1. Conservation PaleontologyLarge mammal communities are being severely impacted by environmental changes, challenging current and future conservation effectiveness. We can better predict responses to these ongoing changes if we understand the responses that have been preserved in the information-rich fossil record. I investigate ecometrics, or trait-environment relationships, of ungulates using skeletal morphology of the calcaneum and the radioulna.
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Measuring specimens with help from Jeff Martin
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2. Informal STEM EducationEffective decision-making, especially for conservation, occurs in an informed society, and informal education, particularly at biological field stations, will improve public understanding of science. Biological field stations are newly recognized as informal learning institutions (ILIs); though, their outreach is extensive. Our NSF-funded project aims to understand and increase the learning that happens at field stations. We want to raise awareness among scientists and other ILIs of the role field stations play in the informal learning landscape. Learn more on our project website!
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Informal learning research team; L-R: me, Dr. Rhonda Struminger, Dr. Michelle Lawing, and Dr. Jill Zarestky
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