Brook O. Swanson
Associate Professor
Department of Biology
Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA
(509) 313-6692
Education
Doctor of Philosophy in Biology with distinction, Northern Arizona University: December 2004
Bachelor of Science with highest honor, Biological Sciences, with concentrations in Marine Biology and Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology: May 1999
Professional Appointments
2010-presentAssociate Professor of Biology, Gonzaga University
2006-2010Assistant Professor of Biology, Gonzaga University.
2005-2006Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology: Pacific University.
2004-2005Post-Doctoral Researcher: University of California, Riverside.
2004Lecturer: Northern Arizona University.
2001-2004Graduate Research Fellow: US Environmental Protection Agency, Science To Achieve Results (STAR) program.
2000-2001 Laboratory instructor: Northern Arizona University.
1999-2000Wetland scientist: Swan Resource Company – wetland delineation and biological assessments
1997-1999Undergraduate researcher: Florida Tech
Peer Reviewed Publications
2012 Weaver, Milliron, Miserez, Evans-Lutterodt, Herrera, Gallana, Mershon, Swanson,
Zavattieri, DiMasi, and Kisailus. The Stomatopod Dactyl Club: A Formidable Damage-Tolerant Biological Hammer. Science.Vol. 336 no. 6086 pp. 1275-1280.
2011Baumgartner A*, Coleman S, Swanson B. The Cost of the Sword: Escape Performance in Male Swordtails. PLoS ONE 6(1): e15837. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0015837
2009Swanson, B.O., Anderson, S.*, DiGiovine, C.*, Ross, R.*, Dorsey, J.* Evolution of complex biomaterial performance: the case of spider silk. Integrative and Comparative Biology49:21-31.
2009Dean, M., Swanson, B.O., Summers, A.P. Biomaterials: properties, variation and evolution. Integrative and Comparative Biology49: 15-20.
2009 Collin, M., Camama, E., Swanson, B.O., Edgerly, J.S., Hayashi, C.Y. Comparison of embiopteran silks reveals tensile and structural similarities across taxa. Biomacromolecules 10.1021/bm900449p.
2008Swanson, B.O., Gibb, A.C., Marks, J.C., Hendrickson, D.A. Variation in foraging behavior facilitates resource partitioning in a polymorphic cichlid, Herichthys minckleyi. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 83:147-154
2007 Swanson, B.O., Blackledge, T.A., Hayashi, C.Y. Spider capture silk: performance implications of variation in an exceptional biomaterial. Journal of Experimental Zoology 307(11): 654-666.
2007 Gibb, A.C., Swanson, B.O. Liu, C.* Heterochrony and the development of the escape response: prehatching movements in the rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Journal of Experimental Zoology 307(10): 556-567.
2006Swanson, B.O., Blackledge, T.A., Summers, A.P., Hayashi, C.Y. Spider dragline silk: correlated and mosaic evolution in high performance biological materials. Evolution 60:2539-2551.
2006Swanson, B.O., Blackledge, T.A., Beltrán, J.* Hayashi, C.Y. Variation in the material properties of spider dragline silk across species. Journal of Applied Physics A 82(2). 213-218.
2006Gibb, A.C., Swanson, B.O., Wesp, H.M., Landels, C.*, and Liu, C.* The development of escape performance in teleost fishes: Do ontogenetic changes enable improved escape performance? Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 79(1). 7-19.
2005Swanson, B.O., Gibb, A.C., Marks, J.C., Hendrickson, D.A. Do kinematics vary between lab and field feeding behaviors in a Mexican cichlid? Environmental Biology of Fishes. 74(2). 199-206.
2004Swanson, B.O., and Gibb, A.C. Kinematics of aquatic and terrestrial escape responses in mudskippers. Journal of Experimental Biology.207: 4037-4044.
2003Swanson, B.O., Gibb, A.C., Marks, J.C., Hendrickson, D.A. Trophic polymorphism and behavioral differences decrease intra-specific competition in a cichlid, Herichthys minckleyi. Ecology 84(6). 1441-1446.
Other Publications
2009Swanson, B.O. Review of Inspired by Biology: from molecules to materials to machines.In The Quarterly Review of Biology84:183-184.
2005Swanson, B.O. Maintenance of diversity in a polymorphic species (Herichthys minckleyi). Buntbarsche Bulletin 228. 27-35 .
Presentations and published abstracts
Invited seminar speaker at:
Whitworth University (2011), Eastern Washington University (2009, 2011), Washington State University (2008); Gonzaga University (2006); Mary Washington University (2006); University of Portland (2006); Weber State University (2006); U.C. Riverside (2005); Pacific University (2005).
2011Kathleen Cloughesy*, Marshal Davis,*Patrick Hoversten*, and Brook Swanson.Cracking the claw: evolutionary diversity in fiddler crabs. Murdock College Science Research Program.
2011Swanson, B.O. Discovery of high performance biomaterials for defense application. AFOSR annual review.
2010Kathleen Cloughesy*, Gina Marie Contolini*, Scott Parmely*, and Brook Swanson. Semaphore or weapon: A comparison of fiddler crab behavior and major claw force. Murdock College Science Research Program.
2010BERGAM, Brittany A.*; FRIEDMAN, Alex*; SWANSON, Brook O.Building a Biological Hammer.Integrative and Comparative Biology
2010GEORGE, Matthew N*; SWANSON, Brook O.Allometry and Correlated Evolution in Fiddler Crab Major Claw Morphology.Integrative and Comparative Biology
2010ANDERSON, Stuart P*; GEORGE, Matthew*; SWANSON, Brook O.Claw force and cuticle strength: Functional morphology of fiddler crab combat.Integrative and Comparative Biology
2009Swanson, B.O. and Anderson, S.* Evolution of complex biomaterial performance: the case of spider silk. Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2009Andrew, J.*, George, M.*, Patek, S., Swanson, B. Biomechanical and structural variation in the stomatopod cuticle Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2009Dorsey, J.*, George, M.*, Anderson, S.*, Swanson, B. Effects of heavy metal pollution onfeeding and escape performance in pumpkinseed sunfish Integrative and Comparative Biology.
2008Andrew, J.*, George, M.*, Patek, S., Swanson, B. Biomechanical and structural variation in the stomatopod cuticle. 17th Regional Conference on Undergraduate Research, Murdock College Science Research Program.*
2008Dorsey, J.*, George, M.*, Anderson, S.*, Swanson, B. Effects of heavy metal pollution onfeeding and escape performance in pumpkinseed sunfish 17th Regional Conference on Undergraduate Research, Murdock College Science Research Program.*
2008 Swanson, B.O., DiGovine, C.*, Dorsey, J.*, Ross, R.* Does body form determine escape response performance in fishes? Int. Comp. Biology
2007 DiGovine, C.*, Dorsey, J.*, Ross, R.*, and Swanson, B.O. Does body form determine escape response performance in fishes? 16th Regional Conference on Undergraduate Research, Murdock College Science Research Program.*
2007Swanson, B.O. and Hayashi, C.Y. Sticky, stretchy and strong: evolution of spider capture fibers. Int. Comp. Biology.
2005Hayashi, C.Y., Blackledge, T.A., Swanson, B.O. Evolution of the material properties of spider dragline silk Int. Comp. Biol A.
2005 Gibb, A.C., Liu, C.*, Swanson, B.O. Pre-hatching escape behavior in the rainbow trout Int. Comp. Biol A.
2005Swanson, B.O., Summers, A.P. and Hayashi, C.Y. Evolution of spider silk material properties. Evolution, Fairbanks AK.
2005Collin, M. A., Swanson, B. O., Hayashi, C. Y. Mechanical Properties of Embioptera Silk Int. Comp. Biol A.
2005Swanson, B.O. Maintenance of diversity in a polymorphic cichlid. Evolution, Fairbanks AK.
2004Swanson, B.O. and Gibb, A.C. Ontogeny of fast starts: What are the biomechanical consequences of development in teleost fish? Int. Comp. Biol 44:51.1 A.
2004Swanson, B.O. Maintenance of morphological diversity in a polymorphic cichlid fish. J. Morph. 260(3).
2003Swanson, B.O. Comparison of fish feeding behaviors between laboratory and field: Do lab feeding analyses reflect ecologically important behaviors? Int. Comp. Biol. 43(6):62.5A.
2003Swanson, B.O., Gibb, A.C., Landels, C.* Kinematics of aquatic and terrestrial escape responses in mudskippers: Does the same morphology produce a similar behavior across different environments? Int. Comp. Biol. 43(6):P3.62.
2003Swanson, B.O. Competition reduction and the maintenance of polymorphism in Herichthys minckleyi. Ecological Society of America, Savannah, GA.
2003Gibb, A.C., Liu, C.*, Wesp, H.M. and Swanson, B.O. What is the functional basis of improved escape performance during early development in the Rainbow Trout? Int. Comp. Biol. 43(6):P3.60.
2002Swanson, B.O. Terrestrial escape response of the mudskipper: an analysis of muscle power and kinematics. Int. Comp. Biol. 42(6): 37.2A.
2001Swanson, B.O. Intra-specific competition reduction in a polymorphic cichlid, Herichthys minckleyi. Desert Fish Counsel, Alpine, TX.
2001Swanson, B.O. Intra-specific competition in a polymorphic cichlid, Herichthys minckleyi: Does variation in jaw morphology lead to resource partitioning? Amer. Zool. 41(6):11.2A.
2001Swanson, B.O., Gibb, A.C., Marks, J.C., Hendrickson, D.A. Feeding behavior of the Cuatro Ciénegas Cichlid. California Desert Research Symposium, CA.
2001Swanson, B.O., Gibb, A.C., Marks, J.C., Hendrickson, D.A. Feeding behavioral repertoire of a polymorphic cichlid, Cichlasoma minckleyi. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, State College, PA.
2001Williamson, C.A.*, Marks, J.C., Hendrickson, D.A. and Swanson, B.O. Aliens invade Mexico: Proof of their impact on native cichlids. Amer. Zool. 41(6):63.4A
Funded Grants
2012-2015HHMI Undergraduate Science Education Program, Lead author and co-PI $1.2 Million.
2010-2013AFOSR Young Investigators Program. “Discovery of high-performance biomaterials for defense applications” – uses evolution and ecology to understand variation in biomaterials $345,000
2010-2012NSF MRI for an ICP-MS co-PI $180,000
2009-2011Murdock Charitable Trust: Partners in Science grant with Bree Reynolds from Wellpinit High school. $15,000
2008College of Arts and Sciences travel award for undergraduates attending a scientific meeting. $1000
2008NSF symposium grant for “Biomaterials: testing, variation and evolution.” $10,280.
2008AFOSR symposium grant for “Biomaterials: testing, variation and evolution.” $5,000.
2008-2012HHMI Undergraduate Science Education Program, Lead author and co-PI $1.2 Million.
2007AFOSR, Defense University Research Instrumentation Program, $148,000.
2001-2004EPA STAR fellowship to study morphological variation in polymorphic cichlids, $ 75,000
2003Jordan award for cichlid evolution research, $ 400
2001, 2003NAU graduate college travel awards to attend scientific meetings, $450
1999Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research for neurophysiology, awarded spring, $ 900
Awards and Honors
2011Gonzaga Exemplary Tenure-track Faculty Award
2006Recipient of a M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust Research Start-up Grant for New Science Faculty award
2005Outstanding doctoral dissertation, NAU Biology Department
2004Outstanding published paper with graduate student as senior author, NAU Biology department
1997-1999 Distinguished student scholar awards, Florida Tech Biology Department
1999Member of Beta Beta Beta (Biology Honors Society)
Public dissemination of research
2010Scholastic Fantastic: A small but vicious shrimp may change the way we go into modern battles. By Joel Smith. The Pacific Northwest Inlander, May 27th
2008The Mystery of the Peacock mantis shrimp and other tales of research - Big Science: The value of Research. By Sabrina Jones and Marny Lombard. Gonzaga Quarterly. Fall.
2007Appeared on Daily Planet on the Discovery channel discussing spider biology and the Spiderman movies
Service
2012-currentGonzaga Act 6 mentor
2012Gonzaga Outdoors director search committee
2009-currentGonzaga Science ResearchCommittee
2008-currentGonzaga HHMI advisory board
2008-currentGonzaga Health Sciences Committee
2009Computer science faculty search committee member
2008Chair of two successful faculty searches in Biology
2008, 2011Biology faculty search committee member
2002-2009Committee member, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Public Affairs: Produce and edit symposium press releases for distribution to national and international journalists
2004-currentReviewer, Marine Technology Society Journal, Biomacromolecules,The Quarterly Review of Biology, Journal of Experimental Zoology, Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Behavior and Brain Research, Ecology, Environmental Biology of Fishes, Behavour, Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, Journal of Morphology, Zoology, Journal of Theoretical biology, Journal of Experimental Biology, Interface,Murdock Charitable trust, NSF, NSERC, Army Research Office, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, German Research Foundation.
* denotes undergraduate student author.
1Swanson