Beck A. Wehrle, Ph.D.

Department of Biology
Bryn Mawr College bwehrle@brynmawr.edu
101 North Marion Ave. orcid: 0000-0002-1598-6656
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 USA website: www.beckwehrle.weebly.com

Education
2018 Ph.D. Biological Sciences, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of California, Irvine
§ Advisor: Dr. Donovan P. German

2013 M.S. Biology, Biology Department

California State University, Northridge
§ Advisor: Dr. Robert E. Espinoza

2008 B.S. Biological Sciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Emphasis

University of California, Davis

Professional Appointments
2022–present Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Bryn Mawr College
Instructor of record: Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Nutritional Physiology
2020–22 Postdoctoral scholar, Kwasi M. Connor Lab, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary
Biology, University of California, Irvine
2019–20 Lecturer, Coastline Community College
Instructor of record: Human Anatomy
2019 Lecturer, University of California, Irvine
Instructor of record: Applied Human Anatomy
2018–19 Assistant Specialist (Postdoctoral scholar), Donovan P. German Lab, University of
California, Irvine

Teaching & Graduate Assistantships (2009-2018)

University of California, Irvine California State University, Northridge
§ Human Nutrition § Human Anatomy Lab
§ Human Anatomy Lab § Vertebrate Biology
§ Human Physiology Lab § Tropical Ecology

Fellowships and Honors

2019 Thank a Teacher Program Recipient, Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation,
University of California, Irvine
2017 Dynamic Womxn of UCI Award, University of California, Irvine
2016–17 Chateaubriand STEM Fellowship, French Embassy in the United States (€6400)
2015 Grover Stephens Memorial Fellowship, University of California, Irvine ($1000)
2013–18 Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need Fellowship, U.S. Department of
Education through the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of
California, Irvine ($86144)

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Fellowships and Honors (continued)
2013 Outstanding Graduate Research Award, Department of Biology, California State
University, Northridge ($100)
2013 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award, Department of Biology, California State
University, Northridge ($100)
2012 2nd Place, Sigma Xi Symposium, California State University, Northridge ($75)
2011 Short-Term Fellowship, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute ($2500)
2011 Teaching Associate Tuition Fee Waiver, Department of Biology, California State
University, Northridge ($2736)
2010–11 Graduate Fellowship for Outstanding Research Promise in Science and Mathematics,
College of Science and Mathematics, California State University, Northridge ($5000)
2009–11 Graduate Equity Fellowship, Graduate Studies, California State University, Northridge
($4000)
2009 Afriat Sanchez Scholarship, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, California State
University, Northridge ($500)
2008 Delphi Foundation Academic Scholarship ($500)
2004–05 Dean’s List, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of
California, Davis
2004–06 Biology Undergraduate Scholars Program, University of California, Davis
2004 Henry A. Jastro Academic Scholarship, University of California, Davis ($1000)

Research Funding
2015 Travelling Fellowship, Journal of Experimental Biology: “What does it take to be an
herbivorous lizard? Revealing the digestive anatomy and physiology of manipulated
populations of Podarcis sicula” (£2300)
2015 Grant-in-Aid of Research, Sigma Xi: “What does it take to be an herbivorous lizard?
Revealing the digestive anatomy and physiology of manipulated populations of
Podarcis sicula” ($500)
2012 E. E. Williams Research Grant Award, The Herpetologists’ League: “Testing the role
of sociality in transferring digestive microbes in hatchling Green Iguanas (Iguana
iguana)” ($1000)
2011 Gaige Fund Award, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists: “Why do
lizards lounge? The role of sociality in exchanging microbial communities among
hatchling Iguana iguana” ($500)
2011 Grant in Herpetology, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles: “Why do
lizards lounge? The role of sociality in exchanging microbial communities among
hatchling Iguana iguana” ($500)
2011 Grant-in-Aid of Research, Sigma Xi: “Why do lizards lounge? The role of sociality in
exchanging microbial communities among hatchling green iguanas” ($400)
2011 D. H. Norris Field Trip Minigrant, Department of Biology, California State University,
Northridge ($250)
2010 Grant-in-Aid of Research, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology:
“Acquisition of fiber-fermenting microbes in green iguanas (Iguana iguana)” ($1000)
2009 Thesis Support Program, California State University, Northridge: “Acquisition of fiber-
fermenting microbes in green iguanas (Iguana iguana)” ($1000)

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Professional Memberships
• American Society for Ichthyology and Herpetology • American Physiological Society
• Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology

Professional Service
2017–22 Diversity committee member, American Society for Ichthyology and Herpetology
2018 Microbiome Contributions to Host Function Symposium Co-organizer, American
Physiological Society Intersociety Meeting Comparative Physiology: Complexity and
Integration in New Orleans, LA
2018–22 QT STEM (Queer and Trans in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) at
UC Irvine co-founder
2016 Judge, California State Science Fair
2014–16 Graduate Recruitment Committee, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of California, Irvine
2013–16 Biology teaching outreach, Valencia High School, Placentia, CA
2011–14 Current Research Section Editor, Herpetological Review, Society for the Study of
Amphibians and Reptiles
2012 Judge, West Contra Costa Unified School District Science Fair
2009–12 Vice President, Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution Research Club, California State
University, Northridge
Peer Reviewer: Aquaculture, Amphibia-Reptilia, Animal Microbiome, Animals, The Herpetological
Journal, J. of Fish Biology, J. of Tropical Biology, Oecologica

Professional Presentations (* = presenter on multiauthored presentations)

Invited Presentations
Wehrle, B.A. 2022. Nutritional physiology as a foundation for exploring animal responses to changing
environments. Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA. 10/27/2022.
Wehrle, B.A. 2021. Digestion in changing landscapes: ecophysiology of diet shifts. University of
California, Riverside, CA. 10/8/2021.
Wehrle, B.A. 2021. Ecological physiology of plant eating lizards: shifts in gut structure, function, and
microbes. California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, CA. 4/13/2021.
Wehrle, B.A. 2020. Ecological physiology of plant eating lizards: shifts in gut structure, function, and
microbes. Cal Poly Department of Biology, San Luis Obispo CA. 2/14/2020
Wehrle, B.A. 2019. Ecological physiology of plant eating lizards: shifts in gut structure, function, and
microbes. Keck Science Institute, the Claremont Colleges, Claremont, CA. 2/1/2019
Wehrle, B.A. 2017. Becoming an omnivorous lizard: how gut structure, physiology, and microbiome
accommodate a rapid dietary shift. Biannual Meeting of MECADEV, Muséum National
d’Historie Naturelle, Brunoy, France. 10/17/2017.
Wehrle, B.A.* and D. P. German. 2014. Rapid physiological and performance changes in a newly
herbivorous lizard. UC Irvine Associated Graduate Students Symposium.
Wehrle, B.A. 2011. Lizard herbivores, digestive microbes, and social aggregations. Capybara Seminar,
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Barro Colorado Island, Panamá

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Invited Presentations (continued)
Wehrle, B.A. 2011. Why do lizards lounge? The role of sociality in exchanging microbial communities
among hatchling Iguana iguana. Graduate Fellows with Outstanding Research Promise in
Science and Mathematics Symposium, College of Science and Mathematics, California
State University, Northridge.
Wehrle, B.A. 2010. Iguanas and microbes. Capybara Seminar, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute,
Barro Colorado Island, Panamá
Contributed Presentations
Wehrle, B.A.*, E.E. Bryant, and K.M. Connor. 2022. The effects of tide, temperature, and diet on
the behavior of digestive and molecular physiology of California Mussels (Mytilus
californianus). Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Meeting,
SICB+ virtual platform [oral] (https://youtu.be/eeL9hC4efpk)
Wehrle, B.A.,* A.X. Gonzalez, J. Stone, D. Rankins, E. Vuu,, A. Herrel, Z. Tadić, and D.P. German.
2020. Do digestive enzyme activities explain increased plant digestibility in a newly
omnivorous lizard? Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Meeting,
Austin, TX [oral]
Frederick, A.R*, C. Catabay, B.A. Wehrle, K.D. Clements, and D.P German. 2019. Will abalone
survive climate change? Comparative digestive physiology and the effect of temperature
stress on abalone across the Pacific Ocean. Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology Annual Meeting, Tampa, FL [oral]
Wehrle, B.A.* and D.P German. 2018. Quickly Becoming an Omnivorous Lizard: interactions of diet,
physiology, and ecology lead to dynamic changes in a rapidly evolving system. 7th
Annual Southwest Regional Meeting of Organismal Biologists. San Marcos, CA [oral]
Wehrle, B.A.,* D.P. German, A. Herrel, and Z. Tadic. 2018. Quickly Becoming an Omnivorous Lizard:
interactions of diet, physiology, and ecology lead to dynamic changes in a rapidly
evolving system. American Physiological Society Intersociety Meeting Comparative
Physiology: Complexity and Integration, New Orleans, LA [oral]
Wehrle, B.A.,* M. Taverne, M. Krajnović, Z. Tadić, A. Herrel, and D.P. German. 2018. Interplay of gut
length, diet, and ecology in lacertid lizards. Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA [oral]
Wehrle, B.A. 2017. Changes in digestive performance and physiology in a newly herbivorous lizard.
Southern California Herpetologists’ HerpFest, Riverside, CA [oral]
Wehrle, B.A.,* Z. Tadić, M. Krajnović, K. Chernoff, A. Herrel, and D.P. German. 2017. Comparative
nutrient digestibility between insectivorous and rapid-evolving herbivorous Italian Wall
Lizards. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Meeting, New Orleans,
LA [oral]
Wehrle, B.A.,* B.Q. Nguyen-Phuc, R.K. Dang, M. Krajnović, Z. Tadić, A. Herrel, and D.P. German.
2016. Seasonal and sex effects on the digestive physiology of a newly herbivorous lizard.
Southern California Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting, University of Southern
California [poster]
Wehrle, B.A.,* B.Q. Nguyen-Phuc, R.K. Dang, M. Krajnović, Z. Tadić, A. Herrel, and D.P. German.
2016. Seasonal and sex effects on the digestive physiology of a newly herbivorous lizard.
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Meeting, Portland, OR. [poster]

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Contributed presentations (continued)
Wehrle, B.A.,* M. Krajnović, Z. Tadić, A. Herrel, and D.P. German. 2015. Changes in digestive
performance and gut structure and function in a newly herbivorous lizard. Society for
Integrative and Comparative Biology Meeting, West Palm Beach, FL. [oral]
Wehrle, B.A.,* A. Herrel, Z. Tadic, and D.P. German. 2014. Testing the Adaptive Modulation
Hypothesis: Physiological changes in a newly herbivorous lizard. Society for Integrative
and Comparative Biology Meeting, Austin, TX. [poster]
Wehrle, B.A.* and R.E. Espinoza. 2013. Lounging lizards and gut bugs: Testing the role of the social
aggregations for transferring digestive microbes. Society for Integrative and Comparative
Biology Meeting, San Francisco, CA. [poster]
Wehrle, B.A.* and R.E. Espinoza. 2012. Why do lizards lounge? The role of sociality in exchanging
microbial communities among hatchling Iguana iguana. World Congress of Herpetology
7, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. [oral]
Wehrle, B.A. 2012. Why do lizards lounge? The role of sociality in exchanging microbial communities
among hatchling Green Iguanas. 2012 Sigma Xi Student Research Symposium, California
State University, Northridge. [oral]
Wehrle, B.A. 2012. Gut bugs and lounging lizards: Comparisons of microbial communities in the
hindguts of Green Iguanas. 16th Annual Student Research and Creative Works
Symposium, California State University, Northridge [oral]
Wehrle, B.A.* and R.E. Espinoza. 2012. Why do lizards lounge? The role of sociality in exchanging
microbial communities among hatchling Green Iguanas. Society for Integrative and
Comparative Biology Meeting, Charleston, SC. [oral]
Wehrle, B.A. 2011. Eat poop and thrive: testing the role of the lizard lounge for transferring digestive
microbes. Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Minneapolis, MN. [poster]
Wehrle, B.A. 2011. Why do lizards lounge? The role of sociality in exchanging microbial communities
among hatchling Iguana iguana. 15th Annual Student Research and Creative Works
Symposium, California State University, Northridge [oral]
Wehrle, B.A. 2010. Acquisition of fiber-fermenting microbes in hatchling green iguanas (Iguana
iguana). 14th Annual Student Research and Creative Works Symposium, California State
University, Northridge [oral]

Publications
1. Chan, G., A.Y. Gracey, E. Solares, B.A. Wehrle, and K.M. Connor. 2023. Cycles of heat exposure
elevate metabolic enzyme genes and alters digestion in mussels. Frontiers in Marine
Science 10, 1120695. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1120695
2. Wehrle, B.A., and D.P. German. 2023. Reptile digestive efficiency: Past, present, and future.
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 277: 111369. doi:
10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111369
3. Lemieux-Labonté*, V., C. Vigliotti*, S. Dowd, Z. Tadić, B.A. Wehrle, P. Lopez, E. Bapteste, F.-J.
Lapointe, D.P. German, and A. Herrel. 2022. Proximate drivers of population level lizard
gut microbial diversity: impacts of diet, insularity, and local environment. Microorganisms
10: 1550. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms10081550

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Publications (continued)
4. Frederick, A.R., A.M. Lee, B.A. Wehrle, C.C. Catabay, D.R. Rankins, K.D. Clements, and D.P.
German. 2022. Abalone under moderate heat stress have elevate metabolic rates and
changes to digestive enzyme activities. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 270:
111230. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.111230
5. Wehrle, B.A., A. Herrel, B.Q. Nguyen-Phuc, S. Maldonado, R. Agnihotri, R.K. Dang, Z. Tadić, and
D.P. German. 2020. Rapid dietary shift in Podarcis siculus resulted in localized changes
in gut function. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 93:396–415. doi: 10.1086/709848
6. Taverne, M., A.-C. Fabre, N. King-Gillies, M. Krajnović, D. Lisičić, Ó. Mira, D. Petricioli, A.
Štambuk, Z. Tadić, C. Vigliotti, B.A. Wehrle, and A. Herrel. 2020. Proximate and
ultimate drivers of variation in bite force in the insular lizards Podarcis melisellensis and
Podarcis sicula. The Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 131: 88–108. doi:
10.1093/biolinnean/blaa091
7. Taverne, M., A.-C. Fabre, N. King-Gillies, M. Krajnović, D. Lisičić, L. Martin, L. Michal, D.
Petricioli, A. Štambuk, Z. Tadić, C. Vigliotti, B.A. Wehrle, and A. Herrel. 2019. Diet
variability among insular populations of Podarcis lizards reveals diverse strategies to face
resource-limited environments. Ecology and Evolution. 2019;00:1–13. doi:
10.1002/ece3.5626
8. As member of the Earth Microbiome Project Consortium
Thompson, L.R, J.G. Sanders, D. McDonald, A. Amir, J. Ladau, K.J. Locey, R.J. Prill, A. Tripathi,
S.M. Gibbons, G. Ackermann, J.A. Navas-Molina, S. Janssen, E. Kopylova, Y. Vázquez-
Baeza, A. González, J. T. Morton, S. Mirarab, Z. Zech Xu, L. Jiang, M. F. Haroon, J.
Kanbar, Q. Zhu, S.-J. Song, T. Kosciolek, N.A. Bokulich, J. Lefler, C.J. Brislawn, G.
Humphrey, S.M. Owens, J. Hampton-Marcell, D. Berg-Lyons, V. McKenzie, N. Fierer, J.
A. Fuhrman, A. Clauset, R.L. Stevens, A. Shade, K.S. Pollard, K.D. Goodwin, J.K.
Jansson, J.A. Gilbert, R. Knight, and The Earth Microbiome Project Consortium. 2017.
A communal catalogue reveals Earth’s multiscale microbial diversity. Nature 551: 457–
463 doi:10.1038/nature24621
9. Wehrle, B.A. 2013. Intergenerational lizard lounges do not explain the variation in the microbiome of
Green Iguanas. MS Thesis, Dept. of Biology, CSU Northridge, Northridge, CA.
http://hdl.handle.net/10211.2/3582
10. Wehrle, B.A., and J.A. Guzman. 2012. Iguana iguana (Green Iguana). Predation. Herpetological
Review 43:134.

Manuscripts in preparation
11. Fabre, A.-C., N. King-Gillies, M. Taverne, B.A. Wehrle, D.P. German, D. Lisicic, Z. Tadić, and A.
Herrel. Extremely rapid shift in brain size and shape after a dietary switch in a lizard
supports the energetic constraint hypothesis.
12. Wehrle, B.A., A.D. Luu, M. Krajnović, S.T. Prasertphong, Z. Tadić, A. Herrel, and D.P. German.
Nutrient digestibility in a newly omnivorous lizard shows performance differences with
feeding frequency and sex.

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Manuscripts in preparation (continued)

13. Slay, C.E., J. Eme, B.A. Wehrle, D.P. German, R.M. Elsey, and J.W. Hicks. Digestion is unaffected
by surgical elimination of the right-to-left cardiac shunt in American alligators (Alligator
Mississippians).
14. Nishizaki, M.T., B.A. Wehrle, E.E. Bryant, E. Chang, M. Powell, A. Whitis, and K.M. Connor
Temperature fluctuation and thermal stress in marine mussels: time-dependent responses
in respiration, gene expression, and growth.

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