CV
Education
- In prog. Ph.D., Botany, University of British Columbia
- Working Thesis Title: Predicting Plant-Fungal Links
- Supervisors: T.J. Davies, Q.C.B. Cronk
- 2018 M.S., Integrative Biology, University of Colorado Denver
- Thesis: Population Genomics of a Rare Edaphic Endemic
- Supervisor: L.P. Bruederle
- 2013 B.S., cum laude, Environmental Science and Management; Minor in Biology, Portland State University
Assistantships, Scholarships, and Grants
- 2020-24 Four-Year Doctoral Fellowship ($72,800 [CAD] + tuition), University of British Columbia
- 2020-24 Teaching Assistantship ($24,200 [CAD]), University of British Columbia
- 2020-23 President’s Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award ($2197 [CAD]), University of British Columbia
- 2018 Outstanding M.S. Student, University of Colorado Denver
- 2018 Dissemination Grants ($1100), University of Colorado Denver
- 2015-18 Teaching Assistantship ($45,000), University of Colorado Denver
- 2017 Graduate Student Research Award ($500), Botanical Society of America
- 2017 Research Grant for Graduate Students ($800), American Society of Plant Taxonomists
- 2017 Travel Grant for Botany 2017 ($300), American Society of Plant Taxonomists
- 2015 IB Graduate Student Scholarship ($5,000), University of Colorado Denver
Peer Reviewed Publications
- Stewart, R.D., Bard, N.W., Davies, T.J., van der Bank, Michelle. 2025. Leveraging machine learning and citizen science data to describe flowering phenology across South Africa. Plants, People, Planet. Link
- Bard, N.W., Davies, J.D., Cronk, Q.C.B. 2025. teknonaturalist: A Snakemake pipeline for assessing fungal diversity from plant genome bycatch. Molecular Ecology Resources Link
- Bard, N.W., Cronk, Q.C.B., Davies, J.D. Fungal endophytes can modulate plant invasion. Biological Reviews. (2024). Link
- Bruederle, L.P.B., Spencer, A., Bard, N.W. 2024. Noteworthy collections – Carex scirpoidea Lam. (Cyperaceae) in Wisconsin – now you see it … The Journal of the Torrey Society. Link
- Bard, N.W., Miller, C.S., and L.P. Bruederle. 2021. High genomic diversity maintained by Carex scirpoidea subsp. convoluta, a paraphyletic Great Lakes ecotype. Conservation Genetics. Link
Oral Presentations
Bard, N.W., Q.C. Cronk, T.J. Davies. 2024. The missing links: host plants and their fungal endophytes and pathogens.
- Eco Evo Retreat, Nov 9, 2024, Squamish, BC, CAN (Oral - Blitz).
- Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution, May 31, 2024, Vancouver, BC (Oral).
Bard, N.W.,, T.J. Davies, Q.C. Cronk. 2024. Fungal endophytes can modulate plant invasion.
- Botany Graduate Students Association Symposium, April 19, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (Oral).
Bard, N.W., T.J. Davies, Q.C. Cronk. Surveying fungal diversity: A genome mining approach.
- Ecological Society of America/Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution, August 16, 2022. Montréal, QC.
- Botany Graduate Students Association Symposium, April 22, 2022, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.
- BC Chapter of Canadian Phytopathological Society, November 18, 2024, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC (Oral).
Bard, N.W., Miller, C.S., and L.P. Bruederle. 2020. Conservation genomics of Carex scirpoidea subsp. convoluta.
- Botany, July 30, Virtual Conference.
Poster Presentations
Bard, N.W., Q.C. Cronk, T.J. Davies. 2024 The missing links: host plants and their fungal endophytes and pathogens.
- International Biogeography Society, Jan 9, Prague, CZ
Bard, N.W., T.J. Davies, Q.C. Cronk. 2023 Assessing plant-associated fungal diversity from plant genome bycatch using the teknonaturalist pipeline.
- Eco Evo Retreat, Oct 28, Squamish, BC, CAN
Bard, N.W., K.M. Westergaard, and L.P. Bruederle. 2018. Soil niche differentiation among populations of Carex scirpoidea (Cyperaceae).
- Botany, July 23, Rochester, MN.
- Research and Creative Activities Symposium, April 27, University of Colorado Denver.
Professional Experience
- 2021-present Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of British Columbia
- served as instructor for Fundamentals of Evolutionary Biology (BIOL 336) Tutorial and Seed Plant Taxonomy (BIOL 324) Lab
- led tutorials and labs, graded coursework, hosted office hours
- led lecture while professor absent
- 2020 Field Technician, National Ecological Observatory Network, Vancouver, WA
- created plant identification guide for Pacific Northwest region of USA (Domain 16)
- ecological sampling; including plant diversity, vegetation structure, ground litter, dendrobands
- 2019-20 Laboratory Technician, Molecular Vision Lab, Hillsboro, OR
- performed benchwork and computational analysis in a clinical diagnostic laboratory
- assisted with protocol development and technical troubleshooting
- 2018 Graduate Assistant, University of Colorado Denver
- assisted with plant specimen collection for Flora of Colorado (BIOL 4345/5345)
- acquired collecting permits; arranged fieldwork; identified and collected specimens; maintained herbarium and specimen collections
- 2015-18 Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Colorado Denver
- assisted with Plant Science (BIOL 4335/5335), served as instructor for Flora of Colorado Lab (BIOL 4345/5345) & General Biology I & II Labs (BIOL 2071, 2072)
- developed and led semester-long course-based research experience for Flora of Colorado introducing ecological niche modeling
- 2015 Conservation Biology Intern, Center for Biological Diversity, Portland, OR
- wrote draft Critical Habitat Petition for the Threatened Blackside Dace for submission to the US Fish and Wildlife Service
- conducted large scale Monarch Butterfly query for legal defense
- 2015 Stream Restoration Technician, StreamTeam, Vancouver, WA
- restored degraded stream habitats through strategic tree planting and maintenance; detected and removed invasive plants; installed irrigation systems
- assisted with organization and setup of Earth Day community planting event
- 2014-15 Bioprocessing Technician, Genentech, Hillsboro, OR
- assisted with manufacturing of sterile injectable pharmaceuticals following FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and aseptic technique
- operated and trained technicians on manufacturing equipment
- 2013 Laboratory Technician, USDA-ARS, Aberdeen, ID
- assisted plant genetics research for Dr. Victor Raboy
- collected and prepared plant tissue and seed samples; ran microtitre plate assays
- 2012 Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, Portland State University
- Environmental Systems I (ESM 320)
- graded homework; led exam review sessions; tutored students
- 2011-13 Botany Data Assistant Intern, Institute for Natural Resources, Portland, OR
- performed data entry for vegetation surveys:
- Wet Meadow Plant Associations, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Harney County, Oregon
- Pine Creek Conservation Area: 2013 Mapping and Monitoring Report
Skills
Biological data analysis, bioinformatics, and biodiversity informatics (see Programming); statistical and ecological modeling, database querying, ecological fieldwork and sampling, plant taxonomy and identification, science education, scientific communication, herbarium techniques, molecular biology benchwork, grant writing, scientific protocol development, habitat restoration, website building, aseptic technique, basic Spanish and French (CEFR A2).
Programming
R, incl. dplyr, ape, adegenet, pegas, vegan, rgbif, ggplot2, etc.
Python,
Snakemake,
shell/Perl, incl. Megahit, Metavelvet, Stacks, dDocent, Structure, RAxML, Trinity, Kraken, ITSx, ipyRAD, Arlequin etc.
Github,
Docker,
GUI, incl. jModelTest2, Genodive, Wordpress.
Peer Review
Journal of Systematics and Evolution (2020), PhytoKeys (2023), Brazilian Journal of Microbiology (2024), Molecular Ecology (2024)
Service
- 2022 Volunteer, International Biogeography Society, Vancouver, BC
- assisted with conference registration, IT support, and timekeeping
- 2021- Member, Botany and Zoology Wellness Initiative (UBC), BC
- planned and led wellness events for the UBC Botany and Zoology departments
- attended organizational meetings
- 2021- Wellness Representative, Botany Graduate Students Association (UBC), BC
- attended organizational meetings on behalf of the Wellness Initiative
- assisted event planning
- 2014 Volunteer, PNW Invasive Plant Council, WA
- identified and documented invasive plants and geographical coordinates
Professional Memberships
Canadian Phytopathological Society (2024-), Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution (2024- ), International Biogeography Society (2023- ), Botanical Society of America (2016-2020), American Society of Plant Taxonomists (2016-2017), Colorado Native Plant Society (2015-2017), Ecological Society of America (2022- )