Curriculum Vitae of Thomas
Wesener, PhD
Present Address
Field Museum, Zoology - Insects
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605, U.S.A.
Email:
twesener@uni-bonn.de
Phone:
1-312-665-7797
Date and Place of Birth
24 May 1980, Hattingen, Germany
Education
Language Skills: Fluent in English, Basic in
French and Latin
Ph.D in Natural
Sciences, Friedrich-Wilhelm University Bonn, Bonn, Germany; 2005–2008.
- Thesis
"Ausgezeichnet" 0.0, Kolloqium "Sehr Gut", Magna
Cum Laude
'Diplom' (M.A.) in Biology, with
Honour thesys: "Giant Pill-Millipedes of the Malagasy littoral
forest", pp. 152, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; 1999–2004.
- Thesis
1.0, General 1.1 Grade "Sehr Gut" (US equivalent = A)
High School Diploma, Gesamtschule Marxstraße, Hattingen, Germany,
1990–1999.
Professional Experience
- Postdoctoral Researcher, Field Museum, Zoology - Insects, December 2008 –
Present.
- Scientific Assistant, Museum Koenig, Lower Arthropoda,
August–November 2008.
- Expedition Myriapodologist, Museum Koenig, 2007
Madagascar Expedition.
- Laboratory Teaching Assistant, Course: Field
Excursions – Ruhr-University Bochum. June 2005.
- Graduate Assistant, Field Museum, February–May 2005.
- Laboratory Teaching Assistant, Course: Zoological
Determination – Ruhr-University Bochum. September 2004-January 2005.
- Laboratory Teaching Assistant, Course: Invertebrate Morphology
– Ruhr-University Bochum. September 2003-January 2004.
- Laboratory Teaching Assistant, Course: Zoological
Determination – Ruhr-University Bochum. September 2003-January 2004.
- Expedition Myriapodologist, Ruhr-University Bochum,
2003 Madagascar Littoral Forest Expedition.
- Undergraduate Research Assistant, Ruhr-University
Bochum, Biology Department. August-December 2002.
Research Experience
- Phylogeny
and biogeography of the suborder Trigoniulidea, (Diplopoda:
Spirobolida) – Field Museum, May 2008– Present.
- Ecological
specialization and systematics of the Spirobolida from Madagascar –
Field Museum, January 2008–Present.
- Species
list of the millipedes from the Eastern Frisian Islands – Museum
Koenig, January-February 2008.
- Systematics
and phylogeny of the millipede subfamily Spiromiminae – Museum Koenig,
September 2007-June 2009.
- Revision
of the endemic giant Fire-Millipede genus Aphistogoniulus
(Diplopoda: Spirobolida) – Museum Koenig, October 2006-May 2009.
- Systematics
of the first dwarfed member of the Giant Pill-Millipedes (Diplopoda,
Sphaerotheriida – Africa Museum Tervuren, May-July 2006.
- Phylogeny
and biogeography of the Giant Pill-Millipedes (Diplopoda:
Sphaerotheriida – Museum Koenig, May 2006-December 2009.
- Systematics
of the Giant Pill-Millipede genus Zoosphaerium Pocock, 1895 –
Museum Koenig, January 2006–April 2009.
- Curation
and identification of Diplopoda from Madagascar and China – California
Academy of Sciences, April-May 2004.
- Curation
and identification of Malagasy Diplopoda at the Field Museum,
March-May 2004.
- Redescriptions
and type identification of the Giant Pill-Millipedes from Madagascar
at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle Paris, February-March
2004.
- Biological
assessment of the millipede fauna of the SE littoral forest on
Madagascar (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida) – Ruhr-University Bochum,
January 2003-August 2005.
- A
literature review about the genera of terrestrial Isopoda. – Biology
Department, Ruhr-University Bochum, August-December 2002.
- Voluntary
conservation work about the bats (Chiroptera) of Bochum, June
2001-September 2004.
Public Outreach
- Interviewed
regarding the findings of the 2003 Madagascar Expedition; articles in
popular German newspapers including printed versions in National Geographic
Germany, Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ), Berliner Zeitung, as
well as many local papers.
- Interviewed
regarding the findings of the 2007 Madagascar Expedition for radio
programs and popular German newspapers. Printed versions of the
interview were included in Die Welt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
(FAZ), FOCUS, Bonner Generalanzeiger, and more than 40 local
newspapers. The story was also found in online media including
SpiegelOnline, Weltonline, Wissenschaftonline, and numerous other websites,
reaching as far as France, Turkey and Madagascar.
Foreign and Field Experience
Museum collections visited and investigated: Field
Museum Chicago (USA), California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco (USA),
Virginia Museum of Natural History (USA),
Zoologisches Museum Hamburg (Germany), Senckenberg Institut
Frankfurt (Germany), Museum für Tierkunde Dresden (Germany), Museum Koenig
Bonn (Germany), Zoology Museum Copenhagen (Denmark), Africa Museum Tervuren
(Belgium), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle Paris (France), Botanical
and Zoological Museum of Tsimbazaza (Madagascar)
Field
expeditions to foreign countries: Spain, France, Italy, San Marino, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg,
The Netherlands, USA, Madagascar
Scholarships and Grants
- Alexander Koenig-Society Award – Price for best
dissertation 2008, May 2009. $1500
- PEET Postdoctoral Fellowship – National Science
Foundation – Field Museum. December 2008
- EU Synthesys Grant – FR-TAF 1166: Muséum national
d’Histoire naturelle Paris, February-March 2005. $4200
- Co-PI, Research
Grant – DFG
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, April 2007–2009. $60,000
- EU Synthesys Grant – BE-TAF 1165: Africa Museum,
Tervuren, Belgium, June 2006. $3200
- Dissertation
Improvement Travel Grant – Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, February-May 2006. $6000
- EU Synthesys Grant – DK-TAF 1167: Zoology Museum,
Copenhagen, September-October 2005. $3000
- PhD Stipend – Studienstiftung des Deutschen
Volkes, 2005-2008. $18,000/year
- PEET Travel Grant – National Science Foundation, Field
Museum, March-May 2005. $9000
- EU Synthesys Grant – FR-TAF 186: Muséum national
d’Histoire naturelle Paris February-March 2005. $5600
- PEET Travel Grant – National Science Foundation, Field
Museum, January-February 2004. $5000
Publications
14. Wesener, T.
& van den Spiegel, D. (2009). A first phylogenetic analysis of
Giant Pill-Millipedes (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida), a new model Gondwanan
taxon, with special emphasis on island gigantism. Cladistics
25: 545–573. (cover article)
13. Wesener, T. (2009). Diversity, Phylogeny and Biogeography of
the millipedes from Madagascar [in German, title translated]. Koenigiana 3 (2): 57–66.
(cover article)
12. Wesener, T., Enghoff, H. &
P. Sierwald (2009). Review of the Spirobolida on Madagascar, with
descriptions of twelve new genera, including three genera of 'Fire
Millipedes' (Diplopoda). ZooKeys 19: 1–128. (Monograph)
11. Wesener, T. & Enghoff, H.
(2009). Revision of the millipede subfamily Spiromiminae, a Malagasy group
with Indian connections? (Diplopoda,
Spirobolida, Pachybolidae). Tropical
Zoology 22 (1): 71–120.
10. Wesener, T.,
Enghoff , H., Hoffman, R. L., Wägele, J.-W. & P. Sierwald (2009). Revision
of the endemic giant fire millipedes of Madagascar, genus Aphistogoniulus
(Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pachybolidae). International
Journal of Myriapodology 3: 15–52.
9. Wesener, T. (2009). Unexplored
richness: discovery of 31 new species of Giant Pill-Millipedes endemic to
Madagascar, with a special emphasis on microendemism (Diplopoda,
Sphaerotheriida). Zootaxa, 2097: 1–134. (Monograph)
8. Wesener, T. (2008). Centipedes
and Millipedes of the Eastern Frisian Islands [in German, title translated]. Flora und Fauna der ostfriesischen Inseln. R. Niedringhaus, V. Haeseler, P.
Janiesch (Eds), Schriftenreihe Nationalparkverwaltung Niedersächsisches
Wattenmeer 11: 135–137.
7. Wesener, T.,
Enghoff, H. & J.-W. Wägele (2008). Pachybolini – a tribe of
giant Afrotropical millipedes: arguments for monophyly and the description
of a new genus from Madagascar (Diplopoda: Spirobolida: Pachybolidae). Invertebrate
Systematics 22: 37–53.
6. Wesener, T. & J.-W. Wägele
(2008). The giant pill-millipedes of Madagascar: revision of the genus Zoosphaerium
(Myriapoda, Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida). Zoosystema 30 (1):
5–85.
5. Wesener, T. & D.
VandenSpiegel (2007). Microsphaerotherium ivohibiense, a new genus and species of Giant-Pill Millipedes
from Madagascar (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Arthrosphaerinae). Journal
of Afrotropical Zoology 3:
153–160.
4. Wesener, T. & Wägele, J.-W.
(2007). Giant Pill-Millipedes (Diplopoda:
Sphaerotheriida) in the Littoral Forest Fragments of Southeastern
Madagascar. IN: Biodiversity, Ecology
and Conservation of Littoral Ecosystems in Southeastern Madagascar,
Tolagnaro (Fort Dauphin). J. Ganzhorn, S. M. Goodman & M.
Vincelette (eds), Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., SI/MAB
Series 11, 145–151.
3. Wesener, T. (2006). Giant-pill millipede diversity on Madagascar (Diplopoda:
Sphaerotheriida). Peckiana 4,
2005 [2006], 189–193.
2. Wesener, T. & P. Sierwald
(2005a). New giant
pill-millipede species from the littoral forest of Madagascar (Diplopoda,
Sphaerotheriida, Zoosphaerium). Zootaxa 1097: 1–60.
1. Wesener, T. & P. Sierwald (2005b).
The Giant Pill-Millipedes
of Madagascar: Revision of the Genus Sphaeromimus, with a Review of
the Morphological Terminology (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida,
Sphaerotheriidae). Proceedings of the
California Academy of Sciences, Fourth Series, 56 (29): 557–599.