Dr. Evelyn C.

Rynkiewicz Fashion Institute of Technology

Department of Science and Mathematics
evelyn_rynkiewicz@fitnyc.edu
http://evelyn-rynkiewicz-phd.weebly.com/
Twitter: @evierynk

Professional Appointments
2017-present Assistant Professor of Ecological Sciences
Fashion Institute of Technology
Department of Science and Mathematics

2015-2017 Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Columbia University in the City of New York
Department of Ecology, Evolution & Environmental Biology
Supervisor: Maria Diuk-Wasser

2013-2015 National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in Biology

University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biological Sciences
Supervisor: Amy B. Pedersen

Education
2013 Ph.D., Indiana University, Department of Biology
Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program
Advisor: Keith Clay

2006 B.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison

Biological Aspects of Conservation
Certificate: Environmental Studies
Advisors: Charles Snowdon, Karen Strier

Publications
Babayan, S. A., W. Liu, G. Hamilton, E. Kilbride, E. C. Rynkiewicz, M. Clerc, and A. B. Pedersen. 2018. The
Immune and Non-Immune Pathways That Drive Chronic Gastrointestinal Helminth Burdens in the Wild.
Frontiers in Immunology. 9(56).
Rynkiewicz, Evelyn C.*, Julia Brown*, Danielle M. Tufts, Ching-I Huang, Helge Kampen, Stephen J. Bent,
Durland Fish, and Maria A. Diuk-Wasser. 2017. Closely-related Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto strains
exhibit similar fitness in single infections and asymmetric competition in multiple infections. Parasites &
Vectors. 10:64. *authors contributed equally to this work
Rynkiewicz, Evelyn C., Chris Hemmerich, Doug Rusch, Clay Fuqua and Keith Clay. 2015a. Concordance of
bacterial communities of two tick species and blood of their shared rodent host. Molecular Ecology. 24:
2566-2579.
Rynkiewicz, Evelyn C., Amy Pedersen, and Andy Fenton. An ecosystem approach to understanding and
managing within-host parasite community dynamics. 2015b. Trends in Parasitology. 31: 212-221.
Rynkiewicz, Evelyn C. and Keith Clay. Tick community composition in Midwestern US habitats in relation to
sampling method and environmental conditions. 2014. Experimental and Applied Acarology. 64:109-119.
Rynkiewicz, Evelyn C., Hadas Hawlena, Lance A. Durden, Michael W. Hastriter, Greg Demas, and Keith Clay.
2013. Associations between innate immune function and ectoparasites in wild rodent hosts. Parasitology
Research. 112:1763-1770.
Hawlena, H., E. Rynkiewicz, E. Toh, A. Alfred, L. A. Durden, M. W. Hastriter, D. E. Nelson, R. Rong, D. Munro,
Q. Dong, C. Fuqua, and K. Clay. 2013. The arthropod, but not the vertebrate host or its environment,
dictates bacterial community composition of fleas and ticks. ISME J. 7:221-223.
Civitello, David J., Evelyn Rynkiewicz and Keith Clay. 2010. Meta-analysis of co-infection in ticks. Israel Journal of
Ecology & Evolution. 56: 417-431
Bonner, Jose, James Hengeveld, Richard Holdeman, William Ruf, and Evelyn Rynkiewicz. 2008-present. Biology
L113 Laboratory Manual. Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

Publications submitted or in prep

Rynkiewicz Evelyn C., Andy Fenton, Amy B. Pedersen. in revision. Linking community assembly and structure
across scales in a wild mouse parasite community. Journal of Animal Ecology.
Rynkiewicz, Evelyn C., Sean Prall, Keith Clay, Michael P. Muehlenbein. in revision. Cytokine profiles of rodent
hosts in relation to ticks and tick-borne pathogens. Parasitology.
Rynkiewicz Evelyn C., Melanie Clerc, Simon Babayan, and Amy B. Pedersen. in prep-a. Pro-inflammatory
cytokines as a structuring mechanism of parasite communities within and between within-host infection
sites.
Rynkiewicz Evelyn C., Stephen E. Harris, Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis, Maria A. Diuk-Wasser. in prep-b. Using
transcriptomics to reveal white-footed mice immune profiles in response to experimental infection with
Borrelia burgdorferi or tick infestation

Fellowships, Grants and Awards

2013 NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology ($157,000)
2012 Louise Constable Hoover Fellowship ($1000)
2011 NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant ($14,952)
2009 Indiana Academy of Science Senior Research Grant ($2,774)
2009 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention
2008 Floyd Summer Fellowship in Plant Sciences, Indiana University ($2,881)
2007 Indiana University Fellowship (1-semester stipend)
2005 Hilldale Research Fellowship, University of Wisconsin-Madison ($5,000)
2004 Summer Sophomore Research Apprenticeship, UW-Madison ($1,500)

Teaching and Professional Experience

2017-present Instructor, Fashion Institute of Technology
Courses taught: Ecology and Environmental Problems, Field Biology, Introductory Biology
2016 Guest lecture, Disease Ecology (Columbia University)
2007-2013 Associate Instructor, Department of Biology (Indiana University)
Courses taught: Ecology, Evolution, Vertebrate Zoology Lab, Introductory Biology Lab, Biology of
the Senses (non-majors course)
2012 Instructor, Foundation in Science and Mathematics (two-week high school summer prep course),
Introductory Biology (Indiana University)
2007 Small-mammal behavior field assistant (Miami University-Ohio)
2006 Forest entomology field and laboratory technician (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
2003-2006 Undergraduate research assistant in cotton-top tamarin behavioral research laboratory
(University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Mentoring
2018 Faculty advisor, Biodesign Challenge (FIT)
2016 Mentor to Earth Institute Internship Program undergraduate (Anuka King, Columbia University)
2013-2014 Mentor to Senior Honors Thesis students (Catherine Campbell, Ami Patrick, University of
Edinburgh)
2011 Mentor to Independent Study Student (Alisha Bechtel, Indiana University)
2008-2010 Mentor to NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates Grant recipient (Jonathan Kagemann,
Indiana University)

Invited Talks
3/20/2018 Fairleigh Dickinson University (Madison, NJ)
2/22/2013 Wabash College (Crawfordsville, IN)

Service and Professional Development

Ad-hoc reviewer, NSF DEB proposal
Manuscript Reviewer: Functional Ecology, Oikos, Evolutionary Ecology, Journal of Animal Ecology, Vector-borne
and Zoonotic Diseases, PLOS ONE, PeerJ
Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Disease Workshop: Disease modeling and analysis in R (2012)
IU Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior Conference, Student planning committee (2008-2012)
IU Graduate Recruitment Weekend Activities Committee Chair (2010)

Professional Presentations
Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Disease: 2010-2017 (selected for oral presentation 2015)
British Ecological Society: 2014, 2015
British Society for Parasitology: 2014, 2015
Ecological Society of America: 2011-2013, 2015
European Wildlife Disease Association: 2014
Indiana Academy of Science meeting: 2010-2011
Univ. of Michigan Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Early Career Scientists Symposium: 2011
IU Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior Conference: 2010-2012
IU Women in Science Research Conference: 2011
IU EEB Brown Bag Seminar: 2008, 2011

Outreach and Volunteering

2016 Poster judge, Columbia Postdoc Research Symposium
2015 Edinburgh International Science Festival volunteer, “Parasites everywhere!”
2014 Edinburgh Doors Open Days volunteer, “Dr. Bones” exhibit
2013 Bloomington Parks and Recreation, “Bugfest” presenter
2011, 2012 Bloomington Parks and Recreation “Roving Naturalist” outreach table at Bloomington farmer’s
market
2011, 2012 Presentation on ticks and tick-borne disease to local farmer’s group
2009-2010 Trail hike leader, James Holland Summer Program
2009 Leonard Springs Nature Day Volunteer, Bloomington Parks and Recreation Education Outreach
2008 Monroe County Regional Junior and Senior High Science Fair Judge

Ecology and academic life blog: http://itsabouttheecology.blogspot.com