EDUCATION
- Dalhousie University – 2011 – 2017
PhD Biology
Supervisors: Dr. Marty Leonard, Dr. Dave Shutler
Thesis title: Influence of Extrinsic Factors on Movements and Reproductive Success of Leach’s Storm-Petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa).
- Acadia University – 2009 – 2011
MSc candidate
Supervisor: Dr. Dave Shutler
Research topic: Migration of Leach’s Storm-petrel
- Université Claude Bernard – France 1994 – 1996
I.U.T (Institut Universitaire de Technologie)
Département Biologie Appliquée – Option Agronomie
EMPLOYMENT
- Post Doc – Acadia University, Wolfville, Canada and Bird Studies Canada– April 2021- Present
Dietary mercury and declining Leach’s storm-petrel numbers: toxicological and spatial implications.
- Post Doc – Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany – May 2018-October 2019
Collect population data for Long-tailed ducks wintering in the Baltic Sea. Improve our understanding of migratory routes and habitat parameters of stop-over areas.
- Contract work – Bird Study Canada – September 2017-December 2017
Coordinate and communicate with project partners to collect, collate and archive data, and create an Atlantic Storm-Petrel Database
Work with partners to standardise data frame and guide future data collection parameters
Work with the group to determine data gaps and future data collection priorities
- Contract work – Environment and Climate Change Canada, Dartmouth, NS – June-July 2017
Deployment of GLS and GPS tags on Leach’s storm-petrel (Carina Gjerdrum), roseate terns (Julie McKnight), and black guillemot (Robert Ronconi)
Monitoring of Leach’s storm-petrels for survival, productivity, and mercury content
Island wide-census of Leach’s storm-petrels
- Teaching Assistant – Dalhousie University – July 2015 2017
Marine Ornithology Seaside Field Course (Robert Ronconi). Help students with their project
- Contract work – Halpin Wildlife, Vancouver, BC – May-June 2016 & May 2017
Foraging and migration movement Fork-tailed and Leach’s storm-petrels. Gillam Islands, BC. Deployment and recovery of geolocators (Luke Halpin).
- PhD field work – 2012 – 2016
Movements and reproductive ecology of Leach’s storm-petrel: Colony monitoring; Deployment and recovery of GLS; Blood sampling for mercury and stable isotopes analysis, and molecular sexing.
- MSc. field work – 2010 – 2011
Movement of Leach’s Storm-petrel: Colony monitoring; Deployment of VHF tags and telemetry; Blood sampling for stable isotopes and analysis and molecular sexing.
- Field Assistant– 2011 – 2012
Assessment of bird-human interactions at offshore installations: Gull and tern colony monitoring. Mentoring students; Deployment of GLS, VHF, satellite tags; Pellets content analysis; Blood sampling for stable isotopes analysis (Robert Ronconi).
- Project Leader – Canadian Wildlife Service, Delta, BC – 2008
Nutrient sources and contaminant uptake in American dippers: impact on salmon density: Nest searching and egg collection throughout lower British Columbia (John Elliott)
- Field Assistant – CSIRO, Australia – 2007
Dispersal of Brown Treecreepers in a fragmented landscape: Mist-netting; Banding, Deployment of VHF tags and telemetry (Veronica Doerr).
- Field Assistant – Canadian Wildlife Service, Delta, BC – 2007 – 2009
Site fidelity, occurrence and productivity of endangered Yellow-breasted Chat in the South Okanagan Valley: Mist-netting; Banding; Nest searching; Vegetation survey (Christine Bishop).
- Research Assistant – University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus – 2009
Microsatellite genotypic variation in yellow-breasted chats in the Okanagan. DNA extraction; DNA extraction and microsatellite amplification (Michael Russello)
- Research Technician – BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, B.C – 2001-2004, 2006
Identification of sokotrasterol sulfate as a novel pro-angiogenic steroid: Cell biology; Molecular biology; Animal husbandry (Aly Karsan).
- Field Assistant – Canadian Wildlife Service, Delta, BC –1999 – 2000
Seasonal trends in population density, distribution and movement of American dipper in the Chilliwack River watershed: Nest-searching; Mist-netting; Banding; Deployment of VHF tags and telemetry (Christy Morrissey).
- Research Field Assistant – Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC – 1996 – 1999
Development and survival of waterfowl in oil sands mining area of Northern Alberta: Monitoring of Mallard growth; Blood sampling; Blood smear analysis; Bird dissections for contamination analysis (Kirsty Gurney).
AWARDS and SCHOLARSHIPS
2017 Seabird Group Research Grant, UK
2016 Best Student Poster Award –International Albatross and Petrel Conference, Barcelona, Spain
2014 Travel Grant – Bio-logging symposium
2014 Travel Grant – Seabird Group
2013 President Award – Dalhousie University
2012 President Award – Dalhousie University
2011 Postgraduate Scholarship D – NSERC
2011 Acadia Graduate Award – Acadia University
2010 David Cartwright and Cyril Coldwell Memorial Award
2010 Robie Tufts Research Scholarship – Acadia University
2010 Carl McCarthy and Margaret McCarthy Scholarship – Acadia University
2009 Acadia Graduate Award – Acadia University
2009 Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship – NSERC
TEACHING & MENTORING
2015 – Supervision of international internship student
2015 & 2017 – Teaching Assistant – Marine Ornithology Field Course – Dalhousie University
Supervised students during labs, marked lab reports, helped students with their project
2012 & 2014 – Assistant – Natural History Field Course – Acadia University
2012 – Member of Committee for Comprehensive Exam for Honours students – Acadia University
2011-2015 – Disability Access Exam Proctor – Acadia University
2009-2010 – Teaching Assistant – Intro Bio labs – Acadia University
REVIEWER FOR
Avian Conservation and Ecology, Bird Conservation International, Bird Study, Conservation Science and Practice, Environmental Pollution, Environmental Research, Environmental Science & Technology, Ibis, Journal of Avian Biology, Journal of Field Ornithology, Journal of Ornithology, Marine Ecology, Marine Ecology Progress Series, Marine Ornithology, Northeastern Naturalist, PeerJ, PLoS ONE, Polar Biology, Ringing and Migration, Science of the Total Environment, Seabird, Wilson Journal of Ornithology
VOLUNTEERS AND ACADEMIC SERVICE
Social media: Member of the organizing committee for the 3rd World Seabird Twitter Conference
Student representative – Biology Department – Acadia University
Member of Committee for Comprehensive Exam for Honours students – Acadia University