Department of Biological Sciences
Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, LA 70402

since 2000
Research associate. Department of Biology at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Banos, Philippines. Project on hydraulic properties of rice.

since 1996
Research associate. Department of Biology at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City and Department of Botany at Duke University, Durham NC. Head of the Gas Exchange Laboratory. Projects on stomatal regulation in crop plants and on water relations of trees.

1991-1996
Research associate. Department of Plant Ecology (Gas Exchange Laboratory) at the University of Bayreuth, Germany. Head of a project on oak decline in the eco-physiology group.

1991
Visiting scientist, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (I.N.R.A.), Station de la Recherches Forestieres, Nancy, France.

1988-1990
Research associate, Department of Forest Botany at the University of Göttingen. Microautoradiograpy group (Prof. Eschrich).

1985
Visiting scientist, Sequoia National Forest, California Hot Springs, CA. Member of the Land Surveying and Inventory Group.

• Hydraulic properties of rice
• Pit membranes as the structural basis for xylem embolism
1. Stress-induced weakening of pit membranes
2. Repair of weakened pit membranes after refilling
• Leaf gas exchange regulation in plants with altered hydraulic conductivity

• “A hypothesized mechanism linking changes in tree hydraulics to the size-density trajectories of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stands.“ 
  $83,616 USDA (NRI) CSREES project with Tom Dean, Louisiana State University 2008-2010
• “Enhanced student success through a novel inquiry-based approach to teach plant physiology“ 
  $26,950 SLU Large Student Tech Fee Grant. 2008
• “Ability of Bulltongue (Sagittaria lancifolia) to establish an underground “salt barrier” under salt stressed conditions.“ 
  Southeastern Louisiana University (STAR project). 2007
• “Recovery from cavitation fatigue in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).“ 
  Southeastern Louisiana University (OSCAR project). 2006
• “Novel refilling of embolized xylem conduits in rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties with contrasting root-pressure characteristics.“ 
  $112,978 Louisiana Board of Regents (LEQSF(2004-07)-RD-A-27). 2004-2009
• “Hydraulic conductivity and vulnerability to xylem cavitation of Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) along a salinity gradient as indicators for restoration success.“
  $77,500 Southeastern Louisiana University Western Lake Pontchartrain Basin Research Program (SPRP). 2005-2009
• “Xylem cavitation in rice and its effects on productivity.“ 
  USAID-Project in collaboration with Dr. J. Sperry, University of Utah and Dr. R. Lafitte, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). 2000-2003
• “The structural basis of embolism and refilling of xylem conduits.“
  Collaborative work with Dr. J. Sperry, University of Utah. 1999
• “Stomatal responses to plant water status and hydraulic conductance.“
  USDA Research project No NCR-9706146. Collaborative work with Dr. J. Sperry, University of Utah. 1996-1999
• “Water stress, xylem dysfunction and dieback mechanisms in European Oak Trees."
  STEP EEC Research program CT 90 0050 C. Collaborative work with Dr. E. Dreyer (INRA, Nancy, France), Dr. R. Valentini ,Dr. A. Vannini (both University of Viterbo, Italy), Prof. Dr. H.G. Jones, Dr. K. Higgs (both Horticultural Research International, HRI, East Malling, Great Britain). 1991-1994
• “Interactions of nitrogen nutrition and the efficiency of abscisic acid“ within the EUROSILVA Research Project “Forest Tree Physiology“.1993- 1994

Rosenthal, D.; Stiller, V.; Sperry, J. S. and Donovan, L. (in review)
Contrasting drought tolerance strategies in two desert annuals of hybrid origin. Journal of Experimental Botany   

Stiller, V. (in print)
Soil salinity and drought alter wood density and vulnerability to xylem cavitation of baldcypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.) seedlings. Environmental and Experimental Botany   

Stiller, V., Sperry, J. S. and Lafitte, R. (2005)
Embolized conduits of rice (Oryza sativa, Poaceae) refill despite negative xylem pressure. American Journal of Botany, 92(12): 1970-1974   

Sperry, J.S.; Stiller, V. and Hacke, U.G. (2003)
Xylem Hydraulics and the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum: Opportunities and Unresolved Issues. Agronomy Journal, 95: 1362-1370     

Stiller, V., Sperry, J. S. and Lafitte, R. (2003)
Hydraulic properties of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and the response of gas exchange to drought stress. Plant Physiology, 132: 1698-1706   

Stiller, V. and Sperry, J. S. (2002)
Cavitation fatigue and its reversal in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Journal of Experimental Botany, 53: 1155-1161   

Sperry, J.S.; Stiller, V. and Hacke, U.G. (2002)
Soil water uptake and water transport through root systems.
In: Y Waisel, A Eshel, U Kafkafi, eds, Plant roots: the hidden half. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 663-681. (Buy this book at Amazon.com).
 

Hacke, U.G.; Stiller, V.; Sperry, J.S.; Pittermann, J. and McCulloh, K.A. (2001)
Cavitation Fatigue. Embolism and Refilling Cycles Can Weaken the Cavitation Resistance of Xylem. Plant Physiology 125: 779-786   

Hubbard, R.M.; Ryan M.G.; Stiller V. and Sperry, J.S. (2001)
Stomatal conductance and photosynthesis vary linearly with plant hydraulic conductance in ponderosa pine. Plant Cell and Environment 24: 113-121   

Stiller, V. and Sperry, J. S. (1999)
Canny‘s compensation pressure theory fails a test. Am. J. Bot. 86 (8): 1082 –1086   

Stiller, V (2008)
Drought and salinity affect wood density and vulnerability to xylem cavitation of Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) seedlings. Poster presentation at the 93rd annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America.

Stiller, V (2008)
The vulnerable pipeline: Water transport in baldcypress, sunflower and rice. Invited seminar at Texas State University at San Marcos.

Lambeth, E. and Stiller, V (2007)
The Effects of Salinity on Xylem Cavitation in 1-yr old Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) Seedlings. Poster presentation at the Joint Congress of the American Society of Plant Biologists and the Botanical Society of America

Stiller, V (2006)
The vulnerable pipeline: Water transport in plants. Invited seminar at Loyola University.

Stiller, V; Lafitte, R. and Sperry, J. (2002)
Hydraulic properties of rice. Oral presentation at the International workshop on Progress Toward Developing Resilient Crops for Drought-Prone Areas, Los Banos, Philippines.

Stiller, V; Lafitte, R. and Sperry, J. (2002)
Hydraulic properties of rice. Oral presentation at the 87th Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Tucson, Arizona.

Stiller, V. and Sperry, J. (2000)
Drought-induced xylem weakening and its repair in intact plants. Oral presentation at the 85th Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Snowbird, Utah.

Stiller, V. and Sperry, J. (1999)
Canny’s compensation pressure theory fails the test. Oral presentation at the 84th Annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Spokane, Washington.

Stiller, V. (1994)
Root to shoot communication in oak: The efficiency of abscisic acid as related to nitrogen nutrition.
EUROSILVA/EUREKA N° 447 Research program, Final Workshop, VVF Dourdan, France. Invitation by Prof. H. Sandermann, GSF Munich, Germany.

Stiller, V. and Schulze, E.-D. (1994)
Root to shoot communication in oak: The influence of the nitrogen nutrition.
Poster presentation at the German Botanical Congress 1994, Bayreuth, Germany

Stiller, V. (August 30, 1994)
Root to shoot communication in oak: The influence of the nitrogen nutrition.
Oral presentation at the INRA/EUROSILVA International Symposium “Environmental constraints and oaks: Ecological and physiological aspects“, INRA, Nancy, France