Erika V Iyengar
Education
- Ph.D., Cornell University
- B.S. with honors, Stanford University
Teaching Interests
I love sharing the amazing interconnections of the surrounding natural world with students. By understanding more about the processes in action, they notice more and are intrigued. That interest leads them to learn more and care more. A wonderful positive feedback loop is created in which suddenly so many parts of everyday life are interconnected; you start to notice organisms and ecology in news items, movies, political issues, novels and interactions with others (human and non-human).
I am particularly interested in helping students see why the natural world is relevant to them, specifically the “spineless wonders,” which are my particular favorites. It is relatively easy to convince someone to care about a furry mammal with large eyes. It is much harder to intrigue them with flatworms, slugs, oak trees, bacteria, ferns and fungus. Some of my proudest moments have been when students tell me, “I can’t believe it, but all my friends are calling me a ‘science nerd’ now because I am continually pointing things out and explaining them as we walk across campus. I never thought I’d be like this. It is great!” Ecological interactions among all organisms and their evolutionary trajectories (past, present and future)—what could be more exciting?
Research and Scholarship
I am passionate about the ecology of invertebrates, with a particular focus on interspecies interactions, especially involving feeding and defense. I am particularly excited about marine organisms but I also study streams and ponds near campus. I use an understanding of the present-day ecology of organisms to shed light on evolutionary questions. My summer research often occurs at the Friday Harbor Laboratories on San Juan Island, Washington, where numerous Muhlenberg students have accompanied me to perform research. Other students conduct research with me on campus.
In one project, I examine marine snails that live on other organisms. I examine the species-specificity of these interactions and the benefits and costs incurred by each player. In a second project, I study the impacts on the surrounding environment of an invasive species of terrestrial slug compared with a native species, and how impending climate change may affect both. My projects in my lab on campus also involve the behavioral ecology of freshwater (stream and pond) arthropods and snails.
- Biology Independent Study/Research
- Biology Independent Study/Research: Aquatic Invertebrate
- Biology Independent Study/Research: Assessing Ecosystem Heal
- Biology Independent Study/Research: Macroinvertebrates
- Biology Independent Study/Research: Surveying Invertebrates
- Foundations of Biological Inquiry
- Special Topic: Ecology in the Lehigh Valley
Peer-Reviewed Publications
*indicates an undergraduate co-author
Iyengar, E.V., Schwartz*, C.I. and Davidson, A.T. 2017. Long-term maintenance requirements of the riparian isopod, Lirceus sp. Hydrobiologia 802: 53-69.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3239-7
McGowan, K*. and Iyengar, E.V. 2017. The difference between a rock and a biological hard place: Epibiont diversity in the rocky intertidal. Marine Biology 164: 109-123.
Iyengar, E.V., Meier, P.M., and Hamelers, R.A. 2017. The Small Mammal Project: Engaging students as scientists. The American Biology Teacher.
Herstoff, E.M.* and Iyengar. E.V. 2011. Individuals of Crepidula adunca (Mollusca, Gastropoda) avoid shared doom through host specificity. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 406: 79–86.
Iyengar, E.V., Sitvarin*, M.I., and M. Cataldo*. 2008. Function of the flexible periostracal hairs in Trichotropis cancellata (Mollusca, Gastropoda). Invertebrate Biology. 127: 299- 313.
- Bridge Builder Award
- Leadership Excellence in Faculty Service from Omicron Delta Kappa
- Melissa Mayol ’17 worked on the ecology of invasive and native slugs; presented a poster in two years at the national research conference Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (January 2017, New Orleans; 2016 in Austin) and was awarded best student poster in 2017; presented a talk at Lehigh Valley Ecology and Evolution Symposium (both in April 2017 and April 2016; awarded best undergraduate student talk in 2017); was awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduate position at Friday Harbor Laboratories for this research. She was awarded departmental highest honors.
- Cassidy Freudenberg ’17 worked for one year on leaf area analyses.
- Chad Schwartz ‘16 worked for one year on research with freshwater isopods; resulted in a published paper (see next section) and presented research poster at Lehigh Valley Ecology and Evolution Symposium 2016
- Kerry McGowan ’15 and Elizabeth Thompson ’15 performed research in my laboratory for three years each, working first on freshwater isopods and then for a summer and the following year on fouling of marine snails (McGowan) and slug feeding preference (Thompson). Each presented research posters at the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (January 2015, West Palm Beach, Florida), and talks at Lehigh Valley Ecology and Evolution Symposium 2015, and received prestigious National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduate positions at Friday Harbor Laboratories for their research. McGowan won runner-up for Best undergraduate student talk at LVEES 2015 and her work results in a published paper (see next section).
- Kassandra Tessitore ’15 performed research on pond isopod population dynamics and behaviors for six semesters, presenting two posters and one talk at LVEES in three years, and winning runner-up for best undergraduate poster (2013) and best undergraduate student poster award in 2012.
- Between Fall 2013-Spring 2015, the following students performed research in my laboratory on various aspects of freshwater isopods for the indicated lengths of time: Spencer Bigelow ’16 (two semesters), Cyrus Sholevar ’15 (two semesters and one summer), Erica Wenzel ’15 (two semesters), Rachel Gonsenhauser ’15 (two semesters), Gabriela Contino (one semester) and Will Levine ’14 (one semester). These students gave research talks at LVEES: Tessitore and Sholevar in 2015. Each of the other students presented a poster at LVEES.
- William (Bill) Konicki ’11 performed research for three semesters; presented a poster at SICB (2011; Salt Lake City, Utah) and a talk at LVEES 2011.
- Emily Petchler ’09 performed research for 6 semesters and 3 full summers; presented her findings as a poster at the SICB conference (Boston, MA, 2009), and in a talk at LVEES (2009) where she won best undergraduate student talk award. She was awarded departmental highest honors. Her research resulted in a published paper (see next section).
Many of my research students have been awarded a Muhlenberg’s Library Scholar award (Bill Konicki in 2010, Kassie Tessitore in 2012, Kerry McGowan in 2013).
Biology
Contact: erikaiyengar@muhlenberg.edu