CURRICULUM VITAE
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Annie Finneran (Ann E. Finneran)
Graduate Student
[email protected]
www.linkedin.com/in/annie-finneran
ORCID: 0000-0002-0705-711X
EDUCATION
PhD Student – Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 2022 - Present
Rice University, Houston, TX USA - Dr. Matthew McCary’s lab
Dr. Lydia Beaudrots lab: 2022-2024
Investigating consequences of fragmentation and disturbance on mammal food webs and the role of food webs in nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning.
Bachelor of Science, Biology; Minor in Conservation Biology June 2021
University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
Departmental Honors, GPA: 3.83, cum laude, Deans List
Study abroad student - University of Auckland - NZ Spring term 2020
RESEARCH AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
Field Season in Costa Rica
La Selva Biological Research Station, Heredia Province, Costa Rica Summer 2023
· Two-month field season deploying camera traps and acoustic recorders to examine occupancy weighted food webs in old growth. vs secondary growth forest sections.
UCLA Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology 2018 - 2022
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Student Researcher and Staff Research Associate in the Grether Lab
Friends of Ballona Wetlands, Marina del Rey, CA, USA 2021 - 2022
Intern
· Collaborated on restoration through non-native plant removal, collection and distribution of native seeds, and vegetation monitoring.
· Guided community outreach programs and led educational experiences for grade-school children.
Navy Marine Mammal Program, San Diego, CA, USA Summer Term 2019
Student Intern
· Led research project to examine effects of sound temporal structure on dolphin hearing abilities. Conducted daily psychophysical test sessions with dolphins, calibrated underwater sound system, analyzed data, and published results in peer-reviewed journal.
UCLA Field Biology Quarter, Manú National Park, Peru Winter Term 2019
Student
· Planned and executed research project to examine effects of anthropogenic noise on bird calling behavior. Collected and analyzed data, submitted research paper describing study results.
PUBLICATIONS
Finneran, A. E., Beaudrot, L., Uribe, C.A. “Food network structure varies within and among regions as a function of productivity and anthropogenic pressure”. In prep.
Grether, G.F., Finneran, A.E. & Drury, J.P. (2023) Niche differentiation, reproductive interference, and range expansion. Ecology Letters, 00, 1–15.
Finneran, A. E., Mulsow, J., & Finneran, J. J. (2020). “Detection of simulated patterned echo packets by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)”. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 148(2), 1007–1013.
Drury, J.P., Barnes, M., Finneran, A.E., Harris, M., & Grether, G.F. (2019). “Continent-Scale Phenotype Mapping Using Citizen Scientists’ Photographs.” Ecography 42(8),1436–45.
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Finneran AE, Beaudrot L, Uribe CA, Examining Food Web Network Structure Variation as a Function of Primary Productivity and Fragmentation at Regional and Continental Scales. Houston Regional Ecology and Evolution Symposium, Houston, TX, USA, May 2024. (WINNER: BEST POSTER)
Finneran AE, Beaudrot L, Uribe CA, Examining Food Web Network Structure Variation as a Function of Primary Productivity and Fragmentation at Regional and Continental Scales. Rice Biosciences Welcome Symposium, Houston, TX, USA, August 2023. (WINNER: BEST POSTER)
Finneran AE, Beaudrot L, Uribe CA, Examining Food Web Network Structure Variation as a Function of Primary Productivity and Fragmentation at Regional and Continental Scales. Ecological Society of America, Portland, OR USA, August 2023.
Finneran AE, Beaudrot L, Uribe CA, Examining Food Web Network Structure Variation as a Function of Primary Productivity and Fragmentation at Regional and Continental Scales. International Congress for Conservation Biology, Kigali, Rwanda, July 2023.
Finneran AE, Baca J, Grether GF, Shier DM, Cowen M, Vaz MC. Call of the wild: The effect of anthropogenic noise on bird vocalizations in a Western Amazon forest. UCLA Undergraduate Poster Day & UCLA EEB Poster Day, Los Angeles, CA, May 2019
Finneran AE, Drury JP, Grether GF. Niche Modeling of Hetaerina titia Occurrence and Pigmentation. UCLA Undergraduate Poster Day & UCLA EEB Poster Day, Los Angeles, CA, May 2021
GRANTS, HONORS AND FELLOWSHIPS
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship: April 2024
Rice Biosciences Grad Student Travel Award: May 2024 ($300)
Rice Graduate Teaching Award for Student Support: March 2024 ($250)
Lewis & Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research: May 2023 ($5000)
Rice Biosciences Grad Student Travel Award: May 2023 ($300)
Rice Biosciences Peter Savvas Nelson Award for Community Citizenship: May 2023 ($100)
Expanding Horizons Fellowship: March 2023 ($4000)
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship – Honorable Mention: April 2022
Deans Prize for Excellence in Research: May 2021
Whitcome Undergraduate Summer Research: 2020 ($4000)
Alpha Lambda Delta & Phi Eta Sigma: National Honor Societies for academic excellence
TEACHING & MENTORING
Biosciences 338/538: Analysis and Visualization of Biological Data Spring 2023 & 2024
Teaching Assistant
Research Experience for Teachers (NSF RET) Mentor Summer 2023 & 2024
Mallory Tucker, Rice University, Biosciences Department, Fall 2023 & Spring 2024
Meghan Paral, Rice University, Biosciences Department, Spring 2024
Alex Zalles, Rice University, REU Scholar, Summer & Fall 2023, Spring 2024
Kai Hung, Rice University, ECE Department, Spring, Summer & Fall 2023, Spring 2024
Isabella Estes, Rice University, SER Scholar Fall 2022
Foster Graf, Pepperdine University, Chemistry Department, 2022
LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE
Communication Consultant August 2024 - Present
Rice U. Center for Academic & Professional Communication
Graduate Student Ambassador May 2024 – Present
Rice University – Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Student Association Spring 2023 – Present
Co-President - 2024
Graduate STRIVE at Rice University Spring 2023 – Present
Secretary
Owls Outreach at Rice University Spring 2023 & Spring 2024
Volunteer
Houston Botanic Garden October 2022 – January 2024
Volunteer
Research Mentor
Special Olympics of Southern California 2018 - 2022
Coach
SKILLS & COURSEWORK
· Proficient in R, Excel, Collab, and Maxent, Basic Skills in ArcGIS, Python, SQL, Blender, Google Earth Engine, QGIS
· Spanish: Intermediate-Proficient with oral, listening comprehension, reading, and writing.
· Determined, Creative, Attentive, and Passionate
· PADI Scuba Certified Diver
· Wilderness First Aid Certified
MEMBERSHIPS
Ecological Society of America (ESA)
Graduate Women in Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
British Ecological Society
National Science Policy Network
Society for Conservation Biology
Graduate Student
[email protected]
www.linkedin.com/in/annie-finneran
ORCID: 0000-0002-0705-711X
EDUCATION
PhD Student – Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 2022 - Present
Rice University, Houston, TX USA - Dr. Matthew McCary’s lab
Dr. Lydia Beaudrots lab: 2022-2024
Investigating consequences of fragmentation and disturbance on mammal food webs and the role of food webs in nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning.
Bachelor of Science, Biology; Minor in Conservation Biology June 2021
University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
Departmental Honors, GPA: 3.83, cum laude, Deans List
Study abroad student - University of Auckland - NZ Spring term 2020
RESEARCH AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
Field Season in Costa Rica
La Selva Biological Research Station, Heredia Province, Costa Rica Summer 2023
· Two-month field season deploying camera traps and acoustic recorders to examine occupancy weighted food webs in old growth. vs secondary growth forest sections.
UCLA Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology 2018 - 2022
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Student Researcher and Staff Research Associate in the Grether Lab
- Examined distribution and pigmentation of the damselfly Hetaerina titia through behavioral ecology field experiments in Costa Rica for six weeks, chemical analysis of insect energy stores through Professor David Green’s lab at Pepperdine, and environmental niche modeling. This position was through NSF REPS (Research Experience for Post-Baccalaureate Students).
Friends of Ballona Wetlands, Marina del Rey, CA, USA 2021 - 2022
Intern
· Collaborated on restoration through non-native plant removal, collection and distribution of native seeds, and vegetation monitoring.
· Guided community outreach programs and led educational experiences for grade-school children.
Navy Marine Mammal Program, San Diego, CA, USA Summer Term 2019
Student Intern
· Led research project to examine effects of sound temporal structure on dolphin hearing abilities. Conducted daily psychophysical test sessions with dolphins, calibrated underwater sound system, analyzed data, and published results in peer-reviewed journal.
UCLA Field Biology Quarter, Manú National Park, Peru Winter Term 2019
Student
· Planned and executed research project to examine effects of anthropogenic noise on bird calling behavior. Collected and analyzed data, submitted research paper describing study results.
PUBLICATIONS
Finneran, A. E., Beaudrot, L., Uribe, C.A. “Food network structure varies within and among regions as a function of productivity and anthropogenic pressure”. In prep.
Grether, G.F., Finneran, A.E. & Drury, J.P. (2023) Niche differentiation, reproductive interference, and range expansion. Ecology Letters, 00, 1–15.
Finneran, A. E., Mulsow, J., & Finneran, J. J. (2020). “Detection of simulated patterned echo packets by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)”. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 148(2), 1007–1013.
Drury, J.P., Barnes, M., Finneran, A.E., Harris, M., & Grether, G.F. (2019). “Continent-Scale Phenotype Mapping Using Citizen Scientists’ Photographs.” Ecography 42(8),1436–45.
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Finneran AE, Beaudrot L, Uribe CA, Examining Food Web Network Structure Variation as a Function of Primary Productivity and Fragmentation at Regional and Continental Scales. Houston Regional Ecology and Evolution Symposium, Houston, TX, USA, May 2024. (WINNER: BEST POSTER)
Finneran AE, Beaudrot L, Uribe CA, Examining Food Web Network Structure Variation as a Function of Primary Productivity and Fragmentation at Regional and Continental Scales. Rice Biosciences Welcome Symposium, Houston, TX, USA, August 2023. (WINNER: BEST POSTER)
Finneran AE, Beaudrot L, Uribe CA, Examining Food Web Network Structure Variation as a Function of Primary Productivity and Fragmentation at Regional and Continental Scales. Ecological Society of America, Portland, OR USA, August 2023.
Finneran AE, Beaudrot L, Uribe CA, Examining Food Web Network Structure Variation as a Function of Primary Productivity and Fragmentation at Regional and Continental Scales. International Congress for Conservation Biology, Kigali, Rwanda, July 2023.
Finneran AE, Baca J, Grether GF, Shier DM, Cowen M, Vaz MC. Call of the wild: The effect of anthropogenic noise on bird vocalizations in a Western Amazon forest. UCLA Undergraduate Poster Day & UCLA EEB Poster Day, Los Angeles, CA, May 2019
Finneran AE, Drury JP, Grether GF. Niche Modeling of Hetaerina titia Occurrence and Pigmentation. UCLA Undergraduate Poster Day & UCLA EEB Poster Day, Los Angeles, CA, May 2021
GRANTS, HONORS AND FELLOWSHIPS
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship: April 2024
Rice Biosciences Grad Student Travel Award: May 2024 ($300)
Rice Graduate Teaching Award for Student Support: March 2024 ($250)
Lewis & Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research: May 2023 ($5000)
Rice Biosciences Grad Student Travel Award: May 2023 ($300)
Rice Biosciences Peter Savvas Nelson Award for Community Citizenship: May 2023 ($100)
Expanding Horizons Fellowship: March 2023 ($4000)
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship – Honorable Mention: April 2022
Deans Prize for Excellence in Research: May 2021
Whitcome Undergraduate Summer Research: 2020 ($4000)
Alpha Lambda Delta & Phi Eta Sigma: National Honor Societies for academic excellence
TEACHING & MENTORING
Biosciences 338/538: Analysis and Visualization of Biological Data Spring 2023 & 2024
Teaching Assistant
- Assisted students learning the R programming language for the first time, offering office hours, help sheets, and discussion boards for 32 undergraduate and graduate students. Guest lectured on the topic of R Markdown.
Research Experience for Teachers (NSF RET) Mentor Summer 2023 & 2024
- Advised a high school teacher intern through a summer research project, teaching scientific practices, experimental and writing skills, and conducted a lesson for their classroom.
Mallory Tucker, Rice University, Biosciences Department, Fall 2023 & Spring 2024
Meghan Paral, Rice University, Biosciences Department, Spring 2024
Alex Zalles, Rice University, REU Scholar, Summer & Fall 2023, Spring 2024
Kai Hung, Rice University, ECE Department, Spring, Summer & Fall 2023, Spring 2024
Isabella Estes, Rice University, SER Scholar Fall 2022
Foster Graf, Pepperdine University, Chemistry Department, 2022
LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE
Communication Consultant August 2024 - Present
Rice U. Center for Academic & Professional Communication
- Developed and provided feedback on written and oral communication materials for undergraduate and graduate students.
Graduate Student Ambassador May 2024 – Present
Rice University – Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
- Connected and supported prospective students in their applications to graduate school, providing information about programs at Rice as well as graduate school in general.
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Student Association Spring 2023 – Present
Co-President - 2024
- Advocated for student needs in the department, organized professional development opportunities, and planned all departmental recruitment activities. Engaged in monthly meetings with first year-students to support their graduate school experience.
- Documented minutes for GSA meetings and coordinated finances for event planning.
Graduate STRIVE at Rice University Spring 2023 – Present
Secretary
- Provide support and education to address domestic and sexual violence on campus.
Owls Outreach at Rice University Spring 2023 & Spring 2024
Volunteer
- Planned lessons and activities for science communication with elementary and high-school aged students.
Houston Botanic Garden October 2022 – January 2024
Volunteer
- Engaged in both hands-on horticulture work, as well as community events and education.
Research Mentor
- Mentored three undergraduate life science major UCLA students, offering guidance on finding labs to work in, talking with professors, and advocating for their own research ideas as well as provided a safe space for students to discuss challenges of research.
Special Olympics of Southern California 2018 - 2022
Coach
- Led 60 athletes on and off the sporting fields, offering companionship, acceptance, and enthusiasm during every interaction.
- Spearheaded liability and accountability team to organize database of pertinent medical information for all athletes.
SKILLS & COURSEWORK
· Proficient in R, Excel, Collab, and Maxent, Basic Skills in ArcGIS, Python, SQL, Blender, Google Earth Engine, QGIS
· Spanish: Intermediate-Proficient with oral, listening comprehension, reading, and writing.
· Determined, Creative, Attentive, and Passionate
· PADI Scuba Certified Diver
· Wilderness First Aid Certified
MEMBERSHIPS
Ecological Society of America (ESA)
Graduate Women in Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
British Ecological Society
National Science Policy Network
Society for Conservation Biology