(formerly Pearce)
Current position
Research Scientist (commenced July 2008) CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, Australia.
Insect pests of grains cropping landscapes of south-east Australia
Previous positions
Postdoctoral Researcher, (Dec 2007 - Feb 2008) University of Bristol, UK.
Aphid parasitoids in organic and conventional farming systems
PI: S. Pearce, J. Memmott (University of Bristol ) & M. Traugott (University of Innsbruck , Austria ).
Funded by the Lady Emily Smyth Agricultural Research Station (LESARS).
Postdoctoral Researcher, (Feb 2005 - Dec 2007) University of Bristol, UK.
Parasitoid webs in organic and conventional farming systems: structure, sustainability and exploitation
Supervisors: J. Memmott (University of Bristol) and W.O.C. Symondson (Cardiff University).
Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
Postdoctoral Researcher (Jan 2004 - Jan 2005) University of Queensland, Australia .
Laboratory studies on Helicoverpa spp. neonate foraging behaviour.
Supervisors: M-L. Johnson (Qld DPI) & M.P. Zalucki (UQ).
PhD research
The University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia), January 2000 - July 2003 (accepted February 2004)
The use of naturally occurring arthropod predators for the control of Helicoverpa spp. in grain crops in southeast Queensland.
Supervisor: M. P. Zalucki
Funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).
Publications
Pearce S. , Gibson R., Polaszek A., Morris R., Craze, P., Symondson W.O.C. & Memmott J. (2008) Biodiversity and ecosystem sevices on organic and conventional farms. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Submitted for consideration Feb 2008.
Memmott J., Gibson R., Gigante Caravalheiro L., Henson K., Huttel Heleno R., Lopezaraiza Mikel L. And Pearce S. (2007) The Conservation of Ecological Interactions. In (eds. A.J.A. Stewart, T.R. New and O.T. Lewis) Insect Conservation Biology. The Royal Entomological Society. Chapter 10, pp226-244.
Gibson R.H., Pearce S. , Morris R.J., Symondson W.O.C., and Memmott J. (2007) Plant diversity and land use under organic and conventional agriculture: a whole-farm approach. Journal of Applied Ecology. 44(4): 792-803.
Pearce S. and Zalucki M.P. (2006) Do predators aggregate in response to pest density in agroecosystems: Within-field spatial patterns? Journal of Applied Ecology. 43: 128-140.
Oliver I., Pearce S., Greenslade P.J. and Britton D. R. (2006) Contribution of paddock trees to the conservation of terrestrial invertebrate biodiversity within grazed native pastures. Austral Ecology. 31: 1-12.
Pearce S. and Zalucki M.P. (2005) Does the harvesting of lucerne (Medicago sativa) encourage the movement of arthropod pests and predators into the adjacent crop? The Australian Journal of Entomology. 44: 219-225.
Pearce S., Zalucki M.P. and Hassan E. (2005) Spider ballooning in soybean crops and non-crop areas of southeast Queensland. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 105: 273-281.
Pearce S., Hebron W., Raven R., Zalucki M.P. and Hassan E. (2004) The spider fauna of soybean crops in Southeast Queensland and their potential as predators of Helicoverpa spp. The Australian Journal of Entomology. 43: 85-93.
Pearce S., Newton R.A., Nair S. V. and Raftos D. (2001) Humoral opsonins of the tunicate, Pyura stolonifera. Developmental and Comparative Immunology. 25: 377-385.
Nair S.V., Pearce S., Green P.L., Mahajan D., Newton R.A. and Raftos, D. A. (1999) A collectin-like protein from tunicates. Journal of Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B 125: 279-289.
Grants
2007 - Lady Emily Smyth Agricultural Research Station research grant. Short project on aphid parasitoids in organic and conventional farming systems. £28,562.00
2006 - BBSRC ISIS Travel grant for a laboratory visit and presentation to the Agroecology group, George-August University, Gottingen, Germany. £818.00
2003 - GRDC Travel grant to attend and present at the International Conference of Arachnology (Ghent, Belgium, August 2004) and conduct laboratory visits in England and Europe. AU$4932.00
2000 - GRDC PhD training grant, 3.5 years (GRS32), stipend AU$25,000 tax free per annum and research funds of AU$5,000 per annum, Title "The use of naturally occurring arthropod predators for the control of Helicoverpa spp. in grain crops in South-east Queensland."
Awards
2003 - Invited Oral presentation to the GRDC board. "The use of naturally occurring arthropod predators for the control of Helicoverpa spp. in grain crops in South-east Queensland"
2002 - Best student Oral presentation. The Australian Entomological Society 33rd AGM and Scientific Conference, Fremantle.
2002 - Invited Oral presentation at Postgraduate course in Current Ecology and Evolution, Cairns.
2001 - Best student Poster presentation. The Australian Entomological Society 32rd AGM and Scientific Conference, Sydney.
1996 - The Australian Federation of University Women of NSW Prize for 200 level Biological Sciences.
Industry publications
Pearce S. (2004) The use of naturally occurring arthropod predators for the control of Helicoverpa spp. in grain crops in southeast Queensland. PhD abstract. Bulletin of the Ecology Society of Australia 34(1): 30-31.
Pearce S. and Zalucki M.P. (2002) Spider ballooning in crops: A web of intrigue. Australian Grain 12(4): vi-vii. (Industry magazine for Australian grain growers, extension personnel and researchers)
Pearce S. and Zalucki M.P. (2002) A wolf with a beneficial bite. Australian Grain 12(5): vi-vii.
Johnson M.L., Pearce S., Wade M., Davies A., Silberbauer L., Gregg P. and Zalucki M.P. (2000) A Review of Beneficials in Australian Cotton Farming Systems. Report for the Cotton Research and Development Corporation.
Presentations
Memmott J. & Pearce S. (2006) The conservation and utilization of ecological interactions. Presentation to the Agroecology Group, Georg-August University, Gottingen, Germany.
Pearce S., Gibson R., Morris R, Symondson W.O.C. & J. Memmott (2006) Parasitoid webs in organic and conventional farming systems: Structure, sustainability and ecosystem services. Oral paper. British Ecological Society AGM and conference, University of Oxford, Oxford.
Pearce S., Gibson R., Morris R, Symondson W.O.C. & J. Memmott (2005) Biodiversity on farms: Using food webs to examine structure, sustainability and ecosystem services. Invited presentation at the School of Biological Sciences Research Symposium, Bristol University .
Pearce S. and Zalucki M.P. (2004) Caught in the web: Assessing spider assemblages as ecological indicators in agroecosystems. Oral paper. Proceedings of the 22 nd International Congress of Entomology, Brisbane, Australia.
Pearce S. and Zalucki M.P. (2004) Lycosidae: Dispersal, Movement and Spatial Abundance in Australian grain crops. Oral paper. Proceedings of the 16 th International Congress of Arachnology, Gent, Belgium.
Pearce S. and Zalucki M.P. (2002) Predation of Helicoverpa spp. eggs in the field: Measuring ecosystem services provided by generalist predators. Oral paper. Proceedings of The Ecological Society of Australia AGM, Cairns.
Oral presentation at Postgraduate course in Current Ecology and Evolution, Cairns (2002).
Pearce S. and Zalucki M. P. (2002) Detecting predation in the field using molecular methods. Oral paper. Proceedings of the Australian Entomological Society 33rd AGM and Scientific conference, Fremantle.
Pearce S. and Zalucki M. P. (2001) Spider ballooning: for crop colonization and movement. Poster presentation. Proceedings of the Australian Entomological Society 32nd AGM and Scientific Conference, Sydney.
Tertiary education
1998 Honours, Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia) Awarded First Class grade
1995 - 1998 Bachelor of Science Degree (advanced Biology), Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia)
Grade point average (out of 4) = 3.51, at 300 level = 3.72
Honours Research Project I: Characterisation of humoral opsonins involved in immune reactions in the tunicate, Pyura stolonifera.
Supervisor: Dr. David Raftos, Macquarie University.
Honours Research Project II: The influence of isolated trees in agro-ecosystems on invertebrate biodiversity.
Supervisor: Dr. Ian Oliver, The Key Center for Biodiversity and Bioresources.
Co-supervisor: Peter Smith, Department of Land and Water Conservation (DLWC).
Secondary education
1992 - 1994 St. Annes and Gippsland Grammer School (Sale, VIC)
Victorian Certificate of Education Tertiary Entrance Rank (out of 100) = 92.70
Teaching experience
2006 - 2007 and continuing. Bristol University, School of Biological Sciences
Lecturing - Certificate in Wildlife Biology
• Series of lectures on The role of invertebrates in providing ecosystem services
• Series of lectures on Community Ecology and Ecosystem Management
• Marking of research project reports, setting and marking questions for exam
Tutor (undergraduate Biology students) - Study techniques and mentoring
• Set assessments for students to improve referencing, essay writing skills, and public speaking.
2000 - 2003 University of Queensland , Entomology Tutor (undergraduate) - Insect Ecology and Pest Management
• Plan, supervise and assist students during practical work and field work
• Edit drafts of students essays and assignments
Tutor (undergraduate & postgraduate) - External entomology subjects
• Assist external students with course content via e-mail, telephone and on campus sessions
• Editing drafts of student essays and assisting with assessment tasks
• Pastoral care
Past positions
1999 Key Centre for Biodiversity and Bioresources and Department of Land and Water Conservation (Macquarie University, NSW)
Biodiversity Technician - The impact of past cultivation on arthropod biodiversity in grasslands • Sorting Invertebrates from pitfall traps to ordinal level
• Entering collection and abundance data into BioTrack database Research Assistant
• Sorting invertebrates from soil cores to ordinal level and Collembola to morphospecies
• Entering collection and abundance data into BioTrack database
• Image capturing of Collembola specimens in voucher collection
1999 University of Wollongong Field Assistant - Long-term effects of repeated prescribed burning on forest invertebrates
• Assist at field sites in Broken Bargo State Forest (NSW)
• Habitat assessments and litter collection for fuel estimates
1996 Marine Research Laboratory (Macquarie University, NSW) Casual research assistant (some volunteer work)
• Collecting and bleeding tunicates, preparing hemolymph
• SDS -PAGE, analysis of gels
• Flow cytometry
• Phagocytosis assay and tissue culture work
Other qualifications
Memebr of the British Ecological Society
Member of The Australian Entomological Society
Member of The Ecology Society of Australia
PADI open water scuba dive certificate
Other Interests
books, movies, photography, bushwalking
Referees
Available on request
