Kate Melanson, Ph.D.

Experience

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  Pegasus Multimedia

  Mar 2004 - Aug 2022

  Multimedia Production Assistant

  • Involved in all parts of the production process from planning, story boards, filming, interviews, logging and transcribing sound bites, and fact checking for various corporate videos, pilots and medical trade show presentations.• Work for HIMSS, RSNA, PGA, Florida Panthers, Disney

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  Loggerhead Marinelife Center

  Jun 2007 - Jul 2008

  Sea Turtle Recovery Docent and Intern

  • Assisted in rehabilitation work for turtles, weighing, feeding and help administer medicines.• Led tours and acted as docent to visitors.

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  The Oberlin Review

  Jan 2009 - May 2012

  • Wrote for the sports and news sections, trying to focus on science articles in the news section. • Read, edit and correct all articles going into the paper, put corrections into InDesign and change layout.

  • Sports, News, and Editorial Copy Writer

    Sept 2008 - May 2012

  • Production Editor/Copy Editor

    Jan 2009 - May 2010
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  NCAA Student Athlete Advisory Committee

  Sept 2009 - May 2012

  Co-Chair of Student Athlete Advisory Committee

  • Elected to position, member since 2009 and previously Secretary and Communications Chair.• Led research on a drug and alcohol policy, implemented Yeo Friends program, and planned and ran bi-weekly meetings.• Ran and helped organize first annual (2012) Special Olympics sports skills day along with other student-athletes.

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  Loxahatchee River Environmental Control District

  May 2010 - Aug 2011

  Oyster Reef Restoration and Water Quality Research Intern

  • Worked in the summers of 2010 and 2011.• Collected data to map sea grasses in the Loxahatchee River to map the area and track the health of the river.• Helped take water quality readings at various locations.• Prepared and examined oyster beds for restoration of the watershed.• Interacted with other agencies and institutions such as Harbor Branch and Florida International University so further other environmental projects.

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  D.B. ECOLOGICAL SERVICES, INC

  May 2010 - Aug 2010

  Sea Turtle Monitor and Nest counter

  • Recorded number of sea turtle crawls, nests, and false crawls for state records and conservation purposes.• Examined nests for hatchling mortality and survival.

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  Oberlin College Department of Rhetoric and Composition

  Feb 2011 - May 2012

  • Trained for a semester in teaching and tutoring techniques for college and ESL students.• Helped students improve the quality of their writing through instruction and private meetings.• Worked at the Writing Center on campus and was a course assistant for the first-year seminar Ecology of the Vermillion River Watershed and the rhetoric course Science Writing • Assisted a Biology instructor in lab with grading, administrative work, and teaching.• Help introductory biology students develop ideas and techniques in a laboratory environment to aide learning.• Worked in Organismal Biology lab and the Genetics, Evolution and Ecology lab. • Designed and conducted an original research project on potential West Nile Virus carrier Cx. pipiens’ preference of blood meal between two bird species. Wrote a non-published paper. • Collectively as a class, designed and executed an experiment in which grey squirrels’ responses to allopatric and sympatric alarm calls were measured. Individually wrote scientific papers for assessment.

  • Writing Associate and Tutor

    Feb 2011 - May 2012

  • Biology Lab Teaching Assistant

    Sept 2009 - May 2012

  • Researcher

    Sept 2011 - Dec 2011

  • Researcher

    Feb 2011 - May 2011
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  Mote Marine Laboratory

  Aug 2012 - Oct 2012

  Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Program Intern

  Mote Marine Laboratory’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program (STCRP) has monitored sea turtles for over three decades. The program supports conservation measures for the marine turtles of the central Gulf Coast of Florida through the collection of fundamental biological data about the nesting, hatching, foraging, and migrations of sea turtles in Sarasota County.• Monitor and mark turtle nests along 35 miles of Florida’s west coast.• Excavate and record the state of turtle nests for research purposes.• Perform data entry and organizational tasks in lab. Show less

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  Sanibel Sea School

  Jan 2013 - Jun 2013

  Marine Science Educator

  Educate children 6-13 about the marine biology of the Gulf of Mexico and Sanibel Island to increase stewardship among the next generation. Helped create a hands on learning experience for all students so that by interacting with the biology around them, they will develop a connection that will help promote marine conservation and learning. Also worked in social media and technological aspects behind the scenes. Sanibel Sea School's vision is a world where all people value, understand and care for the ocean. Their mission is to improve the ocean's future, one person at a time. Show less

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  UCSC Department of EEB

  Jan 2014 - Dec 2018

  - Taught and evaluated students from entry-level to advanced students in classes pertaining to ecology and evolutionary biology at the University and throughout California.- Became lead lab instructor for marine botany, creating practical examinations, designing laboratory lesson plans, and giving lectures, in addition to being responsible for grading and multiple field assignments, including weekly algal collection in precarious habitat.- Established healthy working relationships with students during immersive field courses, including a 50-day University of California campus-wide course requiring constant travel in addition to helping students write research papers, do research projects, and gain practical field experience in multiple ecosystems; and a month-long class abroad in Corsica, France performing marine research, including creating trusting relationships to perform studies while scuba diving.- Transitioned easily from teaching first-year and transfer students with no experience not only in field courses, but camping and hiking, to upper-level classes with students needing guidance for research projects and more specific technical research skills, such as writing or laboratory techniques.• Courses: Marine Botany (lab), Marine Ecology Field Quarter (Corsica, France), Ecology, Invertebrate Zoology (lab), California Ecology and Conservation Show less - Assist the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) in biodiversity monitoring, ecological restoration, and other research endeavors.- Performed physically demanding long-term monitoring surveys in the intertidal zone on a schedule dictated by the tide schedule, sometimes working at 2:30 am on multiple days to collect data, or backpacking 19 miles with research equipment to get to remote sites. - Participated in experimental out-planting of endangered species and emergency recovery efforts at landslides throughout California, transplanting of individuals to available sites with suitable habitat.- Planned week-long research trips, with multiple legs, to remote locations as well military and air-force bases, solving logistical, security, and paperwork issues. Show less

  • Graduate Teaching Assistant for Marine Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

    Apr 2014 - Dec 2018

  • Coastal Biodiversity Researcher

    Jan 2014 - Dec 2018
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  California Sea Grant

  Jan 2019 - Jun 2020

  Science Communication, Synthesis and Decision Support Policy Fellow at the Delta Stewardship Council

  - Recipient of one of twenty four statewide competitive fellowship spots for advanced degree recipients to work on the interface of science and policy at the state level.- Appointed the only non-permanent employee lead-writer on an interagency report on the needs for funding and science in the watershed. Identified and addressed the needs and views of multiple stakeholders, working with agency leaders to create a comprehensive report and graphic summary.- Responsible for monthly and targeted reports on behalf of the lead scientist, outlining data relevant for decision-makers in an accessible format for non-scientist, using graphic design and communication skills.- Created an opportunity to work with the agency Policy and Legislative Advisor to present succinct, comprehensible explanations of the science behind issues presented in the legislature regarding water rights, sustainability, conservation, and restoration.- Curated weekly social media content, strategically highlighting research or interests in the watershed for consumption by a scientific and general audience.- Answered to multiple departments, performing customer service to make sure all clients and departments were satisfied with the final product and all issues resolved. Show less

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  US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  Sept 2020 - Aug 2022

  AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow at US EPA Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds

  - Engaged in a competitive two-year fellowship concentrating on the interface of science and policy, receiving one of four placements in the EPA (out of over 200 placements).- Gained project management skills balancing multiple programmatic and technical expertise on acidification, water quality, ecosystem services, wetland restoration, and policy.- Applied my technical skills and expertise to create a presentation included in the EPA Watershed Academy Modules on the impacts of nutrient inputs from land on coastal acidification.- Used my facilitation, relationship building, and copy editing expertise to review and edit a Congressional report on regional acidification vulnerability for an Interagency Work Group.- Evaluated practical applications of marsh migration models in the face of sea-level rise, using the NEPs as examples, as part of the coastal wetlands unit.- Collaborated with internal and external agencies to create synthesized strategic communication and outreach products for use by policy makers as part of the Interagency Coastal Wetlands Working Group’s rollout of recommendations on coastal wetland conservation. - Adjusted to multiple leadership changes, advocating for myself to work on projects where my strengths of science communication, policy analysis, and technical expertise could be used.- Gained experience and familiarity with the Clean Water Act and 303d impaired waters listing process. Show less

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  AECOM

  Apr 2023 - now

  Ecologist