Positions

​2018-present
Marie Curie Individual Fellow, Dr. Iain Couzin, Department of Collective Behavior, Max Plank Institute for Ornithology and University of Konstanz, Germany

2017-2018
Postdoctoral Researcher, Dr. Rita Covas, CIBIO-InBIO, the University of Porto, Dr. Claire Doutrelant, CEFE CNRS, the University of Montpellier, & Dr. Fanny Rybak, CNPS CNRS, the University of Paris Sud.

2013-2017
PhD Student, Dr. Chris Templeton & Prof. Sue Healy, CBD Department of Biology, the University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland

Education

2013-2017  
PhD Biology, University of St Andrews, UK, Thesis: "Anti-predator behaviour in UK tit species: information encoding, predator recognition, and individual variation"

2010-2012 
B.S. with Honors, Wildlife Biology, The University of Montana, Montana, USA, Thesis: “How red-breasted nuthatches communicate about danger”

2007-2008 
TEFL(Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certification

2003-2007 
B.A. Cum Laude, Modern Language and Literature (Japanese & Chinese), Kenyon College, Ohio, USA, Thesis: "The use of polite speech in the context of women's language"

Research Experience

 2014
Research assistant, Dr. Kees van Oers, NIOO-KNAW, Wageningen, the Netherlands 

2012  
Research assistant & lab manager, Prof. Erick Greene, Wildlife Biology & Department of Biological Sciences , The University of Montana, Montana, USA
Research & lab assistant, Prof. Dianne Brunton, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
Research & field assistant, Associate Prof. Isabele Castro, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

2011  
U.S. Forest Service Volunteer, John Rohrer, Wildlife Biologist, Washington, USA
Cornell University’s Natural Sound Recording Workshop, Sierra Nevada Mountains, USA

2010  
Beam Reach, Dr. Jason Wood, Dr. Scott Viers, Dr. Val Viers, University of Washington Friday Harbor Labs, Washington, USA

Acquired Skills

Audio:
Sound recording with different types of microphones (hydrophones (singe and arrays), shotgun, and parabolic microphones) and recording devices (Marantz digital recorders, Sound Devices, and all in one digital recorders (hand held & automatic filed recorders).
Basic microphone and cable maintenance and soldering.

Field:
Behavioural observations and playback experiments.
Nest-checking (both nest box and colonial nests), chick and egg removal, weighing, and marking, chick ringing (metal, pit tag, and color rings) and at-nest capture, adult and chick bleeding, adult releasing.
Venomous snake handeling (capture and removal).
Field recording techniques across a range of habitats and species.
Setup, maintenance, monitoring, and removal of remote field sites, and camera traps.
Mammal, reptile, and bird surveys.
Beaver capture, ear-tagging, and sexing.
Radio telemetry.
Nighttime & winter field work.
Manual transmission

Lab: 
​Dissection, blood sample prep, reptile husbandry, trap lining, office management.
Small bird nestling feeding, adult handling & ring removal.
Basic taxidermy and robotics (servos & arduino boards).

Software:
Statistical (R, SPSS, & StatPlus), sound analysis & behavioural analysis software (Raven, Audacity, & Solomon Coder), MS Office.

Teaching

2017
3rd year statistics course, University of St Andrews
3rd year junior honors field course, University of St Andrews
1st year introductory biology course demonstrator, University of St Andrews
3rd year quantitative animal behaviour: mini project oversight, University of St Andrews

2016
1st year introductory biology course demonstrator, University of St Andrews
Bird lab for 2nd year ecology & evolution course demonstrator, University of St Andrews

2015
1st year introductory biology course demonstrator, University of St Andrews
3rd year statistical course demonstrator, University of St Andrews
Bird lab for 2nd year ecology & evolution course demonstrator, University of St Andrews

2014
3rd year statistical course demonstrator, University of St Andrews
Bird lab for 2nd year ecology & evolution course demonstrator, University of St Andrews​

2012
Recording & sound analysis workshop for graduate student class, Massey University, New Zealand