Ph.D. Ecology & Environmental Sciences — Montana State University, Bozeman, MT (2014–2019); NASA Earth and Space Science Fellow
M.S. Environmental Sciences & GIS Certificate — Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL (2012–2014)
B.S. Biological Sciences — Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL (2006–2010)
Research Scientist (part-time)
Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Oct 2025 – present
- Coastal-hydrological flood modeling on the Texas Gulf coast, fusing sub-centimeter drone imagery time series with in-situ HOBO water logger deployments
- Built a Python/Slurm pipeline estimating storm overwash probability across 10 nesting islands in 5 Texas bay and estuary systems using data from NOAA CO-OPS, USGS streamflow, IBTrACS storm data, wind fetch, and CUDEM topobathy (Texas Comptroller funded)
- Binomial GAMs and Shapley-value decomposition of flood drivers; sensitivity analysis across elevation thresholds; interactive dashboards and plain-language summaries for stakeholders
- Developed timsa-py, a tested Python tidal inundation model that estimates time-integrated habitat availability from DEMs and water levels
Founder and Principal
CalleEcology Inc. (environmental consulting and data science) and mewmewmew, Inc.
Mar 2024 – present
- Developed and delivered a 4-week course to Ecological Society of America professional members (Spring 2025), “How to Think Like a Programmer: AI & Code Generation for Data Science”
- Full-stack development and deployment of modeling dashboards (DigitalOcean, Cloudflare; React/npm/APIs; Python; SQL databases)
Assistant Research Scientist
UMD-ESSIC/NASA-GSFC
Jan 2023 – Mar 2024
- Unsupervised classification of vertical canopy structure in mature and old-growth forests using GEDI spaceborne LiDAR (UMD/GSFC/USFS/Harvard)
- Simulation of wildfires to identify scaling solutions for predictive models (USFS/NASA/UMD)
- Adding biodiversity (plant trait variance) and coupled carbon-nitrogen cycling to a global ecosystem model
- Investigating ecosystem spectral diversity and assimilating hyperspectral data (NASA/GSFC)
- Programming in C/R/Python/Bash on the NASA Discover supercomputer
- NASA FireSense Implementation Team
- USFS Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment, Data Management Lead and Strategic Team member
- ROSES 2023 (submitted, not funded): Eyes on ecosystem demography and post-disturbance forest recovery using OCO (XCO2, SIF) with support from ISS sensors
- ROSES 2023 (submitted, not funded): Scaling EMIT imaging spectroscopy data to improve global ecosystem modeling
- NASA Science Mentor for two interns: unsupervised and supervised classification of EMIT hyperspectral data for land cover mapping
Senior Scientist, Lead Model Developer
Regrow Ag, Inc.
Jul 2021 – Dec 2022
- Maintained and developed modules for the DNDC process-based biogeochemistry model
- Engineered workflows for calibration, sensitivity analyses, model evaluation, and data visualization
- Developed novel modules for crop growth dynamics (CN allocation, functional stress response), water management and hydrology for rice crops, grazing, fertilizers and soil CN dynamics, and satellite data assimilation
- Programming in C++, Python, R, Docker, and Bash, with use of AWS/cloud
Assistant Research Scientist
University of Maryland ESSIC
Apr 2021 – Jul 2021
- Implemented a dynamic radiative transfer model (PROSAIL, PROSPECT) into a process-based global ecosystem model to simulate dynamic spectral reflectances from the land
- Programming in C/Fortran, with use of high-performance computing
Post-doctoral Researcher
University of Montana
Apr 2019 – Feb 2021
- Developed a Deep Learning emulator of space-time soil moisture dynamics across the Western USA based on training data from a high-resolution process-based simulation model
- Developed a Deep Learning model to predict forest regrowth probability at high spatial resolution (30m) across the Western USA using time series of satellite data and spatially explicit remote sensing data from Google Earth Engine
- Developed workflow pipelines for multi-criteria parameter optimization across 100 watersheds
- Programming in the Google Earth Engine API, R, Keras/TensorFlow, C, Bash, and Slurm
Graduate Research (PhD)
Montana State University
Aug 2014 – May 2019
Committee Chair: Benjamin Poulter (NASA-GSFC)
- Developed a representation of forest age-class stand dynamics at global scales, fully coupled with land use change, land management (wood harvest), and fire dynamics in the Lund-Potsdam-Jena (LPJ) Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (DGVM)
- Developed and incorporated alternate mathematical models of plant phenology and autotrophic respiration to evaluate model structural uncertainty in the LPJ DGVM
- Processed U.S. Forest Inventory data, eddy-covariance flux tower data, and satellite data to evaluate the structure and function of forest age-class simulations
- Analyzed satellite retrievals of atmospheric CO2 from multiple satellites
- Developed a statistical algorithm for signal decomposition of CO2 seasonal cycles for ecosystem model evaluation; algorithm made available as an R package
- Used high-performance computing clusters for analyzing big data (~0.5 terabyte) and conducting simulations of global terrestrial ecosystems
- Programming in C, Fortran, and R
Primary Research Investigator
Florida Atlantic University (FAU)
Jan 2014 – May 2014
- Developed a resource prioritization tool for conservation organizations using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), a hierarchical weighting scheme of qualitative/quantitative data
- Coded a flexible-input software tool in C#, with a graphical front-end
- Held a breakout session at The Wildlife Society of Florida's annual conference to improve decision criteria and model weights, and to integrate the tool into decision making
Graduate Research Assistant (MSc)
FAU
Jan 2012 – May 2014
Committee Chair: Dale E. Gawlik (FAU)
- Developed a spatially explicit predictive model of habitat availability
- Coded the proposed model in C# (.NET), with a graphical front-end
- Modeled habitat selection using a conditional logistic regression model (a resource selection function); used R (package: survival) for statistical analyses
- Used Python, R, and VBA code to manipulate and manage large datasets
- Bird surveys: spot-mapping and river transects, by boat
- Aquatic prey sampling (pop-nets), nestling wading bird bolus sampling
- Snorkeling transects and quadrat method to estimate seagrass density and species composition
- Sediment coring and analysis of benthic substrate
- Used R (package: ggplot2), SigmaPlot v10, and ArcGIS for figure production
- Supervised technicians and volunteers
- Captained a small boat in remote backcountry (100+ hrs boating)
Research Assistant
FAU
Dec 2010 – Dec 2011
- Developed a spatio-temporal hydrologic model of tides to evaluate effects from tidal dynamics (short-term) and sea level rise (long-term) on wading bird foraging habitat
- Coupled the tidal model to the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) to evaluate long-term changes in accretion and sedimentation processes and wetland conversion
- Used C# (.NET) for model development and a graphical front-end
- Used Python, R, and VBA code to manipulate and manage large datasets
- Conducted a model-based meta-analysis using large datasets (BBS and CBC)
- Used a Bayesian hierarchical model in WinBUGS to conduct population analyses
- Bird surveys: spot-mapping and river transects, by boat
- Captained a small boat in remote backcountry, sometimes in inclement weather
Field Technician, Avian Ecology Laboratory
FAU
Dec 2010 – Jun 2011
- Throw-trap sampling of aquatic fauna in the Greater Florida Everglades, data logging using mobile mapping software, vegetation transects, species identification, and field hydrology measurements
- Aquatic fauna species identification, measurements, and QA/QC
- Field sites accessed by helicopter or airboat, in hot, humid, and sometimes inclement weather
Research Assistant
FAU
Jun 2010 – Dec 2010
- Coded a spatio-temporal Landscape Quality Index model for endangered Wood Storks
- Coded the model in C# and Python; statistical analyses using GIS, Python, and R
- Developed a stochastic model for explicit inclusion of model uncertainty
- Conducted model validation and sensitivity analyses
- Data management using SAS and Microsoft Excel VBA scripts; figures produced in SigmaPlot
Founder: Citizen Science and Undergraduate Research Conservation Program
FAU
Aug 2009 – Jun 2011
- Developed a conservation initiative, based in citizen science and research, to protect a threatened Gopher Tortoise population and pine-oak scrub habitat
- Developed research methods and mentored undergraduates in field-based research
- Program successes include an annual BioBlitz (outreach), $3,000 in grants, and courses in Field Methods in Ecology and Terrestrial Ecology Research for undergraduates
- Program budget increased from $800 in the inaugural year to over $18,000 in the second year, from outside and in-house grants
Undergraduate Research, National Science Foundation
FAU
Aug 2009 – Dec 2009
- Conducted dissections, diet analysis, and morphometrics on 22 Sacred Ibis carcasses
- Quantified effects of anthropogenic biomass on the ecology of the species
- Conducted cluster and discriminant analyses in Primer v6; used SAS for statistical tests and SigmaPlot for figure production
- Research published (2011) in the peer-reviewed journal Florida Field Naturalist
Paleoecology Internship
South Florida Water Management District
May 2009 – Aug 2009
- Macrofossil (seed) identification under microscope from soil core samples
- Constructed field sampling stations for leaf litter deposition in remote wetlands
- Conducted literature reviews on hydrology, primary productivity and accretion, and sea level rise impacts on accretion using macrofossils from soil cores
Data Analyst
Avian Ecology Laboratory
Sept 2008
- Microsoft Excel for data analysis and table production; SigmaPlot for figure production
Field Technician, Avian Ecology Laboratory
FAU
Feb 2008 – Jun 2008
- Throw-trap (1m x 1m) sampling of aquatic fauna, data logging using mobile mapping software, vegetation transects, species identification, and field hydrology measurements
- QA/QC, management of large datasets, and statistical analyses in SAS