Jacob Hopkins C.V.

Grants and Funded Projects (totaling $426,316)
1.    Hopkins, J., Bennett, A., Sikes, B.. Testing the role of pyrodiversity and biodiversity in ecosystem productivity.  NSF DEB-ES cluster. 2024. $685,764. not funded.
2.    Hopkins, J., Bennett, A. Using traits and disturbance as insights into community assembly. NSF DEB-PCE cluster. 2024. $564,303. not funded.
3.    Hopkins, J., Bennett, A. Applying the intermediate disturbance hypothesis to tillage intensity and environmental stress effects on crop rhizosphere microbiomes.           USDA NIFA Postdoctoral Fellowship. 2021. $165,500. Peer-Reviewed/competitive process
4.    Hopkins, J., Bennett, A. The Ohio State University - President’s Postdoctoral Scholars Program. 2021. $110,000. Peer-Reviewed/competitive process
5.    Hopkins, J., Mutualisms in fire systems. NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, 2016. $138,000. Peer-Reviewed/competitive process
6.    Hopkins, J., Bennett, A. How do fire and grazing structure Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungal communities, spore traits, and mutualisms? Nachusa Grasslands                     Research Award. 2021. $2,000. Peer-Reviewed/competitive process
7.    Hopkins, J., Fetters, A. Grazing effects on plant-pollinator-microbe interactions. 2023. $4,400. Peer-Reviewed/competitive process
8.    Hopkins, J., Semenova-Nelsen, T., Sikes, B.A. Fungal community structure and enzymatic profiles are shaped by soil horizon and land management in a tallgrass         prairie. Mycological Society of America Special Topics Award. 2018. $4416. Peer-Reviewed/competitive process
9.    Hopkins, J. Temporal patterns of plant and microbe communities after fires. Prairie Biotic Research, Inc. 2016. $1000. Peer-Reviewed/competitive process
10.   Hopkins, J., Semenova-Nelsen, T., Sikes, B.A. Fungal community structure and enzymatic profiles are shaped by soil horizon and land management in a                        tallgrass  prairie. The University of Kansas Field Station. 2019. $1000. Peer-Reviewed/competitive process
 

 Research Publications and Manuscripts (15 publications, 4 in review)
1.    Hopkins, J.R., Vizzari, G., Bennett, A.E., Malacrinò, A. (In Press). Fire limits soil microbial dispersal and differentially impacts bacterial and fungal communities.         Global Change Biology.
2.    Hopkins, J., Bennett, A.E., McKenna, T.P. (2025). Fire frequency driven increases in burn heterogeneity promote microbial beta diversity: a test of the                           pyrodiversity-biodiversity hypothesis. Molecular Ecology: 1-13.
3.    Hopkins, J., Semenova-Nelsen, T.A., Huffman, J.M., Jones, N.J., Robertson, K.M., Platt, W.J., and Sikes, B.A. (2025). Fuel accumulation shapes post-fire fuel               decomposition through soil heating effects on plants, fungi, and soil chemistry. Science of the Total Environment: 961, 178386.
4.    Hopkins, J. and Bever, J.D. (2024). Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spore communities and co-occurrence networks demonstrate host-specific variation throughout         the growing season. Mycorrhiza: 1-13.
5.    Hopkins, J. and Bennett, A.E. (2024). Leveraging traits for insight into the fungal ecology of burned ecosystems. Ecosphere: 15 (11), e70008.
6.    Hopkins, J. and Bennett, A.E. (2024). Fire effects on soil biota alter the strength and direction of plant-soil feedbacks. Plant and Soil: 1-15.
       •  Featured in special issue on “Fire effects on plant-soil interactions”
7.    Hopkins, J., McKenna, T., and Bennett, A.E. (2024). Fire season and time since fire determine AM fungal trait responses to fire management. Plant and Soil:                 1-15. 
       •  Featured in special issue on “Fire effects on plant-soil interactions”
8.    Hopkins, J. and Bennett, A.E. (2023).  Spore traits mediate disturbance effects on AM fungal community composition and mutualisms. Ecology: e4016.
9.    Hopkins, J., Richardson S., Bever, J.D. (2023).  Spatial structure within root systems moderates stability of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal mutualism and plant-soil                 feedbacks. The American Naturalist, 201(2):1-15.
10.  Hopkins, J., Huffman, J., Jones, N., Platt, W.J., Sikes, B. (2023).  Pyrophilic plant traits respond to post-fire soil conditions in a longleaf pine savanna system. The         American Naturalist, 201(3).
11.  Hopkins, J., Semenova-Nelsen, T., Sikes, B.A. (2023).  Land management drives dynamic changes to microbial function through edaphic factors and soil biota.             Pedobiologia, 96: 150859. 
12.  Arsenault, E.R., Liew, J.H., Hopkins, J.R., (2022). Substrate Composition Influences Amino Acid Carbon Isotope Profiles of Fungi: Implications for Tracing                 Fungal Contributions to Food Webs. Environmental Microbiology.
13.  Hopkins, J., Semenova-Nelsen, T., Sikes, B.A. (2021). Fungal community structure and seasonal trajectories respond similarly to fire across pyrophilic                           ecosystems.  FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 97(1): fiaa219.
14.  Hopkins, J., Huffman, J.M, Platt, William J., Sikes, B.A. (2020). Frequent fire slows microbial decomposition of newly deposited fine fuels in a pyrophilic                     ecosystem. Oecologia, 193(3): 631-643.
15.  Chaudhary, B., …Hopkins, J.R., et al. (2016). MycoDB, a global database of plant response to mycorrhizal fungi. Scientific Data, 3(1): 160028.
16.  Vizzari, G., Hopkins, J.R., Breed, M., Schena, L., Abdelfattah, A., Malacrino, A. (In review). Effects of fire on the soil microbiome and consequences for plant              health under a changing climate. In review at Journal of Applied Ecology.
17.   Jumpponen, A., Fox, S., Hopkins, J., Sikes, B. (In review). Pyrodiversity-biodiversity hypothesis and soil fungi – barking up the wrong tree or only at the wrong t          time? In review at Mycologia.
18.   Hopkins, J., Harris, K., and Bennett, A.E. (In review). Fire history and frequency alter arbuscular mycorrhizal traits, community dynamics, and mutualisms. In              review at Mycorrhiza. 
19.   Hopkins, J., Bennett, A.E.. (In review). Tillage intensity effects on soil abiotic and biotic characteristics determine Zea mays yield following extreme rainfall                  events. In review at Applied Soil Ecology.
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Awards and Academic Honors (totaling $426,316)

1. USDA NIFA Postdoctoral Fellowship, ($165,000), 2021.

2. The Ohio State University President’s Postdoctoral Scholars Fellow, ($110,000), 2021.

3. PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with Honors, 2021.

4. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Recipient, ($138,000), 2017.

5. Friends of Nachusa – Fall Scientific Research Project Grant, ($4,400), 2023.

6. University of Kansas NSF GRFP Supplemental Scholarship, ($3,200), 2019.

7. KU EEB Department Travel Award, ($350), 2017.

8. KU Graduate Scholarly Travel Fund Award, ($1000), 2018 & 2020.

9. Ecology Society of America – Soil Ecology Section Travel Award, ($300), 2019.

10. Outstanding Honor’s Thesis Award, ($200), Indiana University, 2016.

11. Graduated with “Highest Distinction”, Indiana University, 2016.

12. Graduated with “Departmental Honors”, Indiana University, 2016.

13. Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, Indiana University, 2016

14. Eagle Scout Rank, Boy Scouts of America, 2012.

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Education:

1. Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology - University of Kansas - Spring 2021

2. B.Sc. in Microbiology - Indiana University Bloomington - Spring 2016

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Pedagogical Experience:

• Spring 2023, 2025 - Biology 8896: Multivariate Statistics. - EEOB OSU (I developed curriculum and teach course biennially) 

• Fall 2022 - Biology 5155: Environmental Microbiology - EEOB OSU 

• Spring 2021 - Biology 152: Organismal Biology - EEB KU

• Fall 2020 - Biology 701: Structural Equation Modeling - EEB KU (I developed curriculum, course is still offered by department)

• Summer 2019 - Intro to R and Statistics - Workshop for KU NSF REU students

• Fall 2016 - Cell Biology Lab - EEB KU

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 Employment History:

• Summer 2025 - current: Postdoctoral researcher - Dept. of Biology IU

• Spring 2023, 2025: Instructor - EEOB OSU

• Summer 2021 - Summer 2025: Postdoctoral Fellow - EEOB OSU

• January 2021 - May 2021: Graduate Teaching Assistant - EEB KU

• August 2020 - December 2020: Instructor - EEB KU

• January 2017 - August 2020: Graduate Research Assistant - EEB KU

• August 2016 - December 2016: Graduate Teaching Assistant - EEB KU

• August 2012 - July 2016: Lab Technician - Dept. of Biology IU

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Undergraduate Advising Record:

•    Hannan Farrah, May 2017 – July 2017, Doris Duke Conservation Scholar
•    Hannah Dea, May 2018 – July 2018, KU EEB REU student
•    Juna Murao, Sept 2018 – Dec 2018, Free State H.S. Honors Biology Student
•    Dwayne Brown, May 2017 – July 2017, Doris Duke Conservation Scholar
•    Adriana Caldwell, May 2019 – July 2019, EPSCoR Grant Intern
•    Zoe Su-Huey Chan, Fall 2019 – Spring 2020, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Dani Alabyadh, Fall 2021 – Spring 2022, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Isabella Borrero, Fall 2021 – Spring 2022, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Eleanor Chase, Spring 2022-Summer 2022, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Unni Shreram, Summer 2022 – Fall 2023, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Atreyee Atarthi, Summer 2022 – Fall 2023, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Maia Zafirova, Fall 2021 – Summer 2023, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Dillon Kern, Fall 2022-2024, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Gabriella Quirch, Summer 2022-Summer 2023, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Maddie Ferree, Fall 2022-2024, Undergraduate Researcher, Honor’s Thesis Student
•    Alexis Tuey, Summer 2022-current, Undergraduate Researcher
•    McKayla Pizzute, Spring 2023-Fall 2023, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Delaney Overstreet, Spring 2023-Fall 2024, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Laurel Chang, Spring 2023, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Layla Ramsey, Spring 2023-Summer 2023, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Austin Murray, Summer 2023-Fall 2023, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Liam Johnson, Summer 2023-Summer 2025, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Adam El-Assal, Fall 2023- Summer 2025, Undergraduate Researcher
•    William Fiorentino, Fall 2023-Spring 2024, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Lillian McDowell, Fall 2024-Spring 2025, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Tanka Neupane, Fall 2024, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Thomas Elkin, Fall 2024, Undergraduate Researcher
•    George Saad, Fall 2024-Spring 2025, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Sophia Gardner, Spring 2025, Undergraduate Researcher
•    Alex Murray, Spring 2025, Undergraduate Researcher 

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Professional Service:

• International:

  • Reviewed manuscripts for (# reviewed): Restoration Ecology (1), New Phytologist (3), American Journal of Botany (1), Ecology (2), PLOS One (1), Applied Soil Ecology (1), Functional Ecology (2), Forest Ecology and Management (1), Plant and Soil (1), Fire Ecology (2), Fungal Ecology (1), iScience (1), Mycorrhiza (1), and Science of the Total Environment (1)

• National:

  • Ecological Society of America 2023 – Lead OOS Organizer: Using traits to understand the natural history and ecology of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

  • Ecological Society of America – Soil Ecology Section: Student Representative.  Assisted with travel awards, “soil ecology guide” to ESA 2020, and other section business mattes. (August 2019 – current).

  • SACNAS National Science Foundation GRFP Panel.  Discussed how to write impactful NSF GRFP applications with first year graduate and post-baccalaureate students (October 2018).

  • University of Kansas Biology Discussion Club Panel.  Discussed graduate school application process with potential graduate students (Fall 2018).

• Ohio:

  • SPROUTs Program – Postdoctoral Fellow

• Kansas:

  • KU EEB Graduate Student Organization: Secretary, 2017-2019

  • KU EEB Graduate Student Organization: Social Committee Chair, 2017-2020

  • KU EEB Graduate Student Organization: Student Admissions Rep., 2019

  • KU EEB Graduate Program Committee Student Rep., 2019-2020

  • Assisted with summer funding self-study

  • Helped develop solutions to Summer Funding shortfalls

  • EPSCoR “REU” Program: Discussed Graduate School Application process

  • University of Kansas – Biology 805: Surviving Graduate School Panel

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Scientific Talks and Presentations:

• One symbiont doesn’t fit all: intraspecific variation within plant-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal mutualisms. Mycological Society of American Conference, June 2025.

• AM fungal trait and community dynamics vary with disturbance history and alter plant-fungal mutualisms. International Conference on Mycorrhiza, August 2024.

• AM fungal trait and community dynamics vary with disturbance history and frequency.  Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution, May 2024. (Invited talk).

• Fire season and time since fire determine AM fungal trait responses to fire management. Ecological Society of American Conference, Aug 2023.

• Post-disturbance AM fungal community composition is associated with selection for spore traits and altered plant-AM fungal interactions. Ecological Society of America Conference, Aug 2022.

• Post-management AM fungal community composition is associated with selection for spore traits and altered plant-AM fungal interactions.  Nachusa Sci. Symp., Apr 2022.

• Using community assembly processes to understand microbial roles in ecosystems.  The Ohio State EEOB Department Brownbag Seminar, Nov 2021.

• Fungal community and functional responses to land management in a tallgrass prairie. Ecological Society of America, Aug 2021.

• Fire and Fungi: Fungal Ecology in Pyrophilic Ecosystems. Disser. Defense, March 2021.

• The ubiquity of flammability: Fire drives predictable changes to fungal communities across pyrophilic ecosystems. Ecological Society of American Conference, Aug 2020.

• Land management and microbes: Opening the black box of soil ecological knowledge. University of Kansas Ecology Seminar, Dec 2019.

• Intense fire slows microbial decomposition in a fire frequented ecosystem. Ecological Society of America Conference, Aug 2019.

• Fire predictably modifies fungal community structure and successional trajectory across pyrophilic ecosystems. Midwest Ecology and Evolution Conference, Apr 2019.

• Microbial Ecology in a Pyrophilic Ecosystem. U. of Kansas Ecology Seminar, Feb 2019

• A Flammable Future: The Indirect Impact of Climate Change on Saprotrophs, University of Kansas EEB Department Seminar, Feb 2018.

• A Flammable Future: The Indirect Impact of Climate Change on Fungal Saprotrophs, Ecological Society of America Conference, Aug 2017.

• Effect of Fire Regime on the Decomposition of Plant Litter Fuels, KU EEB  Graduate Student Organization Retreat, Mar 2017

• Abiotic and Biotic Interactions in Ecosystems: A Plant - Soil Perspective, University of  Kansas Ecology Seminar, Feb  2017

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Selected Scientific Outreach and Public Education:

• Project Based Learning: Curriculum development, Columbus School for Girls. 2023

  • Developed research modules for upper level high school students

• “Plant Growth!”, Wonderlab Museum of Science, Health & Technology. 2016.

  • Taught kindergartners about plant anatomy and physiology.

• Girl Scout STEM Expo, Camp Tongawood. 2017 & 2018.

  • Created 30- and 45-minute mycology modules to teach scouts about native fungi.

• Kansas DNA Day Ambassador. 2017.

  • Traveled to Kansas High Schools and taught students about model organisms.

• Science of the Macabre, University of Kansas Natural History Museum. 2016-2019.

  • Booth about ecological roles of decomposers and poisonous mushrooms.

• Sexy Science, University of Kansas Natural History Museum. 2016-2018.

  • Booth about fungal reproduction and microbial population growth models.

• EPSCOR/MAPs Project Outreach, Kansas Elementary Schools. 2018.

  • Helped Dr. Peggy A. Schultz with biology activities for elementary aged students.

• Hillcrest Elementary Science Night, Hillcrest Elementary School. 2016.

  • Booth with a fungal plating activity and poisonous mushroom education.

• MSA Project Outreach, Kansas Pre-Schools and Girl Scout Troops. 2019-2020.

  • Designed fungal ecology modules about fungal roles in ecosystems

  • Presented at: Eagles Day and Lawrence Child Development Center

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Professional Organizations:

Ecological Society of America (2016-present); Mycological Society of America (2018-present); Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (2018-2022); ESA Soil Ecology Section (2016-present)

  

Skills:

• Microbial Ecology:

  • AMF infection quantification, greenhouse experimental set-up and management, soil biogeochemistry, soil enzyme measurement, microbial decomposition measurement, light microscopy, bacterial and fungal culturing, multivariate metagenomic data analysis, compositional data analysis

• Molecular Biology:

  • PCR, DNA extraction, Library Preparation (Illumina MiSeq)

• Software:

  • R, Python, Primer & Permanova+, SPSS, ArcGIS, QGIS, yED Graph Editor, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL, LINUX, GIMP 2, Word, Excel, PowerPoint

• Statistical Methods:

  • Structural Equation Modeling (Global & Local Estimation Methods), Latent Variable Construction, Linear Mixed Effect Models, Hierarchical Modeling, Model Fitting, Multivariate Community Analysis Methods (Compositional & Classical), Maximum Likelihood Methods, Network Analysis, Compositional Data Analysis, Network Analysis