Dr. Peter Niewiarowski
Title: Professor
Dept/Program: Biology
Office: ASEC E509
Phone: 330-972-7311
Fax: 330-972-8445
Email: phn@uakron.edu
Website:
Biography
My current research includes several broad areas in ecology and evolution. I have active projects in population biology (spotted salamanders), physiological ecology and life history variation (fence lizards), and evolutionary biology/bio-inspired design (geckos). The thread which has always tied these seemingly disparate activities together is a firm foundation in evolutionary theory and analysis. Although I am active (publishing papers, seeking funding and mentoring students) in all of the areas mentioned above, I am focusing much of my energy on new work with geckos, in collaboration with a colleague in Polymer Science (). Dr. Dhinojwala’s lab was one of the first to produce a synthetic version of the gecko adhesive system with performance capabilities equaling or exceeding natural toepads. My collaboration with Ali is one of many examples of faculty collaborations within our new Integrated Bioscience PhD program (). Please take a look at my research website for more information on active projects and personnel.
Publications
Pamfilie, A.M., Garner, A.M., Russell, A.P., Dhinojwala, A. & Niewiarowski, P.H. Get to the point: Claw morphology impacts frictional interactions on rough substrates. Zoology 157, 126078 (2023)
Siman, K.E. & Niewiarowski, P.H. Historical political ecology as qualitative social-ecological system analysis in the Maumee River Watershed. Ecology and Society 28 (2023)
Palecek, A. M., Garner, A. M., Klittich, M. R., Stark, A. Y., Scherger, J. D., Bernard, C., Niewiarowski, P. H. & Dhinojwala, A. An investigation of gecko attachment on wet and rough substrates leads to the application of surface roughness power spectral density analysis. Scientific Reports 12, 1-11 (2022).
McInerney, S. J. & Niewiarowski, P. H. Biomimicry Training to Promote Employee Engagement in Sustainability. Biomimetics 7, 71 (2022).
Garner, A. M., Wilson, M. C., Wright, C., Russell, A. P., Niewiarowski, P. H. & Dhinojwala, A. Parameters of the adhesive setae and setal fields of the Jamaican radiation of anoles (Dactyloidae: Anolis): potential for ecomorphology at the microscopic scale. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 137, 85-99 (2022).
Singla, S., Jain, D., Zoltowski, C. M., Voleti, S., Stark, A. Y., Niewiarowski, P. H. & Dhinojwala, A. Direct evidence of acid-base interactions in gecko adhesion. Science Advances 7, eabd9410 (2021).
Garner, A. M., Wilson, M. C., Wright, C., Russell, A. P., Niewiarowski, P. H. & Dhinojwala, A. The same but different: setal arrays of anoles and geckos indicate alternative approaches to achieving similar adhesive effectiveness. Journal of Anatomy 238, 1143-1155 (2021).
Garner, A. M., Pamfilie, A. M., Dhinojwala, A. & Niewiarowski, P. H. Tokay geckos (Gekkonidae: Gekko gecko) preferentially use substrates that elicit maximal adhesive performance. Journal of Experimental Biology 224, jeb241240 (2021).
Garner, A. M., Pamfilie, A. M., Hamad, E. J., Kindig, R., Taylor, J. T., Unsworth, C. K. & Niewiarowski, P. H. Home-field advantage: native gecko exhibits improved exertion capacity and locomotor ability in structurally complex environments relative to its invasive counterpart. Frontiers in Zoology 17, 1-11 (2020).
Garner, A. M., Buo, C., Piechowski, J. M., Pamfilie, A. M., Stefanovic, S. R., Dhinojwala, A. & Niewiarowski, P. H. Digital hyperextension has no influence on the active self-drying of gecko adhesive subdigital pads. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology 333, 118-125 (2020).
Niewiarowski, P. H., Dhinojwala, A. & Garner, A. M. A physical model approach to gecko adhesion opportunity and constraint: how rough could it be? Integrative and Comparative Biology 59, 203-213 (2019).
Higham, T. E., Russell, A. P., Niewiarowski, P. H., Wright, A. & Speck, T. The ecomechanics of gecko adhesion: natural surface topography, evolution, and biomimetics. Integrative and Comparative Biology 59, 148-167 (2019).
Garner, A. M., Wilson, M. C., Russell, A. P., Dhinojwala, A. & Niewiarowski, P. H. Going out on a limb: how investigation of the anoline adhesive system can enhance our understanding of fibrillar adhesion. Integrative and Comparative Biology 59, 61-69 (2019).
McInerney, S. J., Khakipoor, B., Garner, A. M., Houette, T., Unsworth, C. K., Rupp, A., Weiner, N., Vincent, J. F. V., Nagel, J. K. S. & Niewiarowski, P. H. E2BMO: Facilitating User Interaction with a BioMimetic Ontology via Semantic Translation and Interface Design. Designs 2, 53 (2018).
Kennedy, E. B. & Niewiarowski, P. H. Biomimicry: Do frames of inquiry support search and identification of biological models? Designs 2, 27 (2018).
Kennedy, E. B., Miller, D. J. & Niewiarowski, P. H. Industrial and biological analogies used creatively by business professionals. Creativity Research Journal 30, 54-66 (2018).
Niewiarowski, P. H., Stark, A. Y. & Dhinojwala, A. in Bio-Inspired Structured Adhesives 1-19 (Springer, Cham, 2017).
Klittich, M. R., Wilson, M. C., Bernard, C., Rodrigo, R. M., Keith, A. J., Niewiarowski, P. H. & Dhinojwala, A. Erratum: Influence of substrate modulus on gecko adhesion. Scientific Reports 7 (2017).
Klittich, M. R., Wilson, M. C., Bernard, C., Rodrigo, R. M., Keith, A. J., Niewiarowski, P. H. & Dhinojwala, A. Influence of substrate modulus on gecko adhesion. Scientific Reports 7, 1-11 (2017).
Garner, A. M., Stark, A. Y., Thomas, S. A. & Niewiarowski, P. H. Geckos go the distance: Water's effect on the speed of adhesive locomotion in geckos. Journal of Herpetology 51, 240-244 (2017).
Garner, A., Lopez, S. & Niewiarowski, P. Brown anole (Anolis sagrei) adhesive forces remain unaffected by partial claw clipping. Acta Herpetologica 12, 133-137 (2017).
Stark, A. Y., Subarajan, S., Jain, D., Niewiarowski, P. H. & Dhinojwala, A. Superhydrophobicity of the gecko toe pad: biological optimization versus laboratory maximization. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 374, 20160184 (2016).
Stark, A. Y., Klittich, M. R., Sitti, M., Niewiarowski, P. H. & Dhinojwala, A. The effect of temperature and humidity on adhesion of a gecko-inspired adhesive: implications for the natural system. Scientific Reports 6, 1-7 (2016).
Niewiarowski, P. H., Stark, A. Y. & Dhinojwala, A. Sticking to the story: outstanding challenges in gecko-inspired adhesives. Journal of Experimental Biology 219, 912-919 (2016).
Kennedy, E., Fecheyr-Lippens, D., Hsiung, B.-K., Niewiarowski, P. H. & Kolodziej, M. Biomimicry: A path to sustainable innovation. Design Issues 31, 66-73 (2015).
Autumn, K., Niewiarowski, P. H. & Puthoff, J. B. Gecko adhesion as a model system for integrative biology, interdisciplinary science, and bioinspired engineering. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst 45, 445-470 (2014).
Laramée, E. A., Thokala, K. C., Webb, D., Kang, E., Kolodziej, M., Niewiarowski, P. & Xiao, Y. in Biologically-Inspired Computing for the Arts: Scientific Data through Graphics 105-124 (IGI Global, 2012).
Purrenhage, J. L., Niewiarowski, P. H. & Moore, F. G. Population structure of spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) in a fragmented landscape. Molecular Ecology 18, 235-247 (2009).
Petruzzi, E. E., Niewiarowski, P. H. & Moore, F. B. G. The role of thermal niche selection in maintenance of a colour polymorphism in redback salamanders (Plethodon cinereus). Frontiers in Zoology 3, 1-8 (2006).
Education
1992 PhD. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.