Professional & Research Experience 

PhD Student, University of Manitoba

Department of Geography and the Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS), Winnipeg, MB: Jan 2020 - Present

Leading community-partnered research exploring beluga movement and behavior in the Beaufort Sea through knowledge bridging and co-production; developing collaborative methods to bring together diverse bodies of knowledge to understand wildlife patterns in a changing environment; pursuing a systematic literature review mapping existing knowledge on the movement of the Eastern Beaufort Sea beluga population; presenting research findings in academic and applied settings to inform beluga co-management, monitoring, and research; supporting funding acquisition, grant reporting, research team communications, and student mentorship.

Research Affiliate, Fisheries and Oceans

Fisheries and Oceans Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, MB: Jan 2020 - Present

Supporting beluga research initiatives in the Western Arctic in collaboration with DFO scientists and co-management partners in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region; co-leading the Paulatuk Beluga Drone Project, a collaborative and community-based research initiative using small drones to explore beluga habitat use and behavior in the Anguniaqvia Niqiqyuam Marine Protected Area; facilitating partner engagement and communications, data entry and management, research protocol design, project budgeting and logistics, project reporting, and community outreach.

Monitoring Coordinator, Alaska Beluga Monitoring Partnership (AKBMP)

Funded by NOAA Fisheries through the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, Anchorage, AK: June - December, 2019

Developed and launched the Alaska Beluga Monitoring Partnership (AKBMP) and Beluga Monitoring Program with federal, university, and non-profit partners; led monitoring program planning and implementation (designed monitoring protocols and partnership guidelines; recruited and trained monitoring volunteers; developed and maintained online data entry platforms and databases; coordinated data sharing with project partners; facilitated internal and external communications; reported project methods and findings in written and oral formats; supported shore-based beluga monitoring across five sites and participated in fixed wing aerial surveys exploring winter beluga distribution in Cook Inlet.

Academic Lead, British Columbia Marine Mammal Studies Program, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Broadreach Academic Programs: July - August 2019

Led intensive college-level marine mammal ecology and conservation course; designed and implemented field-based lesson plans and facilitated group discussion on course themes including marine mammal biology and physiology, ecological field methods, and resource management in cross-cultural contexts; reviewed and provided constructive feedback on student assignments; worked with course team to ensure student safety during remote fieldwork.

Field Assistant, Little Colorado River Native Fish Monitoring Project                  

United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, Flagstaff, AZ: Sep 2018 / Apr 2019

Participated in native fish sampling efforts at a remote site in the Grand Canyon; worked in small field team to deploy and retrieve sampling gears; recorded morphometric data on native and invasive fishes; tagged native fishes; supported field camp operations.

Research Fellow, Alaska Sea Grant

NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office, Protected Resources Division, Anchorage, AK: August 2017 - August 2018

Supported federal marine mammal conservation and recovery efforts; conducted fieldwork for a shore-based monitoring project examining beluga occurrence and interactions with watercrafts on the Twentymile River; designed and implemented a participatory shore-based monitoring project examining beluga habitat use and exposure to anthropogenic activities in the Kenai River; designed and implemented a mixed-methods anthropological research study using interviews and questionnaires to explore local knowledge of beluga and observations of social and environmental change along the Kenai River; analyzed qualitative and quantitative data, summarized findings in scientific reports, presented research findings at community and professional meetings; participated in marine mammal stranding response efforts and assisted veterinary pathologists with field and lab necropsies of dead-stranded cetaceans; evaluated proposed development actions under Section 7 of the US ESA; assisted with large-scale public outreach event planning and implementation; designed interpretive signage to mitigate beluga disturbance in Cook Inlet.

Graduate Researcher, Applied Marine Social Science Lab                               

University of Maine Orono, School of Marine Sciences: Jul 2015 - Aug 2017

Conducted a mixed-methods anthropological research study examining social-ecological fit, knowledge and decision-making processes, social resilience, and harvester well-being in Maine’s co-managed green sea urchin fishery; employed various social science research methods to collect qualitative and quantitative data, including semi-structured interviews, participant observation, archived document analysis, and structured questionnaires; provided field support to the Cat Ledges Restoration Project, a restoration effort testing harvester-designed habitat restoration mechanisms in coastal Maine; presented findings in a report to the Maine Department of Marine Resources and in a peer-reviewed article published in the International Journal of the Commons. 

Research Assistant, Whale Shark Research Project        

University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Environmental Conservation, Isla Mujeres, Mexico: Aug 2016

Supported offshore ecological fieldwork for a research study using a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) to examine whale shark (Rhincodon typus) and tourist interactions in Mexico’s Whale Shark Biosphere Reserve; conducted a literature review to inform a related scientific manuscript.

Research Assistant, Golden Dorado Research Project

University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Environmental Conservation, Salta, Argentina: Apr - Jun 2015

Supported a stress physiology and movement study informing recreational angling best-practices and fishery conservation in northern Argentina; assisted with remote ecological fieldwork consisting of blood sampling, dorsal tagging, and fish tracking using radio telemetry at several remote sites; supported the design and implementation of a social science research study examining recreational angler behavior and adoption of conservation practices; translated research materials from English to Spanish and facilitated Spanish communications with local anglers, agency personnel, and project partners.

Program Intern, School for Field Studies (SFS)

Tropical Island Biodiversity Studies Program, Isla Solarte Field Station, Bocas del Toro, Panama: Jan - May 2014

Supported program administration and field station management; provided teaching assistance for undergraduate terrestrial ecology, coastal  ecology, and natural resources management courses; assisted with remote ecological fieldwork (e.g., insect and coral surveys); facilitated anthropological research employing semi-structured interviews to explore stakeholder observations of ecological change.

Aquatic Ecology Field Technician, Illinois Natural History Survey

University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Great Rivers Field Station, Alton, IL: Jul - Nov 2012 / Sep - Dec 2013

Assisted with water quality and fish population sampling using a variety of gears including electrofishing boats, hoop, fyke, gill, and trammel nets; identified, measured, and recorded morphometric data on captured fishes; supported additional tasks in the field and lab including fish identification, sample processing, field vehicle operation and maintenance, data management, and community outreach and interpretation.

English Language Program Coordinator, Pangoa Cooperative

Cooperativa Agricultura Cafetalera Pangoa Limitada, Junin, Peru: Nov 2011 - Mar 2012

Supported development projects and international communications for a 900-member cooperative of small-scale coffee and cacao producers; administered English language programs for producers and their families; conducted Spanish-language interviews with cooperative members while pursuing undergraduate research on coffee and cacao production and trade in Peru.

Cooperative Business Co-manager, The People’s Market

University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA: Sep 2009 - May 2012

Co-managed a collective business specializing in the acquisition and sale of organic, fairly-traded, and globally-sourced products, responsibilities included: managing in-store sales, hiring and training new staff, bookkeeping, and serving on the cooperative’s Solidarity Action Committee; routinely facilitated business meetings and workshops on diversity and inclusion, sustainable product sourcing, and other themes.