Ingi Agnarsson, PhD
Associate Professor
Faculty of Life– and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland
Sturlugata 7, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
Phone: (+354) 8887385
US phone: (802) 999 4256
Email: iagnarsson@gmail.com, iagnarsson@hi.is
Research Associate:
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC
Associate Editor/Editorial Board
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Zookeys
Faculty of Life– and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland
Sturlugata 7, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
Phone: (+354) 8887385
US phone: (802) 999 4256
Email: iagnarsson@gmail.com, iagnarsson@hi.is
Research Associate:
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC
Associate Editor/Editorial Board
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Zookeys
Curriculum
For a full Curriculum Vitae
Education
The University of Iceland, Department of Biology, Reykjavík, 1992-1995, BSc.
The George Washington University Department of Biological Sciences, Washington, D.C., 1998-2004, Ph.D.
Professional Experience
Professor of Zoology, University of Iceland, Reykjavik 2022-present
Associate professor, curator at UVM Museum of Natural History, University of Vermont, 2016-2021
Assistant professor, curator at UVM Museum of Natural History, University of Vermont, 2012-2021
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, 2004-2007, 2010-present. Research Associate.
Hubei University, Wuhan, China. Adjunct Professor. 2016-present.
Assistant Professor and Director of Zoology Museum, at University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, 2008-2012
Postodoctoral Research Scholar, University of Akron, Department of Biology (T. Blackledge), 2007-2008
Research Associate, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana (M. Kuntner), 2007- 2009.
Research Associate, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC (J. Coddington), 2004-present.
Killam Postdoctoral Fellow, University of British Colombia, (Wayne Maddison, Leticia Aviles). 2004-2006
Predoctoral Fellow, Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (J. Coddington), 1999-2004.
Graduate Teaching Assistant, George Washington University, Department of Biological Sciences, Washington, D.C., 2003-04.
Researcher at the Icelandic Institute of Natural History 1995-1998.
Research assistant at the Institute of Biology, University of Iceland, (A. Ingolfsson), 1993-1994.
Membership
International Society of Arachnology, American Arachnological Society, Society for the Study of Evolution, Society of Systematic Biologists
Grants and Awards
Rannsóknarsjóður, University of Iceland, 2023-2025, PI, ($26,000)
Eggertssjóður, University of Iceland 2023-2024, PI, ($7000).
Tækjakaupasjóður, University of Iceland (T202218), 2022-2023, PI, ($21,000).
Institute of Museum and Library Services (MA-30-19-0642-19), 2019-2021, co-PI ($222,010). Museums for America Award for infrastructure and staff salaries.
National Geographic Society (WW-203R-17), 2017-2019, PI ($30,000). Caribbean Caves as biodiversity drivers and natural units for conservation.
National Science Foundation (IOS-1656460), 2017-2021: one of four PIs (total award $903,385 thereof $128,259 to UVM). Collaborative Research: Comparative analyses of structural designs underlying functional performance of the toughest spider silk.
UVM Small Grants Research Award. 2016, PI ($3,000). Diversification in Caribbean caves
Smithsonian Institution Biogenomics/Global Genome Initiative Grant Program. 2015, one of three co-PIs with PI Coddington ($20,000). Anchored enrichment phylogeny of spiders based on diverse genome quality tissue sampling.
National Science Foundation (DBI-1349205), 2014-2017: co-PI, ($471,072), “CSBR: Natural History: Launching the University of Vermont Natural History Museum Step One: Securing the Collections “ (with PI D. Barrington and co-PI C.W. Kilpatrick
Smithsonian Institution 2013 SI Barcode Network, 2013-present, Principal Investigator with Jonathan A. Coddington, ($20,000): Barcoding a Mega-diverse Group in a Biodiversity Hotspot – Diversity and Biogeography of Arachnids in the Caribbean.
National Science Foundation (DEB-1050187-1050253), 2011-2016, Principal Investigator, ($833,000). “Collaborative Research: the generation of a biodiversity hotspot - paleobiogeography of the Caribbean inferred from multiple arachnid lineages with differing dispersal abilities” (with PI G. Binford and co-PI P. Selden). The grant originally based at UPR (1050187) was transferred to UVM in 2012, at the remaining amount of $543,632 and designated the new grant number DEB-1314749.
National Geographic Society Global Exploration Fund (GEFNE29-11), 2011-2013, Principal Investigator, ($21,100): “Islands on islands: biogeography of spider web parasites and their hosts in the Indian Ocean”
National Geographic Society Committee for Research and Exploration (8655-09) (23.750$), 2009-2010 (PI)
Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS Z1-9799-0618-07) research fellowship (~140.000$), 2007-2009.
Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship (~85.000$), University of British Colombia, 2004-2006.
The Biodiversity of the Guianas, 2005, (8.000$, with J. Coddington, J. Miller, and M. Kuntner), for fieldwork in French Guiana
Smithsonian Small Grants Program, 2005, (4.000$, with J. Coddington, J. Miller, and M. Kuntner), for fieldwork in French Guiana
Fulbright Student Grant for Foreign Students (IIE 159 85610; 12.000$), 1998-2003.
Best Student Paper Competition, first place, American Arachnological Society, 2003.
Sallee Charitable Trust, 2000, (7.000$, with M. Kuntner) fieldwork in S. Africa and Madagascar
Education
The University of Iceland, Department of Biology, Reykjavík, 1992-1995, BSc.
The George Washington University Department of Biological Sciences, Washington, D.C., 1998-2004, Ph.D.
Professional Experience
Professor of Zoology, University of Iceland, Reykjavik 2022-present
Associate professor, curator at UVM Museum of Natural History, University of Vermont, 2016-2021
Assistant professor, curator at UVM Museum of Natural History, University of Vermont, 2012-2021
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, 2004-2007, 2010-present. Research Associate.
Hubei University, Wuhan, China. Adjunct Professor. 2016-present.
Assistant Professor and Director of Zoology Museum, at University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, 2008-2012
Postodoctoral Research Scholar, University of Akron, Department of Biology (T. Blackledge), 2007-2008
Research Associate, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana (M. Kuntner), 2007- 2009.
Research Associate, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC (J. Coddington), 2004-present.
Killam Postdoctoral Fellow, University of British Colombia, (Wayne Maddison, Leticia Aviles). 2004-2006
Predoctoral Fellow, Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (J. Coddington), 1999-2004.
Graduate Teaching Assistant, George Washington University, Department of Biological Sciences, Washington, D.C., 2003-04.
Researcher at the Icelandic Institute of Natural History 1995-1998.
Research assistant at the Institute of Biology, University of Iceland, (A. Ingolfsson), 1993-1994.
Membership
International Society of Arachnology, American Arachnological Society, Society for the Study of Evolution, Society of Systematic Biologists
Grants and Awards
Rannsóknarsjóður, University of Iceland, 2023-2025, PI, ($26,000)
Eggertssjóður, University of Iceland 2023-2024, PI, ($7000).
Tækjakaupasjóður, University of Iceland (T202218), 2022-2023, PI, ($21,000).
Institute of Museum and Library Services (MA-30-19-0642-19), 2019-2021, co-PI ($222,010). Museums for America Award for infrastructure and staff salaries.
National Geographic Society (WW-203R-17), 2017-2019, PI ($30,000). Caribbean Caves as biodiversity drivers and natural units for conservation.
National Science Foundation (IOS-1656460), 2017-2021: one of four PIs (total award $903,385 thereof $128,259 to UVM). Collaborative Research: Comparative analyses of structural designs underlying functional performance of the toughest spider silk.
UVM Small Grants Research Award. 2016, PI ($3,000). Diversification in Caribbean caves
Smithsonian Institution Biogenomics/Global Genome Initiative Grant Program. 2015, one of three co-PIs with PI Coddington ($20,000). Anchored enrichment phylogeny of spiders based on diverse genome quality tissue sampling.
National Science Foundation (DBI-1349205), 2014-2017: co-PI, ($471,072), “CSBR: Natural History: Launching the University of Vermont Natural History Museum Step One: Securing the Collections “ (with PI D. Barrington and co-PI C.W. Kilpatrick
Smithsonian Institution 2013 SI Barcode Network, 2013-present, Principal Investigator with Jonathan A. Coddington, ($20,000): Barcoding a Mega-diverse Group in a Biodiversity Hotspot – Diversity and Biogeography of Arachnids in the Caribbean.
National Science Foundation (DEB-1050187-1050253), 2011-2016, Principal Investigator, ($833,000). “Collaborative Research: the generation of a biodiversity hotspot - paleobiogeography of the Caribbean inferred from multiple arachnid lineages with differing dispersal abilities” (with PI G. Binford and co-PI P. Selden). The grant originally based at UPR (1050187) was transferred to UVM in 2012, at the remaining amount of $543,632 and designated the new grant number DEB-1314749.
National Geographic Society Global Exploration Fund (GEFNE29-11), 2011-2013, Principal Investigator, ($21,100): “Islands on islands: biogeography of spider web parasites and their hosts in the Indian Ocean”
National Geographic Society Committee for Research and Exploration (8655-09) (23.750$), 2009-2010 (PI)
Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS Z1-9799-0618-07) research fellowship (~140.000$), 2007-2009.
Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship (~85.000$), University of British Colombia, 2004-2006.
The Biodiversity of the Guianas, 2005, (8.000$, with J. Coddington, J. Miller, and M. Kuntner), for fieldwork in French Guiana
Smithsonian Small Grants Program, 2005, (4.000$, with J. Coddington, J. Miller, and M. Kuntner), for fieldwork in French Guiana
Fulbright Student Grant for Foreign Students (IIE 159 85610; 12.000$), 1998-2003.
Best Student Paper Competition, first place, American Arachnological Society, 2003.
Sallee Charitable Trust, 2000, (7.000$, with M. Kuntner) fieldwork in S. Africa and Madagascar
