Curriculum vitae
21 July 2008
Taylor Sultan Quedensley
Plant Biology Graduate Program
University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station, #A6720
Austin, TX 78712
(512) 471-8854
Education
Bachelor of Science in horticulture with minors in entomology and biology at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, 1998. Advisor: Ellen Paparozzi
Master of Science in biology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2006. Thesis title: “The Asteraceae of Pico Zunil, Guatemala.” Advisor: Tom Bragg.
Ph.D. program in plant biology at the University of Texas at Austin, 2nd year. Dissertation research: Origin, Evolution, and Conservation Status of Roldana and Telanthophora (Senecioneae: Asteraceae). Advisor: Robert Jansen.
Research experience
Graduate Research Assistantship (May 2008-August 2008) University of Texas at Austin Plant Biology Graduate Program, Supervisor: Dr. Thomas Juenger
Master of Science Research (August 2003-August 2006) Thesis title: The Asteraceae on Pico Zunil.
Investigator, (December 2003-present) Lichens of Pico Zunil, Guatemala.
Teaching Experience
Graduate Teaching Assistantship (August 2006-present), University of Texas at Austin Plant Biology Graduate Program
Structure, Physiology, and Reproduction of Seed Plants, Plant Anatomy, Survey of the Plant Kingdom, Introductory Biology II.
Graduate Teaching Assistantship (August 2003-December 2005), University of Nebraska at Omaha Biology Department
Botany, lichenology, and general biology laboratories; preparation of laboratories for plant anatomy and morphology of non-vascular plants.
University of Nebraska at Lincoln (1996-1998)
Two semesters of insect identification and one semester of woody plant identification for the Entomology and Horticulture Departments, respectively.
Other Work Experience
Graduate Teaching Assistantship (August 2006-present)
University of Texas at Austin Plant Biology Graduate Program
Graduate Teaching Assistantship (August 2003-May 2005)
University of Nebraska-Omaha Biology Department
Laboratory preparation for undergraduate courses.
Greenhouse Operations Manager (August 2002-May 2005)
Creighton University, Department of Biology
Volunteer Assistant to Horticultural Manager (August 1998-April 2002)
San Francisco Botanical Garden, San Francisco, CA
Propagation via seed, cuttings, and division, greenhouse care and maintenance, volunteer coordination, selection of plant materials for botanical garden, collaboration with other institutions, seed collecting expeditions to Cloud Forests of Guatemala, plant sales, identification and taxonomy of New World Cloud Forest and California native plant species, assisting gardeners and landscape designers in selection of plants.
Service
Member of search committee for plant systematics position at University of Nebraska at Omaha (August 2004-July 2005).
Volunteer work with National Honor Society students from Central High School, Omaha, NE (Spring 2004).
Member of Plant Identification Team 1997-98; placed fourth as a team internationally in a competition in Guadalajara, Mexico 1998.
Awards, Grants, Fellowships, and Scholarships
Received:
Blattstein Endowed Presidential Scholarship, School of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin $2500, Summer 2008.
Mexico Summer Research Grant, The Mexican Center, Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies, University of Texas at Austin $750, Spring 2008.
Travel Award, Plant Biology Graduate Program, University of Texas at Austin $800, Spring 2008.
Jean Andrews Faculty Fellow Internship, Plant Biology Graduate Program, University of Texas at Austin $1500, Spring 2008.
Travel Award, Pre-Graduate School Internship, College of Natural Sciences, University of Texas at Austin $150, Fall 2007.
Travel Award, Graduate College, University of Texas at Austin $625, Spring 2007.
Travel Award, Pre-Graduate School Internship, College of Natural Sciences, University of Texas at Austin $400, Spring 2007.
Visiting Scholarship to the Smithsonian Institution at the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. $1715, Fall 2006.
Linda Escobar Fellowship in Systematic Botany, Plant Biology Graduate Program, University of Texas at Austin $1000, Fall 2006.
NASA Nebraska Space Grant Statewide Scholarship, NASA Nebraska Space Grant & EPSCoR Program $1000, Fall 2005.
Presidential Fellowship, Graduate College, University of Nebraska at Omaha $12,000 plus tuition remission, Fall 2005.
Fund for Excellence, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Nebraska at Omaha $2500, Fall 2005.
Travel Award, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Nebraska at Omaha $500, Fall 2005.
Travel Grant for Lichen Research in Guatemala, New York Botanical Garden $4200, Fall 2005.
Student Travel Award, American Bryological and Lichenological $250, Summer 2005.
Graduate Thesis Scholarship, Graduate College, University of Nebraska at Omaha $1000, Spring 2005.
Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Graduate College, University of Nebraska at Omaha $500, Spring 2005.
University Committee on Research, Research Grant, University of Nebraska at Omaha $500, Spring 2005.
Graduate Research Grant, Biology Department, University of Nebraska at Omaha $250, Fall 2004.
Visiting Scholarship to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, IL. $425, Fall 2004.
Summer Graduate Scholarship, Graduate College, University of Nebraska at Omaha $1000, Summer 2004.
Visiting Scholarship to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, IL. $315, Spring 2004.
Graduate Research Grant, Biology Department, University of Nebraska at Omaha $250, Fall 2003.
Presentations and Invited Talks
Quedensley, T. S., T. B. Bragg, and M. E. Véliz P. “Asteraceae of Pico Zunil,” Botany 2006 Conference, Chico, CA, Summer 2006.
Quedensley, T. S. “Lichens of Pico Zunil: Preliminary Glimpse Into Guatemalan Cloud Forest Lichen Diversity,” Botany 2005 Conference, Austin, TX, Summer 2005.
"Botanical Explorations in the Cloud Forests of Guatemala," University of Nebraska at Omaha, Biology Department Graduate Seminar Series, Spring 2003.
"Botanical Explorations in the Cloud Forests of Guatemala," Creighton University, Omaha, NE, Environmental Science Seminar Series, Fall 2003.
"Botanical Explorations in the Cloud Forests of Guatemala," University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Horticulture Department, Fall 2002.
"Horticultural Potential of Guatemalan Cloud Forest Plants," Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Garden, San Francisco, CA, Spring 2002.
Posters
Quedensley, T. S., and R. French. "Contributions to the Flora of Pico Zunil," Botany 2007 Conference, Chicago, IL, Summer 2007.
Research interests
Origin, Evolution, and Conservation Status of Pittocaulon, Roldana, and Telanthophora (Senecioneae: Asteraceae).
Taxonomy of Guatemalan cloud forest Asteraceae.
Latin American cloud forest conservation.
Lichen taxonomy and biogeography.
Teaching High School Biology.
Professional Societies
American Bryological and Lichenological Society
American Society of Plant Taxonomists
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
Society of Systematic Biologists
Publications
Quedensley, T. S. and T. B. Bragg 2007. The Asteraceae of Northwestern Pico Zunil, a Cloud Forest in Western Guatemala. Lundellia 10: 49-70.