Istvan Karsai
Department of Biological Sciences
East Tennessee State University
Box 70703
Johnson City TN 37614-1710 U.S.A.
Email: karsai @ etsu.edu
Fax: 423-439-5958, Phone: 423-439-5601
Positions
- Current: (August 1, 2006) Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City TN 37614-1710 U.S.A
- Current: (August 15, 2006) Member of the Center of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Education, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City TN 37614-1710 U.S.A
- Current: (August 26, 2002) Adjunct faculty member of Department of Mathematics and Statistics, East Tennessee State University.
- Current: (August 26, 2010) Adjunct faculty member of Department of Computer and Information Sciences, East Tennessee State University.
- 2003-2009: Director of the Institute for Quantitative Biology
- 2001-2006 Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City TN 37614-1710 U.S.A
- 2000-2001 Research Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of Missouri - St. Louis, St. Louis MO 63121-4499, USA
- 1998-1999: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Biology, University of Missouri - St. Louis, St. Louis MO 63121-4499, USA
- 1996-1998: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Entomology, the Ohio State University, Columbus OH 43210, USA
- 1991- 1996: Research Associate, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, Kossuth Lajos University, Debrecen, Hungary
- 1987-1990: Research Assistant, Department of Zoology, József Attila University, Szeged, Hungary
Education:
- 2006: Tenured faculty member of the Department of Biological Sciences at ETSU.
- 1997: Member of the Public Body of Neurobiology Study Section of Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
- 1997: Ph.D and C. Sc. Academic degree: Kossuth
Lajos University, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, Debrecen and Hungarian
Academy of Sciences.
Thesis: Emergence of regular structures on the basis of local information:
optimization and self-organization in the nest building of a social wasp.
- 1991-1995: Hungarian Academy of Sciences Fellowship for further scientific education (sponsor: Dr. Zoltán Varga).
- 1990: Dr. Univ. degree: József Attila University, Department of Zoology, Szeged: "Summa cum laude". Thesis: Indication and sensitivity of sphecid community to habitat heteromorphy.
- 1987: MS: József Attila University, Faculty of
Science, Szeged Hungary: Biologist
Thesis: Faunistical and ecological studies of sphecid populations on a sandy
grassland. Department of Zoology, with Honors.
Postdoctorial experience and visits at scientific institutions:
- Barro Colorado Research Station, Panama, 2012 (10 days).
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland 2011 (1 week)
- Artificial Life Lab . Karl-Franzens-University Graz, Austria 2011 (8 days)
- Institute of Advanced Studies, Collegium Budapest 2007-2010 (4 weeks)
- Dept. Life Sci., Univ West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago (1 week)
- Dept Zool. Karl-Franzens-University Graz, Austria 2005 (10 days)
- Barro Colorado Research Station, Panama, 1995 (1 month).
- Archbold Research Station, Lake Placid, USA, 1995 (1 week)
- Dept. Entomol., Ohio S. Univ., Columbus, USA, 1995 (10 days)
- Center of Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems, University Libre Bruxelles, Belgium. 1993-1994 (1 year)
- C.N.R.S. UPR 38 Lab. Ethol., Marseille, France, 1992 (6 months)
- C.N.R.S. UPR 38 Lab. Ethol., Marseille, France, 1991 (8 weeks)
- C.N.R.S. UPR 38 Lab. Ethol., Marseille, France, 1990 (2 weeks)
- Zoologie-Entomologie, Univ. Hannover, Hannover, Germany, 1989 (1 week)
Awards, grants and honors:
Major Scientific grants where Istvan Karsai was the Principal Investigator or Director):
- 2012: Distinguished Research Award: College of Arts and Sciences, East Tennessee State University.
- 2006: HHMI (#52005872): PI and Program Director (in 2006): Symbiosis: An Introductory Integrated Mathematics and Biology Curriculum for the 21st Century. $1,700,000 for 4 years. (Co-PIs: K. Joplin; D. Moore; J. Knisley; E Seier; M. Helfgott).
- 2003: National Research Foundation (DUE-0126682) Director: UBM: A multi-stage approach to undergraduate research in mathematical biology. $100,000 (jointly J. R. Knisley: Dept. Math, ETSU; Principal Investigator)
- 2002 RDC #03-003M: (for 1 year): The emergence of division of labor via self-organization ($4,980)
- 1996: Hungarian National Scientific Grant (for 3 years) (OTKA F 020572) for support the program ”Basic mechanisms of the complex behaviour of insects: architectures and building by groups". (1,600,000 HUF for 3 years).
- 1994: US-Hungarian Joint Project Grant (J.F.No.350) for the project ”Fundamental Mechanism of Complex Insect Behavior: Architecture and Construction by Groups”. Principal investigator (jointly with Dr. J.W. Wenzel: Ohio Univ. USA and Z. Pénzes: Kossuth University, Hungary). (2,120,000 HUF + 27,440 US $ for 3 years)
- 1994: Hungarian National Scientific Grant (OTKA F 012732) for support the program "Brood patterns and social behaviour in social wasps". (1,200,000 HUF for 3 years)
- 1991: Hungarian National Scientific Grant I/3. No: 314 for study the host selection and sex-allocation of pompilid wasps (900,000 HUF for 3 years).
Other grants and awards:
-2012: ETSU Graduate Council research grant together with Joseph Kusi $500.
-2012: Marcia Davis Award ETSU BISC research award to Joseph Kusi $500 (mentor).
-2012: ETSU Honors College Summer 2012 Research Fellowship with Emil Montano $2280.
-2011: RDC ETSU: Parameter estimation and venom sample collections from tropical wasps Jointly with Tom Laughlin $1,500.
-2011: RDC ETSU: The Effects of Climate Change on Ant Colony Dynamics: RDC # 12-005M $10,000.
-2011: Application proposal for full membership of the Southern Appalachian-Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Units (PI: J.I. Mead).
-2010: I. Karsai and J. Shik, The effect of Climate change on ant colony dynamics: overwintering success. NIMBIOS workshop grant. Received from National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis to organize a week long workshop at the Institute. Collaborators: S. Bewick (P.I), N Sanders and K Stuble.
-2010: Student Faculty Collaborative Grant Honors College with E. Montano: Population Interactions Controlled by the flow of Energy in a Closed System $850 (supported)
- 2010: Student Faculty Collaborative Grant Honors College with B. Roland The Effect of Fire on Ecosystem Dynamics. $700 (supported).
-2009: RDC Small Grant : Agent connectivity: the role of interaction in the regulation of behavior $1,500.
-2009: ETSU Graduate Council research grant together with Lok Pokhrel $500.
-2009: Honors College Undergraduate Research Fellowship 2009 with A. Runciman for the project: The effectiveness if the common stomach in the regulation of behavior of the swarm. $2,000 (student stipend).
-2009: Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Grant with A. Runciman: Self-Organization mechanisms in social systems. $1,000.
-2007: Student-Faculty Collaborative Grant. Student: Maleka Khambaty; Faculty: I. Karsai and G. Kampis $680.
- 2006: Student-faculty collaborative research grant: Modeling Division of Labor. $850. Faculty PI (J Knisley co-PI). Student: Mike Phillips
- 1998: IBN-9811612; (June-October, 1998) $5,222: “ NSF-SGER (American National Science Fundation): A Non-Behavioral Protocol for Queen vs. Worker Discrimination in Paperwasps.” (jointly with Dr. J.H Hunt: Univ. Missouri - St. Louis; Principal Investigator).
- 1997: Szechenyi Istvan Scholarship Fund: Scholarship (Dept. Biol. St. Louis University, Missouri; 6 months) for the project: "Emergent properties of biological systems: colony dynamics in a social wasp" .
- 1997: Hungarian National Scientific Grant (OTKA) for support in publishing the book: Zsiros & Karsai ”Modeling of basic mechanisms of biology".
- 1995: Travel grant of National Committee for Technical Development for taking part in the 24th International Ethological Conference (Honolulu, USA).
- 1995: Hungarian Governmental Eötvös Scholarship (to Dept. Entom. Ohio State Univ.) for the project: "Emergent complex structures from simple rules: building in self-organized framework in social wasp" (Ohio State University, 6 months).
- 1994: Travel grant of the Belgian Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs for taking part in the 12th Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects IUSSI. (Paris, Sorbonne)
- 1993: Travel grant of Soros Foundation to take part in ”23rd International Ethological Conference (Torremolinos, Spain)”.
- 1993: Fellowship of the Belgian Science Policy Office (Applied Science) to work with Professor J. L. Deneubourg at the Center of Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems, University Libre Bruxelles, Belgium. Subject: "Natural algorithms for artefact production".
- 1993: Award of the Universitas Foundation of the Hungarian Commercial Bank Corp. for excellent scientific work (jointly with Z. Pénzes).
- 1993: Award of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for Young Scientists for outstanding scientific work (jointly with Z. Pénzes).
- 1993: Award of Leidenfrost Gyula Foundation for outstanding scientific work.
- 1992: Universitas Foundation Grant of Commercial Bank Ltd. for theoretical and experimental studies of social wasps.
- 1992: Scholarship of Minister of the Foreign Affairs France (6 months) for studies on decision mechanisms of paper wasps ("Behaviour resulted from different brood patterns") at CNRS, Ethology Laboratory, Marseille.
- 1992: Hungarian Foundation for Science: one year grant for experimental study of paper wasp colonies.
- 1992: Grant of National Committee for Technical Development for the program of "Risk analysis of environmental and cultivation effects using genetically manipulated plants in the agriculture". Prepared jointly with D. Dudits (coordinator).
- 1991: Hungarian Academy of Sciences Scholarship for study the reproductive strategies of parasitoid and social wasps.
- 1991: A PHARE travel grant (6 weeks) to C.N.R.S. UPR 38. Lab. Ethol., Marseille, for study the colonies of Polistes dominulus Christ. as self-organized system.
- 1988: The Local Committee of Academy, Second Prize for work out "A multivariate analysis based estimation of microhabitat-shift and its background on phytophagous insect populations". Prepared jointly with Gy. Györffy.
- 1988: Secretary's Prize from the Main Secretary of Hungarian Academy of Sciences, First National Conference on Environmental Sciences for Students for thesis: Faunistical and ecological studies of sphecid populations on a sandy grassland.
- 1988: Hungarian Biological Society, Dudich Endre Young Researcher Prize for study the community ecology of sphecid wasps.
- 1987: National Scientific Conference for Students, Grand Prize for thesis: Faunistical and ecological studies of sphecid populations on a sandy grassland.
Memberships:
- Hungarian Ethological Society (founder member, member of Executive Council)
- Member if the Southern Appalachian Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.
- Member of the Public Body of Neurobiology Study Section of Hungarian Academy of Sciences
- Member of the Center of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Education at ETSU
- Institute for Quantitative Biology (founder member and former Director)
- International Society of Network Biology (ISNB) Society Board member 2010-
- Associate member of the ColBud/Qos/Cos/Grid international grid computing team since 2007
Graduate students:
Kalman Somogyi M.Sc. 1993; Veronika Zsiros M.Sc. 1995; Krisztina Csullog M. Sc. 1995; Zsolt Penzes (co-advisor with Z. Varga) Ph.D. 1998., Lok Pokhrel M. Sc. 2009; Fadel Adoe M. Sc. 2010. Ongoing: Kirsten Borger (suspended temporaly); Joseph Kusi, James Phillips, Philip Klahs, Xiaohui Guo.
Undergraduate students (only with thesis listed):
Mike Phillips 2004-2005 (went to Cornell to a PhD program); Jennifer Snyder 2006-2007 (went to clinical psychology); Ashish Javer: 2006-2007 (went to medical school). Meng Liu: 2008-2009; Emily Smith 2008-2009 (went to work for wildlife protection agency and planning to go to PhD); Andrew Runciman 2008-2010 (Oak Ridge Laboratories).
Special projects:
Zsiros, V. and Karsai, I. (1997). Death and Life, Randomity and Rules: modeling biological phenomena. Booklet published by Scientia, Budapest in series of Synbiologia Hungarica vol. 4 pp.80 and freeware software was developed for educational purposes: (http://ramet.elte.hu/~scientia/synbiol4.zip)
Dudits, D., Fehér, A., Pauk, J., Mórocz, S., Horváth, S., Polgár, Zs., Mándi, L., Nagy, Gy., Kasza, A. and Karsai, I. (1995). "Risk analysis of environmental and cultivation effects using genetically manipulated plants in agriculture." Scientific report for National Committee for Technical Development.
Gallé, L., Dévai, Gy., Domokos, T., Fábián, M., Györffy, Gy., Hornung, E., Karsai, I., Kertész, E., Kincsek, I., Körmöczy, L., Margóczy, K., Réthy, Zs., Rudner, J., Szônyi, G., Uherkovics, A. and Vajda, Z. (1990): Developing and using monitoring systems of terrestrial ecosystems on the south part of the Great Hungarian Plain. Scientific report. Manuscript.
skills and certificates:
- Hardware: installation, management, constructing computers from parts.
- Software: Install and manage DOS, Windows operational system, network installation and management, software installation and setup. Experience with more than 200 softwares including computation, networking data and wordprocessing, graphics, audio, Microsoft, Lotus, Corel Office package, Norton, Adobe and self-made programs.
reviewing
Manuscripts: for PLoS; Ecology Letters; Population Ecology; Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology; Biological Reviews, Animal Behaviour, Insectes Sociaux. Proc. Roy Soc. London, Annales Zoologici Fennici, Behavioral Ecology, Ecological Modeling. Mathematical and Computer Modelling of Dynamical Systems, BioScience, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, American Naturalists, Journal of Theoretical Biology, Journal of Insect Physiology, ECAL 11 20th Anniversary edition, Swarm Intelligence. Proposals for National Science Foundation. Book reviews for McGraw-Hill.
Editorial service
- Editor: Advances in Artificial Life. Darwin Meets von Neumann. 10th Europen Conference, ECAL 2009. Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence subseries: Lecture Notes in Computer Science. (eds: G. Kampis, I. Karsai and E. Szathmary). 5777 Part I and 5778. Part II. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg.
- Member of the editorial board of Network Biology (ISSN 2220-8879) since 2010.
- Member of the editorial board of Computational Ecology and Software (ISSN 2220-721X) since 2010.
Invited lecturer
2005 summer Invited lecturer Department for Environmental System Sciences, Karl-Franzens-University Graz, Austria. Course name: (001.665 Quantitative Systemwissenschaften 3,) Quantitative system science 3
References
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Dr. John. W. Wenzel Dept. Entom., Ohio S. Univ. 1315 Kinnear Road Columbus OH 43212-1192 USA Tel: 614-292-1995 Email: jww+@osu.edu |
Dr. Dan Johnson Biological Sciences East Tennessee State University POBox 70703 Johnson City TN 37614 USA |
Dr Tamas Szekely Dept Biology and Biochem. University of Bath Bath BA2 7AY, UK Tel: +44 1225 323676 Email T.Szekely@bath.ac.uk |
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Dr. Zoltan Varga Evol. Állattani Tanszék Kossuth L. Tud. Egyetem 4010 Debrecen, Pf: 3 Hungary Tel: (36) 52-316666 Email: zvarga@tigris.klte.hu |
Dr. Jocelyn Patinel Dir. Générale de l’ Admin SDP2/BEGIP Ministere de L’Agric. 78, rue de Varenne 75349 Paris SP7 France Tel: (33 1) 49 55 49 55 Email:Jocelyn.PATINEL@agriculture.gouv.fr |
Dr. Karl Altenburg Mayville State University Division of Business and Computer Information Systems 330 Third Street NE Mayville ND 58257, USA Tel: (701) 786-4791 Email:karl_altenburg@mail.masu.nodak.edu |