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2004
– present:
I am currently studying the biology and ecology
of Michauxia campanuloides L’Hér. (Campanulaceae)
in Lebanon. My ultimate aim is to study the seven
described species in this fascinating genus.
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At the herbarium of the Syrian Department of Genetic Resources,
Ministry of Agriculture; standing next to one of several cabinets
housing a historic collection of plants from Lebanon and Syria,
collected by the French Botanist Henri Pabot in the 1950s.
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2002
– present: I was and am still involved in studying
the biology and ecology of non-frugivorous fruit flies
in Lebanon. |
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Summer
2004: Research Assistant, Biology Department
and Department of Plant Sciences, American University
of Beirut
Project: The effect of selected plant extracts
on mite and leaf miner colonies
Supervisor: Prof. Khouzama Knio
2003: Research Assistant, Biology
Department, American University of Beirut
Project: Exploring ecological threats to the
livelihoods of Lebanese fishermen: A study of marine
invaders
Supervisor:
Prof. Michel Bariche
In
the field on Aragatz Mountain, Armenia, Summer 2006
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Professional
Service:
Treasurer, Biology Graduate Student Organization, Old Dominion
University (2007-2008)
Graduate
student representative, Curriculum Committee, Department of
Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University (2006-present)
Member, Preparing
Future Faculty Steering Committee, Old Dominion University(2006-present)
Chair, Preparing
Future Faculty Certificate Ad Hoc Committee, Old Dominion
University (2006-2007)
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Grants
and Fellowships:
The
Virginia S. Bagley Endowed Scholarship in Biological Sciences,
Old Dominion University (4070 USD)
The
2006 Association of Southeastern Biologists Annual Meeting
Travel Support Grant (257 USD)
The 2006 Outstanding Laboratory Graduate Teaching Assistant,
College of Sciences, Old Dominion University (150 USD)
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Publications:
Al-Zein,
M. S. 2003. Comparative studies of the cryptic and
sympatric fruit flies Chaetostomella cylindrica and
Chaetostomella lurida (Diptera: Tephritidae) infesting
thistles (Asteraceae) in Lebanon. M.S. Thesis. Beirut: American
University of Beirut. 90 pp.
Al – Zein, M. S. and L. J. Musselman.
2004. Michauxia (Campanulaceae): A Western Asian
genus honoring a North American pioneer botanist. Castanea:
Occasional Papers in Eastern Botany 2: 200 – 205.
Bariche,
M., R. Sadek, M. S. Al – Zein and M.
El – Fadel. 2007. Diversity of juvenile fish assemblages
in the pelagic waters of Lebanon (eastern Mediterranean).
Hydrobiologia 580: 109 – 115.
Knio,
K. M., I. M. White and M. S. Al –Zein.
2007. Host-race formation in Chaetostomella cylindrica
(Diptera: Tephritidae): morphological and morphometric evidence.
Journal of Natural History. 41(25-28):1697-1715.
Al-Zein,
M. S., L. J. Musselman, T. R. Sampson and K. U. Tennakoon.
Plant Imagery in Holy Writings and its Relation to Preservation
Efforts: Examples from the Koran, Pustun Poetry, the Bible
and Buddhism. Proceedings of the International Conference
on Promoting Community-driven Conservation and Sustainable
Use of Dryland Agrobiodiversity. International Center for
Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, Aleppo, Syria (in
press).
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Conferences:
Participant in:
- International
Conference on Technology Transfer in Biotechnologies as
a Catalyst for National Development, October 6-9, 1999,
Beirut, Lebanon
- International
Conference on Economic Growth: The Involvement of Biotechnology
and the Modern Bioindustries, November 10-11, 2001, Beirut,
Lebanon
- The
Sixth Annual Science and Math Teachers’ Conference (SMEC
VI), May 17-18, 2002, Beirut, Lebanon
- The
Eighth Annual Science and Math Teachers’ Conference (SMEC
VIII), May 21-22, 2004, Beirut, Lebanon
- The
52nd Annual Systematics Symposium: Reconstructing
Complex Evolutionary Histories: Gene-Species Trees, Historical
Biogeography, and Coevolution, October 7-9, 2005, Missouri
Botanical Gardens, St. Louis, Missouri
- 2006.
Spatial Heterogeneity in Biotic and Abiotic Environments:
Effects on Species Ranges, Co-evolution and Speciation.
Mathematical Biosciences Institute, Ohio State University,
Columbus, Ohio.
Presenter
in:
- The
Seventh Annual Science and Math Teachers’ Conference (SMEC
VII), May 23-24, 2003, Beirut, Lebanon
- Botany
2004: Alpine Diversity Adapted to the Peaks, July 31 – August
5, 2004, Snowbird, Utah
- Southeastern Ecology and Evolution
Conference, March 11-13, 2005, Athens, Georgia
- The
2005 Annual Meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists,
April 13-15, 2005, Florence, Alabama
- Botany
2005: Learning from Plants, August 13-17, 2005, Austin,
Texas
- 2006.
Annual Meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
-
2006. Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conference. Tuscaloosa,
Alabama.
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Presentations:
Al-Zein,
M. S. 2007. Deception, Promiscuity and Transexuality
in the Plant Kingdom. Natural History Seminar Series,
Natural History Museum, Department of Biology, American University
of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Al-Zein,
M. S., K. M. Alarid, K. U. Tennakoon and L. J. Musselman.
2006. Floral development and style ontogeny in Michauxia
campanuloides L’Hér. (Campanuloideae: Campanulaceae).
Annual Meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists,
Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Al-Zein,
M. S. and K. M. Knio. 2006. Comparative life history
and behavioral studies of two cryptic and sympatric Chaetostomella
species (Diptera: Tephritidae). Annual Meeting of the
Association of Southeastern Biologists, Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Al-Zein,
M. S. and W. C. Taylor. 2006. A phylogeny of the
endemic quillwort Isoetes tennesseensis using the
second intron of a LFY homolog. Annual Meeting of the
Association of Southeastern Biologists, Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Al-Zein,
M. S., K. M. Alarid, K. U. Tennakoon and L. J. Musselman.
2006. Pollen development and the ontogeny of stylar hairs
in Michauxia campanuloides L’Hér.
Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conference. Tuscaloosa,
Alabama.
Al-Zein,
M. S., L. J. Musselman, T. R. Sampson and K. U. Tennakoon.
2005. Plant Imagery in Holy Writings and its Relation to
Preservation Efforts: Examples from the Koran, Pustun Poetry,
the Bible and Buddhism. International Conference on Promoting
Community-driven Conservation and Sustainable Use of Dryland
Agrobiodiversity. International Center for Agricultural Research
in the Dry Areas, Aleppo, Syria.
Al-Zein,
M. S. and L. J. Musselman. 2005. Phenology and
pollen presentation in Michauxia campanuloides L'Hér.
Botany 2005: Learning from Plants, Austin, Texas
Al-Zein,
M. S. and K. M. Knio. 2005. Comparative morphometric
studies of the cryptic and sympatric flower head-infesting
tephritids, Chaetostomella cylindrica (Robineau-Desvoidy)and
C. lurida (Loew). The 2005 Annual Meeting of
the Association of Southeastern Biologists, Florence, Alabama.
Al-Zein, M. S.,
K. M. Knio and L. J. Musselman. 2005. A preliminary study
of the floral biology of Michauxia campanuloides L'Hér.
(Campanulaceae). The 2005 Annual Meeting of the Association
of Southeastern Biologists, Florence, Alabama.
Al-Zein, M. S.,
K. M. Alarid, L. J. Musselman and K. M. Knio. 2005. A preliminary
study of the pollination biology of Michauxia campanuloides
L'Hér. (Campanulaceae). Southeastern Ecology and
Evolution Conference 2005, Athens, Georgia.
Al-Zein,
M. S. and L. J. Musselman. 2004. The Quranic Talh:
Banana or Acacia? Botany 2004: Alpine Diversity Adapted
to the Peaks, Snowbird, Utah.
Al-Zein,
M. S. and H. M. Yassine. 2003. Designing Competency-based
Questions to Test Scientific Reasoning in Middle School Life
and Earth Sciences. Seventh Annual Science and Math Teachers’
Conference, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
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Professional
Societies:
American
Society of Plant Taxonomists
Association
of Southeastern Biologists
Botanical Society of America
Entomological Society of America
International Association for Plant Taxonomy
International Society for Phylogenetic Nomenclature
Society for Economic Botany
Southern Appalachian Botanical Society
Willi Hennig Society
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