Last updated – July 2012
STEPHANIE MARIE DLONIAK
EDUCATION
Dual PhD Zoology, and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA (2004)
MS Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA (1999)
BS Biology (Chemistry minor), Cum Laude, Northland College, Ashland, Wisconsin, USA (1997)
PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS
Teaching: Biology for Non-scientists, Introductory Biology, Animal Behavior, Animal Ecology, Behavioral Ecology, Conservation Biology, Field Techniques in Wildlife Biology, Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology
Research: Behavioral ecology, endocrine physiology, and conservation biology of vertebrates
EMPLOYMENT AND TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Freelance science writer (2012-present)
Scientific expert for the UK Channel 4 film “Hippo: The Wild Feast”, South Luangwa, Zambia (2011)
Instructor, International Research Experience for Students – Field Research on African Carnivores in Kenya, Michigan State University (2011, 2012)
Consultant wildlife biologist and writer, Friends of Kenya Wildlife Trust (2010-2011)
Scientific expert for National Geographic Expeditions in Tanzania (2007)
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Zoology, Michigan State University (2006-present)
Director, The Mara Carnivore Conservation Project (2004-2007)
Instructor, Behavioral Ecology of African Mammals (ZOL 490), Michigan State University study abroad program in Zoology (2005)
Guest lecturer on Socioendocrinology for Introduction to Animal Behavior (ZOL 313), Michigan State University (2003)
Guest lecturer on Tropical Grasslands for Tropical Biology (ZOL 485), Michigan State University (2003)
Guest lecturer on Mating Systems for Introduction to Animal Behavior (ZOL 313), Michigan State University (2002)
Teaching assistant for Ecology Laboratory (PBL/ZOL 355L), Michigan State University (2002)
Teaching assistant for Behavioral Ecology of African Mammals (ZOL 490), Michigan State University study abroad program in Zoology (2001)
Teaching assistant for Anatomy and Physiology (BIO 111X), University of Alaska Fairbanks (1998)
Teaching assistant for Introductory Biology, including Honors section (BIO 105X), University of Alaska Fairbanks (1997)
Teaching assistant for Vertebrate Physiology (BIO 360), Northland College (1997)
Teaching assistant for Ecology (BIO 234), Northland College (1996)
Student advisor, Northland College (1995-1997)
Teaching assistant and student tutor for Introductory Biology (BIO 101/102), Northland College (1995-1997)
Maintenance crew and forklift operator, MacMillin-Bloedel, Clarion, PA (1997)
Animal keeper and lecturer, Jim Peck’s Wildwood, Minocqua, WI (1996)
GRANTS, COMPETITIVE AWARDS, AND FELLOWSHIPS
Westlake International Group Grant-in-Aid of Research (2006-2007) $10,000
Lakeside Foundation Grant-in-Aid of Research (2006-2007) $56,000
Dalbit Petroleum and Wines of the World Grant-in-Aid of Research (2005) $1000
Lakeside Foundation Grant-in-Aid of Research (2004-2005) $75,000
NIH National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellowship (2004, declined)
International Society for Behavioral Ecology Travel Award (2004)
Michigan State University College of Natural Science Travel Fellowship (2004)
International Foundation for Ethical Research Graduate Fellowship (2000-2003) $45,000
Michigan State University Distinguished Fellowship (1999-2003)
Michigan State University College of Natural Science Recruiting Fellowship (1999)
Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Annual Meeting Poster Award (1999)
Arctic Institute of North America Grant-in-Aid of Research (1998) $700
Institute of Arctic Biology Travel Award (1998)
Macmillan-Bloedel Academic Scholarship (1997) $1500
Northland College Academic Scholarship (1994-1997)
SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS
Holekamp, KE, and Dloniak, SM. (2010). Intra-specific variation in the behavioral ecology of a tropical carnivore, the spotted hyena. Advances in the Study of Behavior. 42, 189-229.
Holekamp, KE, and Dloniak, SM. (2009). Maternal effects in fissiped carnivores. In Maternal Effects in Mammals. D. Maestripieri and J. Mateo, Eds. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Pp 227-255.
Van Meter, PE, French, JA, Dloniak, SM, Watts, HE, Kolowski, J, and Holekamp, KE. (2009). Fecal glucocorticoids reflect socio-ecological and anthropogenic stressors in the lives of wild spotted hyenas. Hormones and Behavior. 55, 329-337.
Dloniak, SM, French, JA, and Holekamp, KE. (2006) Rank-related maternal effects of androgens on behaviour in wild spotted hyaenas. Nature. 440, 1190-1193.
Dloniak, SM, French, JA, and Holekamp, KE. (2006) Faecal androgen concentrations in adult male spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) reflect interactions with socially dominant females. Animal Behaviour. 71, 27-37.
Dloniak, SM. (2004) Socioendocrinology of spotted hyenas: Patterns of androgen and glucocorticoid excretion within a unique social system. Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation. Michigan State University Library.
Dloniak, SM, French, JA, Place, NJ, Weldele, M, Glickman, SE, and Holekamp, KE. (2004) Noninvasive monitoring of fecal androgens in the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta). General and Comparative Endocrinology. 135, 51-61.
Dloniak, SM, and Deviche, P. (2001) Effects of testosterone and photoperiodic condition on song production and vocal control region volumes in adult male dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis). Hormones and Behavior. 39, 95-105.
Dloniak, SM. (2000) Neuroendocrine control of song in the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis). Master of Science Thesis. University of Alaska Fairbanks Library.
INVITED TALKS
Invited speaker, The Large Carnivores of the Masai Mara National Reserve: Population Numbers, Threats to Conservation, and the Need for Adaptive Management, Be a Better Guide Series of The Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association, Nairobi, Kenya (2009)
Invited speaker, The Large Carnivores of the Masai Mara National Reserve: Population Numbers, Threats to Conservation, and the Need for Adaptive Management, The Imre Loeffler Lecture Series of The East African Wildlife Society, Nairobi, Kenya (2009)
Invited speaker, Basic Ecology and Threats to the Conservation of Spotted Hyenas in Kenya, Workshop on the Conservation of Lions and Spotted Hyenas in Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya (2008)
Invited speaker, Monitoring Techniques for Large Carnivores in Protected Areas, Symposium on Recent Advances in Conservation of Endangered Species, Vanishing Herds Foundation, Ahmedebad, Gujarat, India (2007)
Invited speaker, Monitoring Large Carnivores Inside Protected Areas, Workshop on the Conservation of African Wild Dogs and Cheetahs in Kenya: Towards a National Strategy, Nairobi, Kenya (2007)
Guest lecturer on Studying Large Carnivores in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve for Sikhote-Alin State Nature Biosphere Reserve and Terney middle school students, Terney, Primorsky Krai, Russia (2006)
Guest lecturer on Basics of Animal Behavior for Maasai guides-in-training at the Koiyaki Wilderness Camp and Guide School, Kenya (2005 and 2006)
Invited speaker, The Status of Major Carnivores in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA (2005)
Guest lecturer on Studying Large Carnivores in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve for Titusville High School junior and senior Science classes, Titusville, PA, USA (2005)
Guest lecturer on Studying Large Carnivores in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve for Menlo High School junior Biology classes, Menlo Park, CA, USA (2005)
Guest speaker on Field Research in Kenya for Phillip Brooks Elementary School and Menlo Middle School, Menlo Park, CA, USA (2005)
Guest speaker on Field Research in Kenya for Pleasantville Elementary School and Pleasantville Senior Citizens Group, Pleasantville, PA, USA (2004)
Guest speaker on Field Research in Kenya for Greensboro Middle School, Greensboro, NC, USA (2004)
Guest lecturer on Behavioral Ecology of Spotted Hyenas, Northland College, Ashland, WI, USA (2003)
Guest lecturer on Behavioral Ecology of Spotted Hyenas for over 60 groups of local school-children, commercial safari guests, university students (i.e., The School for Field Studies), and safari guides-in-training, Masai Mara, Kenya (2000-2002)
PRESENTATIONS AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES
Dloniak, SM. (2009) From whoops to policy: Determining numbers of large carnivores in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve and use of results in management planning. Annual Meeting of The Wildlife Society, Monterey, California, USA.
Dloniak, SM. (2006) The current status of the African lion (Panthera leo) and spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya: population estimation, monitoring, and implications for large carnivore conservation. Defenders of Wildlife’s Carnivores 2006, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA.
Dloniak, SM, French, JA, and Holekamp, KE. (2004) Androgens during pregnancy in wild spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta): The influence of social rank and maternal effects on cub behavior. Biannual Meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology, Jÿvaskÿla, Finland.
Dloniak, SM, French, JA, and Holekamp, KE. (2003) Fecal androgens in relation to social status, courtship, and aggression in wild adult male spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). Annual Meeting of the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Cincinnatti, Ohio, USA.
Deviche P, Dloniak SM, and Ebbesson SE. (1999) Effects of testosterone and photoperiodic condition on vocal control region plasticity and song production in a male passerine bird. Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Miami, Florida, USA.
Dloniak SM and Deviche P. (1999) Chronic opioid receptor blockade does not affect song production or vocal control region volumes in adult male dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis). Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Miami, Florida, USA.
Dloniak, SM and Deviche, P. (1999) Effects of testosterone and photoperiodic condition on song production and vocal control region volumes in male dark-eyed juncos. Annual Meeting of the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Principal Investigator, The Mara Carnivore Conservation Project, determination of population status of large carnivores, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya (2004-2007)
PhD student and research assistant, behavioral ecology and socioendocrinology of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), Dept. of Zoology, Michigan State University, and Mara Hyena Project, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya (1999-2004)
MS student and research assistant, neuroendocrine control of song in dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis), Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks (1997-1999)
Research assistant, physiological ecology of small mammals, Northland College (1996-1997)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fisheries Intern, Ruffe Surveillance Team, Fisheries Resource Office of Ashland, WI (1995)
Northland College Wolf Research Team (1994-1995)
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Ecological Society of America
Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology
The Wildlife Society
SERVICE
Red List focal point person for and member of the IUCN Hyaena Specialist Group (2006-present)
Editorial board of Swara, the quarterly magazine of the East African Wildlife Society (2009 – 2010)
Workshop participant: Kenya Wildlife Service workshop for the development of a national strategy for the conservation of lions and spotted hyenas (2008)
Scientific reviewer for the chapter “The Evolution of Communication” in the 9th Edition of John Alcock’s Animal Behavior (2008)
Workshop participant: Kenya Wildlife Service workshops for the development of regional and national strategies for the conservation of cheetahs and wild dogs (2007)
Ecology Working Group for the development of a 10-year Management Plan for The Masai Mara National Reserve (2006-2008)
Member of the Kenya Wildlife Service Large Carnivore Task Force (2005-present)
Reviewer for Acta Theriologica, African Journal of Ecology, Animal Behaviour, Applied Animal Behavior Science, Ethology, Hormones and Behavior, General and Comparative Endocrinology, Journal of Environmental Management, and Journal of Reproduction, Fertility, and Development (2004 – present)
Interviewee and participant in Animal Planet film ‘The White Lion’ (2005)
Volunteer for training of driver-guides at Fig Tree Camp, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya (2005)
Graduate student representative to Zoology Department faculty meetings, Michigan State University (2003-2004)
Volunteer alumni mentor, Northland College (2002-2004)
Graduate student panelist for Freshman Zoology Seminar (ZOL 101), Michigan State University (2002)
Member of B.P.O. Elks Lodge 264 (2000-2005)
Volunteer for Fairbanks Folk Festival and Alaska Public Radio (1998-1999)
ACADEMIC MENTORS
PhD mentors: Kay E. Holekamp1 (Major Advisor), Jeffrey A. French2, Cheryl Sisk1, Laura Smale1. 1Michigan State University and 2University of Nebraska at Omaha.
MS mentors: Pierre Deviche (Major Advisor), Kelly Drew, Thomas Kuhn. University of Alaska Fairbanks.