Lars Schmitz, Assistant Professor of Biology, W.M. Keck Science Department, Claremont McKenna College, Pitzer College, and Scripps College, Claremont, CA 91711
[note: publications are listed here]
EDUCATION
06/2008 Ph.D. in Geology (emphasis: Paleobiology), UC Davis. Supervisor: Ryosuke Motani. Thesis title: “The inference of diel activity pattern in fossil archosaurs using eyeball morphology and visual optics”.
09/2004 Transferred to University of California, Davis.
09/2003 Enrolled in Geology (Ph.D. program), University of Oregon, Eugene. Supervisor: Ryosuke Motani.
03/2003 Diplom (M.Sc. equivalent) in Geology/Paleontology, University of Bonn (Germany). Supervisor: Martin Sander. Thesis title: “The mixosaurs (Ichthyosauria, Mixosauridae) from the Middle Triassic of the Augusta Mountains (Nevada, USA)”.
06/2000 Vordiplom (B.Sc. equivalent) in Geology/Paleontology
SELECTED FELLOWSHIPS, AWARDS, PRIZES, AND GRANTS
2012 PI (with Samantha Price and Graham Slater) for a NESCent Catalysis meeting: “Integrating approaches to macroevolution: combining fossils and phylogenies” (to be held in April 2013)
2010 PI for National Geographic Research and Exploration Grant (8817-10: The enigmatic Omphalosaurus and the diversification of marine reptiles)
2009-2011 DFG Research Fellowship
2008 M.A. Fritz Travel Award, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto
2008 Co-PI for National Geographic Research and Exploration Grant (8385-08: The marine vertebrate fauna of the Middle Triassic of Nevada)
08/2005 – 07/2007 DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Doctoral Stipend
2005 Bernd-Rendel Prize of DFG (Deutsche Forschungs- Gemeinschaft)
10/2002 HIGH LAT Award, European Commission’s program for “Improving the Human Research Potential and the Socio-Economic Knowledge Base” (IHP), NRM Stockholm (Sweden)
07/2002 Samuel P. and Doris Welles Award, UCMP Berkeley, California
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Since 07/2012 Assistant Professor of Biology, W.M. Keck Science Department, Claremont McKenna College, Pitzer College, and Scripps College
07/2009 – 06/2012 Postdoctoral Researcher at UC Davis, Department of Evolution and Ecology, Wainwright Lab, including a 3-months research project in Shaun Collin’s neuro-ecology lab at the University of Western Australia, Perth (December 2010 – March 2011)
04 – 06 /2009 Lecturer at UC Davis
01 – 03/2009 Postdoctoral Researcher at UC Davis, Department of Geology, Motani Lab
06/2008 – 12/2008 Lecturer at UC Davis
CLASSES TAUGHT
Listed in alphabetical order: Dinosaurs in the movies: science vs. fiction, Earthquakes and other natural hazards, Evolution of sensory systems, History of Life, Oceans, Paleobiology, Vertebrate Anatomy
FIELD WORK EXPERIENCE
09 – 10/2011 PI, excavation of Triassic marine reptiles in Nevada
08/2010 Ichthyologic field trip to Curacao
07/2008 Co-PI, excavation of Triassic marine reptiles in Nevada. This excavation was featured in two National Geographic documentaries: Wild Chronicles (2009) and Ancient Sea Monsters (2010)
07/2006 Field Assistant, excavation in South China: Triassic marine reptiles
05/2006 Survey in the Middle Triassic of Nevada (1 week)
09/2004 Field trip to Triassic fossil lagerstaetten in South China.
08 – 09/2002 Geological mapping, Mesozoic and Cenozoic, Crimea Island, Ukraine
1998 – 2002 Various field trips (1-3 weeks each) to localities in Europe and the USA, organized by University of Bonn
1994 – 1998 Field Assistant, geological-paleontological excavations of University of Münster (Germany). Duration: Two months each summer
CURATORIAL EXPERIENCE
10/1998 – 10/2002 Student Assistant at the Institut für Paläontologie, Universität Bonn (Germany): curatorial tasks and mechanical preparation of fossils
03 – 04/2001 Curatorial Assistant: designing and preparing exhibit: “Sea scorpions and armored fish” in the “Siebengebirgsmuseum” in Koenigswinter (Germany)
03 – 04/2000 Curatorial Assistant: designing and preparing exhibit: “Allgemeine Paläontologie” in the “Goldfussmuseum”, Bonn (Germany)
02/1999 Curatorial Assistant: designing and preparing exhibit: “240 Mio. Jahre Erdgeschichte im Teutoburger Wald” in Halle, (Germany)
INVITED TALKS
09/2012 Department of Biology, CSU San Bernardino
04/2011 Department of Geological Sciences, UT Austin
02/2011 School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Perth
01/2009 Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto
05/2007 California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco
02/2007 UCMP Berkeley
OTHER SELECTED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2012 Co-organizer of the SVP symposium: “Phylogenetic and comparative paleobiology: new quantitative approaches to the study of vertebrate paleontology”
Since 01/2012 Dawson Award Committee Member (Society of Vertebrate Paleontology)
01/2007-01/2008 Seminar Organizer in the Department of Geology, UC Davis, (with Ryan Gold): scheduling, invitation of speakers, organization of travel arrangements
09/2004 – 05/2006 Website Editor for 3DMuseum.org: using 3D processing software to create interactive, rotatable objects on websites
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Societies with longest active membership are listed first: Paläontologische Gesellschaft, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Paleontological Society, Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, The Society for the Study of Evolution
MEDIA EXPERIENCE
2010 National Geographic Channel, Naked Science: Ancient Sea Monsters
2008 National Geographic Channel, Wild Chronicles: The Life Aquatic
