Mentoring & Training Future Scientists
Working with aspiring scientists and educators is high and above the most rewarding aspect of my career. Over the years I have had the privilege to work with a diverse group of high school students, undergraduates, and educators. Their projects and achievements are listed below.
Working with aspiring scientists and educators is high and above the most rewarding aspect of my career. Over the years I have had the privilege to work with a diverse group of high school students, undergraduates, and educators. Their projects and achievements are listed below.
Asa Conover (Stuyvesant High School):
I mentored Asa for his Intel Science Talent Search project, a nationwide science competition for high school students. For his ISTS project, Asa examined the relationship between basking behavior and parasite load in two species of Anolis lizards along an altitudinal transect in the Dominican Republic. He presented a poster on his ISTS project at the 2013 meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) in San Francisco, CA. He also co-authored two oral presentations from the same meeting (1, 2) and also co-authored two presentations at the 2012 SICB meeting in Charleston, SC (1, 2). Asa is a co-author on a publication in Proceedings of the Royal Society, B. A manuscript based on his Intel Science work has recently been published in Breviora. Asa is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California, where he studies on a full academic scholarship. Asa recently embarked on research expeditions to Madagascar, where he helped discover new species of frogs.
I mentored Asa for his Intel Science Talent Search project, a nationwide science competition for high school students. For his ISTS project, Asa examined the relationship between basking behavior and parasite load in two species of Anolis lizards along an altitudinal transect in the Dominican Republic. He presented a poster on his ISTS project at the 2013 meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) in San Francisco, CA. He also co-authored two oral presentations from the same meeting (1, 2) and also co-authored two presentations at the 2012 SICB meeting in Charleston, SC (1, 2). Asa is a co-author on a publication in Proceedings of the Royal Society, B. A manuscript based on his Intel Science work has recently been published in Breviora. Asa is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California, where he studies on a full academic scholarship. Asa recently embarked on research expeditions to Madagascar, where he helped discover new species of frogs.
Ellee Cook (Trinity University):
Ellee did her senior thesis work at Trinity University with Dr. Michele Johnson. I helped advise Ellee for her thesis research project, which involved examining how parasite load influences patterns of display behavior in various species of Hispaniolan anoles. She presented the work she conducted in the Dominican Republic with me at the 2013 SICB meeting in San Francisco, CA. She is also a co-author on a poster presentation from the same meeting. Ellee is a co-author on a manuscript that has been accepted (pending revision) at Breviora. Ellee is currently a PhD student in Manuel Leal's lab at the University of Missouri, where she is studying evolutionary biology and animal behavior.
Ellee did her senior thesis work at Trinity University with Dr. Michele Johnson. I helped advise Ellee for her thesis research project, which involved examining how parasite load influences patterns of display behavior in various species of Hispaniolan anoles. She presented the work she conducted in the Dominican Republic with me at the 2013 SICB meeting in San Francisco, CA. She is also a co-author on a poster presentation from the same meeting. Ellee is a co-author on a manuscript that has been accepted (pending revision) at Breviora. Ellee is currently a PhD student in Manuel Leal's lab at the University of Missouri, where she is studying evolutionary biology and animal behavior.
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Riya Dange (Duke University):
Riya is a sophomore at Duke University majoring in Neuroscience, and has additional interests in Linguistics and Marine Biology. Riya and I are developing a research project assessing the evolutionary physiology of stomatopod vision. She hopes to earn an M.D. and pursue research at the intersection of Neuroscience and Linguistics. |
Juanita Madrid Hopwood (Harvard University):
Juanita joined me on expeditions to Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles, and to the Dominican Republic. She is a co-author on a paper in Molecular Ecology. For her independent work, Juani helped design and write six new pages for Dominican Anolis lizards for the Encyclopedia of Life, a site that has drawn millions of visitors. These pages include Anolis cybotes, A. haetianus, A. longitibialis, A. marcanoi, A. shrevei, and A. strahmi. After graduating from Harvard in 2011, Juanita has returned to the Dominican Republic as a tour and curriculum director for student service trips through Rustic Pathways and as a academic consultant for Education First.
Juanita joined me on expeditions to Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles, and to the Dominican Republic. She is a co-author on a paper in Molecular Ecology. For her independent work, Juani helped design and write six new pages for Dominican Anolis lizards for the Encyclopedia of Life, a site that has drawn millions of visitors. These pages include Anolis cybotes, A. haetianus, A. longitibialis, A. marcanoi, A. shrevei, and A. strahmi. After graduating from Harvard in 2011, Juanita has returned to the Dominican Republic as a tour and curriculum director for student service trips through Rustic Pathways and as a academic consultant for Education First.
Elbert Mock (University of California, Davis):
While he was an undergraduate at UC Davis, Elbert joined me on an expedition to Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles, where he studied how lizard coloration relates to ecological speciation. He is a co-author on a publication resulting from his summer work in Molecular Ecology. Elbert completed his undergraduate studies at UC-Davis in 2010. In 2013, he received a doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of the Pacific and is currently an ambulatory care pharmacist.
While he was an undergraduate at UC Davis, Elbert joined me on an expedition to Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles, where he studied how lizard coloration relates to ecological speciation. He is a co-author on a publication resulting from his summer work in Molecular Ecology. Elbert completed his undergraduate studies at UC-Davis in 2010. In 2013, he received a doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of the Pacific and is currently an ambulatory care pharmacist.
Anthony Rodriguez (University of California, Davis):
Tony joined me on an expedition to the Dominican Republic in 2011 to study the thermal physiology of the cybotoid anoles. Tony is a co-author on a publication resulting from this work in Proceedings B. He also co-authored two talks at the 2012 SICB meeting in Charleston, SC (1, 2), and an oral presentation at the 2013 SICB meeting in San Francisco, CA. Tony graduated from The University of California, Davis in 2011 with a B.S. in Wildlife and Fish Conservation Biology. Since then, he has taught High School Biology and Chemistry, and worked as a Scientific Aide for the California State Water Resources Control Board. He has worked as an Environmental Scientist with the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery.
Tony joined me on an expedition to the Dominican Republic in 2011 to study the thermal physiology of the cybotoid anoles. Tony is a co-author on a publication resulting from this work in Proceedings B. He also co-authored two talks at the 2012 SICB meeting in Charleston, SC (1, 2), and an oral presentation at the 2013 SICB meeting in San Francisco, CA. Tony graduated from The University of California, Davis in 2011 with a B.S. in Wildlife and Fish Conservation Biology. Since then, he has taught High School Biology and Chemistry, and worked as a Scientific Aide for the California State Water Resources Control Board. He has worked as an Environmental Scientist with the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery.
Brooke Sauer (Duke University):
Brooke Sauer is a biology and AP Biology instructor at Durham School of the Arts (DSA) in Durham, North Carolina, where she also serves as department chairperson and independent study advisor for DSA seniors completing medical research at Duke Molecular Physiology Institute. I worked with Brooke through and NSF-funded initiative to weave research and pedagogy together using the combined skills of educators and scientists. Together we created a new teaching module for convergent evolution that leverages 3D printing to help students understand evolution through active learning.
Brooke Sauer is a biology and AP Biology instructor at Durham School of the Arts (DSA) in Durham, North Carolina, where she also serves as department chairperson and independent study advisor for DSA seniors completing medical research at Duke Molecular Physiology Institute. I worked with Brooke through and NSF-funded initiative to weave research and pedagogy together using the combined skills of educators and scientists. Together we created a new teaching module for convergent evolution that leverages 3D printing to help students understand evolution through active learning.
Ian Shields (Harvard University):
I mentored Ian for his senior thesis project. He is a co-author on a manuscript to be submitted to Breviora. He is also a co-author on a poster and an oral presentation at the 2013 SICB meeting in San Francisco, CA. Ian graduated from Harvard in 2013 with a degree in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology. He is planning to attend medical school.
I mentored Ian for his senior thesis project. He is a co-author on a manuscript to be submitted to Breviora. He is also a co-author on a poster and an oral presentation at the 2013 SICB meeting in San Francisco, CA. Ian graduated from Harvard in 2013 with a degree in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology. He is planning to attend medical school.
Chloe Soukas (Harvard University):
Chloe did independent work with me in 2012 and 2013. She conducted a common garden experiment to examine the genetic basis of cold tolerance in Dominican anoles. In 2013 Chloe was an intern with Support for International Change, which provides HIV-related resources in rural Tanzania. She graduated from Harvard in 2014 and is planning to attend medical school.
Chloe did independent work with me in 2012 and 2013. She conducted a common garden experiment to examine the genetic basis of cold tolerance in Dominican anoles. In 2013 Chloe was an intern with Support for International Change, which provides HIV-related resources in rural Tanzania. She graduated from Harvard in 2014 and is planning to attend medical school.
Maureen Stimola (Columbia University):
I mentored Maureen for her senior thesis research project. For her dissertation project, she joined me on an expedition to the Dominican Republic. She presented her work at SICB 2012 in Charleston, SC, and co-authored a separate talk at the same meeting. She is also a co-author on an oral presentation from the 2013 SICB meeting in San Francisco, CA. She is co-first author on a publication in Proceedings of the Royal Society, B.
I mentored Maureen for her senior thesis research project. For her dissertation project, she joined me on an expedition to the Dominican Republic. She presented her work at SICB 2012 in Charleston, SC, and co-authored a separate talk at the same meeting. She is also a co-author on an oral presentation from the 2013 SICB meeting in San Francisco, CA. She is co-first author on a publication in Proceedings of the Royal Society, B.