With the amount of different projects I am currently working on and have worked on in the past, I am not sure what exactly to call myself so I try to remain generic and tell most people that I am a wildlife biologist.
I started my schooling at the University of Maine where I completed a Bachelor of Science in Zoology in 2000. From there I worked in a behavioral neuroscience lab at the New England Regional Primate Facility. My primary objectives were to look at behavioral responses of squirrel monkeys to various stimuli. Realizing that I could not be confined to a laboratory, I went back to school at West Virginia University where I completed a Masters in Wildlife and Fisheries Resource Management in 2004. My thesis, titled “Demography and genetic structure of an Allegheny Woodrat population in northcentral West Virginia”, was my first exploration into population genetics and breeding systems. Not wanting to face the real world after seeing my friends struggle to find jobs, I continued on to the University of Central Florida where I am currently pursuing my doctorate in Conservation Biology under Dr. Jane Waterman.
My current research lies with the Cape ground squirrel (Xerus inauris) of southern Africa. This species is extremely social but unlike other species with similar levels of sociality, they lack aggression and territoriality. They also stand apart due to the male’s rather generous endowment which, combined with their unique behaviors, suggests an extraordinary level of sperm competition. My primary goal is to link male mating behaviors to paternity while further exploring the overall population structure. I am also interested in male dispersal given the propensity for adult males to remain within their natal social group. If I finish, my long term plans are to gain employment at a university where I can continue research in behavioral ecology and population genetics.
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Collecting field measurements
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