Career Path

Born and raised in New Mexico, I attended the University of New Mexico where I earned my undergraduate and graduate degrees under the supervision of Michael Dougher. After completing my Ph.D. in psychology 1994, I spent seven years as an assistant professor of Psychology at Florida International University in Miami. During that time, my research focused on basic behavioral conditioning in humans and animals, but I always maintained an interest in neuroscience, sparked by many of the excellent neuroscience courses and faculty from my graduate training at UNM. &

In 2001 I took an opportunity to leave my faculty post and retrain in neurobiology, focusing on the biophysics of excitable membranes and intrinsic plasticity of excitable cells. I worked as a postdoc from 2001 through 2007 in the laboratory of Philip Stoddard, while I was funded by a K01 mentored career development award from NIH/NIMH. During the summer of 2003 the Neural Systems and Behavior course at the Marine Biological Laboratory provided an invaluable kick-start for my new area of research.

in 2006 I moved to the University of Texas at Austin, where I continued postdoctoral work in the lab of Harold Zakon, who was instrumental in my retraining. My responsibilities also included teaching laboratory courses for the Section of Neurobiology at UT.

In August 2011, I began a faculty position in the Department of Biology at the Unviersity of Oklahoma where I continued my academic career to this day.

Education

• B.A. Psychology, 1990 - University of New Mexico
• M.S. Psychology, 1991 - University of New Mexico
• Ph.D. Psychology, 1994 - University of New Mexico

Professional Positions since Ph.D.

• Associate Dean for Academic Programs, 2020- Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, University of Oklahoma
• Acting Chair, Department of Biology, 2019 University of Oklahoma
• Assistant Chair, Department of Biology, 2016-2019, University of Oklahoma, 2019
• Case-Hooper Professor, 2023-, Department of Biology,  University of Oklahoma
• Case-Hooper Associate Professor, 2015-2023 Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma
• Case-Hooper Assistant Professor, 2011-2015 Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma
• Lecturer, 2008-2011, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
• Research Scientist, 2006-2011, Section of Neurobiology, The University of Texas at Austin
• Research Associate Professor, 2001-2006 - Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University
• Assistant Professor, 1994-2001 - Department of Psychology, Florida International University

Funded Research

• NSF IOS 1644965 (2017-2022) $1.5M, IOS EDGE: Enabling genotype-phenotype studies in weakly electric fish. PI: J Gallant: Co-PIs: Markham, Sawtell, Warren, Zakon
• NSF IOS 1350753 (2014-2020) $719k, CAREER: The energetic costs of active sensory and communication signals: Integrating research and education through organismal, cellular, and molecular approaches
• NSF IOS 1257580 (2013-2016) $379k, Cellular mechanisms of rapid hormonal modulation in vertebrate communication signals
• NIMH 1K01MH064550. (2003 – 2008) $597k, Ion channels in regulation of excitable membranes
• NIGMS GM08205 subproject  (1998 – 2000) $223k,  An animal model of arbitrary stimulus classes and class-based transfer of stimulus functions

Honors and Awards

• Sam K. Viersen Family Presidential Professorship, 2018, University of Oklahoma
• Irene Rothbaum Outstanding Assistant Professor Award, 2014, OU College of Arts & Sciences
• Young Investigator Award, 2010, International Society for Neuroethology.
• Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship, 1991 - 1994.
• University of New Mexico Graduate Student Valedictorian, 1994
• Phi Beta Kappa, 1990