Resumé

Education

August 2024 - present (expected December 2026)

Southern Connecticut State University

M.S. | Biology

The shift back towards research and the solidification of my decision to pursue research-side academia entailed my enrollment in the SCSU Biology program's 4+1 Accelerated Pathway, where I'm currently working on the histology and biogeochemistry of Typothorax osteoderms for my master's thesis under Dr. Jonathan Weinbaum.

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June 2021 - May 2025

Southern Connecticut State University

B.S. | Biology

After the initial wave of the pandemic, I enrolled at SCSU to complete my undergraduate degree, initially as a part-time student in their Biology Education major before transferring in full-time. However while science education and outreach is important to me, I realized that my interests were still in research, so I shifted back towards the standard Biology program with a focus on evolution and paleontology.

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August 2014 - February 2020

Yale University

B.S. (degree not completed) | Ecology & Evolutionary Biology

I began my college journey at Yale right out of high school, completing 2.5 years of mostly prerequisite coursework. Unfortunately, burnout resulted in my temporary withdrawal, reinstatement, and ultimate departure from Yale just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Selected Relevant Work

August 2024 - Present

BirdNote 

Scientific Advisor

After a few years of working with BirdNote as a contributing writer and narrator, I was tapped by their Executive Director (Nick Bayard) and Content Director (Jonese Franklin) to join the Science Advisory Council, a team of ornithologists and conservationists who provide guidance and feedback to BirdNote staff to ensure up-to-date and accurate storytelling. 

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July 2024-25

Eduexplora | New Haven, Connecticut

Cohort Academic Leader

The Eduexplora Advanced Pre-College Summer Program brings high school-aged students from around the world to experience a taste of what life is like at some of the U.S.' elite universities, taking courses taught by university faculty and getting exposure to the college application process for international students. As a Cohort Academic Leader for STEM-interested students living at Yale, I played double duty as both a campus chaperone for my assigned group of students (a multi-national cohort of Latin American, Chinese, and Indian students) and a TA for their courses, with classes focused on genetic engineering, AI development, clean energy production, and neuroscience. I also coached teams for NABC pitch competitions held within the program, with three of my teams winning 2nd, 3rd, and Peer's Choice awards.

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June - July 2022

National Audubon Society | Outer Green Island, Maine

Seabird Institute: Volunteer Research Assistant

Thanks to a gracious offer and sponsorship by writer Derrick Z. Jackson, I traveled to Maine's Outer Green Island to monitor seabird breeding colonies as part of the Seabird Institute, formerly (and still informally) known as Project Puffin. My 2-week stint was largely spent observing the feeding behaviors of nesting common terns (Sterna hirundo), noting what and how often their chicks were being fed. For a firsthand look at my experiences, check out my video series.

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June 2021 - Present

The Black AF in STEM Collective

Black Birders Week Organizer & Co-Chair

I initially joined The Black AF in STEM Collective in early 2021 after hearing wind of the success of their first Black Birders Week in 2020 and the various Black in STEM organizations and events that popped up in its wake. Enthralled to find community among like-minded young Black scientists and nature enthusiasts, I eventually got involved in the birding hobby and the curation of Black Birders Week, taking on increasingly central roles in the planning and logistical aspects from 2022-24. Much of my published writing and notable experiences came directly or indirectly through my involvement in Black AF in STEM and Black Birders Week, ranging from virtual talks and panels hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society to organizing and hosting in-person bird walks and science expos with the NYC Bird Alliance, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and National Museum of African American History and Culture. I couldn't be more thankful for it. 

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June - August 2016

Sterling Memorial Library | New Haven, Connecticut

Collections Archives: Curatorial Assistant

An 8-week paid internship where I worked under Julie Linden and Sarah Tudesco to digitally catalogue and analyze data on the usage of books and science journals in the collections. This work was used to assess inventory and determine what resources (books, subscriptions, etc.) should be kept and/or made more available to students and researchers.  

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February 2015 - February 2020

Yale Peabody Museum | New Haven, Connecticut

Vertebrate Paleontology Collections: Student Curatorial Assistant & Student Collections Tour Guide

Early in my second semester of undergrad at Yale, I started working as a Student Curatorial Assistant in the Museum's Vertebrate Paleontology Collections under Dr. Christopher Norris and Daniel Brinkman, a position I formally held from 2015 to 2017. My work consisted of cataloguing, reorganizing, and tracking the fossils in the Peabody's possession, whether they were at the museum or out on loan to other institutions. I also aided visiting researchers with their projects, usually by helping them to find fossils in the collections; my involvement in a few of these projects were more involved, including historical literary research for Jill Hunting's book, For Want of Wings (2022), and taking measurements of theropod teeth that have ultimately resulted in credited research publications. 

Upon my return to Yale in 2019, I resumed work in the collections under Stephanie Wratten as a tour guide, giving 30-45 minute in-person (and eventually virtual) tours of the collection rooms to a variety of audiences ranging from school groups and interested members of the public to professional scientists in non-paleontological fields. The museum's closure for renovations and the COVID-19 pandemic along with my final withdrawal from Yale ultimately cut short my time in this role.

For a fuller look at my day-to-day experiences, feel free to check out my 2024 talk for Black in Natural History Museums' Community Conversations.

Please feel free to contact me for a tailored version of my full resumé if you have a job opportunity or would like to collaborate on a project.