Ph.D. (Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior) City College and The Graduate Center, CUNY, New York, NY (2009-2014)
M. Phil. (Biology): The Graduate Center, CUNY, New York, NY (2009-2011)
M.A. (Biology): Queens College, CUNY, Flushing, NY (2008-2010)
B.A. (Aquatic Chemistry and Ecology): Hampshire College, Amherst, MA (1993-1999)
CURRENT RESEARCH AFFILIATIONS
Post-doctoral Research Scientist (Advisor: Dr. Rob DeSalle) (2015)
Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), New York, NY
Instructor and Research Mentor (2015)
Urban Barcoding Research Program of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (UBRP-CSHL) and AMNH (http://www.urbanbarcodeproject.org/)
Research Associate (2014-present)
Bio-Belize (http://www.biobelize.org/)
PROFESSIONAL WORK AND RESEARCH AFFILIATIONS
Visiting Researcher (2008-2014):
Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, AMNH, New York, NY
• Primary activities:
• Population genomics, molecular ecology and conservation of Atlantic Syngnathidae
• Student mentoring and development of a teaching workflow to identify wildlife products using “DNA barcoding” including the U.S. dried seahorse trade
• Collaborations: Molecular diet analysis of tiger scat; Microsatellite development for Eastern European Sturgeons; Molecular characterization of Hudson River
plankton and benthic meiofauna
Research Collaborator (summer 2014)
Carrie Bow Cay BIOCODE (Belize) and Smithsonian Institute, NMNH (Washington DC)
• Smithsonian Tier 1 Grand Challenge grant team member
• “BioCube” biodiversity assessment of three primary habitats: back reef, seagrass beds, and mangroves (p.14: http://issuu.com/caribbean_coral_reefs/docs/ccre_annual_report2014_hi-res_26d3c19f3351d5/0)
Research Collaborator (2009-2013)
Moorea BIOCODE (http://mooreabiocode.org/) (French Polynesia) and Smithsonian Institute, NMNH (Washington D.C.)
• Collected specimens and helped to develop novel molecular approaches for predator-prey diet analysis and DNA barcoding biodiversity assessment
Aquatic Projects Manager (2005-2010)
The River Project (www.riverprojectnyc.org) (New York, NY)
• Designed, built, and managed a 3,200 gallon public “Estuarium” exhibiting species of the lower Hudson River
• Manage wet lab and conducted and coordinated research, including the following: Long-term wildlife inventory of fish and invertebrates; specimen preparation;
water chemistry analysis; plankton microscopy; passive acoustics of soniferous fishes; husbandry, growth, and recruitment of the Eastern Oyster (C. virginica)
• Managed and mentored research interns
• Developed a photographic identification guide of species of the lower Hudson River estuary; wrote and/or edited content pertaining to each species life history and
ecological role within the estuary
Coral Husbandry Assistant (2003-2004)
Coney Island Aquarium “coral lab” (Brooklyn, NY)
• Propagated corals and assisted in facility maintenance
PEER REVIEW PARTICIPANT
Journals: Molecular Ecology; Journal of Biogeography; Journal of Fish Biology; Marine Ecology Progress Series; Marine Biodiversity Records; Mitochondrial DNA
Ph.D. ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Advisor: Dr. Michael J. Hickerson (City College, CUNY)
Committee members: Dr. John Waldman (Queens College, CUNY), Dr. Ana C. Carnaval (City College, CUNY), Dr. Rob DeSalle (American Museum of Natural History), and Dr. Christopher Meyer (Smithsonian Institute)
M.A. ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Advisor: Dr. John Waldman (Queens College, CUNY)
Committee members: Dr. Michael J. Hickerson (City College, CUNY), Dr. Pokay Ma (Queens College, CUNY)Help