About Me

Hello! I'm Caroline.

Over the past 10+ years, my formal and informal educational and professional experiences have provided me with a diverse and non-tradition set of skills.

Though I am originally from Northeastern Pennsylvania, I earned my undergraduate degree from Alfred University - a small liberal arts college in western, upstate New York. I majored in biology, expecting to attend veterinary school, but quickly picked up a minor in psychology when I realized that the vet life (though admirable) was not for me!

I earned my master's and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Georgia, under the direction of distinguished primatologist Dr. Dorothy (Doree) Fragaszy (https://www.psychology.uga.edu/news/stories/2018/dr-dorothy-fragaszy-receives-distinguished-primatologist-award) in the Primate Cognition and Behavior Laboratory. Throughout my graduate career, Dr. Fragaszy was an amazing mentor, who encouraged me to pursue many different projects of varied topics using varied methods, and has been instrumental in my own mentorship path.

Areas of Study/Interest

Behavioral biology/comparative psychology
Ethology
Evolution and behavior
Cognition/cognitive ecology
Animal tool-use
Primatology
Animal welfare
Wildlife conservation
STEM/STEAM communication and outreach
Community/public education
Mentorship

Strengths/Skills

Observational and experimental research design
Literature review
Organization and planning
Data collection (observational using Adobe™ Maps, ZooMonitor™ and Noldus Observer™, video, biological, survey using Qualtrics™), management, analysis (using Excel, SPSS, and RStudio), and interpretation
Oral and written communication (including scientific and grant writing)
Leadership and mentorship
Creative problem-solving
Formal and informal teaching

Goals

I am seeking employment within a zoo (education/research/evaluation), private firm, non-profit organization, or higher-education institution (teaching psychology). Regardless of the position I choose, I want to be sure that I'm making a real impact in helping to guide other changemakers.

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Biology

Alfred University

Alfred, NY

Major: Biology

Minor: Psychology

Master of Science in Psychology

"Compound grip in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp and Sapajus libidinosus); Exploring a novel domain of manual function"

Primate Cognition & Behavior Laboratory

Behavioral and Brain Sciences Program

Department of Psychology

University of Georgia

Athens, GA, USA

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology

"Socio- and cognitive ecology of zoologically-housed western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla): Spacing and behavior as a function of resource distribution"