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Romi Burks

Associate Professor of Biology

burksr

Areas of expertise
Aquatic ecology, wetland science, apple snails, invertebrate biology

I am an aquatic ecologist interested in how organisms interact within and impact shallow lakes and ponds. My graduate work focused on looking at predator-avoidance behaviors in an important aquatic herbivore, Daphnia, that influences whether lakes exist in a clear or turbid state.

Since my arrival at Southwestern, my lab has been taken over (somewhat literally!) by an exotic, invasive apple snail, Pomacea insularum. We have been studying this snail for 5 years now and still have a lot to learn. Advances in the field have been happening faster than we can investigate. For the most recent work on invasive apple snails, I recommend this great new scientific blog (Snailbusters).

Receiving my Ph.D. in the lab of noted exotic species authority Dr. David Lodge at the University of Notre Dame has helped me switch my current research emphasis to questions associated with invasion biology. In particular, I collaborate with student researchers to investigate multiple aspects of basic life history of this new invader. In addition, the work has expanded to include an international collaboration in Uruguay where native apple snails occur.


Education

PhD,University of Notre Dame 2000
BS,Loyola University Chicago 1995
BA,Loyola University Chicago 1995

Positions

Assistant Professor of Biology
Southwestern University
August 01, 2003 - present

Paideia Professor
Southwestern University
August 01, 2009 - present

Chair of the Animal Behavior Program
Southwestern University
August 01, 2006 - present

Associate Professor of Biology
Southwestern University
August 01, 2009 - present

Courses: Summer 2013

Writing About Science

Research

In addition to lab alumni and current students, collaborators on apple snail research include Mariana Meerhoff (email) and colleagues in Uruguay, Mark Kramer (email) at Armand Bayou Nature Center and Ken Hayes (email) and colleagues in Hawaii (for molecular IDs).

Our current research efforts focus on:

  1. Understanding oviposition behavior of invasive apple snails
  2. Estimating hatching efficiency of egg clutches and their role in population dynamics
  3. Investigating how predators of both eggs and hatchlings could interact with applesnails


Publications

* indicates undergraduate author.  PDFs can be found on Lab Website

2010

Burks, R. L., C. H. Kyle* and M. K. Trawick*. 2010. Pink Eggs and Snails: Field oviposition patterns indicate shallow aquatic systems susceptible to invasion by Pomacea insularum. Hydrobiologia, Shallow Lakes 2009 Special Volume 646: 243-251. DOI 10.1007/s10750-010-0167-1. PDF Available

EDITORIAL SUMMARY: Meerhoff, M., M. Beklioglu, R. Burks, F. Garcia-Rodriguez, N. Mazzeo and B. Moss. 2010. Shallow Lakes: Preface. Hydrobiologia DOI 10.1007/s10750-010-0247-2.

2009

Burks, R. L. and M. M. Chumchal.  2009. To co-author or not to co-author: How to write, publish, and negotiate issues of authorship with undergraduate research students. Sci. Signal. 2, tr3.

Kyle, C. H.,* M. K. Trawick,* J. P. McDonough* and R. L. Burks.  November 2009.  Population dynamics of an established reproducing population of the invasive apple snail (Pomacea insularum) in suburban southeast Houston, Texas.  Texas Journal of Science 61(4): 1-5.

      Burks, R. L. 2009. A Kernel of Truth: Microwave popcorn makes it easier to teach basic statistics. The L&O Bulletin 18(2): 36-40.

      2008

      Barnes, M.A.*, R. K. Marfurt*, J. Hand and R. L. Burks. 2008. Fecundity of the exotic applesnail, Pomacea insularum. The Journal of the North American Benthological Society 28(3): 738-745 (with color photo, available in September).

      Youens, A. K.* and R. L. Burks. 2008. Comparing applesnails with oranges: the need to standardize measuring techniques when studying Pomacea. Aquatic Ecology 42(4): 679-684. DOI: 10.1007/s10452-007-9140-0. PDF Available,

      Boland, B.*, M. Meerhoff, C. Fosalba, N. Mazzeo, M. Barnes* and R. L. Burks. 2008. Juvenile snails, adult appetites: Contrasting resource consumption between two species of applesnails (Pomacea). Journal of Molluscan Studies 74(1): 47-54. [DOI: 10.1093/mollus/eym045.] PDF Available.

      2007

      Burks, R. L. and L. Boles. 2007. Evolution of the Chocolate Bar: A creative approach to teaching phylogenetic relationships within evolutionary biology. The American Biology Teacher 69(4): 229-237.

      Burks, R. L. 2007. Math for Wiser Decisions (a review (invited by editor) of Rockwood Introduction to Population Ecology). BioScience 57(3): 288-289.

      2006

      Burks, R. L., G. Mulderij, E. Gross, I. Jones, L. Jacobsen, E. Van Donk, and E. Jeppesen. 2006. Chapter 3 - Center stage: The Crucial Role of Macrophytes in Regulating Trophic Interactions in Shallow Lake Wetlands. Pages 37-59 in R. Bobbink, B. Beltman, J. T. A. Verhoeven, and D. F. Whigham (eds) Wetlands: Functioning, Biodiversity Conservation, and Restoration. Ecological Studies, Volume 191, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

      R. G. Howells, L. E. Burlakova, A. Y. Karatayev, R K. Marfurt*, and R. L. Burks. 2006. Chapter 5 - Native and introduced Ampullaridae in North America: History, status and ecology. Pages 73-112 in R. C Joshi (ed) Global Advances in Ecology and Management of Golden Apple Snails. Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Philippines. PDF available.

      2005

      Linquester, G., R. L. Burks, and C. R. Jaslow. 2005. Developing Information fluency in introductory biology students inc the ontext of an investigative laboratory. Cell Biology Education 4: 58-96. PDF available.

      2004

      Tuchman, N. C., R. L. Burks, C. A. Call, and J. J. Smarrelli. 2004. Flow rate and vertical position influence ingestion rates of colonial zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha). Freshwater Biology 49: 191-198. (revisions completed at SU)

      2002

      Burks, R. L. and D. M. Lodge. 2002. Cued in: advances and opportunities in freshwater chemical ecology. Journal of Chemical Ecology 28(10): 1881- 1897.

      Burks, R. L., N. C. Tuchman, C. A. Call, and J. E. Marsden. 2002. Colonial aggregations: the effect of spatial position on zebra mussel responses to interstitial water quality. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 21(1): 64-75. PDF available.

      Burks, R. L., D. M. Lodge, E. Jeppesen and T. L. Lauridsen. 2002. Diel horizontal migration of zooplankton: costs and benefits of inhabiting littoral zones. Freshwater Biology 47: 343-366. PDF available.'

      2001

      Burks, R. L., E. Jeppesen and D. M. Lodge. 2001. Pelagic prey and benthic predators: impact of odonate predation on Daphnia among complex structure. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 20(4): 683-696. PDF available.

      Burks, R. L., E. Jeppesen and D. M. Lodge. 2001. Littoral zone structures as Daphnia refugia against fish predation. Limnology and Oceanography 46(2): 230-237. PDF available.

      2000

      Burks, R. L., E. Jeppesen and D. M. Lodge. 2000. Macrophyte and fish chemicals suppress Daphnia growth and alter life history traits. Oikos 88(1): 139-147. PDF available.

      1999

      Lauridsen, T. L., E. Jeppesen, S.F. Mitchell, D. M. Lodge and R. L. Burks. 1999. Horizontal distribution of zooplankton in lakes with contrasting fish densities and nutrient levels. Hydrobiologia 408/409: 241-250.



Honors & Awards

2009-2010:

  • Ph.D. Opponent, Lund University, Sweden
  • Section Chair, Ecologists at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions, Ecological Society of America
  • Texas Academy of Sciences President-Elect and 2011 Program Chair
  • Editorial Board, Freshwater Biology

2008-2009:

  • Invited participant, Vision and Change: Transforming Undergraduate Biology Education conference
  • Panelist for IRES, National Science Foundation (NFS)
  • Texas Academy of Sciences Fellow
  • Guest Editor, Hydrobiologia, 2008 Shallow Lakes Meeting
  • Selected as BEN (BioEdNet) Scholar, AAAS
  • Nominated for Outstanding Teaching Award SU

2006-2007:

  • Southwestern University Nomination for Piper Professor
  • Finalist for Brown Junior Investigator Award
  • Panelist for NSF DDIG Review in Ecology
  • Nominated for Outstanding Teaching Award, SU
  • Recognized for work with disability issues, SU

2004-2005:

  • ACS Environmental Fellow
  • ACS Technology Fellow
  • Invited participant (16 chosen from 70 applicants) for SEEK
  • Invited panelist for NSF Grant Review in Ecology

Before Southwestern:

  • DIALOG IV in Bermuda
  • Kaneb Center Graduate Award for Excellence in Teaching
  • Fulbright Scholar
  • Denmark Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year Award
  • 1995 Presidential Medal Recipient, Loyola University Chicago
  • 1993 Phi Beta Kappa


Specific subjects or issues you can knowledgeably discuss:
Aquatic ecology, wetlands, invasive species, chocolate

I am willing to talk to the media: yes

I am willing to talk to community groups about my area of expertise: yes

Can you do interviews in Spanish? no

Other languages you are fluent in: null

Experience with the news media (especially electronic media): Television news interviews, newspaper articles, blogs

Contact Details:
(512) 863-1280(office)
Office: Fondren-Jones 141
burksr@southwestern.edu