Associate Professor of Biology
Office 3136 Mesa Building
Phone (432) 552-2271
E-mail: post_d@utpb.edu
Degree
Ph.D., Kansas State University, 1991
CURRICULUM VITAE
EDUCATION:
1985 B.S. Biology Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
1991 PhD. Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas. Dissertation: An analysis
of factors affecting cache use by eastern woodrats (Neotoma floridana).
Dissertation Advisor: O. J. Reichman
EXPERIENCE:
January 2007 to Present Chair, Department of Biology, University of Texas of the Permian Basin
August 2003 to Present Associate Professor, University of Texas of the Permian Basin
August 1997 to August 2003 Assistant Professor, University of Texas of the Permian Basin
August 1991 to August 1997 Instructor, Kansas State University, Division of Biology
August 1996 to December 1996 Visiting Assistant Professor, Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas
August 1986 to May 1991 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Kansas State University
Summer 1987 and 1988 Research Assistant Konza Prairie Research Natural Area, Long
Term Ecological Research, insect ecology project.
COURSES TAUGHT:
Undergraduate Courses
Kansas State University:
Principles of Biology, Ecology of Environmental Problems, Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory,
Organismic Biology Laboratory, Ecology Laboratory, Botany Laboratory
Bethany College:
Environmental Science
University of Texas –Permian Basin:
Animal Behavior, Animal Behavior Laboratory, General Biology II, General Biology II Laboratory,
General Biology I Laboratory, Ecology, Field Biology, Evolution, Principles of Ecology, Vertebrate
Zoology, Vertebrate Zoology Lab
Graduate Courses
University of Texas –Permian Basin:
Advances in Ecology, Advances in Animal Behavior, Conservation Biology
GRADUATE STUDENTS:
Carolyn Kinne
Thesis: Influence of Southern Plains woodrats (Neotoma micropus) on the reproductive success
of honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa).
Jill Miller
Thesis: A comparison of the health status of Neotoma micropus at disturbed and undisturbed
sites in west Texas.
Clovis Stacey
Thesis: Effect of human disturbance on the distribution of vegetation and mammal populations
in a desert ecosystem.
AWARDS and GRANTS:
1988 Presidential Scholarship, Kansas State University Foundation, Manhattan, Kansas
1990 Grant-in-aid of Research Award, Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
1994 National Science Foundation. Research Experience for Undergraduates in Prairie Ecology at
Konza Prairie Research Natural Area. $50,000.00 (P. I., Co-P.I.'s E. Dale Kennedy and John Zimmerman).
1994 National Science Foundation. Ethics Course for Research Experience for Undergraduates Program.
$4,000.00 (P. I., Co- P.I. Jerry Weis)
1995 National Science Foundation. Research Experience for Undergraduates in Grassland Ecology at
Konza Prairie Research Natural Area. $143,554.00 (P. I., Co-P.I.'s Christopher Smith ,Walter Dodds,
David Hartnett)
1997 University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Faculty Development Grant. Determination of energy
management strategy by Southern Plains woodrats. $1,500.00.
1998 Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission. Air quality Monitoring. $8,000.00.
1999-2000 Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission Air Quality Monitoring $22,390.00
2000-2001 Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission Air Quality Monitoring $22,390.00
2001 La Mancha Society, Golden Windmill Award, for research of special promise. $1,000.00
2002 UTPB Research and Sponsored Projects. Proposal Preparation Grant to Biology Faculty. $9,000.00
2003 UTPB Research and Sponsored Projects Preparation Grant to Biology Faculty. 7,497.00
2005 UTPB STAR/LEER. Hematological analysis equipment and Hologic bone density/body fat scanner.
$170,000.00 (Co PI J. Eldridge)
2005 UTPB Faculty Development Grant. Noldus Observer, behavioral analysis hardware and software. $6,100.00.
2006 UTPB Faculty Development Grant. Proposal Development, $4,000.00
2006 UT System ARP. Behavioral adaptation of Neotoma micropus to human disturbance. $99,284.00 (unfunded)
2006 NIH. Validation of Neotoma micropus as a small animal model for the study of type 2 diabetes.
$2008,177.00 (co-PI’s; Eldridge, Spellman, Castracane, McConathy, Campaigne) (unfunded)
2006 NIH. Neotoma micropus as a small animal model for the study of type 2 diabetes. $458,00.00.
(co-PI’s; Eldridge, Spellman, Castracane, McConathy, Campaigne) (unfunded)
2007 UTPB Faculty Development Grant. Proposal Development, $4,680.00
NIH. Investigation of Neotoma micropus as a small animal model for the study of NIDDM. $275,000.00
(co-PI’s; Eldridge, Spellman, McConathy, Campaigne) (unfunded)
2007 UT System ARP Neotoma micropus: A new small animal model for diabetes and pregnancy research.
$99,000.00 (co-PI. J. Eldridge) (unfunded)
2007 NSF. Creating a STEM pipeline from high school to the workforce. $578,639.00 (PI K. Beran,
co-PI with D. Hale and C. Owen) (unfunded)
2007 Dept of Education, McNair Scholars Program. McNair Scholars Program for UT-Permian Basin.
$219,880.00 (co-PI with UTPB STEM faculty)
2008 UTPB Faculty Development Grant. Proposal Development $18,359.00
2008 NIH. Development of animal models and related biological materials for research. $275,000.00
(co-PI’s; Eldridge, Spellman, McConathy, Campaigne) (unfunded)
2008 NSF. Creating a STEM pipeline from high school to the workforce. $486,316.00 (PI K. Beran, co-PI
with R. Desai, and A. Fwaz) (in review)
PUBLICATIONS:
O'Brien, P. J. and Post, D. M. 1988. Speculations on the place of northern bobwhite quail in Pawnee
Indian religion. Plains Archaeologist. 33: 489 504.
Wright, V. F., Flemming, E. E. and Post, D. M. 1990. Survival of Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera,Bostrichidae)
on fruits and seeds collected from woodrat nests in Kansas. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 63: 344-347.
Post, D. M. and Reichman, O. J. 1991. Effects of food perishability, distance, and competitors on
caching behavior by eastern woodrats. Journal of Mammalogy. 72: 513-517.
Post, D. M. 1992. Change in nutrient concentrations of foods stored by eastern woodrats (Neotoma
floridana). Journal of Mammalogy. 73: 835-839.
Post, D. M. and Urban, J. E. 1993. Change in microbial populations from eastern woodrat caches.
The Southwestern Naturalist. 38: 30-35.
Post, D. M. 1993. Detection of differences in nutrient concentrations by eastern woodrats (Neotoma
floridana). Journal of Mammalogy. 74: 493-497.
Post, D. M., Reichman, O. J., and Wooster, D. E. 1993. Characteristics of the caches of eastern
woodrats (Neotoma floridana) and their significance. Journal of Mammalogy. 74: 688-692.
Post, D. M. and J. E. Urban. 1995. Antimicrobial activity of dogwood fruits (Cornus drummondii) from
winter food caches of the eastern woodrat (Neotoma floridana). Journal of Chemical Ecology. 21: 419-425.
Post, D. M., McDonald, M. W., and Reichman, O. J. 1998. The influence of maternal diet and perishability
on caching and consumption behavior of juvenile eastern woodrats. Journal of Mammalogy. 79(1) 156-162.
Aloiau, B. G., D. M. Post and E. A, Horne. 1998. The influence of food characteristics on interspecific
competition between white-footed mice and eastern woodrats. Prairie Naturalist. 29(4) 249-256.
Post, D. M., Armbrust, T. S. Armbrust, E. A. Horne, and J. R. Goheen. 2001. Sexual segregation results
in differences in content and quality of bison (Bos bison) diets. Journal of Mammalogy 82(2) 407-413.
Snyder, M.V., D.M. Post, and E.J. Finck. 2005. The use of total body conductivity (TOBEC) to predict
lean and lipid mass in two species of woodrat. Bulletin of the Wildlife Society 33(3): 1009-1017.
D.M. Post, M. V. Snyder E.J. Finck, and D. K. Saunders. 2006. Caching as a strategy for surviving periods
of resource scarcity; a comparative study of two species of Neotoma. Functional Ecology 20: 717-722.
In Press:
Stacey, C. A. and D. M. Post. In review. Effects of Human Disturbance on small mammal distribution in a
Chichuahuan desert ecosystem. Southwestern Naturalist.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS AND PROJECTS:
Post, D. M. 1999. Eastern woodrat/Neotoma floridana. Pp 601-603, in The Smithsonian Book of North
American Mammals (D. E. Wilson and S. Ruff eds.). Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D. C. 750 pp.
Post, D. M. 2000. Consultant to the British Broadcasting System. The Life of Mammals. Rodents.
air date 2002.
RECENT PRESENTATIONS:
2004 The effect of human disturbance on condition measures in Neotoma micropus. Jill D. Miller and
Diane M. Post, American Society of Mammalogists, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA
2005 Effects of human disturbance on small mammal distribution in a Chihuahuan desert ecosystem. Clovis A. Stacey
and Diane M. Post, American Society of Mammalogists, Missouri State University, Springfiled, MO
2006 Differences in mass, body fat, and bone density of two populations of Neotoma micropus.Diane M. Post,
James Eldridge, and Jill D. Miller, American Society of Mammalogists, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
2007 The effects of human disturbance on condition measures in Neotoma micropus. Diane M. Post and Jill D. Miller.
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
2008 Assessment of Neotoma micropus as a small animal model for the study of type 2 diabetes. J. Schenkman,
J. A. Eldridge, and D. Post. Texas College of Sports Medicine. Odessa, TX Best Master’s Level Poster Award.
2008 Effects of human-generated resources on Neotoma micropus. J. Schenkman, D. Post and J. A. Eldridge.
American Society of Mammalogists, South Dakota, State Univ. Brookings, SD
2008 Effects of a “western” diet on mass, body fat, and blood glucose in Neotoma micropus. L. Harbour,
D. Post, L. Caudillo, and J. Schenkman. American Society of Mammalogists, South Dakota, State Univ. Brookings, SD
2008 Differences in behavior of Neotoma micropus from sites that differ in levels of human disturbance. L. Caudillo,
D. Post, L. Harbour, and J. Schenkman. American Society of Mammalogists, South Dakota, State Univ. Brookings, SD
2008 A novel wild caught animal model for the study of diabetes. J. Eldridge, D. Post, and J. Schenkman.
Meeting? Best Basic/Applied Science Research presentation
INVITED SEMINARS:
1992 Cache value dynamics and the winter diet of woodrats (Neotoma floridana).
Emporia State University
1996 Factors affecting cache use by Eastern woodrats (Neotoma floridana).
Youngstown State University
1997 Factors affecting cache use by Eastern woodrats (Neotoma floridana).
Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
1997 Factors affecting cache use by Eastern woodrats (Neotoma floridana).
University of Texas of the Permian Basin
UNIVERSITY SERVICE:
University of Texas of the Permian Basin
1997-1999 and
2004-Present Advisory Committee on Human Experimentation, Member
1998-Present Permian Basin Regional Science Fair Judge
1998-2002 College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Forum, Organizer
2000-2001 Awards and Recognition Committee, Member
2000-Present Animal Use and Care Committee
2000-Present TAAS Science Advisory Group Committee, Member
2000-2002 Explorers Club, Faculty Advisor
2002-2004 Bookstore Committee, Member
2003 -2007 Graduate Council, Chair
2004 - 2007 Budget and Planning Committee, Member
2004-2005 College of Arts and Sciences Tenure and Promotion Committee, Member
2004-Present Chair, Graduate Program, Department of Biology
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE:
1992-Present Reviewer for Ecology, The Journal of Mammalogy, Southwestern Naturalist, Great Basin
Naturalist, The Prairie Naturalist, Journal of Comparative Psychology, American Midland
Naturalist, National Science Foundation
1994 National Science Foundation. Research Experience for Undergraduates Proposal Review Panel
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
American Society of Mammalogists
Board of Directors – 2006 to 2009
Program Committee - Chair
Animal Behavior Society
Association for Women in Science (Flint Hills Chapter Vice-President 1995-96)
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Sigma Xi
4901 E. University . Odessa, Texas 79762 . (432) 552-2020