Department of Biology

Dr. Yasoma D. Hulathduwa
Assistant Professor

Loshbaugh Hall
Room 105

918-343-7961
yhulathduwa@rsu.edu

Education

Ph.D., Biological Sciences
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
2006

• Minor in Environmental Toxicology
• GPA 4.0
• Dissertation: Role of hydrocarbon pollutants, salinity, tidal height, bioenergetics and competition in colonization of oyster reefs by commensal assemblages.

B.S., Zoology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
1999

• Minor in Chemistry
• Second class upper division equivalent to Magna cum laude
• Thesis: The species composition and population structure of plankton in Victoria reservoir, Sri Lanka

Professional Experience

2006-Present
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology
Rogers State University, Claremore, OK

• Courses taught: General Cell Biology for Science majors, General Biology for Non-Science majors, Anatomy and Physiology, Human Physiology

2000-2006
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Biological Sciences
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

• Courses taught: Introductory Biology I for Science majors, Introductory Biology II for Science majors, Introductory Biology for Non-Science majors, Ecology

1999-2000
Demonstrator (Teaching Assistant), Department of Zoology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka

• Courses taught: Anatomy & Physiology (lab), Animal Diversity (lab), Aqua culture (lab), Developmental Biology (lab), Ecology (lab), Entomology (lab), Fisheries Biology (lab), Histology (lab), Ichthyology (lab), Insect pest management (lab), Limnology (lab), Parasitology (lab)

Honors & Affiliations

• Organized Research Grant (for travel to professional meeting), Rogers State University, Fall 2006
• William H. Gates award for teaching excellence in freshman biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 2005
• Graduate Teaching Assistantship. Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Aug.2000-May2006
• BioGrads research/travel awards, Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 2003-2005
• Professor Winston Rathnayake memorial award for the best zoology student in class of 1999, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
• Mahapola higher education (merit) scholarship, Sri Lanka, 1995-1999
• Anulasiri and Aslin Dharmawardene scholarship for being the freshman with highest marks at the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level exam entering the University of Sri Jayewardenepura Sri Lanka, in 1995

Publications & Presentations

Attended the 26th annual Meeting of Oklahoma Society of Physiologists (March 28th 2007) held at Northeastern State University Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

Hulathduwa Y. D., Stickle W. and Brown K. M. Effect of Salinity on survival and bioenergetics of two mud crab species Panopeus simpsoni and Eurypanopeus depressus. Poster presentation at the 36th annual Benthic Ecology Meeting (March 21-24, 2007) held in Atlanta, Georgia.

Hulathduwa Y. D. and Brown K. M. (2006) Relative importance of hydrocarbon pollutants, salinity and tidal height in colonization of oyster reefs. Marine Environmental Research 62: 301-314

Hulathduwa Y. D., Stickle W. and Brown K. M. Effect of Salinity on survival and bioenergetics of two mud crab species Panopeus simpsoni and Eurypanopeus depressus. Accepted by Marine Biology.

Attended the ninth annual Teaching in Higher Education (THE) forum held at LSU
Baton Rouge, April, 2006.

Hulathduwa Y. D., Stickle W. and Brown K. M. Effect of Salinity on survival and bioenergetics of two mud crab species Panopeus simpsoni and Eurypanopeus depressus. Oral Presentation at the Graduate students’ symposium, Louisiana State University, Fall, 2005.
 
Attended the eighth annual Teaching in Higher Education (THE) forum held at LSU
Baton Rouge, April, 2005.

Hulathduwa Y. D. and Brown K. M. (2003) Relative importance of hydrocarbon pollutants, salinity and tidal height on oyster reef assemblages. Poster presentation at the 32nd annual benthic ecology meeting (March 28-30, 2003) held in Groton, Connecticut.

Hulathduwa Y. D. and Piyasiri S. (1999) The species composition and population structure of plankton in Victoria reservoir, Sri Lanka. Proceedings of the second annual research sessions, faculty of Graduate studies, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka pp. 19-24.

Guidance of Undergraduate Research

Catherine Norman, 2002. Effect of hydrocarbon pollutants on oyster reef fauna. Independent Project for senior level credit at LSU.

Memberships & Professional Societies

• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• Association for Women in Science, (AWIS) USA
• North American Benthological Society
• Oklahoma Academy of Sciences
• Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science
• Member of the Biograds association in the Dept. of Biological Sciences, LSU Baton Rouge, Aug. 2000-May 2006

Research Interests

• Benthic ecology
• Animal physiology
• Collaboration of environmental physiology and ecology