Skills

NEPA and ESA Experience

As a wildlife biologist, I regularly complete Section 7 consultations for federally listed species, including Canada lynx, grizzly bear, wolverine, and Yellow-billed Cuckoo. I also write technical specialist reports as part of the NEPA process and draft responses to public comments, objections, NOIs, and legal complaints. I ensure that proposed projects comply with applicable laws and policies, and work with leadership to address potential conflicts.

A grizzly bear surveys its surroundings. Photo courtesy of Sara Harrod.

Project and Program Management

My time working for the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and completing my doctorate allowed me to develop extensive project and program management skills. In both federal positions, I've successfully managed multiple projects concurrently and ensured tasks and milestones were completed ahead of schedule. During my doctorate, I collected data, analyzed results, and published chapters for three separate projects.

As Acting Wildlife Program Manager, I ensure the wildlife program supports Forest-wide goals and identify program needs. With the Army Corps of Engineers, I served as Acting Lead Ranger and prioritized the workload of other Rangers to ensure objectives were met. During my years as a doctoral researcher, I recruited, trained, supervised, and mentored 10 field technicians.

Using molt limits to age Eastern Bluebirds was one skill technicians learned in the field. Photo courtesy of Sara Harrod.

Bird Banding and Resighting

I have extensive experience banding adult and juvenile birds. To date, I have banded 1,602 birds, primarily bluebirds. For my research, birds received plastic color and USGS aluminum bands. Having banded so many birds with unique combinations, I have also gained considerable experience resighting banded birds.

Tentatively holding a male Eastern Bluebird in photographer's grip. Photo courtesy of Sara Harrod.

Survey Design

For my doctoral research, I developed my own survey assessing which factors are associated with college freshmen's attitudes toward and knowledge of climate change. I used the 15-item survey instrument from the Global Warming's Six Americas project, then created additional questions measuring student knowledge and demographic variables. This survey was hosted on Surveymonkey.com and deployed to college freshmen across 19 American universities.

Ornithological Blood Sampling

Although blood sampling was not part of my research, I volunteered to help with part of a colleague's research. As part of a group of other Arkansas State University students, I trapped, banded, took blood samples, and collected morphological data from Chimney Swifts on the Rhodes College campus. For more information about this research, visit Dr. Collins's Lab Page.

A Chimney Swift about to be banded and have a blood sample taken. Photo courtesy of Virginie Rolland.

Analytical Software

I am proficient with the following software:

Microsoft Access
Program R
Program MARK
ESRI ArcGIS
FRAGSTATS
Miradi

Website Management

From 2006—2014, I managed the website for the Wild Birds Unlimited-Schertz store. I updated the site monthly with information about local wildlife happenings (e.g., hummingbird migration, nesting season). I also served as an assistant web editor for the Texas Bluebird Society and used Adobe Dreamweaver to update the site.

Teaching and Educational Outreach

I am passionate about teaching people new things, especially about birds and nature, basic scientific knowledge, and advanced research. I have enjoyed 17 years of engaging with the public on various issues: 8 years of educating customers at Wild Birds Unlimited, 6 years of teaching introductory science labs, and 3 years of conducting public outreach with the federal government. In addition, I have presented findings from my projects in a variety of professional venues — from attendees of the Texas Bluebird Society's 2014 Symposium — to graduate students and faculty members at Oklahoma State, Radford, Arkansas State, and Appalachian State University.

I've been a teaching assistant to the following labs at Texas State University and Arkansas State University:

BIO 1421-Modern Biology II: Organisms, Evolution, and Environment
BIOL 1001-Biological Science
BIO 2201-Anatomy and Physiology I
ENT 3011-Economic Entomology
BIO 3023-Principles of Ecology
BIO 3221-Human Structure and Function II
BIO 3541-Plant Pathology
BIO 4342-Animal Histology
BIO 4651-Wildlife Management

I have served as a guest lecturer for the following classes:

BIO 3023-Principles of Ecology, "Web-based GIS"
BIO 6623-Case Studies in Ecosystem Management, "Human Population Growth"

I also developed my course, BIO 404V-Effective Science Communication. This course taught undergraduate science majors how to effectively communicate basic and advanced, often controversial, scientific issues to non-scientific audiences. Topics of discussion included:

Basic concepts in social psychology
Methods of identifying audiences
Various media used to reach audiences
Why scientific topics can be controversial
Why effective science communication is essential

Skills: Feature