______Education______

• Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution, 10/96 to 07/2001.
  • Rutgers University. Concentration in Plant-microbe interactions in the soil.
  • Dissertation title: "Effects of exotic plant species on soil and litter microbial communities."
• B.S. in Biochemistry and Microbiology,09/89 to 06/94.
  • Sofia University, Sofia, Bulgaria. GPA--3.90.
  • Undergraduate Thesis: "Impact of Bulgarian synthetic soil conditioners based on acrylonitrile on microorganisms and some enzyme activities in soil."

______Professional Experience______

• Postdoctoral Position, 10/2002 to 07/2006.
  • Dept. of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Ecological interactions between heavy metals and anaerobic microbial communities.
• Postdoctoral Position, 08/2001 to 09/2002.
  • Dept. of Microbiology and Biochemistry, Cook College, Rutgers, The State University of NJ. Characterization of paper machine microbial communities using culturing and molecular techniques (Phospholipid Fatty Acids and DNA analysis).

______Academic Experience______

• Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, 08/2006 to present
  • Introductory Biology.
  • Introduction to Microbiology.
  • Soil Science.
  • Bacterial Diversity.
  • Global Change Biology.

______Academic Honors and Awards______

• Excellence Fellowship, 9/96 to 6/98 and 9/00 to 6/01.
  • Rutgers University, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources.

______Languages______

• Fluent knowledge of English, Bulgarian and Spanish.
• Working knowledge of written Russian.

______Professional Affiliations______

• American Society for Microbiology - member since 2001.
• Ecological Society of America - member since 2007.

______Professional Activities______

• Reviewer for various journals - Ecology, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, etc.
• Reviewer for NSF.

______Publications______

• Zlamal, J. and Kourtev, P.S. (2008). Impact of the invasive plant autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) on soil microbial communities. Biol. Inv. In preparation.

• Weaver, M. and Kourtev, P.S. (2008). Characterization of the bacterial community in the pitchers of the northern pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) using PCR-DGGE. Microb. Ecol., In preparation.

• Kourtev, P.S., Konopka, A. and Nakatsu,  C.H. (2008) Inhibition of nitrate reduction by Cr(VI) in soil microcosms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., In preparation.

• Hill, K.A., Shepson, P.B., Galbavy, E.S., Anastasio, C., Kourtev, P.S., Konopka, A. and Stirm, B.H. (2007). Processing of atmospheric nitrogen by clouds above a forest environment. J. Geophys. Res-Atmos., 112: D11301.

• Kourtev, P.S., Konopka, A. and Nakatsu,  C.H. (2006). Responses of the anaerobic bacterial community to the addition of organic C in chromium(VI)- and iron(III)-amended microcosms Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 72: 628-637.

• Nakatsu, C.H., Carmosini, N., Baldwin, B., Beasley, F., Kourtev, P. and Konopka, A. (2005). Soil microbial community responses to additions of organic carbon substrates and heavy metals (Pb and Cr). Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 71: 7679-7689.

• Kourtev, P.S. and Ehrenfeld, J.G. and Häggblom, M. (2003). Experimental analysis of the effect of exotic and native plant species on the structure and function of soil microbial communities. Soil Biol. & Biochem., 35: 895-905.

• Kourtev, P.S. and Ehrenfeld, J.G. and Häggblom, M. (2002). Exotic species alter microbial community structure and function in the soil. Ecology, 83: 3152-3166

• Kourtev, P.S. and Ehrenfeld, J.G. and Huang, W.Z. (2002). Enzyme activities during litter decomposition of two exotic and two native plant species in hardwood forests of New Jersey. Soil Biol. & Biochem., 34: 1207-1218.

• Ehrenfeld, J., Kourtev, P., and Huang, W. (2001). Changes in soil functions following invasions of exotic understory plants in deciduous forests. Ecological Applications, 11: 1287-1300.

• Kourtev, P., Huang, W., and Ehrenfeld, J. (1999). Differences in earthworm densities and nitrogen dynamics in soils under exotic and native plant species. Biological Invasions, 1:237-245.

• Kourtev, P., Ehrenfeld, J., and Huang, W. (1998). Effects of exotic plant species on soil properties in hardwood forests of New Jersey. Water, Air & Soil Pollution, 105:493-501.

______Meeting Presentations______

• Kourtev, P.S., Konopka, A.E. and Nakatsu, C. (2005) Bacterial community responses to organic C addition in chromium (VI) and iron (III) amended anaerobic microcosms. American Society for Microbiology Meeting.

• Kourtev, P.S., Carmosini, N., Beasley, F., Nakatsu, C. and Konopka, A.E. (2003) Heavy metals modulate microbial community responses to inputs of organic matter. American Society for Microbiology Meeting.

• Kourtev, P.S., Whiteside, A., Kerkhof, L.J. and Häggblom, M.M. (2002) Characterization of the Microbial Community in Slime Samples from Different Areas of Paper Machines. American Society for Microbiology Meeting.

• Kourtev, P.S, Huang, W.Z. and Ehrenfeld, J.G. (1999) Nitrogen cycling in soils beneath exotic and native plants in eastern deciduous forests. Ecological Society of America Meeting Abstracts:269.

• Huang, W.Z., Kourtev, P.S. and Ehrenfeld, J.G. (1998) Influence of barberry and wiregrass invasion on forest soil CO2 evolution and N supply rates in microcosms. Ecological Society of America Meeting Abstracts:178.

• Kourtev, P.S., Huang, W.Z. and Ehrenfeld, J.G. (1998) Spatial relationships between two invasive plant species and soil conditions in a hardwood forest. Ecological Society of America Meeting Abstracts:185.

• Ehrenfeld, J.G., Kourtev, P.S. and Huang, W.Z. (1998) Decomposition rates and microbial enzyme activities in litter of native and exotic species in northeastern hardwood forests. Ecological Society of America Meeting Abstracts:163.

• Kourtev, P.S., Huang, W.Z. and Ehrenfeld, J.G. (1997) Variation in Soil Characteristics in Relation to Exotic Species Invasions in Hardwood Forests of New Jersey. BIOGEOMON, Villanova University, Pennsylvania USA.

______Grant Activity______

• 2008:
  • P.S. Kourtev. "Do pitcher plants (Sarracenia purpurea) control the microbial community in their pitchers?", CMU PRIF, $24,868, pending.
  • P.S. Kourtev. "Invasive woody species: does the impact of individual plants on soil change in space and time?", NSF, $241,388, pending.
• 2007:
  • S.W. Gorsich, P.S. Kourtev and P. Slininger. "Novel microorganisms and their ability to ferment alternative substrates to bio-ethanol." USDA, $218,000, not funded.
  • P.S. Kourtev. "Long-term effects of the invasive species autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) on soil processes and microorganisms", CMU, PRIF: $24,233, current.
  • P.S. Kourtev and B. Swanson. "Evaluation of the impact of the host genetic make-up on the diversity of gut microflora in deer", CMU, REF: $86,560, current.
  • S.W. Gorsich, C. Neeley, P.S. Kourtev and C. Lee. "Novel microorganisms and their ability to ferment alternative substrates to bio-ethanol". MEO, $49,662, not funded.
• 2006:
  • P.S. Kourtev. "Nitrate reduction by soil bacteria in the presence of the toxic metal Cr (VI)", CMU, FRCE: $3,991, terminated.