Jeff Ahern

Curriculum Vitae

Jeff Ahern

119D Anderson Biology LAbs
Rice University, MS170
6100 Main Street
Houston, Texas, 77005
713-348-3858

Education

Rice University, Houston, TX
Graduate Student, August 2006-present
Advisor: Dr Ken Whitney

University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
B.S. in Biology, Magna Cum Laude, May 2005
Advisor: Adam Porter

Research Experience

2006-Present: Research assistant at Rice University, employed under Dr. Ken Whitney

2005-2006: Lab Technician for Dr. Adam Porter at UMass Amherst, Department of Plant Soil and Insect Science.  Molecular work studying population genetics of various insect systems (Lepidoptera, Coleoptera).
Summer 2005: Lab Manager for Dr. Mitchell Baker in Queens College, New York. Studying insecticide resistance in the Colorado Potato Beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata).  Helped lead summer team of undergrads and high school students doing both lab and field studies. 
2004-2005: Honors thesis project studying behavioral mechanisms of pesticide resistance in the Colorado Potato Beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata).  Advisor was Dr. Adam Porter at UMass, Amherst, Dept. of Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences.

Summer 2004: Worked as a research assistant for Dr. Mitchell Baker at UMass, Amherst Studying insecticide resistance in the Colorado Potato Beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata). 

Teaching and Mentoring Experience

Spring 2007: Teaching assistant for undergraduate course in plant diversity. 

2005-2006: Trained and mentored undergraduate working as a lab assistant.

Summer 2005: Mentor to two undergraduate and two high school lab assistants.  Assisted in developing independent projects, analysis and presentation of results.

Fall 2004: Guest lecturer in an undergraduate level entomology course.  Taught principles of insecticide resistance and conducted laboratory experiments.

Publications
Whitney, K.D.; Ahern, J.R.; & Campbell L.G.  Hybridization-prone plant families do not generate more invasive species.  Biological Invasions.  In Review