Professional Preparation
 

University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX — BS cum laude, 2003

Advisor: W. Jerry Johnson

American Museum of Natural History/ City University of New York, New York, NY — MS, 2010 

Advisor: Lorenzo Prendini

American Museum of Natural History/ City University of New York, New York, NY — PhD, 2011

Advisor: Lorenzo Prendini

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Appointments
 

California Academy of Sciences

Assistant Curator, Schlinger Chair of Arachnology                                                2015-present

Columbia University

Conservation Biology Instructor (Summer Program)                                            2014-present

Islands & Seas

Co-Founder, Co-Director                                                                                            2013-present

Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California at Berkeley

Science Curriculum Specialist/ Apps Developer                                                     2014-2015

Essig Museum of Entomology, University of California at Berkeley

NSF Postdoctoral Fellow (Advisor: Rosemary Gillespie)                                        2011-2014

American Museum of Natural History

Online Instructor/ Course Scientist (Seminars on Science)                                   2011-present

SiteMaster (Scorpion Systematics Lab)                                                                     2008-2011

Genetics Instructor (Science Research Mentorship Program)                              2010

Molecular Lab Manager (Scorpion Systematics Lab)                                              2006-2008

City University of New York

College NOW Curriculum Developer/ Instructor/ Adjunct Professor                   2006-2012

Bronx Community College Adjunct Professor                                                          2008

University of Texas at El Paso

Assistant Biology Instructor                                                                                        2003–2004

Teaching Assistant                                                                                                        2003–2004 

El Paso Community College

RISE Mentor/ Tutor                                                                                                       2003 

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Curriculum Development

​Wildlife Forensics: Caviar Capers Lab for American Museum of Natural History Sackler Teaching Lab, 2009 

Shorebird Beak Evolution Lab for City University of New York GK-12 Program, 2009

iSearch: Introduction to Biological Research Course for City University of New York GK-12 Program, 2009

Invertebrate Biodiversity Lab for City University of New York GK-12 Program, 2008

Backyard Toxicology Course for City University of New York College NOW, 2007​



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Honors, Awards and Fellowships
 

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology, DBI-1003087, NSF (2010-2014)

GK-12 Fellowship, City University of New York (2008-2010)

Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant, DBI-0910147, NSF (2009)

NESCent SMBE Conference Travel Award (2009)

MAGNET Dissertation Fellowship, City University of New York (2008-2009)

MAGNET President’s Fellowship, City University of New York (2004-2008)

Honorable Mention, Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship (2008)

Theodore Roosevelt Award, American Museum of Natural History (2008)

AGEP Summer Stipend, City University of New York (2008)

AGEP Travel Award, City University of New York (2008)

Ernst Mayr Award, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard (2007)

Doctoral Student Research Grant, City University of New York (2007)

Travel Award, 17th International Congress of Arachnology (2007)

AGEP Fellowship, City University of New York (2004-2006)

Honorable Mention, Ford Foundation Doctoral Fellowship (2004)

Research Experiences for Undergraduates Fellowship, University of Texas at El Paso (2002-2003)

Distinguished Graduating Senior in Biology, University of Texas at El Paso (2003)

Research Experiences for Undergraduates Fellowship, American Museum of Natural History (2002)

​

Selected Publications
 

Sharma, P., Fernández, R., Esposito, L.A., González-Santillán, E., Monod, L. (2015). Phylogenomic resolution of   scorpions reveals multilevel discordance with morphological phylogenetic signal. Royal Proceedings B,      282(1804):20142953.

Esposito, L.A., Bloom, T., Caicedo, L., Alicia-Serrano, A., Sánchez-Ruíz, J.A., Binford, G., Agnarsson, I. (2015).    Islands within islands: cryptic radiation of tailless whipspiders (Amblypygi, Phrynus) in Caribbean

  caves. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 93: 107–117.

Esposito, L.A., Yamaguti, H.Y., Pinto-da-Rocha, R, and Prendini, L. (in review). Systematics of the scorpion

  subfamily Rhopalurusinae (Scorpiones: Buthidae).

Esposito, L.A. and Prendini, L. (in review). A model system for Caribbean biogeography: phylegeography of

  the scorpion subfamily Rhopalurusinae.

Crews, S.C., Esposito, L.A., Cala-Raquelme, F. (2015). The Arachnids of Hellshire Hills, Jamaica. The Caribbean   Naturalist 28 1–14.

Esposito, L.A., Dana, J., Walkup, S., Curley, J. (2014) Microbiome, middle school curriculum unit. Learning

  Design Group, Amplify Education, New York, NY.

Scinta, P., Duncan, K., Esposito, L.A., Romano, C., Loper, S. (2014) Phase Change and Temperature, middle

  school curriculum unit. Learning Design Group, Amplify Education, New York, NY.

Quintero, D. & Esposito, L.A. (2014) A new species of Centruroides Marx (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Panama

  and new distribution records for Centruroides bicolor (Pocock, 1898) and Centruroides granosus (Thorell,

  1876). Zootaxa.

Bloom, T., Binford, G., Esposito, L.A., Alayon Garcia, G., Peterson, I., Nishida, A., Loubet-Senear, K.,

  Agnarsson, I. (2014) Convergent loss of eyes in two families of Caribbean cave spiders within a Hispaniola

  cave. Journal of Arachnology.

Esposito, L.A. (2011) Systematics and Biogeography of the New World Scorpion Genus Centruroides Marx,

  1890 (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Doctoral Dissertation, City University of New York.

Prendini, L. and Esposito, L.A. (2010). New Parabuthus species (Scorpiones: Buthidae) endemic to the

  Central Namib gravel plains, Namibia, a reanalysis of Parabuthus phylogeny and comments on arachnid

  endemism in the Central Namib. Zoological Journal of the Linnaean Society 159(3): 673-710.

Prendini, L., Esposito, L.A., Huff, J.C., and Volschenk, E.S. (2009). Redescription of Rhopalurus abudi

  (Scorpiones: Buthidae), with first description of the male and first record from mainland Hispaniola. Journal

  of Arachnology. 37:2.

Yamaguti, H.Y., Esposito, L.A., Souza, C.A., Pinto-da-Rocha, R, and Prendini, L. (in prep). Cladistic analysis of 

  Rhopalurus Thorell 1876, resurrection of Heteroctenus Pocock 1893 and description of two new genera and 

  two new species of scorpions (Scorpiones: Buthidae). 

Esposito, L.A., Brewer, M., Vandenesch, G., Gillespie, R. (in prep). Evolution of venom toxins in the New

  World scorpion genus Centruroides Marx, 1890.

​Esposito, L.A., Rivera. C., Elias, D. (in prep). Description of a stridulatory mechanism for sound production in     club-tail scorpions.

Esposito, L.A., Kolokotronis, S.O., Prendini, L. (in prep). Minimally Invasive Sampling Methods and DNA
  Barcoding of CITES-listed Scorpions.
Esposito, L.A., Yamaguti, H., Volschenk, E.S., Pinto de Rocha, R., and Prendini, L. (in prep). Phylogenetic           

  analysis of the buthid scorpion subfamily Rhopalurusinae.

Synergistic Activities

​

Invited Talks:

Esposito, L.A. 2012 "Biogeography of Caribbean Scorpions." Essig Brunch Seminar Series, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California. 

​​Esposito, L.A. 2011. “The systematics of the New World scorpion genus Centruroides (Marx, 1890).” Essig Brunch Seminar Series, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California.

Esposito, L.A. 2011. "Biogeography of Scorpions in the Caribbean." Caribbean Biogeography Workshop, 35th Annual Meeting of the American Arachnological Society, Portland, Oregon. 

Esposito, L.A. 2011. "Biogeography of Scorpions in the Caribbean." Caribbean Biogeography Workshop, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
 

Conference Presentations:

​Esposito, L.A., Prendini, L., Gillespie, R. 2012. "Caribbean Biogeography: insights from the buthid scorpion genus   

  Centruroides Marx, 1890." 27th European Congress of Arachnology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Esposito, L.A. and Prendini, L. 2010. “Systematics of the New World scorpion genus Centruroides (Marx, 1890)."   

  18th International Congress of Arachnology, Siedlce, Poland.

Esposito, L.A. and Prendini, L. 2010. “Systematics of the New World scorpion genus Centruroides (Marx, 1890)."

  Hennig XXIX, Honolulu, HI.

Esposito, L.A. 2009. “Teaching molecular evolution in an urban jungle: Lessons from New York City public   

  schools”. 2009 Annual Meeting of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Esposito, L.A Prendini, L. 2009. “New molecular and morphological insights into the systematics of New World

  buthid scorpions”. 8th Annual GK-12 Meeting, Washington, DC.
Esposito, L.A. and Strozak, V. 2009. “Using the living urban environment to engage high school students in

  authentic research experiences”. 8th Annual GK-12 Meeting, Washington DC.
Esposito, L.A., Volschenk, E.S., and Prendini, 2008. “New molecular and morphological insights into the

  systematics of New World buthid scorpions”. 32nd Annual Conference of the American Arachnological Society,

  Berkeley, CA.
Esposito, L.A. and Prendini, L. 2008. “Biogeography of the Bark-scorpions, Centruroides Marx, 1890”. 24th

  European Congress of Arachnology, Bern, Switzerland.
Esposito, L.A. and Prendini, L. 2007. “Phylogeny of the southern African thick-tailed scorpion genus Parabuthus

  Pocock, 1890 (Buthidae) based on morphology and DNA”. 17th International Congress of Arachnology, São

  Pedro, Brazil.

Membership in Scientific Societies:
Society for Systematic Biologists, International Society of Arachnology, American Arachnological Society, European Society of Arachnology, Southwestern Association of Naturalists, Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, International Biogeography Society
 

Field Research:
Baja California, Mexico: 2000, 2001; Indio Mountain Research Station 2001-2004; Southwestern USA: 2002; Jamaica: 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013; Puerto Rico: 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011; Dominican Republic: 2005, 2012; Turks and Caicos: 2009; Lesser Antilles: 2009, 2013; Colombia: 2014; Baja California Sur, Mexico: 2014

Collections Research:
British Museum of Natural History, London: 2008; Humboldt University Zoologisches Museum, Berlin: 2008; Museum National d’Historie Naturelle, Paris: 2008; American Museum of Natural History: 2004-2009, 2014; Denver Museum: 2012; California Academy of Sciences: 2010, 2012, 2013.
 

Reviews:
Revista Ibérica de Aracnología, Zootaxa, Molecular Ecology
 

Mentoring:

Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program, UC Berkeley: Aprilgate Wang, 2013-2014; Edward Rojas

  and Alex Withers, 2012-2013
Science Research Mentoring Program, AMNH: Valerie Garcia and Brittany Dickens, 2010
Research Experiences for Undergraduates, AMNH: Sarah Schoenbrun, AMNH, 2007
Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, Barnard College: Sylvia Johnson, AMNH, 2008
 

Additional mentorees: Gena Esposito (University of Texas at Austin), 2007; Michelle Bayefski (High School
student), 2007-2008; Angela Holuba (Barnard College), 2008; Susan Tosier (NYC DOE), 2009; Michelle Yim (York College), 2009-2010, Jose Sanchez (University of Puerto Rico), 2011; Laura Caicedo (University of Puerto Rico), 2011; Angela Alicia (University of Puerto Rico), 2011; Trevor Bloom (Lewis and Clark College), 2011-2012; Ian Peterson (Lewis and Clark College), 2011-2012; Alexandra Nishida (Lewis and Clark College), 2012; Katy Loubet-Senear (Lewis and Clark College) 2012; Guillaume Vandenesch (Agro Paris Tech) 2011-2012.

OUTREACH MEDIA

The Secret Lives of Scorpions Science Cafe @ North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Scorpions of Saba @ Saba Sea and Learn

Team CarBio Expedition @ Twitter

Searching for Scorpions @ Audio Slideshow by Ryder Diaz