Education
PhD in Zoology, University of Florida
Bachelor of Science – Special Degree in Zoology (first class Honors), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Areas of Expertise
Paleoecology, Invertebrate paleobiology
Honors, Awards, and Achievements
University of Georgia Teaching Academy Early Career Fellow, 2025 – 2026
Hendrix College Odyssey grant for supervising undergraduate research in paleontology, 2023
Arthur J. Boucot Award, the Paleontological Society, 2022
John W. Wells Grants-in-Aid of Research Program, Paleontological Research Institution, 2022
Graduate student Service Award – Biology Department, University of Florida, 2021
Paleontological Society Outreach and Education grant, 2020
Affiliations
SACNAS
Paleontological Society
Courses Taught
ECOL 3220 Marine Mammals
ECOL 4050 Ichthyology
ECOL 3500 Ecology
ECOL 3400 Professional Development for Careers in Ecology
Selected Publications
Petsios, E., Farrar, L., Tennakoon, S., Jamal, F., Portell, R., Kowalewski, M., and Tyler, C. (2023) “The Ecology of Biotic Interactions in Echinoids: Modern Insights into Ancient Interactions” Elements of Paleontology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Tennakoon, S., Portell, R.W., Petsios, E., Tyler C.L., and Kowalewski, M. (2022) “Semicassis globosum (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Cassidae) from the upper Eocene Ocala Limestone of Florida with redescription and discussion of its extreme morphological variability” Historical Biology: https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2022.2063055
Monarrez, P. M., Zimmt, J. B., Clement, A. M., Gearty, W., Jacisin, J. J., Jenkins, K. M., Kusnerik, K. M., Poust, A. W., Robson, S. V., Sclafani, J. A., Stilson, K. T., Tennakoon, S. D. and Thompson, C. M. (2021) “Our past creates our present: a brief overview of racism and colonialism in Western paleontology” Paleobiology, Cambridge University Press, pp. 1–13: https://doi.org/10.1017/pab.2021.28
Petsios, E., Portell, R. W., Farrar, L., Tennakoon, S.D., Grun, T. B., Kowalewski, M. and Tyler Carrie L. (2021) “An asynchronous Mesozoic marine revolution: the Cenozoic intensification of predation on echinoids” Proc. R. Soc. B.2882021040020210400: http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.0400
