My undergraduate degree is in biology from UC Santa Cruz. My interest in animal ecology began as a student field researcher studying northern elephant seals (Mirounga anguistirostris) at Año Nuevo off the coast of Central California. My interest in studying marine mammals continued as I served as a research assistant on a number of other projects including those studying behavioral ecology of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Central California, and later, of captive born manatees (Trichechus manatus) released into the wild in Florida. As a research assistant with the USGS Sirenia Project, I conducted behavioral observations on captive born manatees that were part of soft release program at Cape Canaveral, Florida. This research included extensive radio telemetry and photo identification.

It was through these experiences that I gained the opportunity to work with the endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi). I initially joined the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) as a seasonal field researcher studying the population and behavioral ecology of monk seals in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). After working for two field seasons with this research program, I began my Masters thesis on the monk seal while simultaneously working in the NWHI for NMFS. My thesis focused on developing a photogrammetric tool to estimate body mass in both the Hawaiian monk seal and other phocids including harbor and elephant seals. This tool was developed because monk seals are extremely sensitive to human handling and disturbance and therefore body condition can not be assessed using the usual means (weighing).

After graduating from Texas A&M University, I began my doctoral research at Columbia University where I worked under Dr. Matt Gompper studying endangered terrestrial carnivores in Mexico. My dissertation focused on two extremely endangered and poorly studied carnivores of the Procyonidae family. The field work collected for my dissertation was some of the first extensive research ever collected on these species. I studied the endangered Cozumel coati (Nasua nelsoni), and its sister taxa, the Cozumel pygmy raccoon (Procyon pygmaeus), both endemic to Cozumel Island, Mexico.

My dissertation research focused on assessing the species uniqueness of these species using a number of criteria: 1) molecular genetic tools to estimate species uniqueness and 2) morphometric measures to verify these species' "dwarfism". The more purely ecological aspects of my research focused also on the foraging ecology of these taxa using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic analyses. Understanding their feeding habits shed light on their specific habitat requirements, an important piece of information needed for their future conservation. Also of particular conservation interest was the need to estimate the current population numbers for these species using mark-release-recapture techniques to also measure abundance and distribution of these taxa.

My current research focuses on green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles at Palmyra Atoll. This work is in collaboration with researchers at the American Museum of Natural History (Drs Sterling and Naro-Maciel). My specific research interests in this project include understanding the fine scale behavioral ecology of the turtles at Palmyra, as well as their foraging ecology and estimating their current population abundance and distribution. This information is important because green and hawksbill sea turtles are considered globally threatened.

My research focuses on a number of mammalian species ranging from small mammals to large carnivores. I seek to identify the ecological role of mammals and examine how anthropogenic influences affect both organisms and ecosystems. I use many different tools to identify patterns of wildlife habitat usage and trophic interactions. My research combines field (behavioral and population ecology), laboratory (parasitology and stable isotopes) and mathematical (population projection analyses) approaches. In addition to my work as an ecologist, I also consider myself a specialist in applied natural resource management and conservation policy development. One of my focuses is to translate my science into policy for decision makers and I am an active participant in the development of conservation policy and management decisions as they pertain to my focal species/systems. My training in both conservation ecology and policy gives me the unique ability to apply the results of my research towards meaningful ecosystem and species level management.