I have developed and taught three field courses on coastal ecology. These courses were taught with Friends of the Environment on Great Abaco Island, The Bahamas
Science communication is an important and integral part of my research program and I am committed to using my research as a platform for educational opportunities as well as community and stakeholder engagement. Outreach events are where I have the opportunity to build strong relationships with locals, wildlife managers, and other stakeholders to expand the reach and purpose of my work. Over the last decade, I have not been involved in any research where I haven’t integrated some form of educational outreach, mentorship, or community engagement.
A student from Durham, NC who loves sharks and would like to be a scientist when she grows up.
Currently, I am an Ambassador for Sharks4Kids, a educational non-profit organization. I give virtual presentations monthly to grade schools internationally. I also local schools in the Research Triangle Area in North Carolina and visit schools in the Abacos islands, The Bahamas yearly.
Teen Science Cafe @ NC Museum of Natural Sciences. Discussing the ‘Power of Predators’ followed by a hands-on learning activity.Sometimes outreach can be a lil-fishy. Fish dissections in the classroom is a great hands-on experience for students to learn fish biology and assist with research by collecting otoliths and morphological measurements.
Apalachicola Bay Oyster Fishery Collapse | In 2012, I was hired as a co-Principal Investigator and AAUS science diver at Florida State University to investigate the underlying mechanisms and potential cascading impacts of a bay-wide oyster fishery collapse in Apalachicola Bay, Fl. Here, I led a team to design and implement a multi-year manipulative field experiment to examine the role of salinity on marine predator effects on oyster population dynamics. I initiated and established an authentic relationship with the Apalachicola Oyster Fishermen Association. I was able to work with fishermen throughout the entire project setup and their role was vital to meet the project’s goals.
