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Elena Berg

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Elena Berg

Professor, Department Chair - Computer Science, Mathematics & Science

  • Department: Computer Science, Math and Environmental Science
  • Office: 
    C-202
  • Office Hours: 
    By appointment

Professor Berg joined the Department of Computer Science, Math & Science at the American University of Paris in January of 2014. She is a broadly trained evolutionary biologist interested in multidisciplinary questions about how behavior, morphology, life history, and genetics vary across different environments and spatial scales. After receiving her Master鈥檚 degree in Biological Anthropology from Cambridge University, Berg went on to pursue a PhD in Animal Behavior. Her doctoral research at the University of California at Davis focused on the evolution of cooperative breeding behavior in the white-throated magpie-jay, a highly gregarious Central American bird. As a postdoc at UCLA, Portland State University, Harvard University, and Uppsala University in Sweden, she explored a diversity of topics, including the evolution of eggshell speckling and coloration in birds, the population genetic structure of both migratory and non-migratory North American songbirds, the phylogenetic history of cooperative breeding in New World jays, and sexual conflict and aging in seed beetles. Between postdocs, Berg also spent a year coordinating the graduate program for Evolution, Ecology and Systematics at the University of Munich. As a professor at 91视频, she is continuing her research on the behavior and life history of seed beetles. With the help of AUP students, Berg and colleague Professor Claudio Piani are currently conducting a long-term experiment investigating the adaptive capacity of seed beetles under projected changes in climate. Berg also conducts research on drinking water and the bottled water industry. She is a certified water sommelier and conducts taste tests with her students and other members of the 91视频 community.



Education/Degrees

  • PhD in animal behavior, University of California at Davis, USA
  • MPhil in biological anthropology, Cambridge University, England
  • BA in anthropology, Cornell University, USA

News

Berg, E. C. and C. Marchese.听Spring 2024. 10-episode podcast series entitled 鈥�.鈥� Written by Elena Berg and Clark Marchese (91视频 alum), hosted by Elena Berg, and produced by Clark Marchese. Supported by funding from 91视频鈥檚 Center for Media, Communication, and Global Change. Published by Clark鈥檚 production company,听.

This series introduces the fine water industry, investigates the drinking water landscapes in countries around the world, and unpacks the complex relationship between bottled water and sustainability.

Berg, E. C. and M. Mascha. Fall 2020. 9-episode podcast series entitled 鈥淲ater is Not Just Water.鈥� Published on the听听as well as on听.

During the confinement period of the pandemic, fellow water sommelier Michael听Mascha听and I听wrote and produced听a 9-part听multi-hour zoomcast听series in which we explored听the symbolic听importance听of water,听the environmental impact of the bottled water industry, and the potential of small water companies to act as environmental stewards. The podcast is described in more detail on 91视频鈥檚 News & Events site听听and on the Center鈥檚 site听here.

Publications

  • Ivimey-Cook, E., C. Piani, W. Hung*, and听E. C. Berg. 2024. Genetic background and thermal regime influence adaptation to novel environmental in the seed beetle,听Callosobruchus maculatus.听Journal of Evolutionary Biology听37(1): 1-13.听听(*91视频 undergraduate student)
  • Berg, E. C., M. Mascha, and K. Capehart. 2022. Judging reliability at wine and water competitions.听Journal of Wine Economics听17(4): 311-328.听
  • Ivimey-Cook, E., S. Bricout, V. Candela*, A. A. Maklakov, and听E. C. Berg. 2021. Inbreeding reduces fitness of seed beetles under thermal stress.听Journal of听Evolutionary Biology听34: 1386-1396.听听(*91视频 undergraduate student)
  • Berg, E.C. and J.M. Eadie. 2020. An experimental test of information use by wood ducks (Aix sponsa): external habitat cues, not social visual cues, influence initial nest site selection.听Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology听74 (122).听
  • Berg, E. C., M. I. Lind, S. Monahan*, S. Bricout, and A. A. Maklakov. 2019. Kin but less than kind: within-group male relatedness does not increase female fitness in seed beetles.听Proceedings of the Royal Society B听286 (1910): 20191664. doi:10.1098/rspb.2019.1664. (*91视频 undergraduate student)
  • Capehart, K. W & E. C. Berg, 2018. Fine water: a blind taste test. Journal of Wine Economics. 13(1): 20-40.
  • Langen, T. A. and E. C. Berg. 2016. What determines the timing and duration of the nesting season for a tropical dry forest bird, the White-throated Magpie-Jay Calocitta formosa? The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 128(1): 21-42.
  • Lind, M. I.*, E. C. Berg*, G. Alavioon, and A. A. Maklakov. 2015. Evolution of differential maternalage effects on male and female offspring development andlongevity. Functional Ecology 29: 104-110. doi:10.1111/1365-2435.12308*Joint first authorship
  • Berger, D.*, E. C. Berg*, W. Widegren, G. Arnqvist, and A.A. Maklakov. 2014. Multivariateintralocus sexual conflict in seed beetles. Evolution 68: 3457-3569. doi: 10.1111/evo.12528*Joint first authorship
  • Berg, E. C. and A. A. Maklakov. 2012. "Sexes suffer from suboptimal lifespan because of genetic conflict in a seed beetle". Proceedings of the Royal Society B 279(1745): 4296-4302.
  • Berg, E. C., R. A. Aldredge, A. T. Peterson, and J. E. McCormack. 2012. "New phylogenetic information suggests both an increase and at least one loss of cooperative breeding during the evolutionary history of Aphelocoma jays". Evolutionary Ecology 26: 43-54.
  • McCormack, J. E. and E. C. Berg. 2010. "Small-scale differentiation in egg colour along an elevation gradient in Mexican jays". The Auk 127(1): 35-43.
  • Berg, E. C. and R. W. Van Buskirk. 2010 (invited submission). Intraspecific Behavior. In: The Encyclopedia of Applied Animal Behaviour & Welfare (D. Mills, ed.). CAB International Publishing: Wallingford, UK.
  • Berg, E. C., J. M. Eadie, T. A. Langen, and A. F. Russell. 2009. "Reverse sex-biased philopatry in a cooperative bird: genetic consequences and a social cause". Molecular Ecology 18: 3486-3499.

  • Berg, E. C., J. E. McCormack, and T. B. Smith. 2009. "Test of an adaptive hypothesis for egg speckling along an elevational gradient in a population of Mexican jays (Aphelocoma ultramarina)". Journal of Avian Biology 40(4): 448-452.

  • Ellis, J. M. S., T. A. Langen, and E. C. Berg. 2009. "Signaling for food and sex? Begging by reproductive female white-throated magpie-jays". Animal Behaviour 78: 615-623.
  • Roy, C., J. M. Eadie, E. M. Schauber, N. S. Odell, E. C. Berg, and T. Moore. 2009. "Public information and conspecific nest parasitism in wood ducks: does nest density influence quality of information?" Animal Behaviour 77(6): 1367-1373.
  • Berg, E. C. and D. A. Williams. 2007 (invited submission). "Studying individual interactions and direct fitness benefits in wild birds: history and practice". Behavioural Processes 76(2): 163-166.
  • Berg, E. C. 2005. "Parentage and reproductive success in the white-throated magpie-jay (Calocitta formosa), a cooperative breeder with female helpers". Animal Behaviour 70: 375-385.
  • Berg, E. C. 2004. "A test of sex ratio biasing in the white-throated magpie-jay, a cooperative breeder with female helpers". The Condor 106: 299-308.
  • Williams, D. A., E. C. Berg, A. M. Hale, and C. R. Hughes. 2004. "Characterization of microsatellites for parentage studies of white-throated magpie-jays (Calocitta formosa) and brown jays (Cyanocorax morio)". Molecular Ecology Notes 4(3): 509-511.
  • Wright, J., E. Berg, S. R. DeKort, V. Khazin, and A. A. Maklakov. 2001. "Safe selfish sentinels in a cooperative bird". Journal of Animal Ecology 70(6): 1070-1079.
  • Wright, J., E. Berg, S. R. DeKort, V. Khazin, and A. A. Maklakov. 2001. "Cooperative sentinel behaviour in the Arabian babbler". Animal Behaviour 62(5): 973-979.

Conferences & Lectures

  • Berg, E. C.听A brief history of drinking. Invited speaker at the Taste and Design Awards, Fine Water Society, 28 April 2024, San Sebasti谩n, Spain.
  • Berg, E. C., M. Mascha, and K. Capehart. 鈥淛udging reliability at wine and water competitions.鈥� European Association of Wine Economists, 29 May. 2023, Chania, Crete (presentation by Kevin Capehart).
  • Gima, J., A. Armstrong,听E. C. Berg, Nadine Aboulmagd, Antonio Lopez. 鈥淓coJustice OER repository.鈥� Project Incubator, AMICAL Consortium, 25 May. 2023, Ifrane, Morocco.

  • Berg, E. C.听Water and the environment: human right and epicurean delight. Invited speaker at the Taste and Design Awards, Fine Water Society, 27 April 2023, Athens, Greece.

  • Piani, Claudio, Elena Berg, and Wei-Tse Hung*. 鈥淎daptation of seed beetles to fluctuating temperatures.鈥� Poster presentation given at the European Geosciences Union meeting in Vienna, Austria, in April 2019. *91视频 undergraduate student
  • Berg, Elena, Martin Lind, Shannon Monahan*, Sophie Bricout, and Alexei Maklakov. 鈥淜in selection and sexual conflict in seed beetles.鈥� Talk given at the joint meeting of the Animal Behavior Society and International Ethological Congress in Chicago, Illinois, in July 2019. *91视频 undergraduate student
  • Berg, E. C., W. Hung*, and C. Piani. Adaptation of seed beetles to fluctuating temperatures. Poster given at the 2nd Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology, Montpellier, France, August 2018.
    *91视频 undergraduate student
  • Capehart, K. W, E. C. Berg. Fine water: a taste test. Co-author on talk given at the 12th annual conference of the American Association of Wine Economists, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, June 2018.
  • Berg, E. C., S. Monahan*, & A.A. Maklakov. Kin selection and sexual conflict in seed beetles. Talk given at the meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK, July 2016.
  • Berg, E. C., D. Berger, G. Arnqvist, & A. A. Maklakov.鈥淢ultivariate intralocus sexual conflict in seed beetles鈥�.Talk given at the meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology, New York City, New York, 8/14.
  • Berg, E. C., D. Berger, G. Arnqvist, & A. A. Maklakov. "Evolution of metabolism, behavior and body size in response to sex-specific selection on lifespan". Talk given at the Society for the Study of Evolution meeting, Snowbird, Utah, June 2013.
  • Berg, E. C. & A. A. Maklakov. "Sexes suffer from suboptimal lifespan because of genetic conflict in a seed beetle". Talk given at the International Society for Behavioral Ecology, Lund, Sweden, August 2012.
  • Berg, E. C. & A. A. Maklakov. "Intralocus sexual conflict leads to suboptimal lifespan in the seed beetle". Talk given at the Society for the Study of Evolution meeting, Norman, Oklahoma, June 2011. Poster presented at the European Society for Evolutionary Biology meeting, T眉bingen, Germany, August 2011.
  • Berg, E. C. "Population genetic structure of tricolored blackbirds". Talks given to members of the Tricolored Blackbird Working Group in Sacramento, California, September 2008, and San Bernardino County Museum, December 2008.
  • Berg, E. C. and A. F. Russell. "Is there an adaptive explanation for egg color and patterning in birds?" Talk given at the meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology, Cornell University, New York, August 2008.
  • Berg, E. C., J. E. McCormack, T. B. Smith. "Variation in Mexican jay egg color and speckling along an elevation gradient in the Sierra del Carmen, Coahuila, Mexico". Poster presented at the North American Ornithological Congress, Veracruz, Mexico, October 2006.
  • Berg, E. C. "Evaluating the effectiveness of AFLP analysis for linking breeding and wintering populations of migratory songbirds". Talk given at the American Ornithologists鈥檚 Union Meeting, Santa Barbara, California, August 2005.
  • Berg, E. C. "Reproductive options in the white-throated magpie-jay, a cooperative breeder with female helpers". Awarded honorable mention in the Warner Clyde Allee session of the Animal Behavior Society meeting, Oaxaca, Mexico, June 2004. Talk given at the Society for the Study of Evolution meeting, Fairbanks, Alaska, June 2005.
  • Berg, E. C. "Cooperation and parasitism in the white-throated magpie-jay: helpers (sometimes) do more than help". Talk given at the meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology, Jyv盲skyl盲, Finland, July 2004.
  • Berg, E. C. "A test of sex ratio biasing in the white-throated magpie-jay". Poster presented at Animal Behavior Society and American Ornithologists鈥� Union meetings, July 2003 and August 2003.
  • Berg, E. C. "Delayed dispersal and helping-at-the-nest: Population consequences of cooperative breeding in birds". Talk given at international workshop on 鈥淧opulation Consequences of Individual Behavior鈥� sponsored by NSF Research Training Group in Animal Behavior. UC Davis, April 1998.

*91视频 undergraduate student

Affiliations

  • Reviewer for Molecular Ecology, Biology Letters, Behavioral Ecology, Animal Behaviour, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Journal of Avian Biology, Auk, Ibis, PLoS ONE
  • Animal Behavior Society (ABS), reviewer of ABS student research grants
  • International Society for Behavioral Ecology (ISBE)
  • Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE)
  • European Society for Evolutionary Biology (ESEB)
  • American Ornithologists鈥� Union (AOU)
  • Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society
  • Phi Sigma National Honor Society, for students in the biological sciences
  • Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society

Research Areas

  • Behavioral ecology听
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Sexual conflict and aging in seed beetles
  • Cooperative breeding in birds
  • Evolution of eggshell speckling in birds
  • Drinking water and the bottled water industry

Awards, Fellowships and Grants

  • The Board of Trustees鈥� Distinguished Teaching Award, Spring 2020

Curriculum Vitae