1705 Laurel Ave. #2, Knoxville, TN 37916 USA.
Phone (404) 414-6539. Email dinets@gmail.com, website http://dinets.travel.ru
US Citizen.

EDUCATION

University of Miami, USA - Ph.D. (Biology), 2011.
Thesis The role of habitat in crocodilian communication. Abstract, PDF. Independent field research on crocodilian behavior and ecology in North and South America, Africa and Asia using teams of volunteers. Focus on animal behavior, evolution, ecology and systematics. GPA 3.9 (1 to 4 scale).

Moscow State Technical University, Russia - M. Sc. (Biological Engineering), 1991.
This was a 5-year program with no separate B.Sc. degree. Thesis New methods of acoustical studies on Orthoptera. Focus on research techniques and methodology. GPA 4.9 (1 to 5 scale).

2003 GRE scores: Quantitive 800 (92% below); Verbal 630 (89% below); Biology 790 (90% below; 99% below for Ecology, Evolution and Population Biology part).

2011-present. Research Assistant Professor, University of Tennessee, Dept. of Psychology, Knoxville, Tennessee.
Research on animal behavior.

2011 - Volunteer Consultant, WWF-Vietnam.
Surveys of rare mammals and birds in the newly created Saola Nature Reserve.

2004-2005 - Research Technician, University of New Mexico, Department of Biology, Museum of Southwestern Biology, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Supervisor Dr. Terry Yates.
Research on small mammal ecology and zoonotic diseases (hantaviruses, plague, bartonella). Duties included live-trapping, identifying, and tagging small mammals, obtaining blood and tissue samples, preparing DNA extracts, maintaining databases, developing research protocols, training field technicians, performing vegetation and arthropod surveys.

2003-2004 - Research Assistant, University of Colorado, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Boulder, Colorado. Supervisor Dr. Sharon Collinge.
Field research on small mammals, zoonotic diseases (mostly plague), and grassland ecosystems. Duties included live-trapping, anaesthetizing, and tagging small mammals, sampling blood and tissues, collecting ectoparasites, maintaining and analyzing databases, performing vegetation and behavioral studies, density counts, predator activity observations.

1994-2003 - Senior Expert, Actual Biology Fund, Moscow, Russia.
Writing guidebooks for the book series Encyclopedia of Russian Nature: Birds of Russia (1995), Mammals of Russia (1996), Domestic Animals (1998). Evaluation of research programs, research on endangered species and their captive breeding, surveys of flora and fauna in remote regions, scientific editing, consulting government agencies and assisting law enforcement in fighting illegal trade in endangered species in Russia, Central and Southern Asia.

2002-2003 - Volunteer Assistant, San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, Alviso, California. Supervisor Caitlin Robertson.
Field research on coastal birds and vegetation, non-lethal predator control, and epizootics prevention. Duties included nest counts, banding, point counts, small boat operating, waterfowl capture, basic veterinary care, distributional surveys.

2001-2002 - Assistant, Monterey Bay Whalewatch, Monterey, California. Supervisor Dr. Nancy Black.
Marine mammal research. Duties included locating and identifying marine birds and mammals, obtaining photographic records for monitoring individual animals, recording predator-prey interactions.

1995-1996 - Researcher, Parque Nacional Manu, Cuzco Province, Peru. Supervisor Ada Castillo.
Wildlife research in tropical and montane rainforest, law enforcement, consulting tour companies on environmental issues, performing liaison services, leading research parties to remote areas.

1992-1994 (1992-1993 - Volunteer; 1993-1994 - Biologist), Hai Bar Nature Reserve, Eilat, Israel. Supervisor Dr. Benjamin Eligulashvili.
Field research of rare ungulates, carnivores and raptors in Negev Desert. Participating in reintroduction programs for Arabian oryx, addax, wild asses, Somali ostrich and lappet-faced vulture. Duties included tracking, population counts, behavioral studies, large predator relocations, landscape ecology studies.

1989-1992 (1989-1991 - Researcher; 1991-1992 - Senior Researcher), Institute of Global Climate and Ecology, Moscow, Russia.
Monitoring the ecological status of Russia's main freshwater ecosystems, other environmental studies.

1987-88 field seasons - Research Assistant, Ussuri Nature Reserve, Maritime Province, Russia. Supervisor Dr. Michael Kosoy.
Herpetological studies on population distribution and ecology; entomological studies on faunal composition and endangered species biology.

2005-2011 -University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida.
Teaching General Biology Laboratory (Biology 151) and Evolution and Biodiversity Laboratory (Biology 161). In both courses, heavy emphasis is placed on critical thinking skills, and on having students design and execute original experiments when given background on a particular topic.

1994-2003 - Actual Biology Fund, Moscow, Russia
Developing study programs for nature reserve employees and extracurricular school biology classes.

1995-1996 - Parque Nacional Manu, Cuzco Province, Peru
Teaching ecology, zoology and research techniques to park rangers and volunteers.

1989-1990 - Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.
Teaching advanced biology to pre-University students in Junior Biologist Club; leading field trips.

Dinets, V. Do individual crocodilians adjust their signaling to habitat structure? Submitted to Ethology Ecology & Evolution.

Dinets, V. Long-distance signaling in extant crocodilians. Submitted to Copeia.

29. Dinets, V. Breeding Fork-tailed Swifts in Northeastern Vietnam. In press, Forktail.

28. Dinets, V. Underwater sound locating ability in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). In press, Crocodilia.

27. Dinets, V. (2012). Blue-billed Malimbe Malimbus nitens associating with crocodiles outside the breeding season. Malimbus 2012: 39-41. PDF

26. Dinets, V. (2011). Effects of aquatic habitat continuity on signal composition in crocodilians. Animal Behavior 82(2): 191-201. Abstract, PDF

25. Dinets, V. (2011). Observations of woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus) in Nanga Parbat Range of northern Pakistan. Mammalia 75(3): 277-280. Abstract, PDF

24. Dinets, V. (2011) First sighting of the Giant genet (Genetta victoriae) in Rwanda. Small Carnivore Conservation 44: 25-26. PDF

23. Dinets, V. (2011) On terrestrial hunting in Crocodilia. Herpetological Bulletin 114: 15-18. Abstract, PDF

22. Dinets, V. (2011) Eastern screech-owl catches fish by wading. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 123(4): 846-847.

21. Dinets, V. (2011) Melanosuchus niger (black caiman) signaling behavior. Herpetological Review 42(3): 424.

20. Dinets, V. (2011) Crocodylus palustris (mugger crocodile) signaling behavior. Herpetological Review 42(3): 424.

19. Dinets, V. Crocodylus rhombifer (Cuban crocodile) courtship behavior. Herpetological Review 42(2): 232.

18. Dinets, V. (2010) Observation of Sumatran striped rabbit (Nesolagus nescheri) in the wild. Mammalia 74(1): 1. Link

17. Dinets, V. (2010) Nocturnal behavior of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) in the wild during the mating season. Herpetological Bulletin 111: 4-11. Abstract, PDF

16. Dinets, V. & P. Polechla Jr. (2005) First documentation of melanism in a jaguar from Northern Mexico. IUCN/SSC Cat News 42: 18. Text

15. Dinets, V. (2004) Information on Tres Marias Islands Raccoon (Procyon insularis), with the description of tracks. 2004. Small Carnivore Conservation 30: 10-11.

14. Dinets, V. (2004) The first record of Corvus cryptoleucos from Baja California. Huitzil 5(1): 3-4 (in English and Spanish). PDF

13. Dinets, V. (2003) First Photo of a Bay Cat in the Wild. IUCN/SSC Cat News 38: 5.

12. Dinets, V. (2003) Records of small carnivores from Mount Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo. Small Carnivore Conservation 28: 9.

11. Dinets, V. (2001) Ornithological records from Luzon during January-February 2001, including a description of the voice of the Brown-banded Rail, Lewinia mirificus. Oriental Bird Club Bull. 34: 35-41.

10. Dinets, V. (2001) Winter ecology of Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus and Rock Ptarmigan L. mutus at the northern limit of their range. Ornitologia 29: 326-327 (in Russian with English summary).

9. Dinets, V. (2001) Breeding of Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) on the coast of the Sakhalin Gulf. Ornitologia 29: 289 (in Russian with English summary).

8. Dinets, V. (2001) Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasi wintering in Suntar-Hayata Mountains of Yakutia. Ornitologia 29: 326 (in Russian with English summary).

7. Dinets, V. (1998) Some information on rare mammals of South America. Lutreola 8: 32-33.

6. Dinets, V. (1996) Breeding population of Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia on Kuril Islands. Ornitologia 25: 240-241 (in Russian with English summary).

5. Dinets, V. (1995) Surviving sites of European Mink Mustela lutreola in Moscow region. Lutreola 6: 24-34.

4. Dinets, V. (1992) Nesting of Aleutian Tern Sterna aleutica on Chukchi Peninsula. In: Colonial Seabirds of the USSR, Nauka, Moscow (in Russian with English summary), pp. 32-34.

3. Dinets, V. (1992) Nesting of Spectacled Guillemot Cepphus carbo on Chukchi Peninsula. In: Colonial Seabirds of the USSR, Nauka, Moscow (in Russian with English summary), pp. 34-37.

2. Dinets, V. (1991) First record of Common Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus on Kamchatka. In: Publications of the 1st Ornithological Conference, 1991. Nauka i Technika, Minsk (in Russian with English summary), pp. 12-13.

1. V. Abakumov (ed.), V. Dinets, E. Novikova, A. Tarasov (1991) Current Status of Freshwater Ecosystems of the USSR. VNIIGMI-MZO, Moscow-St. Petersburg (in Russian). 326 pp.

Dinets, V. Dragon songs. In prep.

11. 10. Dinets, V., A. Bernstein & S. Reizin (2011). Wild Africa. Naturalist's Handbook. Vokrug Sveta, Moscow (in Russian), 360 pp.

10. Dinets, V. (2011) The grasshopper mice (Onychomys). Mitteilungen der Bundesarbeitgruppe (BAG) Kleinsauger 11(5): 8-11.

9. J. A. Newell (ed.), V. Dinets, M. Krechmar, A. Mihailov, Yu. Shibnev. (2004) Russian Far East - Environmental Handbook. Friends of Earth - Japan, 468 pp.

8. Dinets, V. (2001) Shadows around a lamp. Arguments and Facts, 345: 4-5. (in Russian).

7. Dinets, V. (2000) Latin America. AVP, Moscow (in Russian), 160 pp.

6. Dinets, V. (1998). Storm chasing in Asia. Storm Track 21(3): 6-7.

5. Dinets, V. & E. Rotshild. (1998) Domestic Animals. ABF, Moscow (in Russian), 512 pp.

4. Dinets, V. (1996) Neogen Park. Priroda,122: 4-9. Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (in Russian).

3. Dinets, V. & E. Rotshild. (1996) Mammals of Russia. ABF, Moscow (in Russian), 352 pp.

2. Dinets, V. (1995) Kuril Islands. Himia i Zhizn 215: 42-54. Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (in Russian).

1. Beme, A., V. Dinets, V. Flint, A. Cherenkov. (1995) Birds of Russia. ABF, Moscow (in Russian). 432 pp.

GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS

Tropical Biology fellowship, University of Miami, 2008

Sigma Xi research grant, 2007

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Animal Behavior Society, Sigma Xi.

SELECTED TALKS AND PRESENTATIONS

Crocodile songs: long-distance communication in crocodilians. Talk, April 2011, Animal Behavior Conference, Indiana University.

How to compose a hit song: role of habitat in crocodilian communication. Talk, March 2011, Herpetology Conference, University of Florida, Gainesville.

How we study animal behavior. Lecture, November 2010, Moscow School for Gifted Children, Russia.

Wild Africa. Seminar, November 2009, University of Miami.

Understanding each other's language. Lecture, November 2004, Islamic University of Peshawar, Pakistan.

Protected natural areas system in the Soviet Union. Guest speaker seminar, March 2008, Uiversity of California, Berkeley.

Illegal trade in insects and how to stop it. Lecture for customs officers, Katmandu, Nepal, May 1997.

TRAINING

Effective Teaching training (University of Miami) 2007.

Whitewater training (Adrift, Uganda) 2005.

Very Large Animal Care training (Nairobi National Park, Kenya) 2005.

Field Anesthesia of Rodents Workshop; Defensive Driving Course (University of New Mexico) 2004.

Animal Handling training; Biohazardous Materials Handling training (University of Colorado, Boulder) 2003.

First Aid and CPR course 1998, refreshment course 2003.

PADI SCUBA Diving Open Water 1997, Advanced 2008.

Sky Diving course 1997, refreshment course 2003.

Professional Snake Handling training (Karakala Serpentarium, Turkmenistan) 1983.

Professional knowledge of GIS, web design, text/image editing, computer graphics, photography and videography. Plant and animal photos have been featured in Nature journal and on National Geographic Society website. Currently an adviser for Wild North America TV miniseries filmed by Wild Horizons for the Discovery Channel and BBC.

English - fluent, Russian - native, Spanish - spoken, Ukrainian - spoken, French in progress.