Hilary McManus, Ph.D.
- Professor Biological and Environmental Sciences
Dr. Hilary McManus is Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences and co-chairs the Environmental Sustainability Steering Committee. She teaches a variety of courses and incorporates hands-on experiences for students to learn research techniques and the science of the climate crisis. Her research focuses on the diversity of photosynthetic eukaryotes and how this diversity has been achieved, as well as leadership development for sustainability.
In 2018, Hilary was selected as a participant in Homeward Bound, a global leadership development initiative for women in STEMM, which culminated in a 3-week voyage to Antarctica with 78 other women from around the world. Currently over 700 women strong, the network continues to grow as an international collaboration of women scientists aiming to lead and influence decision-making as it shapes our planet.
Hilary’s free time is spent outdoors with her two sons, hiking, camping, gardening, and practicing shinrin yoku and silent meditation.
Education
Postdoctoral Training: University of Michigan, University of Connecticut
Ph.D. in Botany, University of Connecticut
M.A. in Botany with Honors, University of Kansas
B.S. in Biology, Cum Laude, SUNY Oswego
B.A. in Music, SUNY Oswego
A.A.S. in Biology, Jamestown Community College
Areas of Specialization
Dr. McManus’s research focuses on the diversity of photosynthetic eukaryotes and how this diversity has been achieved. Using molecular phylogenetics, phylogenomics, and morphological characterization, McManus and her students uncover species boundaries in freshwater green algae and discover diversity of photosynthetic organisms in places ranging from house gutters in North Carolina to the streams, lakes and ponds of Iceland.
Awards and Honors
Louis D. DeGennaro Undergraduate Mentor Award, Le Moyne College, 2016
Robert T. Wilce Graduate Student Presentation Award, Northeast Algal Society, 2006
Publications
(* indicates undergraduate student)
Lenarczyk, J. and McManus, H.A. 2016. Testing the boundaries of the green algal species Pediastrum alternans (Chlorophyceae) using conventional, geometric morphometric and phylogenetic methods. Phycologia 55:515-530.
Farwagi, A.A.*, Fucíková, K., McManus, H.A. 2015. Phylogenetic patterns of gene rearrangements in four mitochondrial genomes from the green algal family Hydrodictyaceae (Sphaeropleales, Chlorophyceae). BMC Genomics 16:826.
Adl, S.M., Simpson, A.G.B., Lane, C.E., Lukes, J., Bass, D., Bowser, S., Brown, M.W., Burki, F., Dunthorn, M., Hampl, V., Heiss, A., Hoppenrath, M., Enrique, L., LeGall, L., Lynn, D.H., McManus, H.A., Mitchell, E.A.D., Mozley-Stanridge, S.E., Parfrey, L., Pawlowski, J., Rueckert, S., Shadwick, L., Schoch, C.L., Smirnov, A., Spiegel, F.W. 2012. The revised classification of eukaryotes. The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 59: 429-493.
Qiu, Y-L, Taylor, A.B., McManus, H.A. 2012. Evolution of the life cycle in land plants. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 50: 171-194.
McManus, H.A., Lewis, L., Fucíková, K. Haugen, P. 2011. Invasion of protein coding genes by green algal ribosomal group I introns. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2011.09.027
McManus, H.A. & Lewis. L.A. 2011. Molecular phylogenetic relationships in the freshwater family Hydrodictyaceae (Sphaeropleales, Chlorophyceae), with an emphasis onPediastrum duplex. Journal of Phycology 47(1):152-163.
McManus, H.A., Lewis. L.A., Schultz, E. 2011. Distinguishing multiple lineages of Pediastrum duplex Meyen 1829 with morphometrics, and a proposal for Lacunastrum n. gen. Journal of Phycology 47(1):123-130.
McManus, H. A., Qiu, Y. L. 2010. On alternation of generations in embryophytic plants. Pp. 190-200, in Darwin’s Heritage Today: Proceedings of the Darwin 200 Beijing International Conference (eds. M. Long, H. Gu, and Z. Zhou), Higher Education Press, Beijing.
