Christopher Irwin Smith

Education

PhD, Harvard University, 2003

Teaching Philosophy

Students learn best when they are actively involved in the educational process. As an educator, I strive to engage my students by designing lectures that are dynamic and interactive, and that involve extensive discussion and dialog between students and the instructor. Ultimately, that philosophy transcends the classroom, by involving students in research, and helping them to design independent projects. By undertaking their own research, students gain independence from the instructor and become the architects of their own education. By the time they graduate, my students should have a curiosity about the natural world, grounding in the fundamental concepts in biology, and the skills to sustain intellectual growth as biologists throughout their lives.

Research Interests

My work examines the role of ecological processes in shaping evolutionary patterns over both microevolutionary and macroevolutionary time. I am particularly interested in exploring ecological and evolutionary questions in the context of interactions between plants and insects. Much of my work relies on coalescent and phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data and simulated datasets, but I also incorporate many traditional methods in field ecology. More details about my research can be found on my lab web page.

Publications

Yoder, J. B., C. I. Smith, and O. Pellmyr. In Review. How to become a yucca moth: Minimal trait evolution needed to establish obligate pollination mutualism. Evolution.
Godsoe, W, E. Strand, C. I. Smith, J. B. Yoder, T. C. Esque, and O. Pellmyr. In Review. Divergence in an obligate mutualism is not explained by divergent fundamental niches. American Naturalist.
Smith, C.I, W.K.W. Godsoe, S. Tank, J.B.Yoder, and O. Pellmyr. In Press. Distinguishing coevolution from covicariance in an obligate pollination mutualism: Asynchronous divergence in Joshua tree and its pollinators. Evolution.
Godsoe, W., J. B. Yoder, C. I. Smith, O. Pellmyr. 2008. Coevolution and diversification in the Joshua tree yucca moth mutualism. American Naturalist. 171 (6) 816-823
Smith, C. I., O. Pellmyr, D. M. Althoff, M. Balcazar-Lara, J. Leebens-Mack, K. A. Segraves. 2008. Pattern and timing of diversification in Yucca (Agavaceae): Specialized pollination does not escalate rates of diversification. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences. 275: 249-258.
Smith, C I. 2007. Historical biogeography: The new synthesis. Current Biology.17: R598-R600.
R. Gomulkiewicz, D. M. Drown, M. F. Dybdahl, W. Godsoe, S. L. Nuismer, K. M. Pepin, B. J. Ridenhour, C. I. Smith, and J. B. Yoder. 2007. Do’s and Don’t’s of testing the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution. Heredity. 98: 249–258.
Smith, C. I. and B. D. Farrell. 2006. Evolutionary consequences of dispersal ability in cactus-feeding insects. Genetica. 126: 323-334.
Smith, C. I. 2005. Re-wilding: introductions could reduce biodiversity. Nature. 437 (7057): 318.
Smith, C. I. and B. D. Farrell. 2005. Recent range expansions in the flightless longhorn cactus beetles Moneilema gigas and M. armatum in response to Pleistocene climate changes. Molecular Ecology. 14: 1025-1044.
Smith, C. I. and B. D. Farrell. 2005 Phylogeography of the longhorn cactus beetle Moneilema appressum LeConte (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Was the differentiation of the Madrean sky-islands driven by Pleistocene climate changes? Molecular Ecology. 14: 3049-3065.
Smith, C.I. and B.D. Farrell. 2005. Historical biogeography of the longhorn cactus beetles: The influence of Pleistocene climate changes on American desert communities. Pp 135- 139 in Biodiversity and Management of the Madrean Archipelago II: Connecting Mountain Islands and Desert Seas. G. Gottfried et al. Editors. 2004 May 11-15; Tucson, AZ. Proceedings RMRS-P-36. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.
Miller, R.M., C. I. Smith, J. Jastrow, and J. D. Bever. 1999. The mycorrhizal status of the genus Carex (Cyperaceae). American Journal of Botany. 86: (4) 547-553. Journal Impact Factor: 2.4.
Yun, W., S. T. Pratt, R. M. Miller, Z. Cai, D. B. Hunter, A. G. Jastfer, K. M. Kemner, B. Lai, H.-R. Lee., D. G. Leegnini, W. Rodrigues, and C. I. Smith. X-ray imaging and microspectroscopy of plants and fungi. Journal of Synchrotron Radiation. 5: 1390-1395.