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KENNETH C. WELCH JR., PH.D.

Current:

University of California
Department of Biology
900 University Ave.
Riverside, CA 92521-0427

lab phone: 951-827-4030
fax: 951-827-4286
mobile phone: 805-698-1913
email: kenwelch@ucr.edu

As of July 1st, 2009:

University of Toronto, Scarborough
Department of Biological Sciences
1265 Military Trail
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada M1C 1A4

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA.
Doctor of Philosophy in Ecological Physiology, June 2007.
Advisor: Dr. Raul Suarez.
Dissertation: Energetics and Fuel Use During Flight In Small North American Hummingbirds.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA.
Master of Arts in Ecological Physiology, March 2005.
Advising committee: Drs. Raul Suarez, Stephen Rothstein, and James Childress.

TRINITY UNIVERSITY, San Antonio, Texas.
Bachelor of Science in Biology, Cum Laude, May 1998.

POST-DOCTORAL TRAINING

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE; 2007 - present
Advisor: Dr. Douglas Altshuler.

FUNDING AWARDS

2006 UC MEXUS, Dissertation Research Grant
2006 Dean’s Fellowship from UCSB Graduate Division
2006 Olivia Long Converse Student Research Grant from UCSB Graduate Division
2006 Olivia Long Converse Fellowship from UCSB Graduate Division
2006 Scholander Award (finalist), American Physiological Society
2006 Travel Award, American Physiological Society
2006 Dorothy Skinner Award, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
2006 Outstanding Presentation Award, UCSB Ecol., Evol. and Marine Biol.
2005 Broida-Hirschfelder Fellowship from UCSB Faculty Women’s Club
2005 Worster Fellowship for Undergraduate Research Mentors from UCSB
2004 Graduate Student Research Grant from Valentine Camp Natural Reserve
2003-2004 Mildred E. Mathias Graduate Student Research Grant from UCNRS
2003 Grant-In-Aid-of-Research, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
2003 UCSB Regents Fellowship
2003 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (honor. mention)
2001-2002 UCSB Ecol., Evol. and Marine Biol. Departmental Fellowship
1994-1998 Trinity University President’s Academic Scholarship

PUBLICATIONS

In press

Suarez, R. K. and Welch Jr., K. C. Stoking the Fires of Life: Fueling the Highest Vertebrate Mass-Specific Metabolic Rates. In Cardio-Respiratory Control in Vertebrates: Comparative and Evolutionary Aspects, eds. M. L. Glass and S. C. Wood. Springer-Verlag.

2009

Suarez, R. K., Welch Jr., K. C., Hanna, S. K., and Herrera, L. G. Flight muscle enzymes and metabolic flux rates during hovering flight in the nectar bat, Glossophaga soricina: Further evidence of convergence with hummingbirds. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A: Mol. Integ. Physiol. 153: 136-140.

Welch Jr., K. C. and Altshuler, D. L. Fiber type homogeneity of the flight musculature in small birds. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. B: Biochem. Mol. Biol. 152: 324-331.

2008

Welch Jr., K. C. and Suarez, R. K. Altitude and temperature effects on the energetic cost of hover-feeding in migratory rufous hummingbirds, Selasphorus rufus. Can. J. Zool. 86(3):161-169.

Welch Jr., K. C., Herrera M., L. G., and Suarez, R. K. Dietary sugar as a direct fuel for flight in the nectarivorous bat, Glossophaga soricina. J. Exp. Biol. 211(3):310-316.

2007

Welch Jr., K. C., Altshuler, D. L., and Suarez, R. K. Oxygen consumption rates in hovering hummingbirds reflect substrate-dependent differences in P/O ratios: Carbohydrate as a ‘premium fuel’. J. Exp. Biol. 210(12):2146-2153.

Welch Jr., K. C. and Suarez, R. K. Oxidation rate and turnover of ingested sugar in hovering Anna’s (Calypte anna) and rufous hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus). J. Exp. Biol. 210(12):2154-2162.

2006

Welch Jr., K. C., Bakken, B. K., Martínez de Rio, C., and Suarez, R. K. Hummingbirds fuel hovering flight with newly ingested sugar. Physiol. Biochem. Zool. 79(6):1082-1087.

2005

Darveau, C.-A., Hochachka, P. W., Welch Jr., K. C., Roubik, D. W., and Suarez, R. K. Allometric scaling of flight energetics in Panamanian orchid bees: a comparative phylogenetic approach. J. Exp. Biol. 208(18):3581-3591.

Suarez, R. K., Darveau, C.-A., Welch Jr., K. C., O’Brien, D. M., Roubik, D. W., and Hochachka, P. W. Energy metabolism in orchid bee flight muscle: carbohydrate fuels all. J. Exp. Biol. 208(18):3573-3579.

2002

Ribble, D. O., Wurtz, A. E., McConnell, E. K., Buegge, J. J., and Welch, K. C. A comparison of Peromyscus home ranges using trapping and radiotelemetry data. J. Mammol. 83(1):260-266.

2000

Macias, M. P., Welch, K. C., Lee, N. A., and Lee., J. J. Identification of a new mouse eosinophil major basic protein gene, mMBP-2. J. Leukocyte Biol. 67:567-576.

TALKS AND POSTERS

Invited talks
2008 Symposium on Integrating the Mechanics and Energetics of Locomotion, Society for Experimental Biology Annual Meeting
2007 University of California, Riverside, Department of Biology
2007 Loma Linda University, Department of Earth and Biological Sciences
2006 Mildred E. Mathias Symposium, Bodega Marine Laboratory
2004 Mildred E. Mathias Symposium, Bodega Marine Laboratory
2003 Valentine Eastern Sierra Reserve, Valentine Camp Outreach Program

Other Presentations
2008 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Meeting
7th International Congress of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry
2007 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Meeting
2006 American Physiological Society Intersociety Meeting: Comparative Physiology: Integrating Diversity
UC Santa Barbara Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology Graduate Student Symposium
Society for Comparative and Integrative Biology Annual Meeting
2005 UC Santa Barbara Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology Graduate Student Symposium
Society for Comparative and Integrative Biology Annual Meeting

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

Ad hoc refereeing: Journal of Experimental Biology; Journal for Comparative Physiology - B

2006 Ecol., Evol. and Marine Biol. Graduate Student Symposium co-organizer (UC Santa Barbara)
2002-2003 Faculty search committee (Ecol., Evol. and Marine Biol. Dept., UC Santa Barbara)
2004-2006 Seminar Series co-coordinator (Ecol., Evol. and Marine Biol. Dept., UC Santa Barbara)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Guest Lecturer: Functional Anatomy: Vertebrates, UC Riverside, 2009.
Guest Lecturer: Biomechanics, UC Riverside, 2009.
Teaching Assistant: Integrative Physiology, UC Santa Barbara, 2001-2004, 2006, 2007.
Teaching Assistant: Cellular Physiology, UC Santa Barbara, 2005, 2006.
Teaching Assistant: Human Physiology, UC Santa Barbara, 2005.
Lab. Instructor: Physiological Adaptations to the Environment, UC Santa Barbara, 2002-2004.
Lab. Instructor: Introductory Biology Laboratory II, UC Santa Barbara, 2005.
Lab. Instructor: Introductory Biology Laboratory III, UC Santa Barbara, 2002-2004, 2006.

MENTORSHIP OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS

Andrea Hochevar (2004), Andrea Wisniewski (2004-2005), William Talbot Bowen (2004-2006), Nicole Boyd (2006), Samantha Levinson (2006), Jazmin Manzanarez (2006; high school student), Charlotte Guebels (2006-2007), Brian Cho (2007-2008), Sirish Makan (2007-2008), Brian Lonquich (2008-present)

SCIENCE/POPULAR COMMUNICATION

2008 PHillips, K. Flying high on sugar. Journal of Experimental Biology 211(3):i-.
2007 Blackburn, L. Carbohydrate: Top hummingbird fuel. Journal of Experimental Biology 210(12):i-.
2006 Bryner, J. “The Secret to Hummingbirds’ Amazing Energy.” LiveScience, 09 October 2006.
http://www.livescience.com/animals/061009_flight_fuel.html

REFERENCES

Douglas L. Altshuler, Ph.D.
(Postdoctoral advisor)
Assistant Professor
University of California, Riverside
University of California
Department of Biology
900 University Ave.
Riverside, CA 92521-0427
(951) 827-3937
douga@ucr.edu

Raul K. Suarez, Ph.D.
(Doctoral advisor)
Professor
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9610
(805) 893-7563
suarez@lifesci.ucsb.edu

Stephen I. Rothstein, Ph.D.
(Doctoral committee member)
Professor
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9610
(805) 893-2834
rothstei@lifesci.ucsb.edu

James J. Childress, Ph.D.
(Doctoral committee member)
Professor
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California
Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9610
(805) 893-3203
childres@lifesci.ucsb.edu

Dr. Welch's Curriculum Vitae