Supervisor- Professor Jonathan D. Majer��
Co-supervisor- Professor Jayanthi P.Edirisinghe
MSc. 2004 Curtin University of Technology- Ant Ecology
BSc. 1999 Duke University- Biology, Environmental Science and Policy
2007-present. Parataxonomist, Outback Ecology Environmental Consultants, Perth Western Australia.
Sorting and identification of subterranean fauna for mining consultation.
2007. Field researcher, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia.
Collected insects for assessment of invasive species on Barrow Island Reserve for the Gorgon Project.
2004. Parataxonomist, Outback Ecology Environmental Consultants, Perth Western Australia.
Identified insect order and ant species for long-term mining rehabilitation project.
2002 - 2004. Parataxonomist, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia.
Identified insect orders for Post Doctoral project. Identified ant species for long-term ant recolonisation project conducted by J.D. Majer and O.G. Nichols.
2002 - 2004. Laboratory demonstrator and tutor, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia.
Independently conducted laboratory and tutorial classes for Cell Biology and Animal Biology undergraduate courses.
1999 - 2001. English teacher, Queen?s Palace Language School, Tokyo, Japan.
Instructed classes in conversational English, business English and standardised English examination tutoring in a small group environment. Designed curricula for external company classes, assisted in the management of student information and assessment of student ability.
1997 - 1999. Assistant laboratory technician, Schlesinger Biogeochemistry Laboratory, North Carolina, USA
Assisted post-graduate student research by performing duties such as soil and plant sample sorting, identification of plants species and spreadsheet data entry using MS Excel.
Shelley, T.E., E. Villalobos, L. Bell, A. Burden, M. Fox, I. Granoff, N. Gunawardene, M. Holman, A. Hornor, J. MacLeod, J. Michalek, C. McKinney-Richards, A. Ruff, A. Smith, D.Thomas, O. Watson (2000). Buzzing bees (Hymenoptera: Apidiae, Halictidae) on Solanum (Solanaceae): Floral choice and handling time track pollen availability. Florida entomologist 83(2), 180-187.
Gunawardene, N.R. and J.D. Majer (2004). Ants of the southern Carnarvon Basin: an investigation into patterns of association. Records of the Western Australian Museum 22, 219-239.
Gunawardene, N.R. and J.D. Majer (2005). The effect of fire on ant assemblages in the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve, Western Australia. Journal of Arid Environments. 63, 725-739.
Gunawardene, N.R., A.E. Dulip Daniels, I.A.U.N. Gunatilleke, C.V.S. Gunatilleke, P.V. Karunakaran, K. Geetha Nayak, S. Prasad, P. Puyravaud, B.R. Ramesh, K.A. Subramanian, G. Vasanthy (2007). A brief overview of the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot. Current Science 93, 1567-1572.
Gunawardene, N.R., J.D. Majer, J.P. Edirisinghe. (2008) Diversity and richness of ant species in a lowland wet forest reserve in Sri Lanka. Asian Myrmecology 2, 71- 83.
Recieved Centre for Tropical Forest Science-Arnold Arboretum T.L. Higginson Fund Grant March 2006
Awarded International Foundation for Science Research Grant. 10th January 2006.
Received California Academy of Science Tuition Scholarship for 'The Ant Course' in Costa Rica Aug 2nd -12th 2004.
Awarded Curtin University of Technology International Postgraduate Research Scholarship 2004-2007.
Paper presented at the 19thy International Symposium of Subterranean Biology, Fremantle Western Australia. 22nd-26th September 2008.
Paper presented at the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation Asian Chapter Inaugural Conference, Mahabalipuram, India. 6th-8th March 2007.
Presented at University of Peradeniya and Postgradute Institute of Science workshop on 'Identification of common ants of Sri Lanka,' Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. 13th 15th February, 2007.
Paper presented at the International Conference on Humid Tropical Ecosystems- Changes, Challenges and Opportunities, Kandy, Sri Lanka. 4th-8th December 2006.
Seminar presentation at Centre for Tropical Forest Science-Arnold Arboretum International Field Biology Course 2006, Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka. 30th July-29th August.
Seminar presentation at Fifth ANet International Workshop and Seminar, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. 28th November- 4th Decemeber 2005.
Participated in California Academy of Sciences 'The Ant Course' in Costa Rica. Aug 2nd -12th 2004.
Poster presented at Curtin University Department of Environmental Biology Biothon, Perth Western Australia. 27th August 2004.
Paper presented at 34th Australian Entomological Society and 6th Invertebrate Biodiversity and Conservation Combined Conference, Hobart, Tasmania. 28th September- 3rd October 2003.
Poster presented at the Royal Society of Western Australia Postgraduate Symposium, Perth Western Australia, 31st May 2003.
Poster presented at Australian Entomological Society 33rd Scientific Conference and AGM, Perth Western Australia. 22nd-27th September 2002.
