ALEXANDRA DECANDIA
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vitAE

Professional Appointments

Georgetown University, Washington, DC                                                                                       Aug. 2021-Present
Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Biology​
​            Courses: Ecology + Lab (BIOL 180; Fall 2021), Foundations in Biology II Lab (BIOL 114; Spring 2022); Principle & Practice in Biology
​            (BIOL 100; Summer 2022) 

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC                                                Aug. 2021-Present
Research Associate, Center for Conservation Genomics & Center for Species Survival
​            Primary Research Areas: epigenetic gene regulation, microbial ecology, and wildlife conservation of black-footed ferrets
​
            (Mustela nigripes), Channel Island foxes (Urocyon littoralis), and island spotted skunks (Spilogale gracilis amphiala) 
​
            SCBI Staff Profile

Postdoctoral Research

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC                                                Sept. 2020-Aug. 2021
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for Conservation Genomics & Center for Species Survival
​            Advisors: Jesús Maldonado, PhD and Klaus-Peter Koepfli, PhD
​            ​I identified the primary drivers of host-associated microbial diversity in Yellowstone National Park wolves (Canis lupus). I
​            additionally studied the roles of epigenetic gene regulation and microbiome diversity on mammalian health and disease in
​            black-footed ferrets (M. nigripes) and Channel Island foxes (U. littoralis).

Education

Princeton University, Graduate School, Princeton, NJ                                                               Sept. 2015-Aug. 2020
MA, PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology                                                                                                       
            Academic Advisor: Bridgett vonHoldt, PhD
            Dissertation: “An inclusive understanding of molecular variation in population genetics and wildlife disease ecology”
            Dissertation Defense Recording - 08.03.2020
            I argued for a more inclusive understanding of molecular diversity within ecology and evolutionary biology. In Chapter One, I
            summarized literature along the intersection of molecular ecology, disease ecology, and wildlife conservation to highlight the
            utility of diverse molecular techniques. In subsequent chapters, I applied multiple approaches to address questions within p
            population genetics and wildlife disease ecology. In Chapters Two and Three, I examined the genetic effects of urban
            colonization to consider host genetic changes within altered disease landscapes. In Chapters Four and Five, I characterized
            changes in the host-associated microbiome associated with ectoparasitic mite infection to elucidate novel drivers of disease 
            
pathology.
​
Columbia University, Columbia College, New York, NY                                                           Sept. 2011-May 2015
BA in Environmental Biology, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Dean's List
            Thesis Advisor: George Amato, PhD
            Departmental Thesis: “Method for the noninvasive sex identification of order Carnivora”
​​            2015 Winner of the Dobzhansky Award for Outstanding Thesis in Evolutionary Biology

Previous Research

American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY                                                                Sept. 2013-Aug. 2015
Undergraduate Research Assistant, Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics 
​
​            Advisor: George Amato, PhD
​            I developed the first noninvasive molecular sexing method applicable to multiple families within mammalian order Carnivora
​            to aid conservation monitoring and management of at-risk species. ​

The Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY                                                           Sept. 2012-Jan. 2013
Undergraduate Research Assistant
​            Advisor: Natalie Boelman, PhD
​            I catalogued over 23,000 terrestrial arthropods as part of larger-scale effort to examine ecological succession and altered food
​            web dynamics in the changing Arctic

Teaching Experience

2021-Present: Assistant Teaching Professor, Georgetown University
  • I am a full-time teaching professor in the Biology Department. In Fall 2021, I designed and implemented an
    Ecology course for students in their sophomore, junior, and senior years. In Spring 2022, I will be co-teaching 
    Foundations in Biology II, and in Summer 2022, I will be co-teaching Principles & Practices in Biology.
2016-2020: McGraw Center for Teaching & Learning, Graduate Teaching Fellow
  • I trained first time science educators in implementing active teaching strategies, creating inclusive classrooms, and leading effective lecture, seminar, and laboratory-based undergraduate courses. I also performed classroom observations to provide real-time feedback to science educators during the semester.
2016-2020: McGraw Center for Teaching & Learning, Teaching Transcript Recipient
  • I participated in assistant in instruction (AI) orientation, served as an AI for two semesters, attended and led teaching pedagogy workshops, developed a written teaching philosophy, and designed an original syllabus.
​2019: Graduate Teaching Assistant for Winter Ecology Field Course (EEB521)
  • I guided first year graduate students through design and implementation of short-term research projects in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, USA.
​2015-2017: Graduate Teaching Assistant for Evolution (EEB309; two semesters)
  • I led weekly discussion sections for undergraduates that included critique of primary literature, group activities (e.g., Pokémon phylogeny construction), and Jeopardy-style review to engage students with the material. I also implemented a communication project that challenged students to creatively share science with the public.  

Mentoring Experience

2021-2022: Elton Tran, Princeton University Senior Thesis Student ‘22 – Santa Cruz Island Skunk Microbiome
2021-2022: Emily Yu, Princeton University Senior Thesis Student ‘22 – Northern Elephant Seal Microbiome
2021: Cesar Carrasco, UCSB-Smithsonian Scholars Program Student - Channel Island Fox Microbiome
2020-2021: Jasmine Lu, Princeton University Senior Thesis Student ‘21 – Santa Catalina Island Fox Microbiome
2019-2020: Kennedy Leverett**, Princeton University Senior Thesis Student ’20 – Microbiome of Canid Sarcoptic Mange
2018-2019: Mikaela Walkup, Princeton University Senior Thesis Student ’19 – Santa Catalina Island Fox Epigenetics
2016-2017: Catherine Caro**, Princeton University Senior Thesis Student ’17 – Red Fox Urbanization Genetics
2016-2017: Rohan Hylton, Princeton University Senior Thesis Student ’17 – Santa Catalina Island Fox Genetics
2016-2017: Quin Pompi, Princeton University Senior Thesis Student ’17 – Yellowstone National Park Wolf Genetics
2016: Amelia Krause**, High School Laboratory Learning Student – Coyote Urbanization Genetics
2015-2016: Samantha Wu, Princeton University Senior Thesis Student ’16 – Yellowstone National Park Wolf Genetics
​
**student coauthor on peer-reviewed publication

Science Communication, Outreach, & Diversity Initiatives

2021-Present: Association of Minority Zoo & Aquarium Professionals (member)
​2020-Present: American Genetic Association AGA Blog (blog columnist; 2 posts)
2020-Present: Skype a Scientist (presenter for elementary & middle school students; 12 presentations)
2021: American Society of Mammalogists One-on-One Mentoring (mentor for undergraduate students)
2021: Ozarks Science & Engineering Fair (senior high division zoology judge)
2018-2020: Princeton University Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Scholars Program (mentor & presenter for prospective graduate students from backgrounds historically underrepresented in STEM)
2016-2020: Princeton Alliance Church Young Adults Ministry (member)
2015-2020: Princeton University Women in Science Program (member)
2020: Princeton Alliance Church Young Adults Ministry (servant leader)
2018: Open Labs Science Café (presenter for high school students)
2018: Bring Your Kids to Work Day (roundtable leader for elementary school students)
2017: Princeton Alliance Church Middle School Ministry (servant leader)
2013-2015: Columbia Science Review (blog columnist; 8 posts)

Invited Seminars & Guest Lectures

2021: Conservation Biology (BIOL365), Georgetown University
Guest Lecture for Undergraduates, “Modern conservation tools: Genetics”
​
2021: Applied Molecular Ecology (EEB331), Princeton University
Guest Lecture for Undergraduates, “Studying the host-associated microbiome in wildlife”
 
2021: Cross-Center Seminar, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
Invited Seminar, “Mites, microbes, and tumors: The ear canal microbiome of Santa Catalina Island foxes”
 
2021: Ecology, Evolution & Conservation Biology Program, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Invited Seminar, “Microbial dysbiosis and its implications for disease in genetically depauperate Santa Catalina Island foxes”
 
2021: Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, George Mason University
Guest Lecture for Undergraduates, “Black-footed ferrets in research: Using collections to advance conservation science and practice”
 
2021: Alternative Career Seminar, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University
Invited Seminar, “Research and conservation at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute”

Conference Presentations

2021: 100th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists (ASM)
Oral Presentation, “Genomics underlie disease severity in Yellowstone National Park wolves”

2021: 
Annual Island Fox Working Group Meeting
Oral Presentation, “Channel Island fox microbiomes"
 
2021: Annual Black-footed Ferret Genomics Working Group Meeting
Oral Presentation, “Examining epigenetic & microbial variation in captive-managed black-footed ferrets”
 
2020: The Princeton University Center for Health & Wellbeing Student Research Symposium
Oral Presentation, “Genomic underpinnings and consequences of sarcoptic mange severity in Yellowstone National Park wolves”

2020: North American Congress for Conservation Biology (NACCB)
Oral Presentation, “Microbial dysbiosis and its implications for disease in genetically depauperate Santa Catalina Island foxes”
***Recipient of Student Presentation Award for “Best Full Length Presentation”
 
2020: Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting (ESA)
Oral Presentation, “Microbial dysbiosis and its implications for disease in genetically depauperate Santa Catalina Island foxes”
 
2020: Annual Island Fox Working Group Meeting
Oral Presentation, “The host-associated microbiome of Santa Catalina Island foxes”
 
2019: Student Conference on Conservation Science – New York (SCCS-NY)
Oral Presentation, “Microbial diversity and its implications for disease in an endemic fox population”
 
2019: 99th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists (ASM)
Oral Presentation, “Microbial diversity and its implications for disease in an endemic fox population”
 
2019: Ecology & Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID)
Poster Presentation, “Microbial diversity and its implications for disease in an endemic fox population”
 
2019: Northeast Natural History Conference (NENHC)
Invited Oral Presentation, “Genetics of urban coyote colonization: Neutral and adaptive variation in NYC’s newest residents”
 
2019: Columbia-Rutgers-Princeton-Penn-Yale Student Conference (CRPPY)
Oral Presentation, “Genetics of urban colonization: Neutral and adaptive variation in urban canids”
 
2017: Student Conference on Conservation Science – New York (SCCS-NY)
Oral Presentation, “Genetic underpinnings of disease severity in Yellowstone National Park wolves”
***Recipient of Award for “Best Full Length Presentation”
 
2017: The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting (TWS)
Oral Presentation, “Genetic underpinnings of disease severity in Yellowstone National Park wolves”
 
2017: The Society for Molecular Biology & Evolution Annual Meeting (SMBE)
Poster Presentation, “Genetic underpinnings of disease severity in Yellowstone National Park wolves”
 
2016: The Princeton University Center for Health & Wellbeing Student Research Symposium
Poster Presentation, “Genetic underpinnings of disease severity in Yellowstone National Park wolves”
 
2016: Student Conference on Conservation Science – New York (SCCS-NY)
Oral Presentation, “A novel molecular method for noninvasive sex identification of order Carnivora”
 
2014: Student Conference on Conservation Science – New York (SCCS-NY)
Poster Presentation, “A novel molecular method for noninvasive sex identification of order Carnivora”
 
2013: The Columbia University Earth Institute Student Research Showcase
Poster Presentation, “Arctic arthropods: seasonal change at the base of the tundra food web”

Academic & Professional Service

Invited Peer Reviewer: Conservation Genetics Resources; Ecology & Evolution; Frontiers in Ecology & Evolution; ​Journal of Heredity; ​Journal of Urban Ecology; Molecular Ecology; PeerJ; PLoS ONE; Scientific Reports
2020-Present: Black-footed Ferret Genomics Working Group (member)
2020-Present: Channel Island Fox Conservation Working Group (member)
2020-Present: Channel Island Spotted Skunk Working Group (member)
2020-Present: Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Genomics Journal Club (member & presenter)
2020-Present: Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Microbiome Journal Club (member & presenter)
2015-2020: Princeton University Evolution Group (organizer, member, & presenter)
2015-2020: Princeton University Disease Group (member & presenter)
2017-2019: The Wildlife Society Molecular Ecology Working Group (student board member)
2013-2015: Columbia University Environmental Biology Society (C.U.E.B.S.) (founder & executive board member)

Field Experience

2019: Catalina Island Conservancy Fox Trapping, Santa Catalina Island (California, USA)
  • I shadowed collaborators during annual island fox monitoring efforts to observe and aid microbiome sample collection. ​
2019: Winter Ecology Field Course, Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, USA)
  • I guided first year graduate students through design and implementation of short-term research projects on lichen growth and animal traffic patterns in different microclimates.
2016: Tropical Ecology Field Course, Tiputini Biodiversity Station (Ecuador)
  • I designed and implemented a short-term research project on ant-plant mutualisms in “devil’s gardens” in the Amazon rainforest.​
​2015: Coral Reef Ecology Field Course, Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (Bermuda)
  • I learned how to identify local species of coral, fish, and terrestrial vertebrates through classroom, snorkeling, and hiking experiences.   

Grants & Fellowships

2021-2022: Georgetown University Annual Research Grant, $10,000
2020-2021: Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program Postdoctoral Fellowship, $54,550
2015-2020: National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, $138,000
​2020: ​Friends of the Island Fox 2020 Research Grant, $5,000
2019: American Society of Mammalogists Student Travel Award, $500
2017: Center for Health & Wellbeing Health Grand Challenge Research Award, $5,000
2017: American Museum of Natural History Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund, $2,350
2017: American Society of Mammalogists Grants-in-Aid of Research, $1,500
2016: Princeton University Women Scientists in Conservation Biology Research Award, $7,500
2016: Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology First Year Seed Money, $2,500
2016: Center for Health & Wellbeing Health Grand Challenge Research Award, $2,000
2016: Princeton University Graduate School Professional Development Travel Funds, $500

Media Coverage

2021: "Fox Foto Friday - Island Fox Science in Progress" (Friends of the Island Fox)
2021: "Fox Foto Friday - Island Foxes in Washington D.C.?" (Friends of the Island Fox)
2021: "Yellowstone's wolves are fighting mange at the genetic level" (Wyoming Public Radio, Audio Clip)
2021: “Genetics study shows why some Yellowstone wolves dodge mange” (Billings Gazette)
2021: “Study of mange in Yellowstone wolves could inform conservation efforts, scabies research” (Bozeman Daily Chronicle)
2021: “Mange in Yellowstone wolves reveals insights into human scabies and conservation biology” (Princeton University)
2021: "Fox Foto Friday - Island Foxes Healthy Inside and Out" (Friends of the Island Fox)
2020: "FIF Research Grant to Investigate Diversity of Island Fox Microbiome" (Friends of the Island Fox)
2020: “Mites, microbes, and cancer in Santa Catalina Island foxes” (Friends of the Island Fox)
2020: “Microbes linked to cancer in threatened California foxes, report Princeton researchers” (Princeton University)
2020: “Are coyotes moving into your neighborhood?” (Science News for Students)
2019: “What can the ears of island foxes tell us?” (Forbes)
2019: “The city fox phenomenon” (Ecology and Evolution Blog)
2018: “Montreal turns to coyote hazing after 19 people are bitten” (New York Times)

Professional Memberships

2021-Present: Association of Minority Zoo & Aquarium Professionals (member profile)
2017-Present: American Genetic Association  
2017-Present: American Society of Mammalogists
2017-Present: Society for Conservation Biology
2017-Present: The Wildlife Society (Molecular Ecology Working Group Student Board Member, 2017-2019)
2017-2018: Society for the Study of Evolution
2017: American Civil Liberties Union
2017: American Society of Naturalists
2017: Society for Molecular Biology & Evolution
2015: Phi Beta Kappa Society

Workshops

2018: Bridging Theory & Experiment in Microbial Communities
2016: Evolutionary Biology in Guarda, Switzerland
2016: Recent Advances in Conservation Genetics (ConGen) in Tihany, Hungary
2009: The Green Schools Alliance Student Climate & Conservation Congress (SC3)
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