Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of Arizona
P.O. 210088
Tucson, AZ 85721
office: 520-621-4022
fax: 520-621-9190
kimballs|at|email.arizona.edu

My Research:

Traits influencing plant community composition

Penstemon hybrid zone: pollination, physiology, and fitness

Pollinators

Physiology

Reproductive Isolation

Restoration ecology at Carrizo Plain National Monument

Local ecology and geographic range limits

Publications

Current Position

Postdoctoral Researcher with Drs. Amy Angert, Travis Huxman, and Larry Venable

Education

Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, Nov. 2007
Department: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Advisor: Dr. Diane Campbell
Thesis: Mechanisms Defining Ecological Range Limits in a Penstemon Hybrid Zone

M.S., with distinction, California State University, Northridge, Dec. 2001
Department: Interdisciplinary Studies with an Emphasis in Ecology
Advisor: Dr. Paula Schiffman
Thesis: The Impact of Simulated Grazing on Native and Non-native Plants at Carrizo Plain National Monument

B.S., cum laude, Willamette University, Salem, Oregon May 1996
Department: Environmental Science
Advisor: Dr. Gilbert Lafreniere
Thesis: Woman-Nature Metaphors and the Nature-Culture Dualism

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Kimball, S., and D.R. Campbell. 2009. Physiological differences between two Penstemon species and their hybrids in field and common garden environments. New Phytologist 181: 478-488.

Kimball, S., D.R. Campbell, and C. Lessin. 2008. Differential performance of reciprocal hybrids in multiple environments. Journal of Ecology 96: 1306-1318.

Kimball, S. 2008. Links between floral morphology and floral visitors along an elevational gradient in a Penstemon hybrid zone. Oikos 117: 1064-1074.

Kimball, S., P. Wilson, and J. Crowther. 2004. Local ecology and geographic ranges of plants in the Bishop Creek watershed, Sierra Nevada, California. Journal of Biogeography 31: 1637-1657.

Kimball, S. and P.M. Schiffman. 2003. Differing effects of cattle grazing on native and alien plants. Conservation Biology 17: 1681-1693.

Other Publications

Kimball, S. and P. Wilson. 2009. The insects that visit penstemon flowers. Bulletin of the American Penstemon Society: Spring 2009.

Kimball, S. and P. Wilson. 2005. Local habitat is related to the geographic ranges of plants. Sierra Nature Notes: Spring/Summer 2005.

Wilson, P. and S. Kimball. 2001. Review of The Origin, Expansion, and Demise of Plant Species by Donald A. Levin. In Quarterly Review of Biology 76: 84-86.

Presentations at Scientific Conferences

Climate induced changes in plant community composition in the Sonoran Desert. American Geophysical Union, December 2008

Phenological differences promote coexistence in Sonoran Desert Winter Annuals. Ecological Society of America, August 2008

Mechanisms defining geographic range limits in a plant hybrid zone. Ecological Society of America, August 2007

Floral visitors of Penstemon hybrids. Botanical Society of America, Summer 2007

Physiological differences maintain ecological range limits in a plant hybrid zone. Botanical Society of America, Summer 2006

Differing effects of grazing on native and alien plants. San Joaquin Valley Natural Communities Conference, March, 2003

Local ecological gradients and geographic affinities of plants in the Bishop Creek watershed, Sierra Nevada, California. Ecological Society of America, August 2002

The effects of simulated grazing on native and non-native plants at Carrizo Plain National Monument. Ecological Society of America, August 2001

Invited Talks

Mechanisms Defining Ecological Range Limits in a Natural Plant Hybrid Zone. White Mountain Research Station Lecture Series, Spring 2007

Hybridization of Penstemon newberryi and P. davidsonii. California Native Plant Society, Bristlecone Chapter, Spring 2006

Teaching Experience at University of California, Irvine

Guest Lecturer, BioSci 94, Winter 2007
Course Coordinator, 2007
• Supervised 10 Teaching Assistants, constructed and maintained course website, assisted in the writing of exams, graded exams, maintained course gradebook, and dealt with student administrative issues for Bio 94, an undergraduate course with about 900 students.
Pedagogical Fellowship, 2005-2006
• Served as a mentor teacher, supervising three other Pedagogical Fellows in the training of 60 new graduate students in the Chemistry Department to be Teaching Assistants
• Designed and implemented two days of interactive, experiential workshops in the campus-wide Teaching Assistant Professional Development Program, Instructional Resources Center
• Assisted in the interview process to hire new Pedagogical Fellows
Teaching Assistant Consultant, 2004-2005
• Competitively selected to serve as a mentor teacher, training new graduate students in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology to be Teaching Assistants
• Designed and implemented two full days of interactive, experiential workshops: Creating rubrics, grading, leading discussions & laboratories, conducting office hours, university and department policies and procedures in the campus-wide Teaching Assistant Professional Development Program, Instructional Resources Center
• Assisted in the interview process to hire new Teaching Assistant Consultants
Teaching Assistant
Bio 127, Physiological Plant Ecology, Fall 2005
Bio 166, Field Ecology, Fall 2004
Bio 175, Restoration Ecology, Winter 2004
Bio 94, Patterns of Diversity, Ecology & Evolution, Falls 2002-2004, Winter 05
Bio 96, Processes of Ecology & Evolution, Winter 2003

Teaching Experience at California State University, Northridge

Teaching Associate, Sole Instructor, 1998 - 2001
Principles of Biology I Lab (Survey of Organisms)
Principles of Biology II Lab (Cells to Anatomy)
General Biology Lab (Non-majors)
Teaching Assistant, 1998 - 2001
Plant Biology (upper division lab course)
Plant Ecology (upper division and graduate field and lab course)
Principles of Ecology (upper division and graduate field and lab course)
Systematic Botany (upper division and graduate field and lab course)
Plant Morphology (upper division and graduate field and lab course)
Mammalogy (upper division and graduate field and lab course)
Guest Lecturer, Plant Biology, Fall 2001

Service

Mentor for Planting Science, the on-line mentoring program of the Botanical Society of America, 2008-2009.
Reviewer for American Journal of Botany and Biological Conservation, 2004-2008
Mentor to undergraduate (BioSci 199) students Hamta Emani, Carrie Lessin, Sophia Luu , David Moats, Mansi Shah, Jeffrey Vu, Margaret Chilingirian, Kris Ngai, and Margaret Chang
Ecology Faculty Search Committee, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, 2005-2006
Associate Director Interview Committee, Instructional Resources Center, University of California, Irvine, 2006
Judge, Irvine Unified School District Science Fair, 2006 & 2007
Visiting Scientist, Irvine and Costa Mesa Unified School Districts, Ask-A-Scientist Program, 2004-2006

Grants and Awards

Edward Steinhaus Teaching Award, University of California, Irvine, 2007
Best Physiology Student Paper, Botanical Society of America, 2006
Most Promising Future Faculty Member, University of California, Irvine, 2006
Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant, National Science Foundation, 2006
Dr. James D. Watson Scholar, ARCS Foundation, 2006 & 2007
GAANN Fellowship, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, 2005
Educational Grant, California Native Plant Society, 2005
Teaching Excellence and TA Mentoring Award, Instructional Resources Center, University of California, Irvine, 2004-2005
Applicant Fellowship, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, 2002
Donald E. Bianchi Graduate Student Research Award. College of Science and Mathematics, California State University, Northridge, 2002
Outstanding Graduate Student Award. Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, 2002

Professional Memberships

Ecological Society of America
Botanical Society of America
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society

Other Relevant Work Experience

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Vegetation Management Intern, Summer 1999
• Designed and began a field/research project to test methods of increasing the number of individuals in a population of Pentachaeta lyonii, an endangered sunflower
• Researched methods of removing European grasses from an oak woodland
City of Portland, Interpretive Trail Writer, September 1997 to June 1998
• Wrote a self-guided trail brochure to educate the public about the ecology of Forest Park
Forest Park Ivy Removal Project, Crew Leader, Summer 1997
• Hired, trained, and supervised eleven Ivy Crew members
• Removed English Ivy and other non-native invasive species
• Worked with 373 volunteers and trained crew members to lead volunteer groups
• Provided environmental education to crew and community members