Academic Activities & CV

I was honoured to receive the Society of Canadian Ornithologists/Société des ornithologistes du Canada’s inaugural Early Career Research Award for 2017

Academic Activities

Positions

2018-Present Adjunct Professor, Department of Biology, Brandon University

MSc Committees

2019-Present Department of Geography & Environment, Brandon University
2019-Present Department of Biology, Brandon University
2019-2020 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba

Education

PhD (2010 – 2015) University of Northern BC, Natural Resources and Environmental Studies
Supervisor: Dr. Ken A. Otter
Thesis: Chickadee vocalizations in human-altered environments

MSc (2007 – 2010) McGill University, Biology
Supervisor: Dr. Don L. Kramer
Thesis: Using thermosensitive telemetry to measure activity in eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus)

BSc (2003 – 2007) University of Toronto, Honours Zoology, Behaviour Specialist
Supervisor: Dr. Allan Baker
Independent Project: Genomic scan using AFLPs reveals that red knot subspecies are genetically differentiated

Post-Docs

Post-Doc (2016 – 2017) Thompson Rivers University, Geography and Environmental Studies
Supervisor: Dr. David J. Hill
Details: Developing citizen science tools, in particular an open system for the web-based visualization and analysis of animal movement data

Post-Doc (2015 – 2016) University of Northern BC, Natural Resources and Environmental Studies
Supervisor: Dr. Ken A. Otter
Details: Tracking gap-crossing in small birds through automated RFID feeders.

Post-Doc (2015) University of Northern BC, Natural Resources and Environmental Studies
Supervisor: Dr. Ken A. Otter
Details: A follow up study to playback studies conducted during my PhD looking at audibility of different vocalizations in noisy environments.

Publications

Presentations

Teaching

R University Teaching

2018, 2020, 2021

NRI 7350 Study design and quantitative methods for resource and environmental management (Sessional Co-Instructor) University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, MB)

2017

SOIL 7240 Preparing Data in R (Module Instructor) University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, MB)

2014

STAT 473/673 Experimental Design and Analysis (Substitute Instructor) University of Northern BC (Prince George, BC)

R Workshops

2019-2024

Two-day Introduction to R (Instructor) Brandon University (Online, Brandon, MB)

2024

Introduction to using R Shiny Apps (Instructor) BC Government (Online)

2024

Two-day Introduction to R (Instructor) BC Government (Online)

2019, 2020, 2023

Intro to R through Figures (Instructor) The Wildlife Society (Online, Winnipeg, MB)

2023

Introduction to Rmarkdown/Quarto for Reproducibility (Instructor) Birds Canada (Online)

2022

Introduction to Rmarkdown/Quarto for Reproducibility (Instructor) Society of Canadian Ornithologists / Société des ornithologistes du Canada (Online)

2021

Intro to R through Figures (Instructor) University of Northern BC (Online)

2020

Two-day Introduction to R (Instructor) University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, MB)

R Volunteering

2012 Present

One-on-one assistance - University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB - Brandon University, Brandon, MB - University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB - Wilfrid Laurier, Waterloo, ON - University of Northern BC, Prince George, BC

2012 2017

Organized R Help Groups - R Group (2016-2017) University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB - R Coffee Hour (2012-2016) University of Northern BC, Prince George, BC

Other University Teaching

2018

Animal Behaviour 15:375 (Guest Lecture) Brandon University (Brandon, MB)

2018

Evolution 15:350 (Guest Lecture) Brandon University (Brandon, MB)

2017

Global Environmental Change 38:290 (Guest Lecture) Brandon University (Brandon, MB)

2014, 2016

Drainage Basin Geomorphology GEOG 311 (Guest Lecture) University of Northern BC (Prince George, BC)

2014-2016

Animal Behaviour BIOL 420 (Guest Lecture) University of Northern BC (Prince George, BC)

2015

Animal Behaviour BIOL 3101 (Guest Lecture) Thompson Rivers University (Kamloops, BC)

2015

BIOL 323 Evolutionary Biology (Sessional Instructor) University of Northern BC (Prince George, BC)

2014

Stat 240 Basic Statistics (Teaching Assistant) University of Northern BC (Prince George, BC)

2011

Biol 102 Introductory Biology II (Teaching Assistant) University of Northern BC (Prince George, BC)

2010

Biol 308 Ornithology and Mammalogy (Teaching Assistant) University of Northern BC (Prince George, BC)

2009

Biol 111 Principles: Organismal Biology (Teaching Assistant) McGill University (Montreal, QC)

2008

Biol 205 Biology of Organisms (Teaching Assistant) McGill University (Montreal, QC)

Large events

  • 2015 UNBC Discovery Centre
    This centre was a 3-day event held in November 2015. I was one of three coordinators and organized events, volunteers and panelists, and supervised on all event days.

Attendance at Teaching Conferences and Workshops

2018-08

Brandon University Teaching Excellence Conference (Brandon, MB)

2011–2016

UNBC and CNC Annual Teaching and Learning Conference (Prince George, BC)

2014-09

Teaching Dossier Workshop (Prince George, BC)

2011-08

Instructional Skills Workshop (Prince George, BC)

2011-01

UNBC Teaching Assistant Workshop (Prince George, BC)

2008-03

McGill Professional development workshop: Learning to Teach (Montreal, QC)

2008-01

Teaching Workshop – McGill Tomlinson Project in University-Level Science Education (Montreal, QC)

Community presentations and outreach

2015-01

Prince George Naturalists Club Guest speaker (Prince George, BC) Singing through the noise: How birds compensate for effects urbanization on communication

2013-11

Williams Lake Naturalists Club Guest speaker (Williams Lake, BC) Singing through the noise: How birds compensate for effects urbanization on communication

2014-05

Prince George Young Naturalists Club Guest speaker (Prince George, BC) Come learn all about Chickadees!

2014-03

Immaculate Conception School Science Fair Judge (Prince George, BC)

2013-11

Lake City Secondary School Science 8 and 9 Guest Educator (Williams Lake, BC) Early bird gets the worm!

2013-10

UNBC Northern Research Group Trail Talks Guest Guide (Prince George, BC) Birds and Glacial Lakes

2013-09

Quesnel River Research Centre High School Salmon Day Guest Scientist (Likely, BC) Chickadee communication and sound transmission activities

2012/09 & 2013/09

Kelowna Kokanee Salmon Festival Exhibitor (Kelowna, BC)

Awards and Scholarships

  • SCO-SOC Early Career Researcher Award (2017/08)
  • NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship (PGS) Doctoral (2011/05 – 2014/05)
  • Society of Canadian Ornithologists (SCO-SOC) First Place Student Presentation (2013/08)
  • Society of Canadian Ornithologists (SCO-SOC) James L. Baillie Award (2012)
  • NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS) Masters (2008/04 – 2009/04)
  • NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (2006)

Media

Over the years several projects I’ve been involved with have been fortunate enough to attract some media attention.

Chickadees and Noise

White-throated Sparrows Citizen Science

  • 2016/03 Start of the citizen science study – CKPG (watch)
  • 2016/05 Geolocators and tracking movements – CKPG (watch)