Education:
The University of Texas at Austin, Ph.D. Systematic Botany, 1997
Harvard University, B.A. magna cum laude Fine Arts, 1992
Professional Employment:
2009-present, Associate Professor of Biology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC
2003-2009, Assistant Professor of Biology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC
2003, Grant Writer, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; Development Specialist & Naturalist, Chattanooga Audubon Society
2001-2002, Assistant Professor of Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN
1998-2001, Project Coordinator & Research Taxonomist, New York Metropolitan Flora, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, NY
1999-2001, Adjunct Curator, The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics Studies, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY
1997-1998, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University Herbaria & The Arnold Arboretum, Cambridge, MA
1993-1997, Teaching Assistant and Ph.D. candidate, The University of Texas at Austin
1992-1993, Curatorial Assistant, Plant Resources Center (TEX/LL herbarium), University of Texas at Austin
Teaching Record:
Publications (past 6 years):
Mathews, K.G. Loganiaceae. In Flora of North America, v. 15. In review.
Mathews, K.G. and B.Collins. 2013.Plant and pollinator communities of high elevation rock outcrop communities. Natural Areas Journal, in press.
Pate, S.J., J.A. Clement, J.H. McCoy, S.L. Lance and K.G. Mathews. 2012. Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for Actaea racemosa L. (black cohosh, Ranunculaceae). American Journal of Botany 99:e274-e276.
Weakley, A.S., R.J. LeBlond, B.A. Sorrie, T. Witsell, D. Estes, K.G. Mathews, A. Ebihara and K. Ghandi. 2011. New combinations, rank changes, and nomenclatural and taxonomic comments in the vascular flora of the southeastern United States. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 5: 437-455.
Popovkin, A.V., K.G. Mathews, M.C. Molina, and L. Struwe. 2011. Spigelia genuflexa (Loganiaceae), a new geocarpic species from northeastern Bahia, Brazil. Phytokeys 6:47-65.
Collins, B. and K.G. Mathews. 2011.Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont [book review]. Castanea 76(4): 434-435.
Mathews, K. G., J. Huguelet, M. Lanning, T. Wilson, and R. S. Young. 2009. Clonal diversity of fruiting culms within stands of Arundinaria gigantea (Poaceae; Bambusoideae) in western North Carolina assessed using AFLP fingerprints. Castanea 74(3): 213-223.
Griffith, A. D., D. A. Kinner, B. R. Tanner, A. Moore, R. S. Young, and K. G. Mathews. 2009. Nutrient and Physical Soil Characteristics of Rivercane Stands, Western North Carolina. Castanea 74(3): 224-235.
Mathews, K., N. Dunne, E. York, and L. Struwe. 2009. A phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision of Bartonia (Gentianaceae-Gentianeae), based on molecular and morphological evidence. Systematic Botany 34: 162-172.
Struwe, L., V. A. Albert,M. F. Calió, C. Frasier, K. B. Lepis, K. G. Mathews, &J. R. Grant. 2009. Evolutionary patterns in neotropical Helieae (Gentianaceae): evidence from morphology, chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences. Taxon 58(2): 479-499.
Presentations and Posters (past 6 years):
Pate, S.J. and K. Mathews. Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for Actaea racemosa L. (black cohosh, Ranunculaceae). Poster presented at Botanical Society of America meetings, St. Louis, MO, July 2011.
K.G. Mathews, M. Ruigrok, and G. Mansion. Phylogeny and trait evolution in Sabatia (Gentianaceae) and uneven diversification rates in subtribe Chironiinae. Talk presented at Botanical Society of America meetings, St. Louis, MO, July 2011.
Mathews, K. Phylogeography and plant-pollinator diversity of high-elevation rock outcrops: What might be the effects of climate change? Invited presentation for ASU Biology Department seminar series, Boone, Nov 2011.
Mathews, K. How might climate change affect high-elevation rock outcrop communities in the southern Appalachians? Invited presentation for high school science teacher retreat, NC CLIMATE Fellows program, Highlands Biological Station, 22 Oct 2011.
Mathews, K. Phylogeography and plant-pollinator diversity of high-elevation rock outcrops: What might be the effects of climate change? Invited presentation for UNCA Biology Department seminar series, 13 Oct 2011.
Mathews, K. Fall color in the southern mountains. Invited presentation for the Jackson County Master Gardeners Association, 12 Oct 2011.
Mathews, K., C. Kennedy, T. Sosby and B. Collins. Potential effects of climate change and disturbance on Southern Appalachian, high-elevation rock outcrop plant and pollinator communities. ATBI Annual Conference, Gatlinburg, TN, 7-9 April 2011.
Mathews, K.G., and M. Lanning. 2010. Stranded or Not? Which Southern Appalachian Rock Outcrop Endemic Plants are Alpine Relicts? Micranthes (Saxifragaceae) as a Case Study. Poster presented at Botanical Society of America mtgs, Providence, RI, July 31-Aug 6.
Stoehrel, C. and K.G. Mathews. 2010. Population Genetics of the Trillium Erectum Complex. Talk presented by Ms. Stoehrel at Association of Southeastern Biologists meeting in Asheville, NC. Stoehrel won BSA Student Presentation Award.
Lanning, M., and K.G. Mathews. 2009. Clarifying the status of Micranthes careyana and M. caroliniana based on morphological and molecular differences. Poster presented at Association of Southeastern Biologists meeting in Birmingham, AL, April 1-4. Lanning won BSA Student Poster Award ($300 and travel to national meeting).
Mathews, K.G. 2008. Assessing clonal diversity in relation to gregarious flowering in river cane ( Arundinaria gigantea) in western North Carolina: Evidence based on AFLP fingerprints. Department of Biology Paul Burton Seminar Series, Western Carolina University.
Mathews, K.G. 2008. Genetic diversity of Arundinaria gigantea (Poaceae) stands in western North Carolina and evidence for monoclonal flowering based on AFLPs. Invited talk for River Cane Symposium at Association of Southeastern Biologists meetings, Spartanburg, SC.
Awards, Grants & Contracts (past 6 years):
2013-2016 (Pending). National Science Foundation Advancing Digitization of Biological Collections, "Digitization TCN: Collaborative Research: The Key to the Cabinets," $49,734 (subcontractor).
2013-2014. WCU Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award, $5,000.
2013. The American Chestnut Foundation, Purchasing Imaging Equipment for the WCU Herbarium, $6,755.
2013. WCU Professional Development Grants for attending Bryophyte Identification Workshop
at HBS ($400) and teaching workshops at Botanical Society of America conference in New Orleans ($900).
2012. WCU QEP Development Grant to support plant molecular systematics research with BIOL 480 students, $750.
2010-2013. H.F. Cotton & Katherine P. Robinson Professorship in Biology.
2010-2012. NC Biotechnology Center Multidisciplinary Research Grant, $248,601 (co-PI with Jason Clement and Joe-Ann McCoy).
2010. WCU Public Policy Institute Fellow (with Beverly Collins) to study conservation issues with rock outcrop plants and their pollinators, $2,500.
2009-2010. Bruce & Tom Shinn Native Plant Research Grant (North Carolina Native Plant Society) for Trillium MS thesis research to Christina Stoehrel (project sponsor), $1,000.
2008-2009. Bruce & Tom Shinn Native Plant Research Grant (North Carolina Native Plant Society) for Micranthes MS thesis research to Max Lanning (project sponsor), $1,000.
2007-2008. Renewal of Rivercane Restoration Research Project, CPF, $50,000 (co-PI).
Professional Memberships and Service:
Southern Appalachian Botanical Society – President, 2014-2016
Society of Herbarium Curators
Botanical Society of America
American Society of Plant Taxonomists