Dr. V. J. P. Syverson

Curriculum Vitae | May 27, 2019

Clovis Community College, State Center Community College District

2658 E. Alluvial Ave, #206, Fresno, CA 93720

Phone: (559) 288-2872 | E-mail: vsyverson@gmail.com

Current Appointments

Geology and Biology Instructor, Clovis Community College (2018-present). Courses taught:

Senior Paleontologist, PaleoWest Consulting (2018-present). Projects supervised:

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ph.D., Geology, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Advisor: Dr. Tomasz K. Baumiller

Dissertation title: Predation, resistance, and escalation in sessile crinoids

Completed: November 7, 2014 | Degree conferral date: December 14, 2014

California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California

B. S., Geology

Postdoctoral training

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Wisconsin, Madison (2016-2018). Projects:

Related work experience and training

Teaching

Introduction to Biological Sciences (Clovis Community College): Lab instructor, introductory class for biology-track students. Authored lab manual (see below).

Physical Geology (Clovis Community College): Sole teacher, introductory class in principles of physical geology. Lecture, lab, and field trip.

Introduction to Earth Sciences (Clovis Community College): Sole teacher, introductory survey course in earth sciences. Lecture and lab.

Evolution and Extinction (University of Michigan, Fall 2010, Winter 2012-2014): Designed and taught weekly discussion sections for lower-level non-majors paleontology course; graded written exams.

Paleontology Laboratory (University of Michigan, Winter 2011): Sole teacher for junior/senior level invertebrate paleontology lab, including lesson design, exams, and field trip.

Museum collections management

Museum assistant, University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology (Summer 2010, 2011, 2012; Fall 2011, 2012) (funded from NSF award DBI 0847820): Assisted collections manager in organizing specimens and digitizing collection information.

“Exhibit Design” class, University of Michigan, winter term 2014.

Computer programming

Web development: HTML5/CSS/Javascript

Research code: R, SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL)

Technical communication

Author of lab manual for BIOL-3, Clovis Community College (September 2018-present): Wrote, rewrote, and/or edited a sequence of 16 labs for introductory nonmajors biology course, laid it out and prepared it for publication. The resulting book is being used as the standard text for students in this class at CCC starting in fall 2019.

Technical editor, Paleo Solutions/Rocky Mountain Paleo Solutions (October 2015 – June 2016): Editedtechnical reports (planning, permitting, surveys, compliance, and mitigation) on paleontological, archeological, and environmental resources

Consulting editor, American Journal Experts (February 2015-June 2016): In-field English- language and technical editing services on scientific publications (to date: 41 articles)

Technical writer, ESolar (June 2008-July 2009): Consulted with engineers to write documentation and make diagrams for field manuals on the operation of solar-thermal field hardware and software

Copy and layout editor,The California Tech(undergraduate newspaper) (2004-2008)

Paleontological consulting

Senior paleontologist, PaleoWest (June 2018 – present): Conducting archival research, field surveys,and monitoring; supervising staff paleontologists, writing paleontological resources plans and technical reports, and all other aspects of projects where paleontological research is required.

Professional training

Paleobiology Database Intensive Workshop in Analytical Methods (Summer 2011)

HTML5/CSS Bootcamp I, Geekwise Academy (January/February 2015)

Service

Rewrote lab manual and reorganized lab sequence for BIOL 3 at Clovis Community College

Fall 2018 field trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium/Point Lobos with BIOL 11b & GEOL 1 classes

Organizing committee member for Early Career Scientists Symposium, Winter 2013 (Macroevolution: Fossils, Frameworks, and Phylogenies), University of Michigan Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Publications

Published papers

Long, K., D. Prothero, and V. J. P. Syverson. “How do small birds evolve in response to climate change? Data from the long-term record at La Brea tar pits.” 2020, Integrative Zoology 15: 249–261.

Prothero, D., M. Madan, and V. J. P. Syverson. “Stasis in the smaller owls from Rancho La Brea during the last glacial-interglacial climate change.” Paleontologica Electronica, 2019.

Syverson, V. J. P.,C. Brett, F. Gahn, and T. K. Baumiller. "Spinosity and regeneration in Middle Paleozoic crinoids confirm predator taxonomic preferences". Paleobiology, published online 21 March 2018.

Long, K., D. Prothero, and V. J. P. Syverson. “Did Saber-Tooth Kittens Grow Up Musclebound? A Study of Postnatal Limb Bone Allometry in Felids from the Pleistocene of Rancho La Brea." PLoS One (27 Sep 2017).

Peters, S. I. Ross, J. Czaplewski, A. Glassel, J. Husson, V. J. P. Syverson, A. Zaffos, and M. Livny. "Diving into published text, tables, and figures with GeoDeepDive", 2017. Eos 98, published 22 Sep 2017.

Syverson, V. J.,Charles G. Messing, and Tomasz K. Baumiller. "First insights into growth and population dynamics in the extant cyrtocrinid Holopus mikihe (Crinoidea) near Roatán, Honduras", 2014. Bulletin of Marine Science 91 (1).

Syverson, V. J.,and Tomasz K. Baumiller. "Temporal trends of predation resistance in Paleozoic crinoid arm branching morphologies", 2014. Paleobiology 40 (3):417-427.

Prothero, Donald R.,V. J. Syverson,K. R. Raymond, M. Madan, S. Molina, A. Fragomeni, S. DeSantis, A. Sutyagina, and G. L. Gage. “Geographic Clines, Chronoclines, and the Fossil Record: Implications for Speciation Theory”, 2016. Species and Speciation in the Fossil Record, pp. 389-404.University of Chicago Press.

Gillespy, P., D. R. Prothero,V. J. P. Syverson."Stasis in teratornsfrom the La Brea Tar Pits during the last glacial-interglacial cycle", 2016. New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletin 74 (Fossil Record 5).

Madan, M., D. R. Prothero,V. J. P. Syverson."Stasis in Barn Owls from the La Brea Tar Pits during the last glacial-interglacial cycle", 2015. New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletin 74(Fossil Record 5).

Long, K. L., D. R. Prothero,V. J. P. Syverson."Stasis in Rancho La Brea black vultures (Coragyps occidentalis) over the last glacial-interglacial cycle", 2016. New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletin 64 (Fossil Record 5).

Madan, M., D. R. Prothero,V. J. P. Syverson."Stasis in Great Horned Owls from the La Brea Tar Pits during the last glacial-interglacial cycle", 2015. New Mexico Museum of Natural History Bulletin 67(Fossil Record 4).

Prothero, D.R.,V. J. Syverson,K. R. Raymond, M. Madan, S. Molina, A. Fragomeni, S. DeSantis, A. Sutyagina, and G. L. Gage, 2011. "Size and shape stasis in late Pleistocene mammals and birds from Rancho La Brea during the Last Glacial-Interglacial cycle". Quaternary Science Reviews 56:1-10.

Syverson, V. J.,and D.R. Prothero, 2010. "Evolutionary patterns in late Quaternary California condors". PalArch Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology 7:1-18.

Papers in preparation

Syverson, V. J. P., I. Ross, and S. Peters. "The quantitative footprint of natural history collections and specimens in the scientific literature".

Purens, K. J., and V. J. P. Syverson. "Sampling methods for paleobotanical assemblages reveal Permian ecotope fluctuations".

Syverson, V. J. P."Frequency of encrustation and galling on Paleozoic crinoid columnals."

Conference abstracts (as first/presenting author only)

Syverson, V. J. P. "The quantitative footprint of natural history collections and specimens in the scientific literature". (talk) Geological Society of America Conference, 2017.

Syverson, V. J. P.,"Changing frequencies of infestation traces and reaction features in Paleozoic crinoid columns". (talk) Geological Society of America Conference, 2015.

Syverson, V. J. P.,Meena A. Madan, and D. Prothero. "Stasis in great horned owls from the La Brea tar pits during the last glacial-interglacial cycle". (poster) Society of Vertebrate Paleontologists 75thAnnual Meeting, 2015.

Syverson, V. J. P.,M. Madan, and D. R. Prothero. "Stasis in great horned owls from the La Brea Tar Pits during the last glacial-interglacial cycle". (submitted) Society of Vertebrate Paleontologists Annual Conference, 2015.

Syverson, V. J.,Charles G. Messing, and Tomasz K. Baumiller, 2014. "First insights into growth and population dynamics in the extant cyrtocrinid Holopus rangii (Crinoidea)". (presentation) North American Echinoderm Conference, 2014.

Syverson, V. J.,Charles G. Messing, and Tomasz K. Baumiller, 2014. "Reconstructing cyrtocrinid ecology and biology based on living populations of Holopus and Cyathidium". (poster) 10th NAPC Abstract Book, PS Special Publications Vol. 13, p. 38.

Syverson, V. J.,and Tomasz K. Baumiller, 2013. "Spinosity over time in Paleozoic crinoids and its implications for predation pressure". (presentation) Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 45, No. 7, p.757.

Syverson, V. J.,and Tomasz K. Baumiller, 2012. "Evolutionary response in Paleozoic crinoid arm branching patterns to grazing predators". (presentation) Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 44, No. 7, p.137.

Syverson, V. J.,and Baumiller, Tomasz K., 2011. "Morphological variability and developmental constraints in crinoid arms". (poster) Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 43, No. 5, p. 85

Prothero, Donald R., Raymond, K., Meena, A., Fragomeni, A., Desantis, S. N.,Syverson, V. J.,Molina, S., and Linden, S., 2011. "Bergmann's rule, climate change, and stasis in late Pleistocene mammals and birds from Rancho La Brea". Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 43, No. 5, p. 332

Syverson, V. J.,and Prothero, Donald R., 2007. "Evolutionary patterns in Pleistocene to Recent California condors". (poster) Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 39, No. 6, p. 77



Profiles and Portfolios

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/V_Syverson

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xZZM1EMAAAAJ&hl=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-syverson-4a46093

Github: https://github.com/vjpsyverson

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