Positions
Current
- (August 1, 2006) Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City TN 37614-1710 U.S.A
- (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
- (November 30, 2004) local coordinator of Budapest Semester in Cognitive Science Study Abroad Program
- (August 26, 2002) adjunct faculty member of Department of Mathematics and Statistics, East Tennessee State University.
Past
- 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.
Awards, Grants and Honors 2006-2011
Major Scientific grants where Istvan Karsai was the Principal Investigator or Director)
- 2011: RDC ETSU: The Effects of Climate Change on Ant Colony Dynamics: RDC # 12-005M $10000.
- 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.
- 2009: RDC Small Grant : Agent connectivity: the role of interaction in the regulation of behavior $1500.
- 2009: ETSU Graduate Council research grant together with Lok Pokhrel $500.
- 2006: HHMI (#52005872): PI and Program Director: Symbiosis: An Introductory Integrated Mathematics and Biology Curriculum for the 21st Century. $1700,000 for 4 years. (Co-PIs: K. Joplin; D. Moore; J. Knisley; E Seier; M. Helfgott).
Student-Faculty Collaborative Grants
- 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: 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. $2000 (student stipend).
- 2009: Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Grant with A. Runciman: Self-Organization mechanisms in social systems. $1000.
- 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.
Memberships
- Hungarian Ethological Society (founder member, member of Executive Council)
- 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 Director until 2009)
- International Society of Network Biology (ISNB) Society Board member 2010
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
- Fadel Adoe
- Kirsten Borger
Undergraduate Students (only students 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)
Reviewing
Manuscripts
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.