Roxaneh Khorsand Rosa has extensive experience in ecological research, education, and conservation. She received her Ph.D. from FIU in 2013, studying the reproductive ecology of Mauritia flexuosa palm in Brazil. Her career goals are to conduct innovative ecological research and apply results to management/conservation, and help students develop critical thinking skills relating to ecology. She has taught various courses at FIU as an adjunct instructor and TA. Her research focuses on plant phenology and pollination in tropical and arctic ecosystems.

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ROXANEH KHORSAND ROSA - CURRICULUM VITAE
Department of Biological Sciences
Florida International University
Miami, Fl., 33199
Tel: 786-768-5697
Email: rkhor001@fiu.edu
Career goals
Research: To conduct innovative ecological research and apply results towards
practical and sustainable solutions in management and conservation.
Education: To help students develop critical thinking skills and relate to
biological concepts, including ecological theory and applications.
Education
Ph.D. Biology, 2013, Florida International University, Miami, FL.
Dissertation: The influence of habitat on the reproductive ecology of the
Amazonian palm, Mauritia flexuosa, in Roraima, Brazil.
Advisor: Suzanne Koptur
B.A. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2003, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.
B.A. Spanish Literature, 2003, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.
Professional and Research Experience
2013-2015 Postdoctoral Associate, Plant ecophysiology,
Mentor: Steven Oberbauer, Florida International University.
2008-2010 Visiting researcher, National Institute for Amazonian
Research (INPA), Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil.
2005 Field assistant, Maracá Ecological Station, Roraima, Brazil.
2005 Herbarium technician in collaboration with New York
Botanical Garden, Executive Commission of Cacao
Plantations (CEPLAC), Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil.
2004 English editor, Iran News, Tehran, Iran.
2001-2003 Research/greenhouse assistant,
Mentor: Pamela Diggle, University of Colorado.

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Teaching and Mentoring Experience
2015, Spring Adjunct Instructor, Florida International University,
Department of Biological Sciences, Ecology Lecture
2015, Spring Adjunct Instructor, Florida International University,
Department of Biological Sciences, Senior Seminar
2015, Spring Guest Lecturer, Florida International University,
Department of Biological Sciences, Tropical Ecology
2012, Fall Graduate Teaching Assistant, Florida International
University, Department of Biological Sciences,
General Biology II Laboratory
2012, Spring Graduate Teaching Assistant, Florida International
University, Department of Biological Sciences, General
Biology II Laboratory
2011, Summer Graduate Teaching Assistant, Florida International
University, Department of Biological Sciences, Evolution
2011, Spring Graduate Teaching Assistant, Florida International
University, Department of Biological Sciences,
Online General Biology II Laboratory
2011, Fall Guest Lecturer, Federal University of Roraima, Brazil,
Plant Ecology Lecture
2011, Fall Graduate Teaching Assistant, Florida International University
Online, Department of Biological Sciences,
General Biology I Laboratory
2010, Summer Graduate Teaching Assistant, Florida International
University, Department of Biological Sciences,
Online Human Biology Laboratory
2009, Fall Guest Lecturer, Florida International University, Department
of Biological Sciences, Ecology Lecture

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2008, Spring Graduate Teaching Assistant, Florida International
University, Department of Biological Sciences,
General Biology I Laboratory
2008, Fall Graduate Teaching Assistant, Florida International
University, Department of Biological Sciences,
Ecology Lecture
2007, Spring Graduate Teaching Assistant, Florida International
University, Department of Biological Sciences,
Plant Ecology Laboratory
2007, Fall Graduate Teaching Assistant, Florida International
University, Department of Biological Sciences,
General Biology I Laboratory
2006, Fall Participant, Academy for the Art of Teaching, Graduate
Teaching Training Workshop, Florida International University
* 2008 – 2011 Trained four local field and laboratory assistants in Roraima,
Brazil.
Mentored one undergraduate student at Faculdade Atual,
Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil.
Grants and Awards
2013 Florida International University, Worlds Ahead Graduate.
Florida International University Biology Symposium, Best Graduate
Student Talk, Honorable Mention.
2012 Florida International University Dissertation Year Fellowship,
$25,000.
Botanical Society of America, Best Graduate Student Paper,
Ecological Section, Columbus, OH.
Botanical Society of America, Ecological Section Travel Award,
Columbus, OH., $500.
Florida International University Biology Symposium, Best Graduate
Student Talk.

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2011 National Science Foundation Supplement to Doctoral Dissertation
Enhancement Project Award, $3,000.
2010 National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Enhancement
Project Award, $15,000.
Fulbright Scholar Fellowship, $15,000.
2009 Montgomery Botanical Center Research Fellowship, $2,000.
Tinker Field Research Grant, $2,500.
2008 International Palm Society Fellowship, $4,500.
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship,
Honorable Mention.
Florida International University Agroecology Scholarship, $2,500.
Florida International University Pearce Scholarship $2,000.
2007 National Science Foundation Cyber Bridges Award, $5,000.
Judith Evans Parker Travel Scholarship, FIU, $1,100.
Publications (Peer-Reviewed)
Khorsand Rosa, R., Oberbauer, S.F., Starr, G. et al. (In review). Plant
phenological responses to a long-term experimental extension of growing
season and soil warming in tussock tundra of Alaska.
Khorsand Rosa, R. (In review). The missing piece of an Amazonian NTFP
market: the case of buriti in Roraima, Brazil.
Khorsand Rosa, R., Imbrozio Barbosa, R., and Koptur, S. 2014. Which factors
explain reproductive output of Mauritia flexuosa (Arecaceae) in forest and
savanna habitats of northern Amazonia? International Journal of Plant
Sciences 175(3):307-318.
Khorsand Rosa, R. 2014. A review of the pollination biology of Mauritia flexuosa.
Palms 58(2): 77-82.
Khorsand Rosa, R. and Koptur, S. 2013. New findings on the pollination biology
of Mauritia flexuosa (Arecaceae) in Roraima, Brazil: linking dioecy, wind,

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and habitat. American Journal of Botany 100(3): 613-621.
Khorsand Rosa, R., Imbrozio Barbosa, R., and Koptur, S. 2013. How do habitat
and climate variation affect phenology of the Amazonian palm, Mauritia
flexuosa? Journal of Tropical Ecology 29(3): 255-259.
Khorsand Rosa, R. 2011. Bees collect resin from Mauritia flexuosa in Roraima,
Brazil. Palms 55(4): 200-203.
Khorsand Rosa, R. and Koptur, S. 2009. Preliminary observations and analyses
of pollination in Coccothrinax argentata: Do insects play a role? Palms
3(2): 75-83.
Presentations
Khorsand Rosa, R., Oberbauer, S., Starr, G., Pop, E., Ahlquist, L., Parker,I. and
Baldwin, T. Predicting phenological responses of arctic tundra species to
climate change. Botanical Society of America Conference, Boise, ID.,
2014.
Khorsand Rosa, R. and Koptur, S. Reconsidering wind-pollination in the tropics:
a case study of Mauritia flexuosa (Arecaceae). Florida International
University Biology Symposium, Miami, FL., 2013.
Khorsand Rosa, R., Koptur, S., Imbrozio Barbosa, R. Floral biology and
pollination of the agroforestry palm, Mauritia flexuosa: Why field
observations are not enough. Botanical Society of America Conference,
Columbus, OH., 2012.
Khorsand Rosa, R. Flowering and fruiting phenology of Mauritia flexuosa, an
Amazonian palm. Plant Biologists of South Florida Annual Meeting, Miami,
FL., 2012.
Khorsand Rosa, R. Phenology and population dynamics of Mauritia flexuosa
(buriti) in Roraima, Brazil. Florida International University Biology
Symposium, Miami, FL., 2012.
Khorsand Rosa, R. The reproductive ecology of buriti in Roraima, Universidade
Federal de Roraima (UFRR), Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil, 2010.
Khorsand Rosa, R. Bees, buriti, and the Brazilian Amazon. Florida International
University Plant Talk, Miami, FL., 2009.

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Khorsand Rosa, R. and S. Koptur. Poster presentation: The pollination biology of
three sympatric palms of southern Florida pine rocklands. Ecological
Society of America Plant-Pollinator Interactions Conference, Milwaukee,
WI., 2008.
Khorsand Rosa, R. The ecological basis for fruit productivity in Mauritia flexuosa
L.f.: Does habitat matter? South Florida Palm Society, Miami, FL., 2008.
Reviewer (Journals and Proposals)
2014 AoB PLANTS
Biotemas
International Palm Society
2013 International Palm Society
National Institute for Amazonian Research
2012 International Palm Society
2011 Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society
Professional Affiliations
Botanical Society of America
Union of Concerned Scientists
Society for Economic Botany
Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation
International Palm Society
Outreach
2013 Educational presentation “Journey to the Amazon,” Henry E.S.
Reeves Elementary, Miami, FL.
2012 Career Day, Henry E.S. Reeves Elementary, Miami. FL.
2011 Earth Week, Museu Integrado de Roraima (MIRR),
Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil.
Television interview on local program, “Meiodia ao ponto,” Boa
Vista, Roraima, Brazil.

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2010-2011 Environmental outreach presentations with school children and
community members (urban and rural) in Roraima, Brazil.
Languages
English (fluent)
French (fluent)
Portuguese (fluent)
Spanish (fluent)
Farsi (proficient)
Technology/computer skills
Microsoft Office
SPSS Statistics
R
Geographic Information System (GIS)
Learning Management Systems (LMS): Blackboard, Moodle
iClicker Classroom Response System
References
Suzanne Koptur, Professor and Director of QBIC-Quantifying Biology in the
Classroom, Florida International University, Department of Biological
Sciences, Miami, FL., kopturs@fiu.edu; 305-348-3103
Steven Oberbauer, Professor & Graduate Program Director, Florida International
University, Department of Biological Sciences, Miami, FL.,
oberbaue@fiu.edu; 305-348-2580
Maureen Donnelly, Professor & Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, Florida
International University, Department of Biological Sciences, Miami, Fl.,
maureen.a.donnelly@gmail.com; 305-348-1235