Hayley Goss
Ph.D. Candidate | Marine Science | UC Santa Barbara
hgoss@ucsb.edu | Santa Barbara, CA 93103 |
Education
Ph.D. in Marine Genomics
University of California, Santa Barbara (2020 – Present)
Dissertation: Investigating drivers of Crassadoma gigantea genetic structure within the Santa Barbara Channel and Southern California Bight.
Advisor: Mark Page, Co-Advisor: Dave Siegel
B.A. in Marine Science
Boston University (2015 – 2019)
Honors Thesis: Influence of epibiotic organisms in Caribbean seagrass habitat
Research Experience
Graduate Student Researcher
UC Santa Barbara (2020 – Present)
Generated the first high-quality draft genome for Crassadoma gigantea, enabling downstream population genomics research.
Led population genetic analyses using whole-genome sequencing techniques.
Integrated genomic and oceanographic data to evaluate larval connectivity across natural and anthropogenic habitats.
Research Intern
PerkinElmer Inc., Waltham, MA (2019 – 2020)
Developed tissue digestion protocols for microplastic extraction and applied IR spectroscopy to detect and characterize microplastics in deep-sea corals.
Research Intern
Rotjan Lab, Boston University, Boston, MA (2017 – 2020)
Designed and executed independent research on seagrass herbivory dynamics in Belize
Teaching Experience
Teaching Associate – Instructor of Record
UC Santa Barbara (Fall 2025- Present)
EEMB 101 Genomes and Molecular Evolution.
This course introduces fundamental molecular evolution concepts, including sequence evolution models, genome evolution across the tree of life, molecular population genetics, tests of natural selection, and regulatory evolution.
Course Instructor – Summer Springboard
UC Santa Barbara (Summer 2026)
Applied Bioinformatics
This course provides a hands-on introduction to computational biology and data analysis for high school-aged students. Students will learn how to access and analyze real-world genetic datasets using modern bioinformatic tools and learning to code in R.
Teaching Assistant
UC Santa Barbara (2020 – Present)
Teaching Assistant: EEMB 130 Population Genetics, EEMB 129 Intro to Genetics, EEMB 142A Aquatic Communities, EEMB 140 General Plant Ecology, Geog 112W Intro to Maps and Spatial Reasoning
Marine Science Instructor
SUNY Maritime College, The Bronx, NY (2019)
Developed and taught an interactive summer marine science curriculum for 30+ students (ages 8–14), fostering early STEM engagement.
Grants & Fellowships
UC Santa Barbara Dissertation Fellow (Winter 2026)
IGPMS Summer Block Fellowship (Summer 2025)
Bentson Fellow (2023)
UCSB Coastal Fund Major Grant (Spring 2021)
UCSB Coastal Fund Minor Grants (Fall 2022, Spring 2023)
SBC LTER Executive Committee Summer Funding (2021–2024)
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program Grant (2018)
Professional Development, Mentorship & Awards
Earned Certificate in Inclusive Teaching | UC Santa Barbara (2025)
Focused on developing inclusive teaching strategies to engage diverse student populations and create a welcoming classroom environment.
Certificate in Inclusive Teaching | UC Santa Barbara (2025)
Focused on developing inclusive teaching strategies to engage diverse student populations and create a welcoming classroom environment.
Teaching with AI: Tools | Coursera (2025)
Pillars of Teaching Assistantship | UC Santa Barbara (2025)
This 10-week program focused on core teaching strategies, building supportive classroom environments, and navigating challenges.
Teaching Theory into Practice | UCSB Santa Barbara (2025)
A 10-week program focused on applying pedagogical theories and evidence-based teaching into course design, implementation, assessment, and evaluation.
STEM Faculty Diversity Internship | Ventura County Community College (2024)
Focused on culturally responsive teaching and equitable teaching practices in STEM.
Women in STEM Mentor/Mentee | UC Santa Barbara (2021 – Present)
Mentored undergraduate women in STEM through career development and networking. Facilitated discussions on inclusive teaching strategies.
Undergraduate Research Mentor | UC Santa Barbara (2022 – Present)
Supervised undergraduate students researchers on C.gigantea projects
Nominated for 2025 GSA Excellence in Teaching Award
Recipient of 2025 EEMB Graduate Excellence in Teaching Award
Peer-Reviewed Articles, Data Publications, and Technical Reports
Goss, H., Jaskiel, J., & Rotjan, R. (2018). Thalassia testudinum as a potential vector for incorporating microplastics into benthic marine food webs. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 135, 1085–1089.
Goss, H., Miller, P., Zaleski, S. F., Miller, R. J., Schroeder, D. M., & Page, H. M. (2025). Draft genome assembly for the purple-hinged rock scallop (Crassadoma gigantea). BMC Genomic Data, 26, 39.
Goss, H., Miller, P., Zaleski, S. F., Miller, R. J., Schroeder, D. M., & Page, H. M. (2024). Crassadoma gigantea whole genome shotgun sequencing project. GenBank Accession No. JBLBVN000000000.
Rotjan, R., Goss, H., Jaskiel, J., Macdonald, O., Wendler, A., & Branconi, R. (2018). Thalassia testudinum as a potential vector for incorporating microplastics into benthic marine food webs. Report submitted to Belize Fisheries, Aug 30, 2018.
Conference Presentations & Posters
Goss, H., Simons, R., Miller, P., Zaleski, S., Miller, R. J., Schroeder, D. M., & Page, H. M. (2022). Biological connectivity of Crassadoma gigantea in Southern California Bight. Poster presented at the LTER All Scientists’ Meeting.
Miller, P., Simons, R., Zaleski, S., Goss, H., Schroeder, D. M., Miller, R. J., & Page, H. M. (2023). Genetic data reveals population differentiation and connectivity of a non-native bryozoan in the Santa Barbara Channel. Poster presented at the ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting.
Goss, H., Simons, R., Miller, P., Zaleski, S., Miller, R. J., Schroeder, D. M., & Page, H. M. (2024). Investigating drivers of fine-scale population genetic structure in the Southern California Bight. Poster presented at the Ocean Sciences Meeting.
Miller, P., Simons, R., Zaleski, S., Miller, R. J., Goss, H., Schroeder, D. M., & Page, H. M. (2024). Genetic and morphological identification of a non-native invasive species complex among natural and artificial habitat reveals cryptic diversity and multiple introductions. Poster presented at the Ocean Sciences Meeting.
Manuscripts in Preparation
Goss, H., Simons, R., Miller, P., Zaleski, S., Miller, R. J., Schroeder, D. M., & Page, H. M. Local environmental factors and regional connectivity contribute to fine-scale genetic structure in the purple-hinged rock scallop (Crassadoma gigantea) (2026). In prep.
Goss, H., Branconi, R., Francis, R. K., Lesneski, K., Scavo Lord, K., Novak, A., & Rotjan, R. D. Consistent impact of epibiont communities on herbivory preferences despite observed spatial variability (2026). In prep.