Pamela T. Lopez, Ph.D.
Professor Department of Biology
Contact Information Office: Strain Science Building 206 Email: lopezp1@pacificu.edu Phone: 503.352.2734
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Education
B.S. Biology, Magna Cum Laude, 1980, Columbus State University, Columbus, GA
Ph.D. Biology, 1990, University of California, Los Angeles
Courses that I teach
- General Biology I
- Research Methods (Experimental Design, Analysis and Writing)
- Vertebrate Zoology
- Animal Behavior
- Tropical Rainforest Biology
- Senior Capstone Experience
Teaching Interests
I genuinely enjoy imparting knowledge on my students and, perhaps more importantly, teaching them how to locate and critically evaluate biological information on their own. I am also committed to enhancing all of my students’ appreciation of the natural world. Each of my lectures is rich with interactive Q&A, demonstrations, examples, photographs and video snippets, and of course content. Labs in my upper division courses include field and lab work, observational and experimental activities that allow students to apply and test their knowledge from lecture, and independent research projects. In Tropical Rainforest Biology we spend three weeks in Costa Rica during January with a focus on students conducting independent research projects in lowland tropical rainforest.
During my career I have been honored with several teaching awards, including the Oregon Academy of Science Outstanding University Teacher Award (1996) and the Pacific University S.S. Johnson Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching (2005). I was also nominated for the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching U.S. Professors of the Year Program by Pacific University in 1996 and 2001.
Research Interests & Student Research
My primary research interest is the behavioral ecology of amphibians. Currently my research focuses on amphibians in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), but I have worked extensively with tropical amphibians (and reptiles) in Puerto Rico, Brazil and Costa Rica. I have also conducted research on the ecological development of mitigated wetlands in the PNW, with my primary focus on vertebrate and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. My students and I are currently immersed in three research projects: |
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Topics that my research students and I have investigated during the past 10 years include:
- Kilah Sime. 2006. Effects of kin group composition on the development of Pacific tree frog (Pseudacris regilla) tadpoles.
- Leah Penn Boris. 2005. Kin recognition in Pacific tree frog (Pseudacris regilla) tadpoles.
- Ali Buccat, Brian Smith, and Sara Love. 2004. Ecological monitoring of the Fernhill Regional Wetlands Mitigation Bank.
- Tim Berk, April Fink, Tara Rott, Laura Andrews, and Kyle Oroku. 2003. Ecological monitoring of the Fernhill Regional Wetlands Mitigation Bank.
- Josh Goller. 2002-2003. Skeletochronological analysis of age and mating success in the roughskin newt, Taricha granulosa.
Clint Francis. 2001-2002. Bromeliad microcosms in Costa Rica: a test of island biogeography theory.
Beth Agnew. 2002. Home range size and habitat preference in the Columbian white-tailed deer
- Chris Burtch, Lesa Nelson and Aaron Heinberger. 2002. Ecological monitoring of the Fernhill Regional Wetlands Mitigation Bank.
- Chris Burtch. 2000-2002. Mating success and female sex pheromones in the roughskin newt, Taricha granulosa.
- Carrie Cultra, Sara O’Brian, and Micah Russell. 2001. Ecological monitoring of the Fernhill Regional Wetlands Mitigation Bank.
- Hilary Collis, Robert Nelson and Matt Seidel. 2000. Ecological monitoring of Bronson Creek Wetland.
- Andrew Monie and Aaron Payette. 1999-2000. Diet, mating success, and female sex pheromones in the roughskin newt, Taricha granulosa.
- Andrew Monie, Jennifer Olds, Julie Payzant, Lauri Duensing, Aaron Payette, Mariah Garr, Lori Gibbons and Fraser Horn. 1999-2000: Ecological monitoring of Bronson Creek Wetland.
- Cullen Green. 1999: Clutch placement and reproductive success in the Northern Red-legged Frog (Rana aurora aurora): A comparison between two wetlands of different ages.
- Brandy Duff, Jeri Greenberg, Scott Dwiggins, Jennifer Olds, Chad Hartley, and Cullen Green. 1998-1999: Tualatin River Basin biotic survey.
- Aleida Goodyear. 1998.Antipredatory behavior and memory in green frog tadpoles (Rana clamitans).
- Sara Hewitt and Scott Dwiggins. 1998. Effects of UV radiation, water pH and temperature, and light:dark cycle on egg and larvae development in the Pacific treefrog, Pseudacris regilla.
- Rebecca Jacobs. 1997. Behavioral endocrinology of rhesus monkeys: the effect of leptin on food intake.
- Tyler Rychener. 1997. Habitat partitioning by birds in temperate versus tropical forests.
- Mike Wallace. 1996-97. Egg placement and reproductive success in the red-legged frog, Rana aurora.
My students and I present our research at a variety of regional and national conferences. Recent abstracts (* indicates student authors) include:
- Alkaslassy, E., P.T. Lopez, E. Horner*, A. Kojima* and A. Pittman*. 2007. Patterns of meadow use by resident elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) at Henry Hagg Lake, Oregon. Proceedings of the Oregon Academy of Science, Volume 63.
- Penn Boris*, L. A. and P.T. Lopez. 2006. Kin preference in Pseudacris regilla tadpoles of true and mixed kin groups. Proceedings of the Oregon Academy of Science, Volume 62.
- Lopez, P.T., L.S. Rynd and J.B. Goller*. 2006. Correlates between age, body size and mating success in the rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa). Proceedings of the Society for the Study of Reptiles and Amphibians/Herpetologists’ League.
- Goller*, J.M., P.T. Lopez and L.S. Rynd. 2004. What makes male newts sexy? A skeletochronological analysis of male mating success in the roughskin newt (Taricha granulosa). Proceedings of the Oregon Academy of Science, Volume 61.
- P.T. Lopez, C.T. Burtch*, A.M Monie* and A.L. Payette*. 2002. Does size really matter? A study of male mating success in the roughskin newt, Taricha granulosa.Proceedings of the Oregon Academy of Science, Volume 59.
- Lopez. P.T., A.M. Monie* and A.L. Payette*. 2001. Experimental evidence for a female sex pheromone in the roughskin newt, Taricha granulosa. Proceedings of the Animal Behaviour Society.
- G. E. Stanton and P.T. Lopez. 2001. Georgia distribution and habitat characteristics of Procambarus (Ortmannicus) acutissimus (Girard) and P. (O.) verrucosus Hobbs. Proceedings of the Georgia Academy of Science.
- Lopez, P.T. and R.E. Stockhouse. 1999. A comparison of two differently-aged mitigated wetland sites in the Portland metro area. Proceedings of the Society of Wetland Science Pacific Northwest Chapter.
- Lopez, P.T. and R.E. Stockhouse. 1999. Wetland and riparian student monitoring teams: a unique consulting experience. Proceedings of the Society of Wetland Science Pacific Northwest Chapter.
- Lopez, P.T., R.E. Stockhouse, B. Duff*, S. Dwiggins*, C. Green*, J. Greenberg,* C. Hartley* and J. Olds*. 1999. Tualatin River Basin biotic survey: 1998 vs. 1996. Proceedings of the Oregon Academy of Science, Volume 56.
Publications and Technical Reports (* indicates student author)
- Stockhouse, R.E , P.T. Lopez, S. Love*, B. Smith* and A. Buccat*. 2005. 2004 Fernhill Wetlands Regional Mitigation Bank Phase One Monitoring Report. Submitted to Clean Water Services, Hillsboro, Oregon.
- Stockhouse, R.E and P.T. Lopez. 2004. 2003 Fernhill Wetlands Regional Mitigation Bank Phase One Monitoring Report. Submitted to Clean Water Services, Hillsboro, Oregon.
- Stockhouse, R.E and P.T. Lopez. 2003. 2002 Fernhill Wetlands Regional Mitigation Bank Phase One Monitoring Report. Submitted to Clean Water Services, Hillsboro, Oregon.
- Stockhouse, R.E., P.T. Lopez, C.T. Burtch*, L.M. Nelson* and A. Heinberger*. 2002. Bronson Creek Wetland Mitigation Site: 2002 Final Report. submitted to the Tri-Met Westside Lightrail Project, Portland, Oregon.
- Stockhouse, R.E and P.T. Lopez. 2002. 2001 Fernhill Wetlands Regional Mitigation Bank Phase One Monitoring Report. Submitted to Clean Water Services, Hillsboro, Oregon.
- Stockhouse, R.E., P.T. Lopez. 2001. Bronson Creek Wetland Mitigation Site: 2001 Final Report. submitted to the Tri-Met Westside Lightrail Project, Portland, Oregon.
- Stockhouse, R.E., P.T. Lopez, H.A. Collis*, R.D. Nelson* and M.P. Seidel*. 2000. Bronson Creek Wetland Mitigation Site: 2000 Final Report. submitted to the Tri-Met Westside Lightrail Project, Portland, Oregon.
- Stockhouse, R.E., P.T. Lopez, B. Duff*, C. Green*, C. Hartley* and J. Greenberg*. 1998. Bronson Creek Wetland Mitigation Site: 1998 Final Report. Tri-Met.
- Lopez, P.T. 1996. Mate Selection in the Puerto Rican Frog Eleutherodactylus coqui. In West Indian Herpetofauna, (R. Powell and R.W. Henderson, eds.)
- Lopez, P.T. and P.M. Narins. 1991. Mate choice in the neotropical frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui. Animal Behaviour. 41: 757-772.
- Howland, J.M., L. J. Vitt and P.T. Lopez. 1990. Life on the edge: the ecology and life history of the tropidurine iguanid lizard Uranoscodon supercilliosum. Can. J. Zool. 68: 1366-1373.
- Caldwell, J.P. and P.T. Lopez. 1989. Foam-generating behavior in tadpoles of Leptodactylus mystaceus. Copeia 1989: 498-502.
- Lopez, P.T., P.M. Narins, E.R. Lewis, and S.W. Moore. 1988. Acoustically-induced call modification in the white-lipped frog, Leptodactylus albilabris. Animal Behavior. 36:1295-1308.
Professional Affiliations
- Animal Behaviour Society
- Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
- Society of Wetland Scientists
- Oregon Academy of Science
- Project Kaleidoscope, Faculty for the 21st Century
Grants, Contracts and Awards
- Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching U.S. Professors of the Year Program, Nominated by Pacific University in 2001 and 1996
- Clean Water Services Consulting Grant ($10,000 each year in support of a five year monitoring study of the Fernhill Mitigation Bank, 2000-2005)
- Pacific University Holce Research Professorship (1999-2002)
- Tri-Met Consulting Grant ($8,000 each year in support of a four year monitoring study of Bronson Creek Wetland, 1999-2002)
- Oregon Community Foundation Tualatin Valley Water Quality Endowment Fund ($29,040.00 in support of project entitled "A Baseline Survey of the Tualatin River Basin", 1997)
- Pacific University Junior Faculty Award, 1996
- Oregon Academy of Science Outstanding University Teacher Award, 1996
- Oregon Community Foundation Tualatin Valley Water Quality Endowment Fund ($25,000.00 in support of project entitled "A Baseline Survey of the Tualatin River Basin, 1995)