Essentially, I'm interested in how organisms perceive their environment and how their sensory capabilities ultimately influence their behavioral decisions. More specifically, I'm currently spending my time investigating the mating signals used by Malawian cichlid fishes. Although it's a bit of a daunting task, I hope to one day understand how females choose mates, and how their choices drive evolutionary processes.
Current Position:
PhD Student, Department of Biology, University of Maryland
Recent Work Experience:
Graduate Research Fellow: J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind & Behavior, Bowling Green State University, August 2006 - August 2007
Graduate Coordinator: Bowling Green State University Marine Laboratory, January 2006 - August 2006
Graduate Teaching Assistant: Department of Biology, Bowling Green State University, August 2005 - January 2006
Field Technician: Department of Biology, Bowling Green State University, April 2005 - August 2005
Other Stuff of Note
Research is not my only interest. I also enjoy working with schools to try and improve science education. In particular, I try to help teachers develop hands-on curricula which can be used to teach the scientific process while simultaneously giving the students a chance to explore their own interests. I believe that by focusing on the scientific process rather than a specific collection of known facts, we can encourage students to develop critical thinking and data-analysis skills that can be applied to a variety of situations.
Melanochromis johanni - One of my favorite cichlids