Research Experience
Year: 2015 - Current
Position: PhD Student
Location: Trent University
Description: I am currently studying the causes and consequences of the northern range expansion of the bobcat (Lynx rufus). Over the past two decades the bobcat has been expanding its range in Ontario. Meanwhile, the lynx (Lynx canadensis) range has been contracting. The bobcat is now occupying former lynx territory. We suspect that forestry practices might have caused this range shift.
Tasks: Managed, administrated and coordinated field work. Established snow tracking survey routes. Identified animal snow tracks on snowmobile routes. Trapped, anesthetized and outfitted Canada lynx and bobcat with GPS collars.
Year: 2014
Position: Research Associate
Location: Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Description: Investigated the effectiveness of wildlife passageways on Highway 175 for the American marten (Martes americana). HWY 175 was once a 2-lane HWY and was recently widened. It is now a 4-lane divided HWY and is the main HWY connecting Quebec city to Saguenay. The objective of the project is to compare the movement patterns of martens found near HWY 175 to martens found near HWY 381. This should give us a good idea of how this 4-lane highway is affecting the spatial behavior of martens.
Tasks: Trapped, anesthetized and outfitted American martens with VHF collars. Tracked martens using telemetry and analysed spatial movement data. Managed, administrated and coordinated field work.
Year: 2013-2014
Position: Research Assistant
Location: Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Description: Worked as a GIS analyst. Wrote computer scripts in the R statistical language and in Python to extract spatial data and for statistical modeling purposes. Found appropriate parameters to simulate white-footed mouse migration using an individual-based model
Tasks: Analyzed spatial data using GIS, wrote computer code in python and in the R, utilized computer clusters
Year: 2011-2013
Position: Master's Student
Location: Redpath Museum and the department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Description: Researched the influence of local habitat characteristics, the matrix and the forest patch network on the genetic differentiation of the white-footed mouse (Peuromyscus leucopus) in Monteregie, QC
Tasks: Reviewed literature, analyzed spatial data using GIS, performed statistical analyses, wrote computer code in python and in the R, utilize computer clusters, presented results at conferences and wrote manuscript for publication
Year: 2010-2011
Position: Research Assistant and Honours Student
Lab: Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Description: Researched the utility of Nymphaeaceae sclereids in paleoenvironmental research
Tasks: Field identification of plants; prepared samples for pollen analysis (soil to slide); reconstructed past vegetation of wetlands using paleoecological techniques; identified microfossil: pollen, spores, testate amoeba and sclereids
Year: 2010
Position: Research Assistant
Location: Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Tasks: Developed and extracted physical and environmental data using GIS for use in a niche-based model; organized large datasets using python computer language.
Year: 2008-2010
Position: Research Assistant
Location: Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Tasks: Identified, measured and weighed aquatic insect larvae and bivalves; washed fish tanks; feed animals used for behavioral experiments; entered data.
Year: 2006
Position: Intern and Field Research Assistant
Location: The Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute, Kempt, Nova Scotia, Canada
Tasks: Caught snakes and Turtles, Surveyed areas to find new populations of eastern ribbonsnakes
Position: PhD Student
Location: Trent University
Description: I am currently studying the causes and consequences of the northern range expansion of the bobcat (Lynx rufus). Over the past two decades the bobcat has been expanding its range in Ontario. Meanwhile, the lynx (Lynx canadensis) range has been contracting. The bobcat is now occupying former lynx territory. We suspect that forestry practices might have caused this range shift.
Tasks: Managed, administrated and coordinated field work. Established snow tracking survey routes. Identified animal snow tracks on snowmobile routes. Trapped, anesthetized and outfitted Canada lynx and bobcat with GPS collars.
Year: 2014
Position: Research Associate
Location: Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Description: Investigated the effectiveness of wildlife passageways on Highway 175 for the American marten (Martes americana). HWY 175 was once a 2-lane HWY and was recently widened. It is now a 4-lane divided HWY and is the main HWY connecting Quebec city to Saguenay. The objective of the project is to compare the movement patterns of martens found near HWY 175 to martens found near HWY 381. This should give us a good idea of how this 4-lane highway is affecting the spatial behavior of martens.
Tasks: Trapped, anesthetized and outfitted American martens with VHF collars. Tracked martens using telemetry and analysed spatial movement data. Managed, administrated and coordinated field work.
Year: 2013-2014
Position: Research Assistant
Location: Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Description: Worked as a GIS analyst. Wrote computer scripts in the R statistical language and in Python to extract spatial data and for statistical modeling purposes. Found appropriate parameters to simulate white-footed mouse migration using an individual-based model
Tasks: Analyzed spatial data using GIS, wrote computer code in python and in the R, utilized computer clusters
Year: 2011-2013
Position: Master's Student
Location: Redpath Museum and the department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Description: Researched the influence of local habitat characteristics, the matrix and the forest patch network on the genetic differentiation of the white-footed mouse (Peuromyscus leucopus) in Monteregie, QC
Tasks: Reviewed literature, analyzed spatial data using GIS, performed statistical analyses, wrote computer code in python and in the R, utilize computer clusters, presented results at conferences and wrote manuscript for publication
Year: 2010-2011
Position: Research Assistant and Honours Student
Lab: Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Description: Researched the utility of Nymphaeaceae sclereids in paleoenvironmental research
Tasks: Field identification of plants; prepared samples for pollen analysis (soil to slide); reconstructed past vegetation of wetlands using paleoecological techniques; identified microfossil: pollen, spores, testate amoeba and sclereids
Year: 2010
Position: Research Assistant
Location: Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Tasks: Developed and extracted physical and environmental data using GIS for use in a niche-based model; organized large datasets using python computer language.
Year: 2008-2010
Position: Research Assistant
Location: Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Tasks: Identified, measured and weighed aquatic insect larvae and bivalves; washed fish tanks; feed animals used for behavioral experiments; entered data.
Year: 2006
Position: Intern and Field Research Assistant
Location: The Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute, Kempt, Nova Scotia, Canada
Tasks: Caught snakes and Turtles, Surveyed areas to find new populations of eastern ribbonsnakes