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Christopher M. Hofmann, Ph.D.

Department of Biology,

University of Maryland

College Park, MD 20742

chofma1@umd.edu

 

 

Education and Training

2007-Present               Post-doctoral Research, University of Maryland College Park

                                    Karen Carleton

 

2001-2007                   Ph.D., Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County Kevin Omland & Thomas Cronin

 

1996-2000                   B.S., Biology, Summa Cum Laude, with Honors, Towson University

 

Research      

Summer 2005               NSF Fellowship, Taiwan

East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes (EAPSI)

 

2000-2001                   Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Fellowship

Applied Pharmacology Branch, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense

 

Summer 1999               Summer Undergraduate Research in Biology

                                    Towson University, Department of Biological Sciences

 

Teaching

Winter 2007                 Adjunct faculty, University of Maryland Baltimore County

Self designed course in Animal Communication

 

2002-2003                   National Science Foundation, GK-12 Fellowship

Teacher Enhancement Partnership Project with an at risk middle school

 

2001-2006                   Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Maryland Baltimore County

                                    Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory

                                    Comparative Animal Physiology Laboratory

                                   

Grants and Awards

2007                            Wolf Dissertation Award for best thesis in the Biological Sciences

2006-2007, University of Maryland Baltimore County

 

2006                            American Institute of Biological Sciences, Emerging Public Policy Leader Award

 

2006                            North American Ornithological Congress, Student Travel Award

 

2006                            International Society for Behavioural Ecology, Student Travel Award

 

2005                            Alexander Wilson Prize for best student talk at the annual meeting of the Wilson Ornithological Society

2004                            Maryland Ornithological Society, Avian Research Grant

 

2003                            American Ornithologists’ Union, Marcia Brady Tucker

Travel Award

 

2000                            Towson University, College of Science and Mathematics

Undergraduate Research Grant

 

Publications

Hofmann, C. M., T. W. Cronin, and K. E. Omland. 2008. Evolution of sexual dichromatism. 1. convergent losses of elaborate female coloration in New World orioles (Icterus spp.). Auk: In Press. 

 

Hofmann, C. M., T. W. Cronin, and K. E. Omland. 2008. Evolution of sexual dichromatism. 2. carotenoids and melanins contribute to sexual dichromatism in New World orioles (Icterus spp.). Auk: In Press. 

 

Hofmann, C. M., K. J. McGraw, T. W. Cronin, and K. E. Omland. 2007. Melanin coloration in New World orioles I: carotenoid masking and pigment dichromatism in the orchard oriole complex. Journal of Avian Biology 38:163-171.

 

Hofmann, C. M., T. W. Cronin, and K. E. Omland. 2007. Melanin coloration in New World orioles II: ancestral state reconstruction reveals lability in the use of carotenoids and phaeomelanins. Journal of Avian Biology 8:172-181. 

 

Kiere, L. M.1, C. M. Hofmann, I. E. Tracy1, T. W. Cronin, J. W. Leips, K. E. Omland. 2007. Using color to define species boundaries: quantitative analysis in the Orchard Oriole complex supports the recognition of two species. Condor 109:692–697. 

 

Hofmann, C., W.-S. Lo, C.-T. Yao and S.-H. Li. 2007. Cryptic sexual dichromatism occurs across multiple types of plumage in the Green-backed Tit. Ibis 149:264–270. 

 

Hofmann, C. M., T. W. Cronin, and K. E. Omland. 2006. Using spectral data to reconstruct evolutionary changes in coloration: carotenoid color evolution in New World orioles. Evolution 60:1680-1691 . 

 

Omland, K. E., and C. M. Hofmann. 2006. Adding color to the past: ancestral state reconstruction of bird coloration in G. E. Hill and K. J. McGraw, eds. Bird Coloration. II. Function and evolution. Harvard Univ. Press.

 

Publications Under Review

Kiere, L. M.1, C. M. Hofmann, J. J. Price, T. W. Cronin, and K. E. Omland. Under Review.  Discrete evolutionary changes in carotenoid color in caciques (Icteridae): convergent evolution of red coloration. Journal of Avian Biology. 

 

Friedman, N. R., C. M. Hofmann, B. Kondo, K. E. Omland. Under Review. Correlated evolution of migration and sexual dichromatism in the New World orioles (Icterus). Evolution. 

 

1Mentored Undergraduates

Selected Presentations

Christopher M. Hofmann, T. W. Cronin, and K. E. Omland. 2007. The evolution of sexual dichromatism in New World orioles. Poster: Vision Down Under, Queensland, Australia.

 

Christopher M. Hofmann, T. W. Cronin, and K. E. Omland. 2007. Evolution of sexual dichromatism through convergent losses of elaborate female coloration in New World orioles. Talk: Evolution, Christchurch, New Zealand.

 

Lynna M. Kiere1, T. W. Cronin, K. E. Omland, C. M. Hofmann, and J. J. Price. 2007. Reconstructing evolution of cacique carotenoid color. Poster: 122nd Stated Meeting of the American Ornithologists’ Union, Laramie, WY.

 

Christopher M. Hofmann, T. W. Cronin, and K. E. Omland.  2006.  Carotenoid color evolution in New World orioles: ancestral state reconstruction suggests both lability and constraint.  Talk: International Behavioural Ecology Congress. Tours, France. 

 

Christopher M. Hofmann, Thomas W. Cronin and Kevin E. Omland. 2004.  Spectral

            analysis of color plumage in orioles: multiple losses of a carotenoid signal.  Poster: Colour Signaling Meeting, Konnevesi Research Station, Jyväskylä, FI.

 

1Mentored Undergraduate

 

Invited Seminars and Lectures

Color evolution in New World orioles: ancestral state reconstruction of male and female coloration. 2007. Seminar: University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

 

Coloring in the past: the evolution of carotenoid coloration in New World orioles. 

2006. Symposium Contribution: International Ornithological Congress. 

Hamburg, GE.

 

Coloring in the past: pigment use and color evolution in New World orioles. 

            2006. Seminar: Towson University. Towson, MD.

2005. Seminar: National Taiwan Normal University. Taipei, TW.

 

Sexual section. 2004-2007. Lecture: Ecology and Evolution (BIO 301), University of

            Maryland Baltimore County. Baltimore, MD.

 

Society Activities

2006- Present              American Institute of Biological Sciences

Participated in 2005, 2006, 2008 Congressional Visit Days

 

2003-2007                   American Ornithologists’ Union

                                    Public Affairs Committee, 2004-2006

                                    Student Affairs Committee, 2003-2005

 

2001-2007                   Graduate Association of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County

                                    Student Representative, Faculty Search Committee, 2006

Symposium Chair, 2004-2005

                                    Symposium Speaker Committee, 2002-2003

Ancillary Activities

Peer Reviewer:           

Evolution, 2006, 2007, 2008                                        Behavioral Ecology, 2007

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2006                  Ethology, 2006

Journal of Avian Biology, 2005, 2007, 2008                 Auk, 2005, 2007, 2008

Journal of Field Ornithology, 2006, 2007                      Ornitologia Neotropical, 2007