Welcome to all things Environmental Science Policy (new), Outreach and Education, & Research!
I am the External Monitoring and Data Coordinator with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's (MassDEP) Watershed Planning Program (WPP). As an agency scientist, I assist MassDEP with activities required by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and associated Massachusetts state environmental regulations (found in the Code of Massachusetts Regulations; "CMR"). Specifically, I collaborate with a group of amazing and diverse scientists in WPP to assess the condition of Massachusetts inland and coastal surface waters and create a biennial (integrated) report to EPA and the public to meet the Commonwealth's requirements set forth in CWA § 305(b) and § 303(d). My primary roles in this work are:
I am the External Monitoring and Data Coordinator with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's (MassDEP) Watershed Planning Program (WPP). As an agency scientist, I assist MassDEP with activities required by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and associated Massachusetts state environmental regulations (found in the Code of Massachusetts Regulations; "CMR"). Specifically, I collaborate with a group of amazing and diverse scientists in WPP to assess the condition of Massachusetts inland and coastal surface waters and create a biennial (integrated) report to EPA and the public to meet the Commonwealth's requirements set forth in CWA § 305(b) and § 303(d). My primary roles in this work are:
- Analyze environmental data by programming repeatable data analysis and visualization systems (e.g., R stats) to produce outputs aligned with Massachusetts Surface Water Quality Standards (314 CMR 4.00) and WPP's Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology (CALM) Guidance Manual.
- Develop and coordinate environmental and geospatial data systems for the intake, review, management, and analysis of WPP's water quality data and "external" environmental data produced by WPP's external partners (e.g., volunteer monitoring organizations, federal and state sister agencies, academic institutions, and others) for water quality assessments and integrated reporting under the CWA.
- Collaborate with all five Sections in WPP to create and implement WPP's environmental policy actions, directives, and programs to comply with MA state and CWA regulatory requirements (Surface Water Quality Standards, Surface Water Quality Monitoring, Data Management and Water Quality Assessment, Total Maximum Daily Loads, and Nonpoint Source Pollution Sections).
- Coordinate outreach and education programs for volunteer monitoring organizations, lake associations, and other community science groups to help them collect water quality and biological (e.g., benthic macroinvertebrate community) data meeting rigorous QA/QC requirements needed for making water quality assessments under the CWA.
- Manage the Water Quality Management Grant program that provides funds to non-profit organizations to conduct monitoring and/or build capacity to monitor surface water quality in Massachusetts.
- Assist WPP with environmental research on: (a) freshwater fish and invertebrate community change along water quality gradients; (b) requirements for benthic macroinvertebrate community data to assess water quality using Indices of Biological Integrity (IBI); and (c) how spatial patterns of volunteer monitoring alter state-wide assessments of water quality.
So, "who am I?"
I am an environmental scientist with broad knowledge of aquatic ecology, geospatial science, quantitative ecology, socio-ecology, environmental regulation and policy with broad experiences working in natural and human-dominated systems. I have developed a unique "toolset" of skills in field ecology, GIS, aquatic insect taxonomy, science communication, statistical analyses, coding, and field and laboratory QA/QC. "Who I am" is unified by my passion for research and teaching with a purpose to assess, protect, and restore the environment to benefit the wellbeing of local communities.
I am a native Pennsylvanian who received a B.S. in Biology from Millersville University and my M.S. and Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Maryland. I worked for 3 years as an NSF Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability Postdoctoral Fellow for the Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. I also worked for a year as a visiting professor at the Biology Department, at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. Most recently, I worked as an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Lycoming College where I taught undergraduate courses in ecology, environmental science, aquatic biology, and GIS, and performed undergraduate-focused research in ecological and environmental science in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. You can learn more about these experiences on the Teaching and Past Research pages of my website.
On this website, I will also post information about my work with MassDEP, but current research side-projects, and other information related to my passion for environmental science. Please contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions or comments about my work with MassDEP or directly at [email protected] about my past research or teaching experiences. I no longer maintain a professional presence on social media (but hope to again soon).
I am an environmental scientist with broad knowledge of aquatic ecology, geospatial science, quantitative ecology, socio-ecology, environmental regulation and policy with broad experiences working in natural and human-dominated systems. I have developed a unique "toolset" of skills in field ecology, GIS, aquatic insect taxonomy, science communication, statistical analyses, coding, and field and laboratory QA/QC. "Who I am" is unified by my passion for research and teaching with a purpose to assess, protect, and restore the environment to benefit the wellbeing of local communities.
I am a native Pennsylvanian who received a B.S. in Biology from Millersville University and my M.S. and Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Maryland. I worked for 3 years as an NSF Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability Postdoctoral Fellow for the Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. I also worked for a year as a visiting professor at the Biology Department, at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. Most recently, I worked as an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Lycoming College where I taught undergraduate courses in ecology, environmental science, aquatic biology, and GIS, and performed undergraduate-focused research in ecological and environmental science in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. You can learn more about these experiences on the Teaching and Past Research pages of my website.
On this website, I will also post information about my work with MassDEP, but current research side-projects, and other information related to my passion for environmental science. Please contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions or comments about my work with MassDEP or directly at [email protected] about my past research or teaching experiences. I no longer maintain a professional presence on social media (but hope to again soon).