Education

  • Cornell University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ph.D., Fall 2017 - present
  • California State University, Northridge (CSUN), Biology, M.S., August 2017
  • University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Biology, B.S., March 2013

Grants, fellowships, awards & Honors

  • California Legislature Assembly, Recognition for participation in GCC Science Lecture Series (2018)
  • California State Senate, Recognition for participation in GCC Science Lecture Series (2018)
  • Cornell Department of EEB Symposium Book Award for Best First-year Talk (2017)
  • Cornell Center for Vertebrate Genomics Scholars Program (2017)
  • SUNY Graduate Diversity Fellowship (2017)
  • CSUN Biology Outstanding Graduate Student Award (2017)
  • Mack I. Johnson Research Award for Outstanding Graduate Student (2017)
  • Nathan O. Freedman Memorial Award for Outstanding Graduate Student (2017)
  • Associated Students Scholarship in Honor of Jolene Koester (2016)
  • CSUN Graduate Equity Program (2016)
  • California Pre-Doctoral Program (2016)
  • CSUN Outstanding Promise in Research in Science and Mathematics (2015)
  • Bob and Doris Tracy Memorial Scholarship (2015)
  • Leslie and Terry Cutler Scholarship Endowment (2015)
  • CSUN Association of Retired Faculty Memorial Award (2015)
  • Dr. Bob Luszczak, DDS Graduate Scholarship in Biology (2015)
  • CSUN Thesis Support Grant (2014)
  • CSUN Full Tuition Waiver (2014)
  • UCLA Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Departmental Honors (2013)
  • Holmes O. Miller Endowment Fund Scholarship for Field Research (2013)
  • Joseph Epperson Memorial Field Biology Scholarship (2013)

PUBLICATIONS

  • M. Akopyan, K. Kaiser, N. Savant, C. Owen, A.Vega, S.R. Dudgeon, & J.M. Robertson. Melodic males and flashy females: Geographic variation in male and female reproductive behavior in red-eyed treefrogs (Agalychnis callidryas). Ethology. 2017. doi.org/10.1111/eth.12705
  • M. Akopyan, Z. Gompert, E.B. Rosenblum, K. Klonoski, R. Mackelprang, & J.M. Robertson. Genetic and phenotypic evidence of a contact zone between populations of the red-eyed treefrog, Agalychnis callidryas. (In Preparation)
  • J.M. Robertson, R.S. Rhymer, M. Akopyan, E.A. Sanabria, L.B. Quiroga, & R.E. Espinoza. Life on the rocks: Shallow genetic structure in a narrowly endemic lizard from the Argentine Puna. (In Preparation)

INVITED LECTURES 

  • Detecting selection. Cornell University, Molecular Tools for Ecology, Conservation, and Natural Resource Management, Guest Lecture, March 2018.
  • Exploring nature’s rainbow: The evolution of color diversity in red-eyed treefrogs, Glendale Community College, Science Lecture Series, February 2018.
  • Quantifying color diversity in red-eyed treefrogs, Cal State Northridge, Full Immersion Research Experience Laboratory, Guest Lecture, March 2017.
  • It’s not easy being green: Evolution of diversity in red-eyed treefrogs, Southwestern Herpetologists Society Meeting, Oral Presentation, October 2016.
  • Sequencing is RAD: Next-generation sequencing in molecular ecology of non-model organisms, Cal State Northridge, Molecular Ecology, Guest Lecture, April 2016.

PRESENTATIONS

  • M. Akopyan, et al. RECOMB – Comparative Genomics, Poster, October 2018.
  • M. Akopyan, & N.O. Therkildsen. Cornell Center for Vertebrate Genomics, Oral, March 2018.
  • M. Akopyan, & N.O. Therkildsen. Cornell Department of Natural Resources, Oral, January 2018.
  • M. Akopyan, et al. Cornell EEB Research Symposium, Oral, December 2017.
  • M. Akopyan, et al. Evolution, Poster, June 2017.
  • M. Akopyan, & J.M. Robertson. Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists, Poster, July 2016.
  • M. Akopyan, et al. Evolution, Oral, June 2016.
  • M. Akopyan, et al. CSUN Student Research Symposium, Oral, February 2016.
  • M. Akopyan, et al. SICB Southwestern Organismal Biology Meeting, Oral, October 2015.
  • M. Akopyan, et al. CSUN Sigma Xi Symposium, Oral, May 2015.
  • M. Akopyan, et al. UCLA Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Research Symposium, Poster, May 2013.

teaching experience

  • Trained in COPUS – the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM
  • Teaching Assistant (Laboratory instructor)
    • Cornell | 2018–2019 | ​​​Molecular Ecology; Herpetology
    • CSUN | 2014–2016 | General Biology Laboratory (Majors & Non-majors)
  • Graduate Assistant
    • CSUN, 2014–2017 | Molecular Ecology; Evolution; Physiology; Plant Ecology; Behavioral Ecology
  • Graduate Biology Tutor
    • CSUN, 2016 | Ecology; Evolution; Genetics; Introductory Biology

leadership

  • Co-leader, Cornell Diversity and Inclusion Preview Weekend, 2018–2019
  • President, Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Research Club at CSUN, 2015–2017
  • Treasurer, Women in Science Club at CSUN, 2015–2017
  • Founding Member, Graduate Student Leadership Council at CSUN, 2015

outreach & service

  • Graduate Student School Outreach Program GRASSHOPR, 2019
  • Safe Evolution Program, Council of Evolution Studies, 2019
  • Girls in Science & Technology Club, 2016–2018
  • Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America Science Olympiad, 2017
  • CSUN Student Success Series, 2017
  • Workshop in Genomic Data Analysis, 2016
  • CSUN Advancement to Graduate Education Conference, 2016
  • Graduate Student Consultant, BUILD PODER at CSUN, 2015