Education

Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 2012
  Ph.D., Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology

Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 2004
  M.S., Department of Entomology

University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 2001
  B.A., Zoology

Professional Experience

University of Hawai’i at Manoa, 2013
  Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, Junior (Postdoctoral) Researcher

Ohio State University, 2012
  Center for Life Science Education, Lecturer

University of Texas at Austin, 2001
  Section of Integrative Biology, Specialist

Caesar RM, & JW Wenzel. 2009. A Phylogenetic Test of Classical Species Groups in Argia (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Entomologica Americana 115(2): 97-108

Cognato AI, & RM Caesar. 2006. Will DNA barcoding advance efforts to conserve biodiversity more efficiently than traditional taxonomic methods? Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 5: 268-269

Caesar RM, M Sörensson, & AI Cognato. 2006. Integrating DNA data and traditional taxonomy to streamline biodiversity assessment: An example from edaphic beetles in the Klamath ecoregion, California, USA. Diversity and Distributions 12(5) 483-489

Caesar RM, N Gillette, & AI Cognato. 2005. Population genetic structure of an edaphic beetle (Ptiliidae) among late-successional reserves in the Klamath-Siskiyou ecoregion, California, USA. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 98(6) 931-940

2010 - National Linnean Games Champion team member, Entomological Society of America

2010 - North Central Regional Linnean Games Champion team member, Entomological Society of America

2009 - Alumni Grant for Graduate Research, Ohio State University ($2000)

2007 - 1st place, student poster session, Willi Hennig Society ($500)

2007 - Marie Stopes travel award, Willi Hennig Society ($500)

2007 - Herta Camerer Gross Research Fellowship, Ohio State University ($5,400)

2006 - Marie Stopes travel award, Willi Hennig Society ($500)

2005 - Tinker Foundation Fellowship ($800)

2004 - Department of Entomology Outstanding Service Award, Ohio State University

2004 - DJ and JN Knull Fund, Ohio State University ($750)

2004 - Osborn Travel Fund, Ohio State University ($150)

2004 - Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Dept. of Entomology, Texas A&M University

2013 - New approaches to digitizing and crowdsourcing biodiversity data; AVAToL: Assembling, Visualizing and analyzing the Tree of Life Workshop, Columbus, OH (Nov 7 2013)

2013 - Quantification of complex morphology using 3-D surface models; Hawaiian Entomological Society, Honolulu, HI (May 2013)

2004 - DNA taxonomy and conservation biology. In Symposium, “DNA Taxonomy: Goodbye Microscope?”, Entomological Society of America, Salt Lake City, UT (Nov. 2004)

2013 - Population genetic structure of a predatory moth (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in Hawaii; Entomological Society of America, Austin TX (Nov 2013)

2013 - The long history and current digitization of the University of Hawaii Insect Museum; Entomological Collections Network, Austin TX (Nov 2013)

2010 - Genital evolution, sexual selection and phylogeny of Argia damselflies. Entomological Society of America, San Diego, CA (Dec 2010)

2010 - A phylgeographic test of reproductive character displacement in the damselfly Argia moesta (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Entomological Society of America, San Diego, CA (Dec 2010)

2009 - Phylogeny and evolution of sexual morphology in Argia (Odonata: Coenagrionidae). Entomological Society of America, Indianapolis, IN (Dec 2009)

2009 - Phylogeography and variation in sexual characters in Argia moesta damselflies (Odonata: Coenagrionidae): a test of the lock and key hypothesis. Entomological Society of America, Indianapolis, IN (Dec 2009)

2007 - Phylogeny of the damselfly genus Argia. Willi Hennig Society, New Orleans, LA & North American Benthological Society, Columbia, SC (July 2007)

2006 - Tiny Dancers: Preliminary Phylogeny of the damselfly genus Argia. Entomological Society of America, Indianapolis, IN (Dec 2006)

2006 - Preliminary Phylogeny of the damselfly genus Argia. Willi Hennig Society, Oaxaca, Mexico (Aug 2006)

2003 - Genetic population structure of Acrotrichis xanthocera in the Klamath ecoregion of northern California. Entomological Society of America, Cincinnati, OH (Oct 2003)

• 2012 - Introduction to Biology (non-majors)
• 2011 - Form, Function Diversity and Ecology (majors)

• Introduction to Biology (non-majors)
• Human Biology (non-majors)
• Form, Function, Diversity & Ecology (majors& honors)
• Integrated Biology (majors)
• Introduction to Entomology (non-majors)
• Field Entomology (majors)
• General Entomology (majors)
• Insect Diversity & Systematics (graduate)
• Insect Morphology (graduate)
• Insect Ecology (graduate)
• Social Insects (honors)
• Organismal Diversity Laboratory (majors)
• Principles of Animal Cellular and Developmental Biology (majors)
• Seminar in Sexual Selection (graduate)

2013 - Department of Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawai’i; Curation and digitization of insect collection, molecular phylogeny of geometrid moths

2004-2012 - Department of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology, Ohio State University; molecular and morphological phylogenetic analysis of Odonata; 3-D morphometrics of insect morphology

2009 - Department of Entomology, Ohio State University; curated teaching collection

2008 - Museum of Biological Diversity, Ohio State University; web-design and outreach

2005 - Charles Triplehorn Insect Collection, Ohio State University; Curated and digitized type collection

2001-2004 - Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University; fieldwork collecting soil arthropods in Northern California, generated molecular data for population genetic and phylogenetic study

2000-2001 - Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas; collected and curated insect specimens of Stengl Field Station

• Ad hoc - Reviewer for the following journals: Journal of Insect Science, Zootaxa, Journal of the North American Benthological Society, Annals of the Entomological Society of America
• 2004 - Symposium Organizer and moderator, Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting: “DNA Taxonomy: Goodbye Microscope?” (November 2004)

• 2005-2007 - Member, Graduate Studies Committee, Dept. of Entomology, OSU
• 2004-2005 - Delegate, Council of Graduate Students, OSU
• 2004-2005 - Member, Ray Travel Award & Hayes Research Forum committees, Council of Graduate Students, OSU
• 2004-2005 - Vice President, Entomology Graduate Student Association & chair, Seminar Series Committee, Dept. of Entomology, OSU
• 2002-2003 - Vice President, Entomology Graduate Student Organization, Dept. of Entomology TAMU
• 2001-2003 - Seminar Series, Outreach, & Award Committees, Dept. of Entomology, TAMU

• 2013 - Collection tours, University of Hawai’i Insect Museum
• 2004-2012 - Ohio State University, Museum of Biological Diversity annual open house
• 2009 - Public talk for Columbus Natural History Society on damselfly research
• 2004-2006 - Judge, Ohio State Science Day (annual science fair finals, grades 7-12)
• 2004-2005 - “Insect Zoo” event, Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, Columbus Ohio
• 2003 - Bryan/College station (Texas) BioBlitz
• 2002 - Organizer, Texas Entoblitz