Elinore J. Theobald
University of Washington
Department of Biology, Box 351800
Seattle, WA 98194
ellij AT u.washington.edu
EDUCATION
2010 - 2016 PhD. Dissertation title: Local impacts of global change: shifting range limits, advancing phenology, and communicating
research. Field work conducted at Mount Rainier National Park;
Dissertation advisor: Janneke HilleRisLambers, Associate Professor, Department of Biology.
2006 - 2009 Masters in Education. Shirley M. Hufstedler School of Education, Alliant International University, San Francisco, CA
Thesis: "Project Frog: Inquiry-Based Instruction in the Secondary Science Classroom."
2001 - 2006J Bachelor of Arts. Colby College, Waterville, Maine. Major: Biology with a concentration in Environmental Science.
CURRENT POSITION
2016 - Research Associate in Biology Education, University of Washington
Current projects: Meta-analyzing student performance with respect to racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps in active
learning classrooms; Investigating achievement gaps across a Chemistry curriculum with 15-years of retrospective registrar data.
Advisor: Scott Freeman
GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS, and AWARDS
2018 Mary Race Bevis, Postdoc Award, UW Biology ($1,500)
2015 Huckabay Teaching Fellowship ($9,372)
2015 National Park Service Research Grant ($8,000)
2014 Mazamas Grant in Aid of Research ($2,000)
2013 American Alpine Club Research Grant ($1,000)
2012 Giles and Guy Field Botanical Award, UW Biology ($2,500)
2011 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship ($123,000)
2011 Experimental Field Ecology Award, UW Biology and Bob Paine ($1,500)
2011 Best Graduate Student Talk, UW Biology Retreat ($300 for travel to a conference)
2010 Top Scholar Award, UW Graduate School (one quarter of support)
HONORS
2005 Chester Webster Prize for enthusiasm for Biology and contributing to the departmental community, Colby College
2005 All-college Jacquelyn Nunez Leadership Award for demonstrating academic excellence and personal leadership, Colby College
PUBLICATIONS
DISCIPLINE-BASED EDUCATION RESEARCH
Theobald, E.J., S.L. Eddy, D. Grunspan, B.L. Wiggins, & A.J. Crowe. 2017. Group dynamics impact individual performance in introductory biology. Plos One, 12(7): e0181336.
Wiggins, B.L., S.L. Eddy, L. Wener-Fligner, K. Freisem, D.Z. Grunspan, E.J. Theobald, J. Timbrook, & A.J. Crowe. 2017. ASPECT: A survey to assess student perspective of engagement in an active-learning classroom. CBE - Life Sciences Education, 16(2): ar32.
Theobald, E.J., A.J. Crowe, J. HilleRisLambers, M.P. Wenderoth, S. Freeman. 2015. Women learn more from local than global examples of the biological impacts of climate change. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 13(3): 132-137.
CITIZEN SCIENCE (Informal Education)
Wilson, A., K.Bacher, I.Breckheimer, J.Lundquist, R.Rochefort, E.Theobald, L.Whiteaker, & J.HilleRisLambers. 2017. Monitoring wildflower phenology using traditional science, citizen science, and crowd sourcing. Park Science, 33(1): 17-26.
Burgess, H.K.*, L.B. DeBey*, H.E. Froehlich, N. Schmidt, E.J. Theobald, A.K. Ettinger, J. HilleRisLambers, J. Tewksbury, & J.K. Parrish. The science of citizen science: exploring barriers to use as a primary research tool. Biological conservation, 208: 113-120. *Indicates equal contribution.
Theobald, E.J.*, A.K. Ettinger*, H.B.Burgess, L.B.DeBey, N.Footen, H.Froelich, C.Wagner, J.HilleRisLambers, J.Tewksbury, M.A. Harsch, & J.Parrish. 2015. Global Change and Local Solutions:Tapping the unrealized potential of citizen science in biodiversity research. Biological Conservation, 181: 236-244. *Indicates equal contribution.
ECOLOGY
Theobald, E.J.*, I. Breckheimer*, & J. HilleRisLambers. Climate-induced phenological reassembly of a flowering community. Ecology, 98(11): 2799-2812. *Indicates equalcontribution.
Ford, K.R., I.Brekheimer, J. Franklin, J. Freund, S.Kroiss, A. Larson, E.J.Theobald & J.HilleRisLambers. 2016. Competition alters tree growth responses tolimate at individual and stand scales. Canadian Journal or Forest Research, 47: 53-62.
Theobald, E.J., H.Gabrielyan, J.HilleRisLambers. 2016. Lilies at the limit: variation in plant-pollinator interactions across an elevational range. American Journal of Botany, 103(2): 1-9.
HilleRisLambers, J., M.Harsch, K.R.Ford, A.K.Ettinger & E.J.Theobald. 2013. How will biotic interactions influence climate change-induced range shifts? Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1297:112-125.
Stone, J.S. and E.G.Jenkins 2008. Pollinator abundance and pollen limitation of fruit set for Witheringia solanacea at premontane and lower montane sites. Biotropica 40(1):55-61.
SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS
Academic Presentations
2017 Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research; Minneapolis, MN: "Group experience impacts individual performance."
2017 University of Washington Department of Biology Seminar - Postdoc mini-symposium; "Group experience impacts
individual performance."
2017 University of Washington Symposium of Teaching and Learning; Seattle, WA: "Group experience impacts individual performance."
2015 Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research; Minneapolis, MN; "Local vs. Global: Women learn more from local
examples of the biological impacts of climate change. Post"er.
2014 Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA: "Timing is Everything: subalpine wildflower phenology is driven by snow and traits."
2014 Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Sacramento, CA: "Local vs. Global: Women learn more from local examples of the
biological impacts of climate change."
2014 Mount Rainier Research Symposium, Ashford, WA: "Direct and Indirect Effects of Climate on Plants and their Pollinators"
video available online
2012 Conserving Plant Biodiversity in a Changing World, UW Botanic Garden, Seattle, WA: "Lilies at the Limit: Range limits and
conservation in a changing world." by E.J.Theobald and J.HilleRisLambers
2012 Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Portland, OR: "Global Change Calls for Global Change: Biodiversity research and
citizen science data." by E.J.Theobald with DBDGS
2012 Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Portland, OR: "Life at the Limit: Pollen limitation of an early flowering lily
(Erythronium montanum)." poster by E.J.Theobald and J.HilleRisLambers
2011 Graduate Student Symposium, UW Biology, Seattle, WA: "Lilies at the Limit: Range limits and conservation in a
changing world." by E.J.Theobald and J.HilleRisLambers
2011 Department Retreat, UW Biology, Friday Harbor, WA: "Lilies at the Limit." by E.J.Theobald and J.HilleRisLambers
2005 Undergraduate Research Symposium, Colby College, Waterville, ME: "The preferential foraging and habitat
selection sites of Black-capped chickadees." poster by E.J.Theobald with H.Wilson
2005 Public Lecture, China, ME: :A watershed analysis of China Lake: findings and proposed course of action to counter the
rapid eutrofication of China Lake." by E.Jenkins and BI493 classmates with Russ Cole and Dave Firmage
Invited Guest Lectures
Biology 481 - Experimental Ecology and Evolution
Biology 317 - Plant Systematics
Biology 502 - Grant Writing
Biology 471 - Plant Ecology
Biology 315 - Biological Impacts of Climate Change
Biology 506 - Grad student life; Topic: active teaching strategies
Presentations to a Broad Audience
2006 Monte Verde Park Rangers, Monte Verde Reserve, Costa Rica: "Witheringia solanacea and its pollinators in the
Monte Verde cloud forest." by E.Jenkins and J.Stone
2006 San Luis Research Station, San Luis Costa Rica: "Ecological research in the tropics, a case study." by E.Jenkins
2004 Supporting Women in Science (SWIS), Colby College Chapter, Waterville, ME: "From mountain to meadow, the
story of vegetation recovery on Mount Saint Helens." by E.Jenkins with Roger del Moral (UW)
2006 - 2010 As a middle school and high school biology teacher: shared personal experience, scientific inquiry
techniques, and current research with my students.
OTHER RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
2012 - present Co-creator MeadoWatch, a citizen science project to monitor Wildflower phenology at Mount Rainier National Park
2012 - present Active member of the Biology Education Research Group. Website.
2011 - 2015 Dimensions of Biodiversity Distributed Graduate Seminar, "What is the role and efficacy of citizen
science in monitoring global-scale relevant biodiversity issues?"
2008 Summer Research assistant to Professor Benjamin Houlton, University of California at Davis: "What is the
biogeochemical source of primary nutrients in the pygmy forest?" Mendocino, CA and Davis, CA
2005 - 2006 Research assistant and crew leader for Professor Judy Stone, Colby College: "What is the pollination regime and range
limit ecology of the Costa Rican shrub, Witheringia solanacea?" (four months in the field, five months in the lab)
2005 - 2006 Thesis Project: "What are the habitat-specific preferential foraging and predatory defense behaviors of
Black-capped chickadees?" Advisors: Herb Wilson and Stacey Lance, Colby College
2004 Summer Research assistant to Professor Roger del Moral, University of Washington: "How has the vegetation recovered since the
1980 Mount Saint Helens erruption?" Mount Saint Helens, Washington
2003 Summer Research assistant to Professor Paul Greenwood, Colby College: "How does nudibranch mucous inhibit nematocyst
firing rate in sea anemones?" Waterville, Maine
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2017 Instructor - unlisted course: Data Analysis in R for Education Research. University of Washington Department of Chemistry.
2015 Instructor - Biology 497: Local Impacts of Global Climate Change. University of Washington Department of Biology. Course
mentors: Martha Groom, Scott Freeman, Lauren Buckley.
2014 Biology 471- Plant Ecology - Guest Lecture
2012 Biology 315 - Biological Impacts of Climate Change - Guest Lecture
2011 Instructor - Biology 179: Learning to Learn in Science, a Companion Course to Introductory Biology. University of
Washington mentor: Scott Freeman
2011 Ecology Seminar Leader and Coordinator - Phenology. University of Washington, Biology.
2011, 2014 R Seminar Leader and Coordinator - Ecological Data Analysis in R. University of Washington, Biology.
2011 Teaching Assistant, University of Washington, Biology:
Biology 180: Introductory Biology, supervisor: John Parks
Biology 317: Plant Classification and Identification, supervisor: Richard Olmstead
Biology 325: Diversity of Life (writing course) - Reader/Grader
2009 - 2010 Adjunct Instructor, Alliant International University:
Graduate and Certificate level teacher credentialling course specific to secondary science teachers
2006 - 2010 Middle School and High School Science, Coliseum College Preparatory Academy, Oakland, California placed through
Teach for America, supervisors: Aaron Townsend (principal) and Fabiana Ahumada (assistant principal)
2009 - 2010: 9th grade Biology and Teacher on Special Assignment: Instructional Coach
2008 - 2009: 8th grade Physical Science and 9th grade Biology
2007 - 2008: 8th grade Physical Science and 8th grade Algebra Review
2006 - 2007: 7th grade Life Science and 7th grade Pre-Algebra
2005 Summer Instructor and Residents Assistant at Exploration Summer Programs, (middle school years) Wellesley College:
Aquatic Biology, Terrestrial Ecology, and Sailing
2003 First Aid and CPR to Spanish-speaking migrant workers in northern Maine, supervisor: Priscilla Doel, Colby College
MENTORING EXPERIENCE
2015 Mentored Colin Fagan, undergraduate Research Assistant during summer field work at Mount Rainier National Park.
2014 Mentored James Lucas, NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates, on his REU project and summer field season.
2012 - 2013 Mentored Hrach Gabrielyan, undergraduate department of biology on his independent study and poster presentation at
the Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, University of Washington. "Sex-Ratio Bias in Subalpine Erythronium
montanum"
2011 - 2014 Mentored four undergraduate Research Assistants during summer field work at Mount Rainier National Park: Jen Rickwalt
(2011), Courtney Ray (2011), Natasha Lozanoff (2012), Hrach Gabrielyan (2013), James Lucas (2014)
2011 - 2012 Biology Incoming Grad mentor to two first-year graduate students, University of Washington
2008 - 2010 Instructional Coach to four new teachers, duties included devising, implementing, and managing teachers'
professional development plan
2001 - 2002 Colby Cares About Kids elementary school mentor to one second grader
LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
2011 - 2012 Co-Leader of the University of Washington Dimensions of Biodiversity Distributed Graduate Seminar
2009 - 2010 Leader of a two-school Science Fair for 6th through 11th graders, recruited 80 judges per year to participate
2007 - 2010 Coliseum College Preparatory Academy Instructional Leadership Team member, biweekly meetings to evaluate the school site
plan and develop strategies to meet school instructional goals
2008 - 2010 Science Department Chair, Coliseum College Preparatory Academy
2008 - 2010 8th and 9th grade lead teacher, Coliseum College Preparatory Academy
2009: Spring Education Consultant to Center for Educational Partnerships, University of California at Berkeley, curriculum
development "Realizing the College Dream" aimed at getting students from diverse backgrounds to college and helping them stay there
2005 - 2006 Co-founder of Ecology and Evolution Journal Club, Colby College
2004 - 2005 Co-creator and organizer for the Green Campus Summit, a three-day intercollegiate conference focusing on campus
sustainability, Colby College
ACADEMIC and PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
University of Washington
2012- 2013 Graduate student representative on Departmental Diversity Committee, committee head: Barbara Wakimoto
2011 - 2012 Graduate student representative on Departmental Undergraduate Program Committee, committee head: Joe Ammirati
2011: Fall Co-planned, organized, and coordinated the Annual Biology Department Graduate Student Symposium
Grant and Manuscript Reviewer For:
CBE - Life Sciences Education
National Geographic Society Grant
Ecology Education Digital Library
Journal of Computer Assisted Learning
Society and Natural Resources
Southeastern Naturalist
Torrey Botanical Society
Biological Conservation
OUTREACH
K-12 Education
2018 Judge: Graduate Student Symposium; provided feedback to graduate student presenters
2018 Lab Tour: organized and delivered and education lab presentation to 5 groups of middle school visitors
2013 Audubon FUN (Finding Urban Nature) Volunteer: bringing nature to urban elementary students
2012 & 2014 Presenter at Seattle Expanding Your Horizons conference to expose middle school girls to STEM careers
2010 - 2012 Presented active teaching strategies to incoming University of Washington Biology graduate students
2011 - 2012 EduCurious "Expert" for high school students during various units; "Expert" for video production to educate about climate
change; Panelist "Expert" at teacher training
2011 Panelist for summer research students at University of Puget Sound
2011 Field trip leader, Mount Rainier tour for business students from University of Seoul, South Korea
2011 National Lab Day participant, organized and delivered lab presentation to elementary school visitors
2010 Weekly volunteer in Mr. Ettinger's 8th grade science classroom at Mercer Middle School
2003 - 2005 Science outreach volunteer in Albion Elementary School, supervisor: Julie Millard, Colby College
2002 Volunteered in an orphanage in Quito, Ecuador for 3 months
Citizen Science
2012-2016 Co-creator and Program Design Coordinator of MeadoWatch, a citizen science project to monitor wildflower phenology at
Mount Rainier National Park.