John J. DeLuca (352) 281-8889 delucajj"at"gmail.com
Work Experience ● Presidential Management Fellow of the USDA Forest Service, Washington, D.C. Headquarters (May, 2009 – present): Facilitator and Staff Member of the Sustainable Landscape Management Board of Directors (SLMBOD); Natural Resource Specialist in Hazardous Fuels Reduction and Fire Ecology, Fire and Aviation Management
● Future Conservationist of the Conservation Leadership Program (April, 2008 – present): See Research and Conservation Projects below for details
● Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida (UF; August, 2006 – August, 2008): See Research and Conservation Projects below for details
● Graduate Teaching Assistant at the UF Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (August, 2006 – May, 2008): Taught Avian Field Techniques, Perspectives in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Wildlife Field Techniques, and Wildlife of Florida
● Volunteer Researcher at the UF Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (April, 2007): Conducted point-count surveys of Florida Scrub-Jays in the Ocala National Forest
● Bird-Bander of the Alaska Bird Observatory (May, 2006 – August, 2006): Ran MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) stations; Collected fecal samples from Arctic Warblers for research on H5N1 avian influenza
● Volunteer Bird-Bander and Education Assistant at the Avian Research and Education Institute (February, 2005 – May, 2006): Extracted birds from mist-nets; Recorded morphological data; Educated visitors and trained new volunteers
● Biological Science Technician at Cuyahoga Valley National Park (May, 2005 – August, 2005): Studied effects of powerline corridors on avian and lepidopteran species richness and evenness; Removed invasive plant species; Assisted biologists in monitoring effects of deer presence on herbaceous plant community; Assisted biologists in quantifying ecological integrity of headwater streams
● Ecological Research Intern of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at Cleveland State University (June, 2004 – August, 2004): Studied effects of microhabitat structure on species richness and evenness of amphibian and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities
● Research Assistant of James A. Stoeckel at Miami University of Ohio (MU; February, 2004 – June, 2004): Studied effects of agricultural herbicides on zooplankton demography
● Intern of the Student Conservation Association at Cape Hatteras National Seashore (June, 2003 – August, 2003): Monitored and protected adults and nests of federally listed species of marine turtles, seabirds, and shorebirds; Surveyed seabird, shorebird, and plant populations; Trained and supervised volunteers; Provided wildlife-related information to beachgoers and local citizens
● Research Assistant of Dennis L. Claussen at MU (September, 2002 – May, 2003): Researched effects of temperature on planarian locomotion and reproduction
● Volunteer Conservation Assistant at Hueston Woods State Park (August, 2002 – August, 2005): Rehabilitated raptors; Educated visitors
Research and Conservation Projects ● Conservation of threatened wildlife in southwestern Amazonia, funded by Conservation Leadership Program’s Future Conservationist Award ($12K; 2008) - Designed and obtained funding for research; Collected data on distribution, abundance, and natural history of globally threatened, near-threatened, and restricted-range bird species in an Amazonian protected reserve; Interviewed local hunters about regional megafauna and their interest in wildlife management; Assisted with environmental education programs; Analyzed data; Wrote reports and scientific manuscripts
● Are bluebirds good for farms, and are farms good for bluebirds?, funded by USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Graduate Research Grant ($10K; 2006) - Designed and obtained funding for research; Studied effects of farm management on Eastern Bluebird reproductive success; Quantified pest-eating potential of Eastern Bluebirds on organic farms; Trained and supervised volunteers; Analyzed data; Wrote reports and scientific manuscripts Publications 1) DeLuca, JJ. Distribution and abundance estimates for the red-listed, near-threatened, and restricted-range birds of an extractive reserve in southwestern Amazonia (journal manuscript in preparation).
2) DeLuca, JJ. Megafaunal abundance estimates and prospects for wildlife management according to the inhabitants of an Amazonian extractive reserve (journal manuscript in preparation).
3) DeLuca, JJ, and KE Sieving. Effects of farm management on the reproductive success of an insectivorous songbird of open lands (journal and extension manuscripts in preparation).
4) DeLuca, JJ, and KE Sieving. Effects of pre-breeding food availability on the reproductive success of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) on organic farms and natural open lands (journal manuscript in preparation).
5) DeLuca, JJ, and KE Sieving. Pest-eating potential of the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) on organic farms (journal and extension manuscripts in preparation).
Presentations ● Ecology and conservation of threatened and restricted-range birds of southwestern Amazonia: 2008 Eco-Think Tank meeting at University of Florida (UF) Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
● Effects of farm management on the reproductive success of a pest-eating bird of open lands: 2008 Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conference and 2008 UF Graduate Research Forum
● Microhabitat preferences of larval salamanders and aquatic macroinvertebrates in headwater streams of northeastern Ohio: 2004 Symposium for Undergraduate Research in Ecology and Environmental Science at Cleveland State University
Education University of Florida M.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Date of Graduation: 12/23/2008 Relevant Coursework: Advanced Topics in Landscape Ecology, Analysis and Management of Vertebrate Populations and Communities (led by J. Nichols, J. Sauers, and W. Kendall), Community Forest Management, GIS in Research, Proposal-writing in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Marine Protected Areas Management, Research Design in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Statistical Methods in Research
Miami University of Ohio B.A. in Zoology and Environmental Science (graduated magna cum laude) Date of Graduation: 05/07/2006 Relevant Coursework: Animal Behavior, Animal Physiology, College Chemistry, College Physics, Conservation Biology, Earth’s Physical Environments, Environmental Science Seminar, Fundamentals of Ecology, Genetics, Global Plant Diversity, Introductory Biology, Microeconomics, Organic Chemistry, Ornithology, Peoples of the World, Principles and Applications of Environmental Science, Statistics
Languages Portuguese (highly fluent), Spanish (moderately fluent), and English (native language)
Honors and Awards ● Presidential Management Fellow ● Member of Phi Beta Kappa ● Recipient of the following scholarly awards: University of Florida (UF) Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Travel Award, UF Women’s Club Scholarship, UF Jennings Scholarship, Miami University of Ohio (MU) Department of Zoology Scholarship for Academic Achievement, MU Honors Award, MU Scholarship for Continuing Undergraduates, Rotary Diplomat Scholarship, Student Conservation Association Scholarship, Robert M. O’Brien Scholarship, Ohio Leader Scholarship ● Exchange student to Brazil (sponsored by Rotary International; August, 2000 – August, 2001)
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities ● Knowledgeable: in the concepts, theory, methodology, and applications of ecology, conservation biology, and natural resource management; in a variety of wildlife sampling techniques (e.g., point-counts, line-transects, mark-recapture methods) for use in detectability-based programs for population estimation (e.g., DISTANCE, PRESENCE, and MARK); as a birder and naturalist
● Skilled: at writing grants, reports, and scientific manuscripts; at giving presentations at meetings and conferences; at training and supervising research assistants and volunteers; in the operation of ArcGIS 9.x, SAS, SPSS, EndNote, literature-searching databases (e.g., Web of Science), website design programs, and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint); at handling wildlife safely; in the use of GPS units, topographical maps, weather meters, optical equipment, densiometers, clinometers, pitfall traps, coverboards, PVC refugia, dip-nets, mist-nets, sherman and tomahawk traps, radio telemetry devices, firearms, ATVs, 4-wheel drive vehicles, and other field equipment
● Able: to communicate articulately and succinctly in speech and writing; to design and implement research projects, manage databases, and analyze complex data; to write successful grant proposals and manage budgets; to work alone, under adverse conditions, and in backcountry for weeks at a time; to establish and maintain positive relationships with colleagues and a variety of stakeholders, including hunters, farmers, recreationists, birders, natural resource management professionals, and biologists |