Degree Training

Our training effort has focused on graduate students, with an emphasis on Ph.D. degrees that train experts in the fields of systematics and Dipterology. Although all of our graduate students (listed below) will probably remain in systematics and Dipterology, none will likely work primarily on the Therevidae once they graduate. For instance, Gaimari is working on Lauxanioidea, Holston will work on Asilidae, Metz on Syrphidae, Winterton on Scenopinidae, Hauser on Stratiomyidae, Yang on higher level phylogenies within the Diptera.

Stephen D. Gaimari completed a Ph.D., Dept. Entomology, UIUC, in June '98. His study made great headway towards monographing a dominant higher level taxon from the Americas and Asia. A portion of his dissertation is in press, with other parts being prepared for submission. Gaimari received intensive, hands-on training in molecular systematics at NCSU. He accepted a Visiting Lectureship in the Dept. Entomology, UIUC, where he taught Evolution and Classification of Insects (ENT 302), fall '98 semester. After submitting several manuscripts based on his graduate work, Gaimari will begin a Smithsonian Institution Postdoctoral Fellowship in March '99, during which he will focus on resolving the basal lineages of the Lauxanioidea (Diptera: Acalyptratae).
Kevin C. Holston successfully defended his M.S. thesis in Nov.'98 on nomenclatural challenges presented by the species-rich genus Thereva. The thesis is currently being crafted into two papers for publication. He will graduate with a Masters of Science in May '99. He completed all course requirements for a Ph.D. at the Dept. Entomology, UIUC, Dec.'98 and successfully passed the written exams required for advancing to Candidacy for a Ph.D. He will take the oral exams in March '99. His Ph.D. dissertation will define the clade that contains Thereva and monograph a diverse genus within that species-rich clade. He is on track to receive a Ph.D. in 2000.
Shaun L. Winterton completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in Science (Entomology), July '97, Dept. Entomology, UQ. His thesis, in press, monographed a new Australian genus of stiletto flies containing 20 new species. His Ph.D. Candidacy began August '97. He has now defined the clade containing the Australian genus Agapophytus and made exceptional progress toward monographing its complex nominal genus with 70+ species. Feb. and March '99 were spent at NCSU, where he will work out the phylogenetic relationships among the Australian genera belonging to the Agapophytus­Group using molecular techniques. He is on track to receive his Ph.D. in 2000.
Mark A. Metz completed coursework in May '99 towards a Ph.D. in Entomology, UIUC. In addition to coursework in entomology, he has taken courses in evolutionary ecology and mathematical modeling. He has completed the written exams and will take the oral exam in mid February for advancing to Candidacy for a Ph.D. He has monographed a clade of 13 species in 3 Lindneria and 2 new genera, one of which is represented by a Dominican amber fossil (submitted). For his dissertation study, he has begun to examine the phylogeny of a species-rich clade within the Therevinae that includes the genus Brachylinga.
Martin Hauser, Diploma, Technical Univ., Darmstadt, Germany, had a two-year traineeship at the Museum of Natural History, Stuttgart. He arrived in August '98 to begin his Ph.D. studies in the Dept. Entomology, UIUC, accepting the PEET research assistantship just vacated by Gaimari. He has completed the core course in Insect Ecology, proficiencied out of the Evolution and Classification of Insects core course, participated in the fall '98 ENT 426 seminar (toxicology), and is enrolled in Insect Genomic Analysis. Hauser, with a Diptera background has begun his research into the phylogeny of the Phycinae (Therevidae) and will monograph its included taxa.
Longlong Yang joined the Dept. Entomology, NSCU, in July 1996. His training has involved courses and labs in molecular systematics, genetics, statistics, insect ecology and evolutionary biology. He will take his Ph.D. qualifying exams in May '99. His dissertation topic focuses on the higher level phylogenetic relationships of Therevidae based on nucleotide sequence data. His research to date includes data collection and phylogenetic analyses for two genes in 45 therevid genera, which form the basis of a manuscript submitted for publication. He is on track to receive a Ph.D. degree in late '99 or early 2000.
Narelle Power completed a Bachelor's degree with Honours at UQ in Dec.'98. Her thesis, which is being prepared for publication, analyzed the spatial and temporal distribution of Therevidae in SE Queensland. Power will work as a research assistant in Yeates' lab during '99 and will monograph a species-rich Australian therevid taxon for a Ph.D. dissertation starting in 2000.
J. Marie Metz (Jill D. Mullett), a part-time graduate student in Art Education, UIUC, is the illustrator for the therevid project. In training to become a scientific illustrator, she worked with Irwin and graduate students to interpret structures and represent them accurately. Mullett has pursued training in scientific illustration by using therevids as models for class projects and teaching demonstrations, by becoming a member of and attending annual meetings of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, and through networking with Guild members. She is becoming efficient at using electronic media to hone her illustrations for publication, has become a resource for other illustrators across the country and around the world, and is building an impressive reputation within the scientific illustration community.