I am an NRC Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Marine Turtle Ecology and Assessment Program at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center.
I also maintain standing as a Research Associate with the Jumby Bay Hawksbill Project in Antigua, West Indies.
Formerly, I was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow and Fulbright Fellow as I pursued my PhD in the Burford Reiskind Lab at NC State University.
As an applied ecologist, my research is geared toward supporting the conservation of at-risk species. My research background is diverse, but my projects generally fall within three focal areas:
- (1) Animal biotelemetry: Using satellite telemetry, multi-sensor biologgers, and quantitative tools for resulting data, my research integrates observed patterns in movement with spatial environmental data to reveal trends in habitat use, resource selection, and energetics.
- (2) Population ecology: My research utilizes rigorous field sampling and leading models to quantify important demographic parameters like vital rates and sex ratios. Through this work, I seek to understand the status of populations and what is driving population trends.
- (3) Global change biology: Global change poses a suite of threats to at-risk species. Some threats are relatively well-understood (e.g., global warming), whereas others arise seemingly out of the blue (e.g., when thresholds are crossed). I pursue a range of interdisciplinary projects aimed at understanding the effects of global change on populations.
My skills are transferrable across many systems and species (as evidenced by past projects and publications), but I am foremost a sea turtle biologist. I have conducted research on sea turtles ranging from satellite tracking, to mark-recapture sampling on boats and beaches, stable isotope analyses, and measuring/modeling egg incubation temperatures. I take pride in being both a field biologist and a quantitative ecologist, meaning that I enjoy not only collecting data, but also manipulating and modeling it. Check out my research page or publications for more specifics.
I am committed to making the life sciences more equitable—take a look at my former lab’s statement on diversity and inclusion for an example of my ideas on these topics.
Finally, I place major importance on my roles in mentorship, education, and community engagement. Please see my page covering these subjects for more info.
