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, Markdown, Matlab and ArcGIS
• proficient with managing and analyzing demographic data including CMR approaches (e.g., MARK, RMark, UCare)
• accomplished with advanced statistical and machine learning quantitative methods for analyzing large and diverse ecological datasets to generate models of species distribution and resource use for assessing patterns of abundance or movement, including Frequentist and Bayesian inferential approaches (e.g., Generalized Linear Mixed effects Models with R-Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation, Boosted Regression Trees, State-Space Models implemented with Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling, multi-state CMR models)
• 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 (e.g., NOAA’s ERDDAP data server, GoC’s Canadian Ice Service, provincial Forest Inventory Program (FIP) landscape layers)
• use GitHub for project management, version control, and collaboration, as well as R package development (e.g. CMRHelper)
• highly proficient in Microsoft Applications and database management (e.g., ACCESS, custom GitHub data repositories, open access online platforms including movebank.org)
• experienced designing and conducting surveys for seabirds and terrestrial birds
FIELD SKILLS
• since 2007, spent >45 months in the field conducting ecological research in Canada and internationally, primarily working with birds, often in remote locations
• have captured, handled, and banded approximately 3,870 birds of diverse taxa, including 1,500 passerines of 65 species and 2,000 seabirds of 25 species, as well as waterfowl, shorebirds, and owls
• 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 (various device types (GLS, GPS, PTT, radio) and attachment methods (leg-mounted, dorsal back and tail feather taping, backpack harness, suture), population census, reproductive monitoring, CMR
• experience designing and conducting surveys for seabirds and terrestrial birds
• worked with numerous species at risk from multiple taxonomic groups
• comfortable and competent leading and supervising field crews in all environments from polar to tropical
• skilled with GPS navigation, small boat handling and remote emergency response
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, Markdown, Matlab and ArcGIS
• proficient with managing and analyzing demographic data including CMR approaches (e.g., MARK, RMark, UCare)
• accomplished with advanced statistical and machine learning quantitative methods for analyzing large and diverse ecological datasets to generate models of species distribution and resource use for assessing patterns of abundance or movement, including Frequentist and Bayesian inferential approaches (e.g., Generalized Linear Mixed effects Models with R-Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation, Boosted Regression Trees, State-Space Models implemented with Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling, multi-state CMR models)
• 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 (e.g., NOAA’s ERDDAP data server, GoC’s Canadian Ice Service, provincial Forest Inventory Program (FIP) landscape layers)
• use GitHub for project management, version control, and collaboration, as well as R package development (e.g. CMRHelper)
• highly proficient in Microsoft Applications and database management (e.g., ACCESS, custom GitHub data repositories, open access online platforms including movebank.org)
• experienced designing and conducting surveys for seabirds and terrestrial birds
FIELD SKILLS
• since 2007, spent >45 months in the field conducting ecological research in Canada and internationally, primarily working with birds, often in remote locations
• have captured, handled, and banded approximately 3,870 birds of diverse taxa, including 1,500 passerines of 65 species and 2,000 seabirds of 25 species, as well as waterfowl, shorebirds, and owls
• 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 (various device types (GLS, GPS, PTT, radio) and attachment methods (leg-mounted, dorsal back and tail feather taping, backpack harness, suture), population census, reproductive monitoring, CMR
• experience designing and conducting surveys for seabirds and terrestrial birds
• worked with numerous species at risk from multiple taxonomic groups
• comfortable and competent leading and supervising field crews in all environments from polar to tropical
• skilled with GPS navigation, small boat handling and remote emergency response
