CURRICULUM VITAE (contact Sarah directly for a pdf CV)
CURRENT POSITION
Mitacs Accelerate Postdoc Intern, Ducks Unlimited Canada & ECCC (Feb 2021-Feb 2024)
· research program addressing declines in sea ducks in Atlantic Canada over past 50 years
· using various survey data from federal and provincial government monitoring, non-governmental organizations (e.g., Ducks Unlimited Canada, Birds Canada), as well as directed social science research with stakeholder groups (Indigenous, hunter, conservation, land owner) to examine changes in bird use of marine regions through time, changes in habitat quality due to anthropogenic activities, and perspectives from stakeholders on what has enhanced or detracted from the value of these habitats
· results will help direct future, multi-stakeholder marine policy and long-term planning for bird management and conservation in Atlantic Canada
Adjunct Research Associate, Dalhousie University (Sep 2019-Sep 2023)
EDUCATION & FELLOWSHIPS
W. Garfield Weston Postdoc Research Fellow, Acadia University (Sep 2018-Sep 2020)
PhD (Biology), Dalhousie University (Jan 2013-May 2016)
MSc (Biology), Dalhousie University (transferred to PhD) (Sep 2011-Dec 2012)
BSc (Honour’s, Biology), University of Guelph (Sep 2005-Dec 2009)
ANALYTICAL SKILLS
· extensive experience programming, modelling and producing data visualizations (graphical and spatial, static and animated) in R, Matlab and ArcGIS
· accomplished with advanced statistical and machine learning quantitative methods for analyzing large and diverse ecological datasets including modelling with Frequentist and Bayesian inferential approaches
· competent with MARK-based analyses for estimating survival rates from CMR data
· managed, processed and analyzed biologging data from a wide variety of device types including archival geolocators, immersion state sensors, GPS, and satellite PTT transmitters
· adept with sourcing and extracting spatiotemporally-matched environmental data
· highly proficient in Microsoft Applications and database management
FIELD SKILLS
· extensive experience with various capture/handling techniques (mist net, bow net, walk-in traps, Heligoland traps, noose carpet, grubbing, on-foot and boat-based pursuit, etc.) for banding/sampling diverse birds (passerines, gulls, waterfowl, shorebirds, owls, seabirds)
· proficient with banding, blood and feather sampling, biologging device deployment and recovery, reproductive monitoring, population surveying
· comfortable and competent leading field crews in all environments from polar to tropical
· skilled with small boat handling and remote emergency response
· worked with numerous species at risk from multiple taxonomic groups
Mitacs Accelerate Postdoc Intern, Ducks Unlimited Canada & ECCC (Feb 2021-Feb 2024)
· research program addressing declines in sea ducks in Atlantic Canada over past 50 years
· using various survey data from federal and provincial government monitoring, non-governmental organizations (e.g., Ducks Unlimited Canada, Birds Canada), as well as directed social science research with stakeholder groups (Indigenous, hunter, conservation, land owner) to examine changes in bird use of marine regions through time, changes in habitat quality due to anthropogenic activities, and perspectives from stakeholders on what has enhanced or detracted from the value of these habitats
· results will help direct future, multi-stakeholder marine policy and long-term planning for bird management and conservation in Atlantic Canada
Adjunct Research Associate, Dalhousie University (Sep 2019-Sep 2023)
EDUCATION & FELLOWSHIPS
W. Garfield Weston Postdoc Research Fellow, Acadia University (Sep 2018-Sep 2020)
PhD (Biology), Dalhousie University (Jan 2013-May 2016)
MSc (Biology), Dalhousie University (transferred to PhD) (Sep 2011-Dec 2012)
BSc (Honour’s, Biology), University of Guelph (Sep 2005-Dec 2009)
ANALYTICAL SKILLS
· extensive experience programming, modelling and producing data visualizations (graphical and spatial, static and animated) in R, Matlab and ArcGIS
· accomplished with advanced statistical and machine learning quantitative methods for analyzing large and diverse ecological datasets including modelling with Frequentist and Bayesian inferential approaches
· competent with MARK-based analyses for estimating survival rates from CMR data
· managed, processed and analyzed biologging data from a wide variety of device types including archival geolocators, immersion state sensors, GPS, and satellite PTT transmitters
· adept with sourcing and extracting spatiotemporally-matched environmental data
· highly proficient in Microsoft Applications and database management
FIELD SKILLS
· extensive experience with various capture/handling techniques (mist net, bow net, walk-in traps, Heligoland traps, noose carpet, grubbing, on-foot and boat-based pursuit, etc.) for banding/sampling diverse birds (passerines, gulls, waterfowl, shorebirds, owls, seabirds)
· proficient with banding, blood and feather sampling, biologging device deployment and recovery, reproductive monitoring, population surveying
· comfortable and competent leading field crews in all environments from polar to tropical
· skilled with small boat handling and remote emergency response
· worked with numerous species at risk from multiple taxonomic groups
