Curriculum Vitae

Education

  • Dual Ph.D., Computer Science and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, & Behavior (2021)
    Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
    Thesis: Evolving phenotypically plastic digital organisms
    Advisor: Charles Ofria

  • B.S., Computer Science (2015)
    Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS
    Advisor: Cindy Bethel

Professional Appointments

  • Grand Valley State University - Allendale, MI
    Assistant Professor
    Fall 2022 - present

  • University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, MI
    Postdoctoral Research Fellow
    Fall 2021 - Summer 2022

Publications

  See publications page.

Presentations

Talks

  • Tag-based regulation of modules in genetic programming
    By Alexander Lalejini, Matthew Andres Moreno, and Charles Ofria
    Presented at The Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO). July, 2022. Boston, MA. Slides.

  • What are the evolutionary consequences of adaptive phenotypic plasticity?
    Presented at 2021 BEACON Congress. August 20, 2021. Virtual.

  • Environmental change, mutation rate, and the evolution of gene overlap
    By Lauren Gillespie (speaker), Alexander Lalejini (speaker), Emily Dolson, and Charles Ofria
    Presented at 2020 BEACON Congress. August 14, 2020. Virtual. Slides.

  • Evolving Signal-driven Digital Organisms with SignalGP
    By Alexander Lalejini, Matthew Andres Moreno, and Charles Ofria
    Presented at Evolution of Complex Life (ECLife). May 15, 2019. Atlanta, Georgia. Abstract. Slides.

  • Random Subsampling Improves Performance in Lexicase Selection
    By Jose Hernandez, Alexander Lalejini (speaker), Emily Dolson, Charles Ofria
    Presented at The Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO). July 12, 2019. Prague, Czech Republic. Slides.

  • Data Standards for Artificial Life Software
    By Alexander Lalejini, Emily Dolson, Clifford Bohm, Austin J. Ferguson, David P. Parsons, Penelope Faulkner Rainford, Paul Richmond, and Charles Ofria
    Presented at The 2019 Conference on Artificial Life. July 29, 2019. Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Slides.

  • Evolving reactive agents with SignalGP
    By Alexander Lalejini and Charles Ofria
    Presented at 2018 Conference on Artificial Life (ALIFE). July 26, 2018. Tokyo, Japan. Slides.

  • Evolving event-driven programs with SignalGP
    By Alexander Lalejini and Charles Ofria
    Presented at 2018 Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO). July 17, 2018. Kyoto, Japan. Slides.

  • What else is in an evolved name? Exploring evolvable specificity with SignalGP
    By Alexander Lalejini and Charles Ofria
    Presented at Genetic Programming Theory and Practice XVI. May 18, 2018. Ann Arbor, MI (USA). Slides.

  • Evolving event-driven programs with SignalGP
    By Alexander Lalejini
    Presented at weekly BEACON Friday seminar. April 6, 2018. East Lansing, MI (USA).

  • Gene Duplications Drive the Evolution of Complex Traits and Regulation
    By Alexander Lalejini, Michael J. Wiser, and Charles Ofria
    Presented at 14th European Conference on Artificial Life (ECAL). September 5, 2017. Lyon, France. Slides.

  • Gene Duplications Drive the Evolution of Complex Traits and Regulation
    By Alexander Lalejini, Michael J. Wiser, and Charles Ofria
    Presented at 2017 Annual BEACON Congress. August 4, 2017. East Lansing, MI (USA). Slides.

  • The Evolutionary Origins of Phenotypic Plasticity
    By Alexander Lalejini and Charles Ofria
    Presented at 2016 Annual BEACON Congress. August 11, 2016. East Lansing, MI (USA). Slides.

  • The Evolutionary Origins of Phenotypic Plasticity
    By Alexander Lalejini and Charles Ofria
    Presented at Fifteenth International Conference on the Synthesis and Simulation of Living Systems (ALIFE). July 7, 2016. Cancun, Mexico. Slides.

  • Evaluation of supervisory control interfaces for mobile robot integration with tactical teams
    By Alexander Lalejini, Dexter Duckworth, Richard Sween, Cindy L. Bethel, and Daniel W. Carruth
    Presented at 2014 IEEE Workshop on Advanced Robotics and Its Social Impacts (ARSO). September 11, 2014. Evanston, IL (USA).

Posters

  • Artificial selectio nmethods from evolutionary computing show promise for directed evolution of microbes
    By Alexander Lalejini, Emily Dolson, Anya Vostinar, and Luis Zaman
    Presented at The Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO). July, 2022. Boston, MA. Poster.

  • Tag-accessed Memory
    By Alexander Lalejini and Charles Ofria
    Presented at The Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO). July 15, 2019. Prague, Czech Republic. Poster.

  • SignalGP
    By Alexander Lalejini and Charles Ofria
    Presented at Engineering Graduate Research Symposium. March 29, 2018. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. Poster.

  • Evolving event-driven agents with SignalGP
    By Alexander Lalejini and Charles Ofria
    Presented at 2018 Annual BEACON Congress. August 8, 2018. East Lansing, MI (USA). Poster.

  • The Evolutionary Origins of Phenotypic Plasticity
    By Alexander Lalejini and Charles Ofria
    Presented at Engineering Graduate Research Symposium. March 29, 2016. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. Poster.

  • Robot Control
    By Alexander Lalejini and Cindy Bethel
    Presented at Bagley College of Engineering Undergraduate Poster Competition. April 24, 2014. Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS.

Workshops

Teaching Experience

  • Co-instructor, Algorithms Engineering - Fall 2019
    Michigan State University, Computer Science and Engineering Department, East Lansing, MI

  • Co-instructor for the 'Making a Game of It' summer camp for high school students - Summer 2019
    Michigan State University, College of Engineering Summer Programs, East Lansing, MI
    Summer camp materials (lesson plans, examples, resources)..

  • Invited guest lecturer, Evolutionary Computation - Fall 2018, Fall 2019
    Michigan State University, Computer Science and Engineering Department, East Lansing, MI
    Topic: Digital evolution

  • Teaching Assistant, Algorithms Engineering - Spring 2017
    Michigan State University, Computer Science and Engineering Department, East Lansing, MI

Grants & Fellowships

  • National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (2017)
    Proposal: Biologically-inspired distributed control algorithms

  • BEACON Science and Technology Center Research Grant (2016)
    Proposal: Does phenotypic plasticity promote evolvability?
    Amount awarded: $59,525

  • BEACON Top-up Fellowship (2015)

  • University Distinguished Fellowship (2015)

Professional Service

  • ISAL Board Representative (elected), Emerging Researchers in Artificial Life
    2020 - 2021

  • Conference chair (elected), Emerging Researchers in Artificial Life
    2019 - 2020

  • Reviewed for:
    • Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
    • Artificial Life Journal
    • European Conference on Artificial Life (ECAL)
    • Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO)
    • Artificial Life Conference (ALIFE)
    • BEACON seed funding grants

Outreach

  • Mentor, Workshop for Avida-ED Software Development (WAVES)
    Summer 2020

  • Mentor, MSU Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP)
    2016 - 2019

  • Volunteer, BEACON Outreach Activities
    2015 - 2020

  • Volunteer, Poolside judge for the National SeaPerch Challenge
    2014