Daniel R. Howard

Daniel R. Howard is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and candidate for the doctor of philosophy degree in the biological sciences at the University of Tulsa. Daniel was sponsored by the AIBS Diversity Scholars Program to present his research, titled "Plasticity in lek spatial dynamics in Gryllotalpa major (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae): the influence of above-ground botanical biomass and grass height on male spacing" at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology in Phoenix, Arizona January 3-7, 2007. He is a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and is of Cherokee and Shawnee heritage. Daniel lives in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, completed a B.S. and M.S. degree at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, and is married with two daughters. He is an active member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in the Sciences (SACNAS) and the American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES) and is a founding member of the University of Tulsa's AISES chapter. His research interests include questions that investigate the evolution and diversity of acoustic repertoires in insect reproductive behavior, the spatiotemporal dynamics of orthopteran insect reproductive aggregations, the use of GIS technology in biodiversity surveys and habitat modeling, and factors influencing the academic success of Native American students enrolled in secondary and post-secondary STEM courses. Daniel will be completing his degree program in the summer of 2007 and has plans to pursue either a postdoctoral training experience or tenure track faculty position in the biological sciences.