Ecological Studies

Why Work With Me?

As a freelance aquatic ecologist, I combine a strong academic foundation in ecology and environmental education with hands-on experience in research, teaching, and consulting. My mission is to empower organizations, educators, and communities to make informed, impactful decisions about our planet’s natural resources and ecosystem services. 

Contact me now so that we can work together to conserve biodiversity.

I bring a mix of deep expertise and research skills to the table, delivering unbiased, top-notch insights quickly and efficiently. Think of me as the perfect complement to your in-house team, adding that extra level of rigor and fresh perspective to help you get actionable, impactful results.

Background

With expertise in freshwater, estuarine, and marine ecology, I bring a unique blend of scientific rigor and educational insight to every project. Whether you need research collaboration or community education, I provide services designed to meet your specific needs.

I aim to understand the dynamics of energy flow within urbanized estuarine ecosystems, particularly the Florida Everglades. My work focuses on investigating the ecological structure and function of critical areas that support indicator species such as snook and roseate spoonbills. These species provide insights into the broader ecological health and resilience of ecosystems under the strain of human impacts.

I integrate field observations with laboratory studies and spatial analyses to contextualize findings within broader ecosystem management and conservation strategies. This research illuminates the connections between human activities, climate change, and ecological disturbances, aiming to develop sustainable practices for freshwater management, ecosystem restoration, and biodiversity conservation.

Research Specialties

• Estuarine Ecology

• Foodweb Ecology

• Stable Isotope Ecology

• Urbanization

• Geospatial analyses

• Everglades Restoration

Explore My Services

• Research Collaboration

• Data Visualizations

• Workshops & Training

• Proposal Writing and Reviews

• Manuscripts and Presentations

Teaching Experience

As an award-winning faculty member, I have taught at Syracuse University, the University of Miami, SUNY ESF, Le Moyne College, and Florida Gulf Coast University. Most courses feature integrative themes of environmental sustainability and climate science. All courses are learner-centered and feature active learning principles within the learning design. I am adept at teaching fully online, blended, and face-to-face courses.

I aim to leverage my expertise in ecological research and program evaluation to further enhance leadership in environmental education. My professional background as an aquatic ecologist, using stable isotope analyses to investigate energy dynamics in urbanized estuarine ecosystems, informs my teaching practices, which align with higher education’s focus on research-led teaching and community-engaged scholarship.

Courses taught:

• First Year Seminar

• Environmental Biology

• Environmental Science

• Marine Systems: Intro to Oceanography

• General Biology

• General Ecology

• Principles of Animal Behavior

• Animal Physiology

• Everglades and Freshwater Supply Concerns

• Growth and Resources

• Scientific Process

• Integrative Biology: Experimental Design and Analysis

• Environmental Science Capstone Seminar

• The Natural Environment

• Earth Science

• People and the Earth's Ecosystems

• Latin American Environments

• Cultural Ecology

• Study Abroad in Pantanal Wetlands of Brazil

• University Colloquium

Additional learner-focused responsibilities:

• Leadership-through-Service Live-Learn Community: Co-founder and Lead Faculty

• First-year Residential Experience Faculty Fellow

• Marine Science Internships Program Coordinator

• Marine Science Senior Research Projects Program Coordinator

• Graduate Student Teaching Development Seminar Series: Lead Faculty

• Master’s Thesis Committee Member for multiple students

• TA supervisor for multiple courses and labs

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)

I lead transformative learning experiences that push traditional educational boundaries by carefully fusing appropriate emerging technologies with strategies grounded in cognitive neuroscience research. And, I partner with internal and external stakeholders to advance the culture of innovative teaching and learning. Through lenses of organizational change and leadership, my scholarship of teaching and learning activities focus on the following:

• Evaluating the effectiveness of transformative educational experiences;

• Incorporating emerging technologies in learner-centered curricula and assessing the effectiveness of student engagement, performance, and persistence;

• Investigating metacognitive self-regulated learning processes in technology-enhanced learning environments.

Faculty Appointments

• 2023–present | Syracuse University | Teaching Faculty

• 2026–present | Le Moyne College | Adjunct

• 2022–present | Florida Gulf Coast University | Adjunct

• 2025–present | SUNY ESF | Visiting Instructor

• 2021–2022 | Florida Gulf Coast University | Visiting Assistant Professor

• 2020–2021 | Uniformed Services University | Adjunct

• 2014–2019 | University of Miami | Senior Lecturer

• 2007–2014 | Florida Gulf Coast University | Senior Instructor