Charles F. Rick Williams
Associate Professor
Biological Sciences
Idaho State University
United States of America
Biography
Dr. Williams has been on the faculty at ISU since 1999, after teaching at Nebraska Wesleyan University from 1993-1998. Rick's broad interests in ecology and evolutionary biology are reflected in his varied research experiences, ranging from social behavior of birds and bats to population genetics of seed dispersal, pollination biology, and plant and animal mating systems. His current research concentrates on the evolution of floral form and how it is shaped by plant-pollinator interactions, as well as the functional aspects of plant and insect mating systems. His research emphasizes both ecological field experiments and laboratory analysis of molecular markers. He works with graduate and undergraduate students on a wide variety of evolutionary and ecological topics.
Research Interest
We study genetics and evolutionary ecology of plant reproduction, evolution of gynodioecy, pollination and seed dispersal biology, functional ecology of mating systems, molecular population genetics, quantitative genetics, and animal behavior.
Publications
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Williams, C. F., Ruvinsky, J., Scott, P. E., and D. K. Hews. 2001. Pollination, breeding system, and genetic structure in two sympatric Delphinium (Ranunculaceae) species. American Journal of Botany 88(9):1623-1633.
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Williams, C. F., M. A. Kuchenreuther, and A. Drew. 2000. Floral dimorphism, pollinator attraction and self-fertilization in gynodioecious Geranium richardsonii. (Geraniaceae). American Journal of Botany 87:661-669.
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Williams, C. F. and R. P. Guries. 1994. Genetic consequences of seed dispersal in three sympatric forest herbs. I. Hierarchical population genetic structure. Evolution 48(3):791-805.
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Fleming, T.H., and C.F. Williams. 1990. Phenology, seed dispersal, and recruitment in Cecropia peltata (Cecropiaceae) in Costa Rican tropical dry forest. J. Trop. Ecol. 6:163-178.
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Williams, C.F. 1986. Social organization of the bat, Carollia perspicillata (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). Ethology 71:265-282.
