BIOSKETCH

Dr. Richardson received his B.S. in Fisheries/Aquatic Biology from Murray State University in 2013, where he conducted undergraduate research evaluating novel identification methods for native gar species. After graduating, he stayed at Murray State to pursue a M.Sc., which he completed in 2015, focusing on gar diets and prey selectivity to inform reintroduction efforts of the extirpated Alligator Gar. During the final year of his masters program, he worked as a fisheries technician for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Dr. Richardson earned his Ph.D. from Mississippi State University in 2020, where his dissertation research explored the outbreak predictors and haplotype differences among atypical Aeromonas hydrophila in catfish aquaculture. He accepted a position as a Research Fish Biologist with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in 2021. His research at USDA-ARS focuses primarily on managing invertebrate parasite vectors in catfish aquaculture ponds. In addition to his formal research, Dr. Richardson also provides statistical analysis support for a wide range of collaborators and offers R workshops to students and professionals.