Anna Scharnagl CV
EDUCATION
In progress Ph.D. in Integrative Biology, UC Berkeley, est.2024
M.A. in Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, May 2018
B.S. in Biological Sciences and B.A. in Religious Studies, Florida International University, May 2010
SKILLS
Editing, copy editing, writing, general Microsoft, some Adobe (Photoshop/Illustrator); educator, curriculum design; project design and consulting; naturalist; some bioinformatics, (skills in de novo assembly, Trinity suite, EdgeR/DEseq, RSEM, Trinotate, NCBI-blast suite, some MEGA/ClustalW); some neurophysiology including arthropod brain stimulation by muscarine and eserine using picospritzer, cobalt chloride staining, and micro-surgeries modifying insect nervous systems; manual labor and gardener; field biologist, (experience in high heat and humidity with biting bugs and in wetlands and on dry land), experience catching birds (mist-net and live traps), experience catching insects (light traps, funnels, nets, and hand catching), experience catching snakes (hand catch and drift fence), observing and recording animal behavior, measuring a slew of environmental factors (water, soil, plant cover, pH, temp, etc); artist
RECENT POSITIONS
May—October 2020. Field Technician (Lowry and Holeski labs, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI,
and Northern Arizona University, respectfully). Working on monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus, at Bodega
Marine Reserve and Pepperwood Preserve in California.
February—August 2019. Field Technician (Kooyers Lab, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA). Working
on monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus, in the Cascades in Oregon.
AWARDS
$3000 Summer Research Award (June 2022), Integrative Biology Department, UC Berkeley
$2500 Summer Research Award (May 2020), Integrative Biology Department, UC Berkeley
MENTORING EXPERIENCE
Team of undergraduates working on Plant-Microbiome-Cooccurrence: a literature mining and database
building project at UC Berkeley from May 2020-present.
One summer REU mentored through University of Louisiana on independent project working with
Mimulus guttatus in Oregon 2019.
Two summer REUs mentored at University of Missouri in Folk lab on cell tissue culture and treatment.
Also developed teaching tools for photosynthesis and sound for middle school STEM curriculum 2018.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
California Flora Graduate Student Instructor, UC Berkeley, spring 2022.
Taught students taxonomy of most of the native and present flora of California, led students on local field trips to highlight and test their knowledge.
California Natural History Graduate Student Instructor, UC Berkeley, fall 2021 and fall 2022.
Assisted with managing online discussion forums, grading, and developed and presented several lectures within the course.
Human Biological Variation Graduate Student Instructor, UC Berkeley, fall 2019 and fall 2020.
Lead 3 discussion sections on sensitive topics concerning the biological basis of human variation.
Intro to Biology Lab Graduate Student Instructor, UC Berkeley, spring 2020 and spring 2021.
Co-taught 2 lab sections in topics of basic biology. 2020 semester transitioned to virtual midway, 2021 was entirely virtual.
Integrative Human Biology Graduate Student Instructor, UC Berkeley, spring 2020.
Managed attendance and graded weekly reflection assignments for 150 students in seminar style course. Semester transitioned to virtual midway.
Intro to Biology Lab Teaching Assistant, University of Missouri-Columbia, 2013-2014, Fall 2015, 2017-
2018
Served as primary contact for biology major students; responsible for teaching lab, giving weekly lectures, and grading worksheets and quizzes.
Ornithology Teaching Assistant, University of Missouri-Columbia, Spring 2016
Responsible for leading lab, teaching how to ID museum specimens, writing practical-style exams, taking students on field trips to translate what they have learned out in the field, and grading quizzes and exams.
Invertebrate Zoology Teaching Assistant, University of Missouri-Columbia, Spring 2015
Responsible for leading lab, writing practical-style exams, and grading worksheets and exams.
Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy Lab Teaching Assistant, Florida International University, Fall 2012
Served as adjunct for the lab section, responsible for multiple dissections and brief lectures, writing practical-style exams, and grading exams.
Entomology Lab, Florida International University, Spring 2012
Responsible for leading lab, writing and grading exams, and evaluating insect collections.
PUBLICATIONS
Scharnagl, A, Frederick, K., Schul, J. (2018) Neural transcriptome profile of a katydid, Neoconocephalus triops: A resource for studying the molecular basis of communication. Molecular Ecology Resources (in progress).
Scharnagl, K., Scharnagl, A., von Wettberg, E. (2017) Nature’s potato chip: the role of salty fungi in a changing world. American Journal of Botany 104(5)1-4.
TALKS & POSTERS
Scharnagl, A. (7/2020) Landscape-level mapping of the microbiome, Virtual conference of Botany2020,
Botanical Society of America (talk).
Scharnagl, A. (4/14/20) Methods in mapping the microbiome OR Planning post-pandemic possibilities,
Eco-evo lunch talk, Stanford (talk).
Scharnagl, A. (4/13/2020) Warning: there is more to yellow than meets the eye OR Grief and coping in a
time of pandemic, Ecolunch talk, UC Berkeley (talk).
Scharnagl, A. The Katydid Rap (2016) DataBlitz 2016, BGSA event, University of Missouri (talk – a rap).
Scharnagl, A, Frederick, K., Schul, J. (2016) De novo assembly and annotation of the neural
transcriptome in a Neoconocephalus katydid, Animal Behavior Society Meeting 2016, University of
Missouri-Columbia (poster).
Scharnagl, A, Frederick, K., Schul, J. (2016) De novo assembly and annotation of the neural
transcriptome in a Neoconocephalus katydid, Life Sciences Week 2016, University of Missouri-Columbia
(poster).
Scharnagl, A. (2015) Effects of scaling on the neurophysiology of the auditory system of katydids,
EcoLunch Talk, University of Missouri-Columbia (talk).
Scharnagl, A. and Lloyd, J. (2010) Methods on studying mangrove landbirds during breeding season,
Third Annual Research Life Symposium, Florida International University (talk).
WORKSHOPS/CONFERENCES ATTENDED
JBIMS fall 2020, spring 2021, fall 2021, spring 2022
Virtual Botany 2020, 2021
Virtual Evolution, summer 2020, 2021
American Naturalists Association Meeting, Asilomar, CA, January 2020
Evolution (ASN, SSB, SSE), Providence, RI, June 2019
Evolution (ASN, SSB, SSE), Montpellier, France, August 2018
Evolution (ASN, SSB, SSE), Portland, OR, June 2017
Animal Behavior Society, University of Missouri-Columbia, July-August 2016 (presented)
Life Sciences Week, University of Missouri-Columbia, April 2016 (presented)
Evolution Bootcamp, University of Missouri-Columbia, January 2016
Bioinformatics Bootcamp, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, May 2015
Life Sciences Week, University of Missouri-Columbia, April 2015
Animal Behavior Society, University of Colorado, Boulder, July 2013
North American Ornithological Conference, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, August 2012
American Ornithologist’s Union, Jacksonville, FL, July 2011
Glaser Lecture Series, Florida International University (FIU), March 2011
Biology Research Symposium, FIU, January 2011
Third Annual Research Life Symposium, FIU, March 2010
OUTREACH
Skype-a-Scientist, partnered with Durham Elementary 2nd grade class. Topic: Animal communication and sounds. May 23rd, 2018. skypeascientist.com
Skype-a-Scientist, partnered with Popham Elementary 2nd grade class. Topic: Animal behavior and ecology. April 5th, 2018. skypeascientist.com
Skype with Philadelphia Zoo Crew (high school team); Pairing urban youth with experience in scientific fields and discussing different techniques to use to understand a variety of questions about animals out in the field. May 28, 2017 (organized by Asia Murphy via Twitter)
Active #scicom – science communicator on Twitter @AnnaScharnagl
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Society of Naturalists 2016-Present
Animal Behavior Society 2012-Present
C.V. Riley Entomological Society 2013-Present
Tropical Audubon Society 2011-Present
Theta Alpha Kappa: Religious Studies Honor Society 2008-Present
American Association for the Advancement of Science 2009-2014; Beta Beta Beta: Biology Honors Society 2009-2014; Delta Epsilon Iota: Academic Honors Society 2009-2014; Association of Field Ornithologists 2012-2013; Wilson Ornithological Society 2012-2013; American Ornithologists Union 2012-2013; National Scholar Honor Society 2009-2013
LANGUAGES
French, advanced
Spanish, intermediate
At least two semesters studied: Italian, Japanese, Sanskrit, and Swahili