Contact Information

probstrodolfo[at]gmail.com

University of Utah
College of Science
Science Research Iniative (SRI) Program
257 S 1400 E
Salt Lake City, UT 84112

Education

University of Utah, USA 2022-present
Postdoctoral Fellow at Science Research Initiative (SRI), College of Science

University of Utah, USA 2022
Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, School of Biological Sciences

Universidade de São Paulo, Museu de Zoologia (MZSP), Brazil 2015
M.Sc. in Systematics, Animal Taxonomy and Biodiversity

Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP-CLP), Brazil 2012
B.S. in Biology, minor in Marine Biology

Awards

  • Collection Study Grant ($961; American Museum of Natural History) 2024
  • Outstanding Postdoctoral Researcher Award ($1,000; University of Utah) 2024
  • Faculty Seed Grant ($55,000; Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy) 2024
  • Field Exploration Grant ($4,000; American Society of Naturalists) 2023
  • Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) Education Beta Program 2023
    • Selected as researcher to be sponsored by ONT, funding varies by projects
  • Faculty Seed Grant ($55,000; Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy) 2023
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellowship ($189,000; University of Utah) 2022-2025 College of Science, Science Research Initiative (SRI) Program
  • Travel Grant Award ($1,570; International Union for the Study of Social Insects) 2022
  • University of Utah Teaching Award ($29,000; University of Utah) 2021
    • Award for my “Tree Thinking: Introduction to Phylogenetics” course
  • Higher Education Emergency Relief Grant ($500; University of Utah) 2021
  • Program Enhancement Fund ($800; Entomological Society of America) 2021
  • Graduate Student Travel Assistance Award ($800; University of Utah) 2019
  • Center for Lat. Am. Studies Travel Grant ($522; University of Utah) 2019
  • Travel Grant Award ($1,500; International Union for the Study of Social Insects) 2018
  • Center for Lat. Am. Studies Field Research Grant ($2,500; University of Utah) 2018
  • Conference Travel Award ($450; Society of Systematic Biologists) 2018
  • Systematics Research Fund ($1,658; The Linnean Society of London) 2017
  • Graduate Student Research Award ($1,300; Society of Systematic Biologists) 2017
  • Best Graduate Project Proposal ($500; University of Utah) 2016
  • The Polk Family Research Grant ($15,000; The Field Museum of Natural History) 2016
    • Worked as a Research Assistant for Dr. Corrie Moreau, identifying and curating the FMNH Ant Collections and on molecular phylogenetics projects
  • M.Sc. Fellowship (R$36,000; CAPES) 2013-2015
    • In addition, four research grants (including Visiting Research Grant which I used to conduct molecular phylogenetics work at the FMNH, totaling R$4,000
  • Visiting Researcher Grant (R$1,500; CAPES) 2015
    • Visited Dr. Rogério Rosa da Silva’s lab at the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (MPEG, Belém, Pará, Brazil) for a month to work on a manuscript and on the ant collection
  • Conference Travel Award (R$900; Programa de Apoio à Pós-Graduação) 2014
  • Undergraduate Fellowship (R$8,840; FAPESP - São Paulo Research Foundation) 2010-2012

Collaboration in Grants

  • Ant Diversity of the MesoAmerican Corridor (ADMAC) (NSF DEB-1254739)

  • Ants of the World (NSF DEB-1932405)

  • Developing Foundations for Nanopore DNA Sequencing Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences at Minority-Serving Institutions (NSF DUE-2216349)

  • ANTDIV: Characterziing Diversity and Community Assembly Rules in Amazonian Ants (Amazonian Research Foundation (FAPESPA) (Nº 029/2020))

  • Ampliando Conexões: Novos Arranjos para Monitoramento e Manutenção de Serviços Ecossistêmicos em Territórios Sociobiodiversos da Amazônia Oriental (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)) (Nº 022/2024)

  • Cerrados do Planalto Central: Estrutura, Dinâmica e Processos Ecológicos Fase 5 – Programa de Pesquisa Ecológica de Longa Duração (PELD) (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)) (Nº 023/2024)

Teaching Experience

  • SCI2715: SRI Undergraduate Research Spring & Fall 2024 & 2023, Spring 2025
       Instructor; University of Utah

  • SCI3900/HONOR3990: HSTEM: Being Human in STEM Spring 2024
       Co-Instructor with Dr. Claudia De Grandi; University of Utah

  • Examining and Addressing Climate Change in Costa Rica Spring 2024 & 2023
       Organizer, Coordinator, and Instructor; University of Utah

  • SCI1500: Principles of Scientific Inquiry Falls 2024 (2x), 2023 (2x), 2022
       Instructor; University of Utah

  • BIOL3960: Tree Thinking: Introduction to Phylogenetics Spring 2022 & Fall 2021
       Instructor; University of Utah

  • BIOL3410: Topics in Ecology & Evolution Falls 2020 & 2018, Spring 2017
       Teaching Assistant; University of Utah

  • BIOL3450: Rainforest Ecology & Conservation Springs 2019 & 2017
       Teaching Assistant; University of Utah

  • BIOL3450: Rainforest Ecology and Conservation (in Spanish) Springs 2019 & 2017
       Instructor; Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum Program at University of Utah

  • BIOL5445: Entomology Fall 2019
       Teaching Assistant; University of Utah. In addition to regular TA activities, designed and conducted the lab section of the course

  • Summer Camp “Exploring the Amazon” Summer 2019 & Summer 2018
       Teacher and Camp Counselor; Cultures and Languages Across the Curriculum Program at University of Utah. Week-long immersion camp in Portuguese for K-12 students

  • Introduction to Molecular Phylogenetics (in Spanish) Summer 2018
       Instructor; Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad del Magdalena, Santa Marta, Colombia. Short-term course for the Graduate Program in Biology

  • Hexapoda General Course (in Portuguese) Fall 2015
       Lecturer; Short-term course for Biology program at UNESP-CLP

  • II Curso de Formigas do Brasil (in English: II Brazilian Ant Course) 2013
       Instructor; Short-term course at UFMG (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil)

  • Pre-College Preparatory Course (in Portuguese) 2010-2011
       Grammar and Writing Teacher; Course organized by UNESP-CLP students to support underprivileged students to prepare for the mandatory University National Exam in Brazil

  • Invertebrate Zoology II (in Portuguese) Fall 2009-2011
       Teaching assistant; UNESP-CLP

Selected Invited Talks & Seminars

  • Empowering Student Research with Nanopore Sequencing: A Journey in Phylogenomics, Biodiversity, and Beyond 2025
       Invited Seminar; Bellevue College, Seattle

  • Learning from Ant-Plant Mutualisms: How Field Research Lays the Groundwork for Scientific Breakthroughs 2024
       Keynote Speaker; International & Area Studies Symposium, University of Utah.

  • Integrating Past, Present, and Future in Species Discovery 2024
       Invited Seminar; Summer Seminar Series at the Natural History Museum of Utah

  • Phylogenomic tools shed light on the evolution of ant-plant symbioses 2023
       Invited Seminar; IDGeNe (Increasing Diversity in Genomics for the Next Generation) Seminar, University of Puerto Rico, Campus Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico

  • Natural History Series 2022
       Invited talks for the general public during the Fall Semester at the University of Utah

  • Replaying life’s tape: determinism in Pantropical ant-plant mutualisms 2021
       Invited Talk; Scientific Communication Seminar, University of Utah.

  • Un enfoque filogenómico a la dinámica del mirmecofitismo: hormigas Myrmelachista y sus asociaciones de plantas en la Centroamérica 2020
       Invited Seminar; Universidad de Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica

  • Filling in the Gaps: employing UCEs alongside COI to reconstruct the evolutionary history of ant-plant symbioses 2020
       Invited Talk; Scientific Communication Seminar, University of Utah

  • A phylogenomic approach to myrmecophytism dynamics: Myrmelachista ants and their plant associations 2019
       Invited Seminar (In Spanish); Universidad Nacional de Comahue, Laboratorio Ecotono, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina

  • Déjà vu all over again: the evolution of ant-plant associations in Myrmelachista 2019
       3 Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, University of Utah

  • Déjà vu all over again: the evolution of ant-plant associations in Myrmelachista 2019
       Invited Talk; Scientific Communication Seminar, University of Utah

  • The Ants of Patagonia: Graduate Travel Award Presentation 2019
       Invited Talk; Center for Latin American Studies Symposium at University of Utah

  • UCE phylogenomics and species delimitation in the evolution of ant-plant associations 2018
       Invited Talk; Scientific Communication Seminar, University of Utah

  • Un enfoque filogenómico a la dinámica del mirmecofitismo: hormigas Myrmelachista y sus asociaciones de plantas en la Centroamérica 2018
       Invited Seminar; Universidad del Magdalena, Santa Marta, Colombia.

  • Why ant morphology matters? 2017
       Invited Talk; Scientific Communication Seminar, University of Utah

  • O uso de formigas como ferramenta para a conservação de remanescentes da Mata Atlântica. (In English: Using ants as a conservation tool to Atlantic Forest remnants) 2014
       Invited Seminar; II Semana da Mata Atlântica da Região Metropolitana da Baixada Santista, UNESP-CLP

  • Plasticidade trófica em Formicidae: Do que se alimentam as formigas, afinal? (In English: Trophic plasticity in Formicidae: What do ants eat, after all? 2013
       Invited Talk; UNESP-CLP

  • Formigas e guildas: evolução dos modelos para descrever a estruturação da comunidade (In English: Ants and guilds: the evolution of models to describe community structure) 2013
       Invited Seminar; EcoEncontros, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

  • Mais que açúcar: as múltiplas dietas das formigas”. (In English: “More than sugar: the multiple diets of ants”) 2012
       Invited Seminar; MZSP Lecture’s Cycle

  • Uma introdução à eussocialidade: contribuições genéticas e ecológicas (In English: An introduction to eusociality: ecological and genetic contributions) 2012
       Invited Seminar; UNESP-CLP

Outreach & Service

1. Selected Outreach

  • Great Salt Lake Audubon Chapter Birds ‘n Bites Seminar Series “Light Pollution and the Insectageddon: How Artificial Lighting is Fueling Insect Decline” 2024
    • Speaker; Talked to public about impacts of light pollution on insect populations
  • Member’s Day at the National Audubon Society Utah Chapter Since 2023
    • Organizer; Developed several outreach activities with a focus on insect conservation
  • STEM Community Alliance Program Since 2021
    • Presenter; NSF program that fosters interest in science among Youth-In-Custody
  • The Citizen DNA Barcode Network from CSHL DNA Learning Center Since 2023
    • Mentor; helped attendees for training at the Natural History Museum of Utah
  • STEM Ambassador Program 2021
    • Trainee for the 2021 class of that NSF Science Communication Program
  • Member’s and Earth’s Day at Tracy Aviary and Nature Center Since 2021
    • Developed outreach activities focusing on insect conservation; Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Panelist for the Diversity Fellows Program at the University of Utah 2019 & 2020
    • Program aimed to help students from underserved communities to enroll to graduate programs
  • Young Systematics Forum, Zoology Section 2021
    • Judge; London, U.K. (virtual due to the pandemic)
  • Nature All Around Us Exhibit opening at the Natural History Museum of Utah 2019
    • Organizer; Introduced the public to ants and facts about their biology and natural history
  • Science Day at the University of Utah 2018 & 2019
    • Co-presented a workshop (“Ants of the World”) for the visitors
  • Bug Fest at the Natural History Museum of Utah 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024
    • Organizer; Weekend-long celebration of insects. Presented talks and ran activities
  • BioBlitz at the Natural History Museum of Utah 2017, 2018, 2023
    • Group leader; Leaded walks in Salt Lake City to record and make lists of insect species
  • Science Communication Fellows at the Natural History Museum of Utah 2017 & 2018
    • Trainee and mentor; Program supporting training in scientific communication
  • Science and Nature for Youth in Custody 2017
    • Presenter; Visited secured facilities to present teenagers in the custody of the State of Utah with facts about ants, bringing ant colonies to run short experiments
  • YTY (Youth Teaching Youth) at the Natural History Museum of Utah 2016
    • Organizer; Science outreach program with Glendale Middle School students
  • 65th Members Night at the Field Museum of Natural History 2016
    • Presenter; “Behind the curtains” activities to the public for two straight days.
  • Meet the Scientist at the Field Museum of Natural History 2015-2016
    • Presenter; Shared with the visiting public pieces of the research we conducted with ants

2. Conference Organization

  • Advancing Species Identification through Innovative Technologies 2025
       Organizer; Approved Symposium at the Entomological Society of America 2025 Pacific Branch Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah

  • Back to basics in the era of -omics: A reappraisal of ant natural history 2023
       Organizer; Roundtable Symposium at the XXVI International Ant Meeting, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

  • Adapt, Advance, Coevolve: Exploring convergent evolution in ants and their partners 2021
       Organizer; Section Symposium at the Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado

3. Peer Reviewer

Sociobiology, Applied Soil Ecology, Biodiversity Data Journal, CheckList, Zookeys, Insectes Sociaux, Zootaxa, Insect Systematics and Diversity, Neotropical Entomology, Journal of Biogeography, Arthropods Systematics and Phylogeny, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Journal of Hymenoptera Research.

4. Departmental Service

SBS, University of Utah, Invited Speaker Committee 2019-2022
SBS, University of Utah, Graduate Student Handbook Committee 2017-2018
SBS, University of Utah, Graduate Entertainment Committee 2016-2017
MZSP, Graduate Committee 2013-2015
UNESP-CLP Undergraduate Committee, Campus Library 2009-2012
UNESP-CLP Undergraduate Committee for the Academic Center 2008-2009