James V. Proffitt IV jvproffitt@utexas.edu Education: Grants & Fellowships: Honors: Research Positions Held: University of Texas at Austin, Jackson School of Geosciences, Austin TX; August 2012 Present Graduate Student (Ph.D.) Expected May 2017 University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA; September 2008 June 2012 B.S. Zoology B.S. Earth Science-Paleobiology Emphasis NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (April 2013) $100,500 (3 years) Jackson School of Geosciences Fellowship Supplement $31000(3 years) Paleontological Society Grant (June 2013) $800 Jackson School of Geosciences Summer Research Fund (June 2013) $800 Ernest L. and Judith W. Lundelius Endowment in Vertebrate Paleontology (June 2013) $798 Francis L. Whitney Endowed Presidential Scholarship (November 2012) $3500 Charles D. Woodhouse Award in Geosciences (June 2012) $1,500 Francis M. Colville and Terry E. Dearborn Memorial Award (June 2012) $500 Kirby-Jones Honors Scholarship (June 2010) $4,000 Coast Geological Society Scholarship (May 2012) $600 August 2012 Present September 2014 May 2015 UT Austin, Jackson School of Geosciences Graduate Student Researcher Dissertation investigates the evolution of function and morphology in different anatomical modules, utilizing wing propelled diving birds and related taxa as a study system. Royal Veterinary College, Structure & Motion Lab Visiting Researcher Visiting student researcher investigated penguin evolutionary biomechanics. Also executed phylogenetic comparative methods workshops for resident researchers & students.
April 2009 June 2012 UC Santa Barbara, Department of Geology Undergraduate Researcher Project investigated patterns in lamination of Eocene Green River Formation stromatolites and their relation to paleoclimate. June 2011 August 2011 American Museum of Natural History Undergraduate Research Intern Full time summer intern research program. Contributed to an NSF funded initiative to investigate the phylogeny and fossil record of noctilionoid bats. Publications: Abstracts November 2014 October 2011 May 2011 Novel Insights Into Early Neuroanatomical and Morphological Evolution in Penguins From New Material of Waimanu From the Paleocene of New Zealand Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Program and Abstracts, 2014, pp. 42. Evolutionary Relationships of Living and Fossil Vampire Bats Proffitt, JV, Simmons, NB, Velazco, P, & Davalos, L. Bat Research News, Vol. 42, no. 4. pp. 55. Patterns in Lamination of Eocene Lacustrine Stromatolites; Lamination as Indicators of Local Climatic Conditions Proffitt, JV, Awramik, SM, Buchheim, HP, & Tanimoto, T. Abstracts with Programs-Geological Society of America, vol. 43, no.4, pp. 12. Presentations: -Talks August 2014 April 2014 Avian Locomotion, Ecological Diversity, and Locomotor Modules: Examining Rates of Morphological Evolution in Waterbirds Proffitt, JV. International Ornithological Congress Waterbird Workshop, Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan. Assessing Functional and Evolutionary Linkages Between Locomotor Modules in the Evolution of Penguins: Current Progress and Future Directions Jackson School of Geosciences Vertebrate Paleontology Brown Bag Series, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA. 2
February 2014 January 2013 October 2011 August 2011 Digging Up New Zealand s Deep Past: Paleontological Fieldwork at St. Bathans, Central Otago Jackson School of Geosciences Vertebrate Paleontology Brown Bag Series, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA. Patterns of Lamination in an Eocene Lacustrine Stromatolite: Potential of Stromatolites as Paleoclimatic and Paleoenvironmental Indicators Proffitt, JV. Jackson School of Geosciences Vertebrate Paleontology Brown Bag Series, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA. Evolutionary Relationships of Living and Fossil Vampire Bats Proffitt, JV; Simmons, NB; Velazco, P; & Davalos, L. North American Society for Bat Research. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Chiropteran Dental Evolution: Exploring the Radiation of Noctilionoid Bats Proffitt, JV; Simmons, NB; & Velazco, P. American Museum of Natural History REU Intern Presentations. New York, New York, USA. -Posters November 2014 August 2014 January 2014 January 2014 Novel Insights Into Early Neuroanatomical and Morphological Evolution in Penguins From New Material of Waimanu From the Paleocene of New Zealand Proffitt, JV; Clarke, JA; & Scofield, P. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Annual Meeting. Berlin, Germany. Patterns of Morphological Evolution During the Evolution of Wingpropelled Diving in Penguins: Insights Into the Evolution of Form and Function in Birds Proffitt, JV; Middleton, KM; & Clarke, JA. International Ornithological Congress. Tokyo, Japan. Patterns of Morphological Evolution During a Locomotor Transition: Lessons From the Evolution of Wing-propelled Diving in Penguins Proffitt, JV; Middleton, KM; & Clarke, JA. Society of Integrative & Comparative Biology Annual Meeting. Austin, Texas, USA Patterns of Morphological Evolution During a Locomotor Transition: Lessons From the Evolution of Wing-propelled Diving in Penguins Proffitt, JV; Middleton, KM; & Clarke, JA. Jackson School of Geosciences Graduate Research Symposium. Austin, Texas, USA.
January 2013 May 2011 Evolutionary Relationships of Living and Fossil Vampire Bats Proffitt, JV; Simmons, NB; Velazco, P; & Davalos, L. Jackson School of Geosciences Graduate Research Symposium. Austin, Texas, USA. Patterns in Lamination of Eocene Lacustrine Stromatolites: Lamination As Indicators of Climatic Conditions Proffitt, JV; Awramik, SA; Buchheim, P; & Tanimoto, T. Geological Society of America Rocky Mountain/Cordilleran Joint Sectional Meeting. Logan, Utah, USA. Service: -Fieldwork January 2014 July 2013 St. Bathans, Otago, New Zealand (10 days) Paracas, Ica, Peru (5 days) -Students Supervised November 2013 -Present November 2013 -Present Rachel Egan, Undergraduate, UT Austin Taylor Watts, Undergraduate, UT Austin February 2014 -June 2014 February 2013 June 2014 Jennifer Millard, Undergraduate, UT Austin Nicole Kurka, Undergraduate, UT Austin -Teaching Fall 2013 Graduate Student Teaching Assistant Age of Dinosaurs Dr. Timothy Rowe (Instructor) Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin. -Seminars/Sessions Coordinated February 2015 August 2014 Student Workshop in Phylogenetic Comparative Methods for Biomechanics Roundtable Co-Convener, Avian Functional Morphology & Paleontology International Ornithological Congress, August 18-24, Tokyo Japan 4
August 2013 May 2014 UT Paleontology Brown Bag Seminar Series. UT Austin. -Event Coordinating/Participation November 2014 February 2014 SVP Student Roundtable Participant, Studying Abroad Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, November 5-8, Berlin Germany Meal Coordinator, UT Paleontology Prospective Graduate Student Weekend. February 22-25, UT Austin. -Contributions/Consulting January 2015 Classroom Educational Materials Consultant for educational film: Great Transitions: The Origin of Birds Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Science Education Division November 2013 Contributing Writer, Dig Magazine, Fossil Penguins: Change is Good Cobblestone & Cricket Publishing -Editing/Reviews April 2013 Reviewer: GSA Field Guide: Friesenhahn Cave: Late Pleistocene Paleoecology and the Predator-Prey Relationships of Mammoths with the Extinct Scimitar Cat. GSA South Central Sectional Meeting. Austin, Texas, USA. -Service Positions Held August 2013 Present Environmental Science Institute, UT Austin, Austin TX GK-12 Associate Bi-monthly science outreach to Austin K-12 schools Develop and implement lesson plans in natural sciences, including paleontology March 2010 June 2012 Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara CA Educational Docent Educated K-6 tours on exhibits/local natural science and supervised lab/outdoor activities Supervised interaction with living organisms October 2010 June 2010 Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration, UCSB, Santa Barbara CA
Vertebrate Curatorial Intern Maintained existing vertebrate collections Maintained/updated collection catalogue -Outreach Events April 2014 February 2014 October 2013 Paleontology Rocks! Course for Visually Impaired Students 4/5/14. Austin School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Austin, Texas Center for Inquiry Darwin Day Celebration 2/15/14. Trinity United Methodist Church, Austin, Texas. Zoological & Veterinary Staff Outreach Visit 10/24/13. SeaWorld San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas. Professional Associations: -Society of Avian Paleontology & Evolution (March 2014) Society of Systematic Biologists (June 2013) Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (April 2013) North American Ornithologist s Union (December 2012) Wilson Ornithological Society (December 2012) Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (August 2012) 6