Employment History

Field experience: Arctic, Alpine, Desert ecosystems
Programming: R, SQL, Python
Database: Oracle Spatial
GIS: ArcGIS, R Spatial

PhD Candidate           03/12 to 03/15
Australia Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions
Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science
School of Biological Sciences
University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia

  • Incorporated systematic conservation planning and cost-effectiveness analysis into a decision-support framework for prioritising spatially-explicit management actions that reduce threats to many species across a natural resource management region
  • Focused on actionable research; Published three peer-reviewed articles; Developed 72 Maxent species distribution models; Co-coordinated conservation planning tools workshop for managers; Led PhD writing group; Co-led campus habitat restoration project; Presented research at six conferences

Assistant Professor          07/08 to 12/11
Department of Sustainability Science
Institute of Sustainable Development and Architecture
Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia

  • Designed course curriculum for “Introduction to GIS” subject including hands-on ArcGIS laboratories, textbook readings, analytic GIS exercises, and case study analyses
  • Taught classes, evaluated student performance, and managed online Blackboard course site
  • Co-taught and co-coordinated “Field Techniques” and “Exploring Queensland” field courses

Senior Project Officer          08/08 to 08/11
Environmental Information Systems Unit, Environmental Sciences
Department of Environment and Resource Management, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

  • Managed data within an enterprise database and enabled data for use within an enterprise ArcIMS web interface for Web accessible data downloading
  • Facilitated development, management, and use of spatial information systems with the agency

Associate Scientist          11/02 to 05/08
Enterprise Data Systems Group
National Geophysical Data Center
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO, USA

  • Supported creation, maintenance, monitoring and upgrades of GIS-based Web services provisioning scientific datasets, including ocean observing systems, hazards, hydrographic surveys, to an international community
  • Implemented Web-enabled text interfaces for geospatial data access through on-demand database queries
  • Programmed SQL scripts, functions and procedures for daily loading, manipulating and analyzing geospatial data

Professional Research Assistant           06/00 to 08/04
Arctic System Science Data Coordination Center
National Snow and Ice Data Center
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA

  • Conducted data management activities related to data ingest, quality control, writing metadata for geospatial data
  • Wrote and reviewed documentation for data archival, wrote and edited technical material for presentation

Professional Research Assistant          10/97 to 02/00 and 09/95 to 11/95
Columbia River Basin Ecosystem Management Project
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
The Nature Conservancy
Western Heritage Task Force, Boulder, CO, USA

  • Conducted exploratory statistical analyses, including clustering and ordination, of large vegetation data sets supporting spatial analysis of vegetation communities
  • Prepared, maintained, and controlled quality of vegetation cover and environmental attribute database

Professional Research Assistant          05/92 to 09/97
Tundra Ecosystem Analysis and Mapping Laboratory
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA

  • Used GIS techniques to perform analyses and produce maps, graphics, and posters for scientific presentations and publications; analyzed and interpreted aerial photographs and satellite images
  • Designed and maintained WWW sites, including creating an electronic Geobotanical Atlas for Arctic System Science
  • Wrote, edited, reviewed manuscripts; analyzed data; vegetation community spatial analysis graphics support
  • Interacted and collaborated with other scientists, internationally, nationally and locally, assisted with coordination and logistical support for international mapping conferences
  • Extensive field experience assessing spatial distribution of arctic plant communities, including point-quadrat and Braun-Blanquet vegetation sampling techniques; soil and environmental variable descriptions

Graduate Research Assistant          07/89 to 05/92
Response, Resistance, Resilience to, and Recovery from Disturbance in Arctic Ecosystems Research Project
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA

  • Researched, analyzed, and described effects of roads and dust on arctic tundra; results published in peer-reviewed journal
  • Analyzed data with statistical techniques including description, regression, correlation, analysis of variance, factor analysis, and ordination
  • Organized, implemented, and conducted field study in the Arctic, including surveying and establishing permanent plots; sampling vegetation, soil, and snow
  • Supervised assistants in field and laboratory sample processing
  • Guided and aided international researchers during presentations and in a workshop on classification of circumpolar vegetation

Undergraduate Research Assistant          09/85 to 01/90
Long-Term Ecological Research Project
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA

  • Conducted field work in an alpine ecosystem, including small mammal and snow surveys
  • Managed and processed data sets, compiled data reports, edited manuscripts
  • Supported spatial studies of vegetation, animals, snow, and topography