eskelin

I double majored in studio art and psychology with a focus in neuroscience. I gained many skills that prepared me for a graduate degree in ecology. I spent my time conducting scientific research, working in laboratory settings, writing literature reviews, performing statistical analyses, and developing strong critical thinking skills. My courses in biology and behavioral neuroscience taught me the fundamentals of cellular biology, biochemistry and anatomy, along with hands-on laboratory experience. In my capstone course on the psychology of sustainability, I independently conducted a pilot study on the extension of moral reasoning to non-human life.

GPA 3.5 — Dean’s Honors List 2018 | 2020

Relevant Courses:

• Psychology of Sustainability

• Perspective in Biology + Lab

• Behavioral Neuroscience + Lab

• Research Methods

• Statistics I

• Perspective in Math

• Brain and Behavior

This project was run by the Safford Lab of UC, Davis in conjunction with California State Parks to monitor the effectiveness of prescribed burning. For this position, I was responsible for identifying plants down to species in many distinct ecosystems throughout the state of California. Duties included but were not limited to creating a comprehensive species list for each plot, keying out species, teaching crew members plant identification, measuring percent cover of each species, attending lab meetings, navigating to plots using Avenza, marking plot locations using Garmin GPS, performing Brown’s Transects, measuring tree regeneration, tagging trees, taking DBH, using Rangefinders to determined tree height, using Clinometers to determine slope, and taking basal area (both Cruzall and Relaskop).

This project was based in Northeastern Oregon and focused on the foraging habits of ungulate, specifically elk and cattle, to see if one group's foraging habits might impact the others. My duties included vegetation surveys (circular plot, quadrat, and transect), identifying ~200 species of the Blue and Wallowa mountain ranges, camera set up and maintenance, scat collection, preparation of scat samples for DNA metabarcoding, navigating off road using GIS, general vehicle and equipment maintenance, creating easily digestible plant identification resources for the rest of the crew, hiking 10+ miles in a day with extreme elevation gain, photo documentation of test site, surveying for potential test sites, classifying habitat types, and data entry in Excel.

Additionally, I was tasked with independently creating a biological reference library through the creation of herbarium specimens which would later be used for DNA metabarcoding analysis.

The primary investigator on this project was Taal Levi and my direct supervisor was Lara Mengak.

As design assistant for Symbiop, I worked directly under the head designer, Matt Gravel. For each project, I initially worked independently to survey potential project sites and create comprehensive maps in SketchUp which would be the foundation for each of the final designs. During these surveys, I record existing structures and hardscaping, as well as the quantity, location, and species of existing plants. I was responsible for fostering relationships with each client through email and in-person house visits. I was responsible for creating the final presentation of the design in Adobe before sending it to the client for final review.

Once a project was approved, I helped manage a team of 2-6 landscapers in the implementation of the design. During installation, I often used power tools (chainsaw, drill, skillsaw, weed whacker, etc.) and heavy machinery (excavator, forklift, etc.).

While working as a field technician in Eastern Oregon, I shadowed a botany class led by Josh Averett from Eastern Oregon University which focused on identifying plants in the Starkey Experimental Forest using a dichotomous key.

Additionally, I assisted Averett in the surveying of an ongoing riparian restoration project in the Starkey.

While volunteering with the Berry Botanic Seed Bank at Portland State University, I assisted Roxy Olsson and Gabriel Campbell to test the germination requirements of Lupinus littoralis (Shore Lupine).

For this, I assisted in the preparation of materials including the sterilization of the workspace and tools, the removal of debris from seeds using a winnowing machine and sieves, the manual scarification of seeds, the use of sterilized tools to place seeds into petri-dishes, and the placing of said petri-dishes into the germinations cabinet to test their growth response to different temperature treatments. This work was designed to examine how Lupinus littoralis will respond to climate change.

I was responsible for leading groups of 2-12 participants on a 1-2 hour long zipline canopy tour. In addition to keeping my tour safe, I was also responsible for teaching them about the local ecology and engaging them with the environment around them. I was trained by many local ecologists on the native flora and fauna of the Texas hill country while at this job and used a two-way radio everyday. Additionally, I participated in countless habitat restoration projects and trained incoming guides each year.