Becky L. Williams Curriculum Vitae Department of Biology Phone (office): 435-722-1787 Utah State University Uintah Basin Fax: 435-789-3916 320 N. 2000 W. (Aggie Blvd.) Email: becky.williams@usu.edu Vernal, Utah 84078 toxwilliams@gmail.com http://sites.google.com/site/beckywilliamshomepage/home Positions Held 08/11-Current Assistant Professor, Utah State University Uintah Basin. 01/10-08/11 Post-doctoral Research Associate, New Mexico State University, PI Michele K. Nishiguchi. Microbial-animal symbioses and comparative genomics. 01/09-05/09 Instructor, Utah Valley University. Non-majors General Biology. 04/08-07/09 Instructor, Utah State University. Science Issues in Business, and Special Topics in Ecology and Biodiversity. 05/07-09/07 Biological Science Technician. National Park Service, Great Basin NP, Nevada. Sage-habitat associated species monitoring (kingsnakes, marmots, sagebrush voles, and other small mammals). 08/03-12/06 Graduate Student Instructor, University of California, Berkeley. Department of Integrative Biology 05/06-08/06 Writer, University of California Museum of Paleontology, Understanding Evolution website. 01/04-12/05 Curatorial Assistant, University of California, Berkeley. Ornithology. 06/03-07/03 Biological Researcher. California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California. Herpetological Collecting, Lassen National Forest. 08/99-06/03 Teaching Assistant, Utah State University. Department of Biology. 04/02-10/02 Biological Science Technician. United States Geological Survey Biological Sciences Division, Moab, UT. Herpetological Inventory of the National Parks of the Northern Colorado Plateau. 01/02-05/02 Research Assistant, Utah State University. Department of Biology. Dr. Edmund D. Brodie, Jr. 05/98-08/99 Laboratory Assistant, Utah State University. Department of Biology. Dr. Edmund D. Brodie, Jr. Education Univ. of California, Berkeley PhD Integrative Biology 2008 Utah State University MS Biology 2003 Utah State University BS Applied Biology, Minor Chemistry 1999
Williams Curriculum Vitae Page 2 of 5 Dissertation/Thesis PhD Advisor, Dr. Roy L. Caldwell. Distribution, ontogenetic profile, and anti-predator efficacy of tetrodotoxin in two species of blue-ringed octopuses (Hapalochlaena lunulata and H. fasciata). University of California, Berkeley MS Advisor, Dr. Edmund D. Brodie, Jr. The behavioral and chemical ecology of a predator that consumes toxic prey. Utah State University Publications *undergraduate researcher invited special issue Williams, B. L., Hanifin, C. T., Brodie, E. D., Jr., and E. D. Brodie III. 2011. Predators usurp prey defenses?: toxicokinetics of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in common garter snakes after consumption of rough-skinned newts. In press Chemoecology DOI 10.1007/s00049-011-0093-3. Williams, B. L., Lovenburg, V.*, Huffard, C. L., and R. L. Caldwell. 2011. Chemical defense in pelagic octopus paralarvae: Tetrodotoxin alone does not protect individual paralarvae of the greater blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata) from common reef predators. Chemoecology 21:131 141. Williams, B. L., Hanifin, C. T., Brodie, E. D., Jr., and R. L. Caldwell. 2011. Ontogeny of tetrodotoxin levels in blue-ringed octopuses: Maternal investment and apparent independent production in offspring of Hapalochlaena lunulata. Journal of Chemical Ecology 37:10 17. Williams, B. L., Hanifin, C. T., Brodie, E. D., Jr., and E. D. Brodie III. 2010. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) affects survival probability of rough skinned newts (Taricha granulosa) faced with TTX-resistant garter snake predators (Thamnophis sirtalis). Chemoecology 20:285 290. Williams, B. L. 2010. Behavioral and chemical ecology of marine organisms with respect to tetrodotoxin. Marine Drugs 8(3):381 398. Williams, B. L., and R. L. Caldwell. 2009. Intra organismal distribution of tetrodotoxin in two species of blue ringed octopuses (Hapalochlaena fasciata and H. lunulata). Toxicon 54(3):345 353. Brodie, E. D., III, Feldman, C. R., Hanifin, C. T., Motychak, J. E., Mulcahy, D. G., Williams, B. L., and E. D. Brodie, Jr. 2005. Evolutionary response of predators to dangerous prey: parallel arms races between garter snakes and newts involving tetrodotoxin as the phenotypic interface of coevolution. Journal of Chemical Ecology 31(2):343 355. Mendelson III, J. R., Williams, B. L., Sheil, C. A., and D. G. Mulcahy. 2005. Systematics of the Bufo coccifer complex (Anura: Bufonidae) of Mesoamerica. Scientific Papers of the Natural History Museum of the University of Kansas 38:1 27.
Williams Curriculum Vitae Page 3 of 5 Williams, B. L., Brodie, E. D., Jr., and E. D. Brodie III. 2004. A resistant predator and its toxic prey: persistence of newt toxin leads to poisonous (not venomous) snakes. Journal of Chemical Ecology 30(10):1901 1919. Williams, B. L., Brodie, E. D., Jr., and E. D. Brodie III. 2003. Coevolution of deadly toxins and predator resistance: Self-assessment of resistance by garter snakes leads to behavioral rejection of toxic newt prey. Herpetologica 59(2):155 163. Mulcahy, D. G., Cummer, M. R., Mendelson III, J. R., Williams, B. L., and P. C. Ustach. 2002. Status of two bufonid frogs and evaluation of their distributional records in the Northeastern Bonneville Basin with a new county record in Idaho. Herpetological Review 33(4):287 289. Williams, B. L., Brodie, E. D., Jr., and E. D. Brodie III. 2002. Comparisons between toxic effects of tetrodotoxin administered orally and by intraperitoneal injection to the garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis. Journal of Herpetology 36(1):112 115. Other contributions Williams, B. L. 2009. Distribution of tetrodotoxin in blue-ringed octopuses and the hunt for tetrodotoxin-producing symbiotic bacteria. The Malacologist X:13. Setser, K., Mulcahy, D. G., and B. L. Williams. 2003. Lampropeltis triangulum (Milk Snake) Habitat. Herpetological Review 34(2):150. Teaching Experience Instructor Utah State University (USU) Mammalogy 2011 Ecology 2011 Science Issues in Business 2009 Special Topics in Ecology and Biodiversity 2008 Utah Valley University General Biology 2009 (4 concurrent sections) Graduate Student Instructor University of California, Berkeley Biology and Geomorphology of Tropical Islands Animal Biology: a Behavioral View Introduction to Oceans (2X) Human Paleontology Biology 1B Laboratory (2X) Teaching Assistant Utah State University Evolutionary Biology (4X) Animal Behavior Biology II Laboratory (2X) Human Physiology Education and Outreach Guest Lecturer/Instructor Poisonous and Venomous Marine Fauna, Marine Biodiversity and Inventories Methods, Indonesian Biodiversity Research Center, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia July 2011 Writer, Univ. of California Museum of Paleontology, Understanding Evolution (http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/biowarfare_01)
Williams Curriculum Vitae Page 4 of 5 Awards 07/07 On the Spot Award (NPS, Great Basin National Park) 12/06 Best Student Paper Award, Malacological Society of Australasia 03/05 Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor for 2004-2005 (UCB) 09/00 Claude E. ZoBell Scholarship College of Science (USU) 06/00 E. L. & Inez Waldron Biotechnology Fund Scholarship 11/99 Outstanding Student in the Department of Biology (USU) 06/99 Tracey Storer Award Amer. Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Student Poster Competition 01/99 Tuition waiver from the College of Science (USU) 08/93 Chancellor s Scholarship (University of Alaska, Fairbanks) Grants 05/10 College of Arts and Sciences Mini Grant, New Mexico State University $2350 + matching funds (MK Nishiguchi) $3425 05/08 Integrative Biology 2008 Summer Research Grant (UCB) $1150 05/07 U. Calif. Museum of Paleontology Graduate Student Research Award $3820 01/07 Graduate Research Allocation Committee Travel Grant (UCB) $200 01/07 University of California Museum of Paleontology Research/Travel Grant $700 11/06 Graduate Student Assembly Travel Grant (UCB) $500 04/06 Sigma Xi Grants in Aid of Research $400 04/06 Hansen Fund Travel Grant (UCB) $585 03/06 Integrative Biology 2006 Summer Research Grant (UCB) $4300 03/06 Malacological Society of London Research Grant $1623 03/06 University of California Museum of Paleontology Research/Travel Grant $500 02/06 Graduate Research Allocation Committee Research Grant (UCB) $200 03/05 Integrative Biology 2005 Summer Research Grant (UCB) $3750 09/05 University of California Museum of Paleontology Research/Travel Grant $1500 05/01 Gaige Award American Society of Ichthyologist and Herpetologists $500 05/01 Sigma Xi Grants in Aid of Research $440 06/00 American Society of Ichthyologist and Herpetologists Travel Grant $300 06/00 Graduate Student Association Travel Grant (USU) ~$200 11/98 Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities grant (USU) $500 Professional Presentations 2011 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, talk and poster 2010 Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, talk 2008 World Congress of Herpetology Invited Symposium, talk 2006 Triennial Meeting of the Malacological Society of Australasia, talk 2006 Joint Meetings: American Malacological Society, Western Society of Malacologists, talk 2005 Joint Meetings: American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, the Herpetologist s League, talk 2004 Herpetology Seminar, UC Berkeley, talk 2002 Joint Meetings: Society for the Study of Evolution, Society of Systematic Biologists, talk 2002 Joint Meetings: American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, the Herpetologist s League, talk 2000 Joint Meetings: American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, the Herpetologist s League, poster
Williams Curriculum Vitae Page 5 of 5 1999 Joint Meetings: American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, the Herpetologist s League, poster 1999 Annual meetings of the Society for Northwestern Vertebrate Biology, talk Synergistic Activities Committees Search Committee, Assistant Professor USU Uintah Basin 2011-2012 Search Committee, Lecturer USU Uintah Basin 2011-2012 UCB Diving Safety Board, Graduate Student Representative Integrative Biology Faculty and Graduate Student Committee, Univ. of Calif. Berkeley Reviewer Services Herpetological Conservation and Biology, Journal of Chemical Ecology, Journal of Ethology, The Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases, Marine Biology, Marine Drugs, Oecologia, Toxicon Professional societies and other affiliations American Academy of Underwater Sciences American Malacological Society American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Animal Behavior Society Malacological Society of Australasia Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Society for the Study of Evolution Western Society of Naturalists Women In Science, University of California, Berkeley