Lisa M.

Prowant
Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University –Stony Brook, NY 11794
Phone: (913) 909-6468 | Email: lisa.prowant@stonybrook.edu
Website: lisaprowant.weebly.com

EDUCATION

2014-Present Candidate in PhD Program

Ecology and Evolution Department
Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Advisor: Dr. H. Resit Akçakaya, Ph.D.

2011-2014 M.S. in Biological Sciences

Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS
Advisor: Dr. Robert Channell, Ph.D.

2007-2011 B.A. in Biology

Graduated Magna Cum Laude
Benedictine College, Atchison, KS

2005-2008 Johnson County Community College

Overland Park, KS

GRANTS AND AWARDS

2017-2019 Science Training and Research to Inform Decisions (STRIDE) Fellowship

($51,000)
2018 Best Visualization Award (STRIDE Fellows), Fall 2018
2018 Graduate Student Employees Union Professional Development Award, 2018
($400)
2017 Conservation Leadership Award, Ecology and Evolution Department, Stony
Brook University
2017, 2019 R.R. Sokal Research in Statistical Biology Award, Stony Brook University
($1,500)
2014 Ecology and Evolution Recruitment Fellowship ($1,000)
2011 Fr. Eugene Dehner Award, Benedictine College: Biology Department Award of
Excellence
2011 Benedictine College Discovery Scholar Award
2007-2010 Fr. Sylvester Schmits Scholar, Benedictine College
2009-2010 Benedictine College Discovery Grant, 2010 ($380)
2009 Kansas Comprehensive Grant, 2009 ($500)

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Kinlock, N., Prowant, L., Herstoff, E., Foley, C., Akin-Fajiye, M., Bender, N., Umarani, M., Ryu, H.Y., Sen, B.,
& Gurevitch, J. Open science and meta‐analysis allow for rapid advances in ecology: A response
to Menegotto et al. (2019). Global Ecology and Biogeography. 2019; 00:1–2.

Kinlock, N., Prowant, L., Herstoff, E., Foley, C., Akin-Fajiye, M., Bender, N., Umarani, M., Ryu, H.Y., Sen, B.,
& Gurevitch, J. Explaining global variation in the latitudinal diversity gradient: Meta-analysis
confirms known patterns and uncovers new ones. Global Ecology and Biogeography. 2018;
27:125–141.
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PUBLICATIONS IN REVIEW

Prowant, L. & Burke, R.L. Poor Correlation Between Diamondback Terrapin Population Estimates Using
Two New Estimation Methods. In Review at Herpetologica.

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS

Ecological Society of America

Kansas Herpetological Society
Western New York Herpetological Society

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2014, 2016, 2019 Teaching Assistant

Landscape Ecology (BIO319/BEE574)
Stony Brook University – Stony Brook, NY
2018 Teaching Assistant
Software Carpentry Advanced Python workshop
Institute for Advanced Computational Science
Stony Brook University – Stony Brook, NY
2018 Teaching Assistant
R Programming for Beginners
Institute for Advanced Computational Science
Stony Brook University – Stony Brook, NY
2017 Instructor
Applied Ecology (BIO356/BEE 587)
Stony Brook University – Stony Brook, NY
2017 Guest Lecturer
Introduction to Mapping and Data Visualization, HS WISE Program
Stony Brook University – Stony Brook, NY
2017 Guest Lecturer
Introduction to Mapping with ArcMap, Institute for STEM Education
Stony Brook University – Stony Brook, NY
2017 Guest Lecturer
Biology 45000, Symbiosis
CUNY The City College of New York – New York, NY
2015, 2017 Teaching Assistant
Applied Ecology (BIO356/BEE 587)
Stony Brook University – Stony Brook, NY
2013 Teaching Assistant
Biodiversity and Conservation Biology (BIOL 665)
Fort Hays State University – Hays, KS

SELECTED APPOINTMENTS & RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

2015-Present Incorporating biotic interactions into species distribution models for improved
conservation planning
Ph.D. Dissertation Research
Stony Brook University – Stony Brook, NY
2016 Determining the efficacy of current published methods in sexing Eastern Box
Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina)
William Floyd Estate (Historic unit of the Fire Island National Seashore)
Lisa M. Prowant 3

In collaboration with Dr. Nancy Karraker, University of Rhode Island

2015-2016 Graduate Research Assistant (Dr. H. Resit Akçakaya)
The Effects of Extreme Climate Events on Avian Demographics
Stony Brook University – Stony Brook, NY
2011-2014 Graduate Research Assistant (Dr. Robert Channell & Dr. William Stark)
Southwestern Kansas Reptile and Amphibian Survey 2012-2013
Fort Hays State University – Hays, KS
2011-2014 Inferring species distributions of herpetofauna in south-central Kansas for
conservation planning
Master’s Thesis Research
Fort Hays State University – Hays, KS
2014 Possible Effects of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs on Abundance and Diversity of Small
Mammals and Raptors in Mixed and Shortgrass Prairie of Western Kansas
Volunteer Research Technician
Fort Hays State University – Hays, KS
2011-2013 Fort Hays State University Bird Banding Station
Volunteer Research Technician
Fort Hays State University – Hays, KS
2011 Sexual Selection in a High Plains Population of Crotaphytus collaris
Volunteer Research Technician
Fort Hays State University – Hays, KS
2009-2011 Undergraduate Research Assistant
Wetland Restoration Functional Assessment on Mitigation Sites
Benedictine College – Atchison, KS

ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

2016-Present Test Proctor, Scribe, and Note-taker

Student Accessibility Support Center (f.k.a. Disability Support Services)
Stony Brook University – Stony Brook, NY
2010-2011 Tutor
Biology Department
Benedictine College – Atchison, KS
2008-2011 Departmental Assistant
Biology Department
Benedictine College – Atchison, KS

SELECTED POSTERS AND PRESENTATIONS

Prowant, L., Akçakaya, H.R. Factors affecting eastern box turtle occurrence at varying spatial scales.
Presented at the Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Louisville, KY, 2019.
Prowant, L. Incorporating biotic interactions into box turtle density estimates on Long Island, NY.
Presented at the North American Box Turtle Conservation Workshop, Browns Summit, NC,
2019.
Prowant, L., Channell, R., and Stark, W. Inferring Species Distributions of Herpetofauna in South-central
Kansas for Conservation Planning. Presented at the Southwest Association of Naturalists’ Annual
Meeting, McNeese State University, 2013 & the Kansas Herpetological Society Annual Meeting,
Fort Hays State University, 2012.
Prowant, L., Mullins, G., Spain, M., Tharman, E., Prentice, A., Simon, M., Bowen, D., and Malloy, T.
Patterns of Biodiversity and Abundance of Terrestrial Invertebrates on Three Mitigation Sites in
Northeast Kansas. Presented at Discovery Day Symposium, Benedictine College, Atchison, KS,
2011.
Lisa M. Prowant 4

Prowant, L., Mullins, G., Spain, M., Simon, M., Bowen, D., and Malloy, T. Spider Distribution and
Abundance in the Benedictine Bottoms. Presented at Discovery Day Symposium, Benedictine
College, and Missouri River Natural Resources Conference and BiOp Forum, 2010. (Poster
Presentation)
Spain, M., Prowant, L., Mullins, G., Simon, M., Bowen, D., and Malloy, T. Reviving the Paleontological
Collection of Benedictine College. Presented at Discovery Day Symposium, Benedictine College,
2010. (Poster Presentation)

TECHNOLOGICAL PROFICIENCIES

Maximum Entropy species distribution modeling, RJAGS, PRESENCE version 5.9, R, RAMAS,
IDRISI/TerrSet, ArcGIS version 10, DIVA-GIS, SPSS, Statview, ENVI, Kaleidagraph, Microsoft Office, GPS,
ATV and boat operation

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

2019-Present Project Partner

Shutterbug Science (shutterbugscience.com)
2019 Consultant
Wildlife assessment for restoration project in Patriot’s Hollow State Forest
2017, 2019 Lecturer
Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt Nature Center – Bridgehampton, NY
2018 Volunteer judge
Research Association’s WAC Lighting Invitational Science Fair
Manhasset High School – Manhasset, NY
2018 Guest speaker
Robert Cushman Murphy Junior High School – Stony Brook, NY
2018 Instructor
Workshop for the Bayport Gifted Students program
Stony Brook University – Stony Brook, NY
2017 Consultant
White-tailed deer management project for the town of Southold, NY
2016 Lecturer
Two-part series for children and adults on Box Turtle conservation
South Fork Natural History Museum – Bridgehampton, NY

SERVICE

2019 Graduate Student Representative

Committee to write Ph.D. Preliminary Examination
Ecology and Evolution Department, Stony Brook University
2019 Graduate Student Representative
Awards Committee for Ecology and Evolution Department
Stony Brook University
2017-2018 Secretary
Stony Brook Ecology and Evolution Club
2015-2016 Organizer
Graduate Student Seminar on biotic interactions– Stony Brook University

Reviewed for Ecography, Peer J, Diversity