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My scientific research is broadly defined as the “evolution of shape”. This means analyzing the shape of an organism (the entire body or parts of the body using tools from engineering, physics, geology, statistics, and biology, to determine why an organism is shaped the way it is and what this shape means for the evolutionary history of the organism. Most of my research questions are related to the evolution of predator-prey relationships, whether it be from the predator’s or prey’s point of view. The ability to procure food and to avoid being food for something else are important for survival of an organism, and are therefore major drivers of evolution. The shape of an organism or of part of an organism (e.g. armor, teeth, jaws) can determine whether an organism survives or not. The animals I use to investigate these questions are varied: sharks, other fishes, salamanders, snails, and crabs.
My research has historically concerned chondrichthyans (sharks and other cartilaginous fishes). These fishes have been in existence for 400 million years, and typically only leave behind teeth. Despite the fact that extant and fossil shark teeth encompass a wide variety of shapes and perform a variety of biological functions, relatively little biomechanically is known about them. Studying the functional morphology of shark teeth not only elucidates the biological role that teeth play in feeding, but also provides insight specifically into the evolution of shark feeding. My research in this arena has included performance testing to determine how shark teeth differed in puncturing and draw, material testing of shark tooth materials, and finite element analysis (FEA) to examine the structural mechanics of shark teeth. So far, I have only scratched the surface of testing the wide variety of shark tooth shapes that have existed. Currently, I am working on analyzing shark tooth shape across all 400 million years of evolution to look for trends in shape, environment, and diversity. My students are continuing my initial work on shark tooth puncture mechanics, exploring how teeth handle different prey items, how tooth wear affects tooth performance, and how multi-tooth puncture differs from single-tooth puncture
I am also currently employing similar biomechanical techniques, as well as prey handling experiments, to study the evolution of the Florida fighting conchs, Strombus, and one of their predators, the stone crab Menippe. Through the fossil record of Florida, Strombus begins spineless then adds spines one by one through time. The current hypothesis is that this is a response to increased predation pressure by fishes and crabs, however our study did not support thus hypothesis, and instead pointed toward the width of the snail shell being an effective stone-crab deterrent. Currently, I am finishing one paper that looks at how hard stone crabs can pinch in order to make predictions from crab fossils, another examining how stone crab handedness affects predation success and its implications for this 'sustainable' fishery.
An second area of scholarship for me is STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and pedagogy. My reason for doing this kind of scholarship is multifaceted. I feel strongly that this is part of my responsibility as a scientist. Citizens need some level of scientific literacy to make responsible decisions on policy and politics. I usually work with teachers and children because I come from a family of teachers and started teaching my mother’s students when I was in high school. However, I also believe that if we can get an early start with our students, they may be better informed adults who are not afraid of science. Finally, much of my research takes place in heavily male-dominated fields; one only has to turn on the Discovery Channel during Shark Week to see this in action. By getting into classrooms, I am showing that women can do this work too. On a larger scale, I have also been able to spread this message as part of the Gills Club, a national program for girls that highlights women shark scientists.
In addition to classroom and library visits where I talk with students about sharks or fossils, I spearhead local educational initiatives. The longest-running one is the Fourth Graders as Scientists program, which is in collaboration with Wendy Kedzierski (Creek Connections), Eileen Mullen (Crawford County K-12 Career Education Alliance), and Ann Noonen (Crawford Central School District (CCSD). This program aids CCSD fourth-graders in their preparation for the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment exams (PSSAs). After taking a break due to the COVID pandemic, 2023 will be our ninth year of running this program, and we bring in approximately 250 students, and their teachers, to Allegheny’s campus for a day of hands-on science.
My third area of scholarship is around diveristy, equity, inclusion, and belonging in 'shark science', the larger field of science, and in the classroom. Like many other field-based sciences, 'shark research' has a climate that can be unwelcoming or inaccessable for many scientists, particularly those that identify as historically or contemporarily excluded individuals. This is also true for STEM at large, thanks to a variety of beliefs, biases, and systemic barriers. Science is better when everyone is at the table, whether it's in the classroom, the research lab, or beyond.
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