Work Experience
This section details my previous and current work experience in the natural resource field.
Undergraduate Student Worker: Dr. Fowler's Lab
October 2025 - Present
Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge, LA
Me releasing a Gadwall (Mareca strepera) after transmitter surgery was completed. **Image provided by Mark Reed (Instagram: @markreed8)
The Gadwall after surgery, before they were released.
Me cleaning out dead vegetation.
Me releasing a Gadwall (Mareca strepera) after transmitter surgery was completed. **Image provided by Mark Reed (Instagram: @markreed8)
My position in Dr. Fowler's lab mainly consisted of facilitating lab function and executing tasks for Dr. Fowler's graduate students' research projects.
Key Skills and Takeaways
Majority of laboratory logistical tasks and vehicle maintenance are done unsupervised. This position has enforced in me the importance of being able to complete a task in an efficient manner, while also ensuring quality work is done. An example of this is found in my assignment to clean out a communal maintenance shed. I have been tasked to remove trash from the shed and reorganize what is left, working towards a safe and productive space for the LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources to utilize. I also participate in field work when needed. This consists of helping prepare capture sites by removing vegetation, baiting sites, assisting in removal of waterfowl from rocket nets, and processing individuals for demographic data collection.
Undergraduate Student Worker: Dr. Kaller's Lab
May 2024-August 2024
Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge, LA
This is me on the electrofishing boat during one of our field days for the invasive carp project.
This is me and coworkers waiting for fish to be stunned by the electrical current so we could scoop them up in our nets.
This is the UV trap, one of several sampling methods we used for the insect censuses.
This is me on the electrofishing boat during one of our field days for the invasive carp project.
In this position I collaborated with graduate students in the School of Natural Resources on their thesis research, the projects of which involved studies of invasive carp and insect censuses.
Key Skills and Takeaways
While in this position I developed many new skills. I learned how to keep a process organized, which was especially important for these two projects since the carp samples could not be cross contaminated and the different samples of aquatic invertebrates could not be mixed together since the census was based on the sample location and date. I also learned how to operate a boat trailer, which consisted of hooking up and unloading the trailer and operating the truck with the trailer attached, including backing in reverse. While assisting with the invasive carp project I learned about the dissection of various species of fish and the stable isotope process, such as how to keep detailed and accurate account of the samples I weighed out in each session.
My involvement in the invasive carp project consisted of:
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Capturing specimens using electrofishing technology
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Dissecting the specimens and taking samples such as tissue, gut, and fin samples
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Once the samples were dried, I ground to them to a powder and packaged them, working to prevent cross contamination with other samples
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After the ground samples were packaged I would weigh out each individual sample until they were within a pre-determined weight range in order to be used for isotope analysis
My involvement in the aquatic invertebrate censuses project consisted of:
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Field work to collect specimens in rivers and creeks using D-nets, Hess Samplers, UV light traps, and fly-in nets
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Once sampling was completed I assisted in carefully transferring insects in an alcohol solution for transportation
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In the lab, I organized the invertebrates by families and genus with additional instruction
Undergraduate Student Worker: Dr. Ringleman's Lab & Dr. Stouffer's Lab
Dr. Ringleman's Lab
January 2023 - May 2023
Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge, LA
This project was based on the the relationship between Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) nest success, egg dumping either from other Wood Ducks or Black-belled Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna autumnalis), and predation from Red-bellied Woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus). As a student worker, I observed 8-10 hours of footage a week, documenting any activity that occurred. The footage was from motion-triggered cameras in Wood Duck nest boxes.
Dr. Stouffer's Lab
October 2022 - May 2023
Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge, LA
As a student worker in Dr. Stouffer's lab, I assisted a PhD student's project by reviewing footage of African bird species. The project was looking at Alethe behavior, which were birds that followed ant colonies. I would review 4-5 hours of footage a week, documenting visual or audial observations of the Alethes.
Key Skills and Takeaways
Both of these positions allowed me to develop my data documentation skills. These positions required me to increase my familiarity with Microsoft Excel and how to curate organized and productive spreadsheets, as well as how to communicate the things I saw to my supervisors. Going through the many hours of footage, especially when I was working these two jobs simultaneously, pushed me to learn time management as a freshman in college, as well as focus and attention to detail even when things seemed to become monotonous. Even though these positions were small parts of a larger puzzle, I learned how to contribute to a team and was able to appreciate these first experiences in wildlife research!
Field Experiences
I have had the opportunity to take several amazing courses with outdoor labs that foster skill building, as well as the opportunity to develop my skills outside of class in volunteering with Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries (LDWF). This section outlines some of my favorite field experiences I've had thus far.
Duck Banding
Duck banding is used by wildlife managers and researchers to obtain demographic data such as age, sex, body condition, and age and sex ratios within the population. This information is used for research of waterfowl, as well as implementing management regulations like the length of duck season.
My first experience banding ducks was banding Green-winged Teal with my Waterfowl Ecology course highlighted on my "Academics" page. Since then, I have had the opportunity to band Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) with my Wildlife Techniques course (RNR 4011) and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks with LDWF (Dendrocygna autumnalis).
Due to these opportunities I have proficient experience in:
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Removing waterfowl from various capture techniques, consisting of swim in traps and rocket nets
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Waterfowl handling
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Aging species based on wings and feather conditions
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Sexing sexually monomorphic species like Black-belled Whistling Ducks
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Putting a band on an individual
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Safe and proper release of the individual
Deer Capture
RNR 4011, also known as Wildlife Techniques, gives students the opportunity each year to travel to south Texas to assist the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute (CKWRI) and the East Foundation in collecting data on White-tailed Dear (Odocoileus virginianus). These two institutions hire a helicopter team to net gun the deer, as well as cowboys to retrain the deer after capture. My participation in the project consisted of assisting with capture and placing ear tags on the deer.
Skills obtained:
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Placing a face masks on hobbled deer
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Safe handling of the deer during transport, including proper carrying technique while the deer are in a hobble
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Proper restraint techniques while samples were being taken
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Placing uniquely numbered tags in the ears of the deer so captured individuals can be identified in possible recapture events
My classmates and I setting up the tent where the data collection takes place.
Me and my UTV team getting ready to head out after the helicopter.
Here is another image of me clamping the ear tags.
My classmates and I setting up the tent where the data collection takes place.
Images provided by the East Foundation
Animal & Tree Identification
The Natural Resource Ecology and Management program requires students to take woody plant and animal identification courses. In RNR 2001: Trees and Woody Plants of the Southeast, I learned how to identify common species through outdoor labs and a final project where we created a book of pressed samples we collected throughout the semester. In RNR 3018: Ecology and Management of Southeastern Wildlife, I learned to identify over 160 species of birds, 38 species of Herps, and 27 species of mammals. RNR 4012: Waterfowl Ecology and Management was not a required course, but one I took because of my interest and love of waterfowl! It focused on waterfowl identification through field ID and wing ID (see "Academics" tab for a cool video on one of our field trips!).
Me at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge with RNR 4012 bird watching!
One of RNR 4012's field trips to look for waterfowl on LSU's Aquaculture property.
These are samples I put in my final scrapbook for RNR 2001.
Me at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge with RNR 4012 bird watching!
Louisiana Hunter Safety Certification
RNR 4011: Wildlife Techniques requires each student to take the Louisiana Hunter's Safety Course. The course itself consisted of two classes taught by certified instructors, with a written test at the end of the second session. Our class then completed the gun safety test, which was sponsored by Delta Waterfowl. Our RNR 4011 instructors, Dr. Luke Laborde and Jackie Satter, even coordinated opportunities for us to participate in hunting trips that were sponsored by generous donors. I was able to participate in two teal hunts, one of which my partner and I reached our limit for the day!
Me on my first ever duck hunt, which was sponsored through RNR 4011.