Christina Anaya was born and raised on the west coast of California. She became interested
and then fascinated with the biological world after attending a 2-week field course
in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks. With a focus on field biology including
plant ecology and conservation biology, she received her bachelor's from Cal Poly.
While in school, she worked in private consulting surveying, protecting, and monitoring
threatened and endangered species. However, it was during her first year of a master's
program that she found a lovely parasitic worm that changed her life. After learning
it was a new species, she was invited to the laboratory of one of the world's experts.
There she was trained in the biology and culturing of hairworms and eventually received
her Ph.D. in parasitology. Combined with her love of insects, the worms have taken
her to Oklahoma, Iceland, and most recently, Florida. Being concerned for the environment,
it was in Iceland where she realized her plan to study the impact of climate change
on the biology, ecology, and distribution of parasites and their hosts. During her
time as a graduate student, she realized the importance of sharing science and training
the next generation of students to be scientists. Specifically promoting and engaging
underrepresented groups in STEM. She was attracted to Florida for its diverse parasite
and insect fauna but more importantly, to FGCU for its commitment to student learning
and engagement in student research.
Professional Memberships:
- The American Society of Parasitologists
- Icelandic Ecological Society
- Icelandic Biological Society
- Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science
- American Association of University Women
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Education
Toggle Education
- Ph.D. in Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University
- B.S. in Field and Wildlife Biology, California Polytechnic State University San Luis
Obispo
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Specialties
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- Parasite ecology
- Life cycles
- Diversity
- Systematics
- Taxonomy
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Research and Teaching Interests
Toggle Research and Teaching InterestsMy teaching interests lie in the ecology and biology of invertebrates and parasites
but my teaching and professional background includes vertebrates including reptiles,
amphibians, birds, and mammals. I integrate my research in the classroom by using
hairworms and insects so that students can receive relevant research experience.
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Courses Offered
Toggle Courses Offered
- ZOO3205C - Invertebrate Zoology
- BSC1010C - General Biology I
- PCB3723C - Comparative Animal Physiology
- Special topics-Parasitology
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Publications
Toggle PublicationsMy work has been published in National and International peer-reviewed journals. Most
recently, my photographs on hairworms have been featured in a children's book.
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Conference Presentations
Toggle Conference PresentationsSelected Presentations:
- 2021 Anaya C. First Record of Psorospermium sp. (Class: Mesomycetozoea) in Northern
Clearwater crayfish (Orconectes propinquus) from Michigan, U.S.A. American Society
of Parasitologists. July 26-27, online presenter
- 2021 Anaya C, Galbreath K, Bolek MG. Apr. 16. First report of adult free-living hairworms,
their host, and non-adult stages from Iceland. Iceland Ecological Society
- 2020 Oct 29. Opening a can of worms: the discovery of the first terrestrial hairworm
and new tools for evaluating the diversity of hairworms in terrestrial and aquatic
habitats throughout Iceland. Biology Department Seminar. Michigan State University
USA, Invited speaker
- 2020 Feb. 13. Parasites and their Manipulative Ways. Science on Tap, Ore Dock Brewery,
Invited speaker
- 2019 Oct. Comparative Study of Life Cycle Ecology and Host-Parasite Interactions of
horsehair worms (Phylum Nematomorpha). Biology Department Seminar, Northern Michigan
University, USA, Invited speaker
- 2019 Sept. 12. Parasites and their Manipulative Ways. Huron Mountain Club. Big Bay,
Michigan, USA, Invited speaker
- 2019 Anaya, C. July 11-15. Planning for Your Career in Parasitology. Annual Meeting
of the American Society of Parasitologists, Student Symposium presenter.
- 2019 Anaya, C. July 11-15. The other Oklahoma land rush: field and experimental observations
on a new Gordius sp. (Nematomorpha: Gordiida) with the first documented terrestrial
life cycle for the phylum.
- 2019 Anaya, C. June 6-8. Sampling the Land of Fire and Ice: The First Documentation
of Hairworms (Phylum Nematomorpha) in Iceland. Annual Midwestern Conference of Parasitologists,
Mankato, MN.
- 2019 Anaya, C. April 14-17. Relationship of feeding, growth, and parasitism in Acheta
domesticus infected with Paragordius varius (Phylum: Nematomorpha). Southwestern Branch
Entomological Society, Tulsa, OK.
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Grants & Awards
Toggle Grants & AwardsSelected Grants and Awards
- 2019 College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Asst. Award, Oklahoma St. Univ.
- 2018 Outstanding Poster Award Oklahoma Women Impacting STEM and Entrepreneurship,
Oklahoma City, OK
- 2018 Leifur Eiriksson Foundation Fellowship ($25,000)
- 2017 Fulbright/NSF United States Student Scholarship to Iceland (2017-2018) ($17,500)
- 2017 Wilhm Teaching Assistantship Award, Ph.D., Dept. of Integrative Biology
- 2017 2016-2017 Oklahoma State University’s Outstanding Doctoral Student OSU President’s
Leadership & Service Recognition
- 2017 Herrick Award. Best Student Poster. Annual Midwestern Conference of Parasitologists,
Wilmington, OH.
- 2017 Power of Business Award. Baylor University New Venture Competition. Team Leader,
Christina Anaya: Redcedar Products