- PhD – Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming
- MSc – Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
- BSc [Hons] – Environmental Biology, University of St. Andrews
In 1942, William E. Fairbairn, a British Royal Marine tasked with training commandos in close-combat techniques during World War II, published a manual on unarmed combat entitled “Get Tough”. This book was notable in that it advocated that fights are won not just by understanding and applying specific maneuvers and techniques, but also by cultivating and maintaining a fighter’s attitude and mindset. I apply Fairbairn’s philosophy to my work with students – seeking not only to arm them with the applied skills necessary to conduct science but also the critical and inquiring mindset essential to being a scientist. The ability to help students build this questioning and analytical attitude is what I like most about teaching at APU. As you can imagine, this is not a sterile and linear processes, characterized by anonymous lectures, artificial assignments, and concepts learned in a vacuum; but rather one that embraces experimentation, encourages intellectual risk, and demands hard work and personal investment from the student.
In addition to teaching, I am a Principal Researcher in the Fisheries, Aquatic Science, and Technology (FAST) Laboratory at APU. The FAST Lab allows me to work with leading researchers and top-tier graduate students to understand complex organismal and ecological phenomena by developing and applying creative methods. Check out the FAST Lab webpage.
