Pictured above: A view of the University of Texas at Austin from the roof of Patterson Labs
Teaching
Genetics Lab
Teaching Assistant for 5 semesters of upper-division undergraduate course at the University of Texas at Austin.
I taught the following laboratory procedures:
- Drosophila crosses
- DNA and protein extraction
- Bacterial transformation
- Gel electrophoresis
- PCR
- Western Blot
- DNA barcoding
- Fragment analysis
Guest lecturer: Applications of DNA barcoding for wildlife conservation (i.e., Phylogeography, detecting endangered species in eDNA, and evaluating diet with metabarcoding).
Evolution
Teaching Assistant for one semester of upper-division lecture/discussion course at the University of Texas at Austin.
I led discussions on:
- Natural selection
- Population genetics
- Sexual selection
- Local adaptation
- Phylogenetics and speciation
- Neutral theory of molecular evolution
Mentoring
Research mentor
I mentored five undergraduate students in a collaborative research project on coral adaptation. I trained my students in all research skills- including genetics lab procedures, bioinformatics pipelines, population genetics analyses in R, and scientific writing- and all students became lead authors of [the resulting manuscript].(https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318653)
I also mentored two undergraduate interns from the University of the Virgin Islands from May-July 2021 at The Nature Conservancy in St. Croix, USVI. Each intern conducted an individual summer research project on coral restoration. Projects encompassed the full research experience- from experimental design to statistical analysis- and resulted in a final paper and presentation.
Laboratory mentor
I’ve trained 8 undergraduates in genetics lab procedures (including DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and 2bRAD library prep) at the University of Texas-Austin in 2019. One student went on to complete her own first-author research project and is now pursuing a PhD.
Field mentor
I’ve also trained and supervised interns and volunteers in various field methods- including ex-situ coral spawning at The Nature Conservancy in St. Croix, predator surveys in Isle Royale National Park, and small mammal trapping with anesthesia at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Outreach
Note: I have a polished coral restoration talk ready for any outreach opportunity. Please reach out if interested!
A Western-Indigenous collaborative approach to climate adaptation research, Invited speaker at the Heather Lazrus Symposium at the American Meteorological Society meeting in New Orleans, LA.
Amazing adaptations under the sea: Nature’s genetic toolbox for coral reef restoration, Speaker at the “Science Under the Stars” lecture series, hosted at Brackenridge Field Laboratory in Austin, TX (2024). Check out the recording on Youtube.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion in coral science, Speaker at a workshop for students and early-career researchers at the International Coral Reef Symposium in Bremen, Germany (2022).
Navigating life in grad school, Speaker at a workshop for undergraduates hosted by Minorities in Biological Research at UT-Austin (2022).
Getting into Marine Biology, Developed a guide for informing first-generation college students about entering the field of marine biology. Hosted by Minorities in Biological Research at UT-Austin (2022).
SCTLD Strike Team member, Certified for treatment of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease by The Virgin Islands Coral Reef Advisory Group (2021).
Coral biology and reef restoration, Speaker at a workshop for high schoolers through the Orutsararmiut Native Council in Bethel, Alaska (2021).
Pictured above: A dive with the Strike Team in St. Croix, demonstrating the application of antibiotic paste to a lesion of a coral infected with Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease