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Teaching and mentoring students is all about sharing my passion for biology.
Courses taught at Vassar College

Courses

  • BIOL 374/ENST 374 Microbial Ecology (S20, F24)

  • BIOL 248 Evolutionary Genetics (with lab) (F19, S21, F21, F22, F23)

  • ENST 124 Introduction to Environmental Science (with lab) (S22*, S23*, F24*)

  • BIOL 108 Information Flow in Biological Systems (with lab) (S22*, S23*)

  • BIOL 106 Introduction to Biological Investigation (with lab) (S19)

  • BIOL 381/ENST 381 Topics in Ecosystem Science: Microbes and the Environment (F18)

  • BIOL 241 Ecology (with lab) (F18)

Intensives

  • BIOL 393 Conversations with Scientists (F24*)

  • BIOL 393/BIOC 377 Special Topics in Biology: The Biology of Beermaking (S21*, F21*)

  • BIOL 298 Independent Work (F18, S19, F19, F20, S20, S21, F21, S22, F22, S23, F23)

  • BIOL 399 Advanced Independent Work (S19, S21, F20, F21, S22, F22, F23)

  • BIOL 303/ENST 304/BIOC 399 Senior Research (S19, F19, S20, S21, F21, S22, S23, F23)

  • BIOL 290/ENST 290 Community Engaged Learning (F20, S20, S21, F22, S23, F23)

  • BIOL 395 Faculty Mentored Research (F19, F20)

 

*Co-taught courses

BIOL = Biology Department; ENST = Environmental Studies Program; BIOC = Biochemistry Program

Courses taught at Marist College

  • BIOL 130 General Biology I & II

Courses taught at Boston University

  • BIOL 108 Biology II (lab)

  • BIOL 303 Evolutionary Ecology (lab)

Meredith and I swabbing spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) in Virginia.

Janelle and Roberto are all smiles after presenting their poster about our research on Eleutherodactylus coqui.

Independent Research

Working in a research lab during my undergraduate and post graduate years was such a formative and confidence-building experience for me, it has cemented in my mind the value of providing research opportunities at the undergraduate level. Below is a small sampling of the many projects that I've worked on with undergraduates:

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B. DiNardo

Effects of Nitrate Exposure on the Gut Microbiota of Wood Frog Tadpoles, Rana sylvatica 

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E. Caspi

First Assessment of Chytrid Infection in Frogs on The Preserve at Vassar College

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L. Cantecuzene

Changes in the Pantless Treefrog (Dendropsophus ebraccatus) Skin Microbiome in Response to Drought

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L. Brown

Changes in the Gut Microbiome of Rana sylvatica Tadpoles Leading Up to Metamorphosis

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L. Zengeler

Source Environment Influences Initial Microbial Assembly in Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica) Tadpoles

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C. Stutzman​

Predator-Induced Stress Affects Skin Microbiome Structure in Larval Hourglass Treefrogs

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W. Zenni

Speaking for the Frogs: Exploring Seasonal Variation in the Presence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in New York State

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N. Tate

Characterization of Invasive Aquatic Snail Bellamya chinensis: Quantifying Life History Parameters and Abundance at Vassar College

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J. Rogge

Escape-hatching responses of individual treefrog embryos vary with threat level in wasp attacks: a mechanistic analysis

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A. Nicolás

Wasp predation drives the assembly of fungal and fly communities on frog egg masses

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H. Hedman

Body size, humeral spine size, and aggressive interactions in the Emerald Glass Frog, Espadarana prosoblepon (Anura: Centrolenidae) in Costa Rica

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M. Swartwout

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Virginia amphibians: within and among pond variation in infection

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L. Sarment

Parasites and microbes: Interannual variation in the symbiotic communities of spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer)

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J. Peña and R. Reyes

Skin bacterial microbiome of a generalist Puerto Rican frog varies along elevational and land use gradients

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Field Courses & Internships

Field courses and internships are a great way for undergraduates and graduate students to increase their understanding of biological concepts, be exposed to new and different cultures, and gain hands-on research experience.

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The following is a list of field courses and internship programs that I have been involved in. For more information about current opportunities, please visit each organization’s website.

At the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute:

  • Introducción a las Ciencias Biológicas de Campo

  • Research Experience in the Tropics

At the Organization for Tropical Studies:

  • Native American and Pacific Islander Research Experience

2011 OTS NAPIRE course.

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