightfield, David Price, and Rocky Richard.  First Prize

• Undergraduate Student Project: ‘Effects of calcium on the salt stressed native and invasive iris.’  Graduate Student Symposium.  Fall ’07.  By Daniel Duhon, Jonathan Duhon, and Nick Talevich.

PUBLICATIONS

Pathikonda S, AS Ackleh, KH Hasenstein, and S Mopper. 2009. Invasion, disturbance, and competition: modeling the fate of coastal plant populations.  Conservation Biology, 23: 164-173.

Pathikonda S, S Mopper, and KH Hasenstein. In Preparation. Impacts of salinity stress on floral volatiles in native and invasive wetland plants. For submission to Journal of Chemical Ecology.

Pathikonda S, and S Mopper. In Preparation. Stochastic environment hinders local adaptation to salinity stress in a coastal freshwater marsh plant. For submission to American Journal of Botany.

PRESENTATIONS

Pathikonda S, KH Hasenstein, and S Mopper:  “Salinity alters floral volatiles in Iris hexagona”.  Poster, American Society of Plant Biologists, Honolulu, Hawaii, July ’09.

Pathikonda S:  “Salinity, disturbance, and competition by invasive species define population dynamics of the coastal freshwater plant, Iris hexagona”.  Invited Talk, University of Wyoming, Laramie, June 09.

Pathikonda S: “Ecological and Physiological Responses to Salinity Stress:  Comparison of Native and Invasive Congeners”.  University of Louisiana at Lafayette, March 09.

Pathikonda S, and S Mopper: “Salinity, Disturbance, and Competition predict population dynamics of the coastal freshwater plant.”  Invited Talk, ERDC, Vicksburg, MS, November ‘08. 

Pathikonda S, and S Mopper: “Changes to flowering phenology define responses to salinity stress in coastal freshwater plant.”  Oral presentation, Biology Dept, Graduate Student Symposium, UL Lafayette (ULL), October ‘08.  First Prize

Pathikonda S, AS Ackleh, and S Mopper: “Invasion, disturbance, and competition: modeling the fate of coastal plant populations.”  Oral presentation, Ecological Society of America (ESA), Milwaukee WI, August ‘08.

Pathikonda S, AS Ackleh, KH Hasenstein, and S Mopper: “Invasion, disturbance, and competition: modeling the fate of coastal plant populations.”  Oral presentation, South Eastern Ecology and Evolution Conference (SEEC), Tallahassee FL, March ‘08.

Begnaud L, J Castille, B Dejean, G Guidry, R Tesch, C Williams, S Pathikonda, and S Mopper: “Responses of native and invasive wetland plants to salinity.”  Poster, SEEC, Tallahassee FL, March ‘08.  First prize.

Pathikonda S, AS Ackleh, KH Hasenstein, and S Mopper: “Modeling population dynamics of native and invasive iris to abiotic and biotic stress.” Oral presentation, Coastal Restoration and Enhancement through Science and Technology (CREST), New Orleans LA, March ‘08.

Pathikonda S, and S Mopper: “Responses to salinity in the freshwater marsh plant, Iris hexagona: Local adaptation or plasticity?” Oral presentation, Ecological Society of America (ESA), San Jose CA, August ‘07.

Pathikonda S, AS Ackleh, KH Hasenstein, and S Mopper: “Modeling the effects of abiotic and biotic factors on native iris.”  Oral presentation, SEEC, Orlando FL, March ‘07. Second prize.

Cole L, C Pettit, J Monte, T Nguyen, S Pathikonda, and S Mopper “Effects of natal habitat and salinity on Iris hexagona populations.” Poster, SEEC, Tallahassee FL, March ‘07.  Second prize.

Pathikonda S, AS Ackleh, KH Hasenstein, and S Mopper: “Modeling the effects of abiotic and biotic factors on native iris.” Oral presentation, Biology Dept. Graduate Student Symposium, UL Lafayette (ULL), October ‘06.  First prize.

Pathikonda S, AS Ackleh, KH Hasenstein, and S Mopper: “Can models reveal the life stages that determine population persistence in Iris hexagona?” Oral presentation, Louisiana Association of Professional Biologists, Lafayette LA, Fall ‘06.

Pathikonda S, AS Ackleh, KH Hasenstein, and S Mopper: “Modeling population dynamics of native and invasive iris under abiotic and biotic stress.”  Oral presentation, ESA, Memphis TN, August ‘06.

GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

• Discretionary Dissertation Scholarship, ULL, Spring 2009, $7500 

• ESA-SERDP travel grant, Summer 2008, $500

• Graduate Student Organization travel grant, Fall 2008, $400

• Student Government Association (SGA) International Student Scholarship, ULL, Spring 2008, $1000.

• SGA Travel Grant, ULL, Spring 2008, $420.

• Louisiana Garden Society Grant, Fall 2007, $500.

• Louisiana Garden Society Grant, Fall 2007, $1000.

• SGA Travel Grant, ULL, Spring 2007, $275.

• SGA American Scholarship, ULL, Spring 2007, $500.

• Louisiana Garden Society Grant, Fall 2006, $1000.

• Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research, Fall 2006, $400

• CREST Research Grant, Fall 2006, $2500.

• Graduate Student Organization (GSO) Travel Grants, ULL, Total = $2275 (2004-present).

AWARDS

• First place oral presentation, Graduate Student Symposium, ULL, Fall 2008

• First place poster, SEEC, Tallahassee FL, Spring 2008

• Second place oral presentation, SEEC, Orlando FL, Spring 2007

• Second place poster, SEEC, Orlando FL, Spring 2007

• First place oral presentation, Graduate Student Symposium, ULL, Fall 2006

SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITIES

• President, Graduate Student Organization, ULL, Spring 2008–Fall 2008

• Member and graduate student representative, Graduate Council, ULL, Spring 2008-Fall 2008

• Member, Deans Advisory Council, ULL, Spring 2008–Fall 2008

• Member and graduate student representative, Graduate Appeals Committee, ULL, Spring 2008–Fall  2008

• Vice President, GSO, ULL, 2005-2007

• Biology Department Representative, GSO, ULL, Spring 2005-Fall 2007

PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

• Moderator, Contributed Paper Session, ESA, Milwaukee WI, Summer ‘08.

• Host, Upward Bound Math Science High School Program, Summer ‘08

• Judge, Regional Science Fair, Spring ‘04, ‘05, ‘07, ‘08

• Judge and examiner, Science Olympiad, Spring ‘07, ‘08

• Volunteer worker, ESA, San Jose CA, Summer ‘07

• Moderator, Contributed Paper Session, ESA, San Jose CA, Summer ‘07

• Member, Welcome Committee for Prospective Graduate Students, Fall ’05, Spring ‘07.

• Volunteer worker, ESA, Memphis TN, Fall ’06.

• Moderator, two Contributed Paper Sessions, ESA, Memphis TN, Fall ‘06.