Curriculum Vitae

EDUCATION

PhD in Evolutionary Biology: Sep 2021 – Present

Institution: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany

Awarded by: International Max Planck Research School and Kiel University

Advisor: Dr. Tobias Kaiser

Thesis Advisory Committee: Dr. Tal Dagan, Dr. Eva Stuckenbrock, Dr. Julien Duthiel

Master of Science in Bioinformatics: Sep 2020 – Aug 2021

Institution: Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

Bachelor of Science in Biology: Jan 2017 - Aug 2019

Minor in Physics

Institution: George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA

Graduated Magna Cum Laude

Associates Degree in Science: Jan 2015 - Aug 2016

Institution: Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, VA, USA

FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS

PRESENTATIONS AND POSTERS

Gordon Research Conference - Speciation: Mar 2025

Ventura, California, USA

Invited Talk and Poster: “Niche dimensionality in a micro-radiation of marine midge chronotypes”

International Congress on Entomology: Aug 2024

Kyoto, Japan

Talk: “The genetic basis of a Magic Trait: the circalunar clock of Clunio marinus”

3rd Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology: Jun 2024, Jul 2024

Montreal, Canada (participating remotely)

Talk: “The effectiveness of a Magic Trait in a reproductively synchronous midge”

Aquavit (MPI for Evolutionary Biology Internal Conference): Jul 2023, Jul 2024

Plön, Germany

Talk: “Allochronic divergence in a marine midge”

Poster: “Can a lunar clock drive speciation?”

Perspective on Speciation, the Linnean Society: Apr 2024

London, England

Poster: “Could a circalunar clock be a hidden driver of speciation”

German Zoological Society: Sep 2023

Kassel, Germany

Talk: “Evidence for incipient allochronic divergence over the lunar cycle in an intertidal midge”

British Ecological Society: Dec 2022

Edinburgh, Scotland

Poster: “Ecological divergence of timing niches in a population of marine midge chronotypes”

TEACHING

Population Genomics: Dec 2024

University of Kiel, Teaching assistant, Masters level

Simulations For Biologists: Jun 2024

MPI for Evolutionary Biology, Designed and taught, PhD and Postdoc Level

https://github.com/AlecJacobsen/Simulation_for_Biologists

STUDENT ADVISING

Arin Bayar: Oct 2024 - Nov 2024

Technicians apprentice

Vanessa Diring: Jul 2024 – Sep 2024

Bachelors student, University of Kiel

Summer internship

Rune Sommerkamp: Aug 2023 – Jun 2024

Master’s student, University of Kiel

Master’s thesis “Circalunar Clock-Microbiome Interactions in Clunio marinus”

OUTREACH AND LEADERSHIP

Concepts in Evolutionary Biology Workshop Organizing Committee: Mar 2024 - Feb 2025

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany

IMPRS PhD Retreat Organizing Committee: Oct 2022 – Sep 2023

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany

Behavior and Evolution Journal Club Organizer: Mar 2022 – Apr 2023

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany

Kiel Science Show: Oct 2022

Kiel University, Kiel, Germany

PhD Net External Representative: Apr 2022 – Apr 2023

Max Planck Society and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology

Field Interpreter: May 2019 - Jun 2019

Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE), Fairfax County, VA, USA

Volunteer: Oct 2016 - Dec 2016

Daktari Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage, Hoedspruit, South Africa

WORKSHOPS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Concepts in Evolutionary Biology: Feb 2025

MPI for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany

Adaptive dynamics workshop: Aug 2023

MPI for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany

Guarda Summer School: Jun 2023

University of Zurich, Guarda, Switzerland

Phylogenomics and Population Genomics: Jul 2022

University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Genome-Wide Association Studies: May 2021

Physalia, online

Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation: Aug 2018 - Dec 2018

Study abroad program

SCIENTIFIC SKILLS

OTHER SKILLS AND PASSIONS