Clay E. Corbin, Ph.D.

Department of Biological and Allied Health Sciences

Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA 17815

E-mail: ccorbin@bloomu.edu

Phone: (570) 389-3134

 Training

1997-2002    PhD, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology – Ohio University, Athens.

1999             Participant, Organization for Tropical Studies – Tropical Ecology/Conservation Biology, Tanzania.

1992-1995    MS, Biology – Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau.

1987-1992    BA, Zoology – University of Montana, Missoula.

 

Degree Research Projects

PhD              Morphological and ecological evolution in Old and New World flycatchers.

MS               The morphological structure of deciduous forest bird communities in southeast Missouri.

BA                Anatomy and function of the buccal cavity in Rana catesbiana.

 

Current Research Projects

  • Foraging behavior in three African sit-and-wait passerines: evidence for niche complementarity.

  • The role of competition in New World flycatcher communities.

  • Feeding function in lizards: morphological and performance consequences of foraging mode - w/ L. McBrayer.     

  • Ecology of bark foraging birds in fire and fire surrogate treated landscapes – w/ D. Miles.

 

Professional Positions and Appointments

2003- Current  Assistant Professor of Biology, Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.

2001- 2003      Instructor of Biology, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio.

2001, 2002      Research Biologist, USDA – FFS Ohio Hills study sites.

1997- 2001     Teaching and Research Assistant, Ohio University, Athens.

1996                Adjunct Faculty, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas

1996                Wildlife Research Biologist, Wappapello, Missouri.

1995                Teaching Assistant, Southeast Missouri State University.

1994                Assistant Museum Curator, Southeast Missouri State University.

1993                Wildlife Research Biologist Lower Mississippi River, Missouri.

1992                Assistant Resource Forester, Missouri Department of Conservation.

 

Teaching Experience

Introductory:    General Biology, Zoology, and Biology for Living.

Taxonomic:      Invertebrate Zoology, Ornithology.

Ecology:           Evolutionary Ecology, Ecology and Evolution, Animal Ecology,

                        Field Ecology, Community Ecology, Population Ecology.

Conservation:   Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Animal Conservation Biology.

Anatomy:         Anatomy and Physiology, Vertebrate Histology,

                        Vertebrate Embryology, Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy.

University:        University Seminar for Freshman Majors in Biology.

 

Awards

1999-2002    Research Scholarship, Biological Sciences, Ohio Univ.

1999             John Cady Fellow, Department of Research and Graduate Studies, Ohio Univ.

1999             OTS – TBA exchange Scholarship, Tropical Biology Association.

1998             Teaching Scholarship, Center for Innovation in Technology for Learning, Ohio Univ.

 

Publications

 

Miles, D. B., Corbin, C. E. and D. L. Pearson.  In Press.  Between two worlds: the correlation between morphology and foraging ecology of migratory passerines in temperate and tropical environments.  Proceedings of the Smithsonian Birds of Two Worlds Symposium.

Corbin, C. E. and J. M. Kirika. 2002. Foraging behavior of Brown-hooded Kingfishers (Halcyon albiventris) in the East Usambaras Mountains, Tanzania.  African Zoology 37:47-54.

Kirika, J. M. and Corbin, C. E. 1999.  Foraging strategies and success rates in a sit-and-wait foraging kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris) in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania.  Project Report of the Tropical Biological Association 1999/2.

Corbin, C. E. 1999. Review of, “A field guide to the birds of the Gambia and Senegal”.  By Barlow, C. and Wacher, T.  1998. Yale University Press.  Quarterly Review of Biology 74:236.

Corbin, C. E. 1995.  Occurrence of Coluber constrictor in Cape Girardeau County, MO.  MO Herpetological  Association.  8:6.

Corbin, C. E.  In Review.  A test of correlated evolution in the life history traits of tyrant flycatchers using phylogenetically independent contrasts.  Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science.

Corbin, C. E. and D. B. Miles.  In Review.  Morphological diversification of two New World flycatcher lineages.  Evolutionary Ecology Research.

Corbin, C. E. MS.  Evidence for a common habitat axis of diversification in Old and New World Flycatchers.

Corbin, C. E.  MS. Ecomorphological concordance in North American and southern African flycatcher communities.

Corbin, C. E. In prep.  Community-wide character displacement in New World flycatcher Communities.

McBrayer, L. M. and Corbin, C. E. In prep.  Feeding function in lizards: Morphological and performance consequences of foraging mode.      

 

Abstracts:

 

Miles, D. B., Corbin, C. E., and D. L. Pearson.  1998.  The ecomorphology and foraging regime of three lowland tropical forest passerine communities.  Ostrich 69:298-299.

Corbin, C. E. and D. B. Miles 2001.  Comparative morphological disparity in tyrant flycatcher lineages.  Journal of Morphology.  248 (3): 219.

 

Research Presentations:

 

Corbin, C. E. 2004 (Forthcoming).  Foraging niche complementarity in three African passerines.  2004 Meetings of the Pennsylvania Academy of Sciences.

Corbin, C. E. 2004. Ecomorphological concordance in North American and southern African flycatcher communities. 2004 Meetings of the Society for Comparative and Integrative Biology.

Miles, D. B., Corbin, C. E. and D. L. Pearson. 2002 Between two worlds: the correlation between morphology and foraging ecology of migratory passerines in temperate and tropical environments. Invited presentation, Smithsonian Institution - Birds of Two Worlds Symposium.

Corbin, C. E. and J. M. Kirika, 1999.  Opportunistic foraging in Brown-hooded kingfishers in the East Usambara Mountains.  Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference.

Corbin, C. E., and S. M. Reilly.  1998. Kinematics, speed, and ecological implications of running locomotion in quail (Coturnix japonica).  NA Ornithological Congress.

Miles, D. B., Corbin, C. E., and D. L., Pearson.  1997.  An ecomorphological analysis of three old world tropical passerine communities. American Ornithologist's Union.

Corbin, C. E. 1995.  The morphological structure of deciduous forest bird communities in southeast missouri: a test of the competition hypothesis.  American Ornithologist's Union.

 

Professional Development / Service

 

Extracurricular Service

 

2004                Forthcoming:  Chairman, Population and Community Ecology contributed papers session at annual meetings for

                        Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), 2004 Annual meetings

 

Faculty committees

 

2003                Graduate faculty

                        Faculty Evaluation

                        Planning

                        New Faculty Search and Screen

                        ad hoc - Building Renovation

 

Mentoring / Community Service

 

2002-2003       Judge and Super Judge, Ohio Regional Science Fair.

2002                Team leader, USDA – Fire, Fire Surrogate Study, Hocking Hills regional sites.

1999                Reviewer: Journal of Herpetology.

1998-2000       Supervised field teams during thesis and dissertation research.

1994-1995       Biology tutor, Southeast Missouri State University.

 

Information resources:

 

1999              Teaching Fellowship, Center for Innovation in Technology for Learning Research Fellowship. Developed a web-based learning medium for Ornithology students.

1994               Resource Librarian for Biology Students Southeast Missouri State University.

1994               Assistant museum curator for Southeast Missouri Regional Vertebrate Museum.

1992               Assistant resource forester, Missouri Conservation Department.  Public education / information specialist associated with Forests for the Future exhibit in Missouri.

 

Field / museum biology:

 

2002                Field Technician, collecting expedition for Xiphophorous fishes, Mexico.

2002                Participant, Audubon Important Bird Area workshop, Clear Creek, Ohio.

2001-2002       Wildlife Biologist USDA/FFS study.  Effects of forest thinning and burning on small mammal populations, bird nesting and emergent properties of bird communities in Hocking Hills region of Ohio.

1998-2001       Dissertation research on the habitat preferences and foraging behavior of Old and New World flycatchers.

1994-1995       Field technician, faunal inventory of Southeastern deciduous forests.  Inventories of birds, herps and small mammals.

1994-1995       Thesis research on species richness and diversity of forest interior birds.

1993                Field technician, Missouri Department of Conservation / University of Missouri.  River fish sampling and identification on the lower Mississippi River.

1993                Field technician. Missouri Department of Conservation / University of Missouri.  Behavioral ecology of interior least terns on lower Mississippi River.

1992                Assistant resource forester, Missouri Department of Conservation.  Various forest management projects.

 

 

Professional Membership

 

Ecological Society of America

American Ornithologists’ Union

Association Field Ornithologists

Audubon Society (OH, PA)

Society for the Study of Evolution

Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology

Zoological Society of Southern Africa

Pennsylvania Academy of Science

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Biologists

 

References

 

Richard Essner, Post-doctoral faculty

Ecology and Evolution

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

Email: essner@mail.med.upenn.edu

 

Lance McBrayer, Assistant Professor

Biological Sciences

Stephen F. Austin State University

Nacogdoches, TX 75961

Email: lmcbrayer@sfasu.edu

Phone: 936-468.2168

 

Donald B. Miles, Associate Professor

Biological Sciences

Ohio University

Athens, OH 45701

Email: milesd@ohio.edu

Phone: 740-593-2317

 

Molly R. Morris, Associate Professor

Biological Sciences

Ohio University

Athens, OH 45701

Email: morrism@ohio.edu

Phone: 740-593-0337

 

Stephen Reilly, Associate Professor

Biological Sciences

Ohio University

Athens, OH 45701

Email: reilly@ohio.edu

Phone: 740-593-2360

 

Willem M. Roosenburg, Associate Professor

Biological Sciences

Ohio University

Athens, OH 45701

Email: roosenbu@ohio.edu

Phone: 740-593-9669

 

John S. Scheibe, Professor

Biological Sciences

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, MO 63701

Email: jscheibe@biology.semo.edu

Phone: 573-651-2170