Education

updated 12/19/10

upcoming education:
Visiting Student, Durham Technical Community College, spring 2011
- Basic Wiring I and Solar Technology courses
Renewable Energy Diploma, Durham Tech, fall 2011-spring 2012
- read about how I'm getting prepared on my blog here.

M.S. in Ecology, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2009
- Recipient of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Predoctoral Fellowship, a 3-year award
- Graduate advisor: Dr. Aaron Moody, Dept. of Geography, UNC Landscape Ecology and Biogeography Lab

B.S. in Biology, Duke University, 2003
- Recipient of the Reginaldo Howard Scholarship, a 4-year full tuition merit and leadership award

Diploma, NC School of Science and Mathematics, May 1999
- Member of the US physics team to Vienna, Austria for the 12th International Young Physicists' Tournament

Professional Experience

Resume: Click here for the complete version.

• Production Assistant, HiViz.com, 2004-present
• Teaching Assistant, Biology 25, Duke University, Durham, NC. 2003-2004
• Research Assistant, Johnsen Lab, Duke University Biology Department, Durham, NC. 2003-2004
• Webmaster, Duke University, Durham, NC. 2002-2004
• Graphics Consultant, RGG Architects, Durham, NC. 2002-2003. Contract position.
• Webmaster/IT Intern, John Hope Franklin Center, Duke University, Durham, NC. 2000-2002
• Computer Support/Training, NC School of Science and Mathematics, Durham, NC. 2000.

Research

• Thesis Research (UNC; Dr. Aaron Moody)
  Searched the literature to gather data on Arctic vegetation distribution, and employed this data in ArcGIS to validate an Arctic biome model of vegetation changes due to a climate change scenario.

• NASA Project (UNC; Dr. Aaron Moody)
  Supported my lab’s NASA-funded project to learn what environmental factors might increase or decrease plant species richness across a 3-state area.

• Current Issues in Ecology (UNC; seminar)
  Responsible for performing land use/land cover change (LULC) and climate change analyses of the Uwharrie National Forest area using Landsat imagery, to provide input to the U.S. Forest Service's new management plan for the forest.

• Photobiology/Visual Ecology (Duke; Dr. Sonke Johnsen)
  Responsible for equipment setup and field data collection for a research project in visual ecology – to measure nighttime skylight variations

• Physics (Granular Materials) - Dr. Robert Behringer, Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC. 1999. (read publication) (also here)

• Cancer Biology - Dr. Barry Goz, Department of Pharmacology, UNC - Chapel Hill, NC. Summer 1998. The effects of wortmannin and 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine on cancerous Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Publications

Winters, D. 2009. Arctic Plant Migration by 2100: Comparing Predictions with Observations. Master's thesis.

Vanel, L., Howell, D., Clark, D., Behringer, R.P., Clement, E. (1999). Memories in sand: Experimental tests of construction history on stress distributions under sandpiles. Phys. Rev. E 60 (5): R5040-R5043.