Who We Are

The SRC team includes University of Miami faculty, staff, and students from a variety of disciplines, including biology, ecology, environmental policy, communications, law, and education. SRC’s field research supports the data collection of faculty as well as of our graduate and undergraduate researchers. Our student interns are the backbone of the SRC program, playing a major role in successfully carrying out our research and outreach activities.

Faculty and Staff

Our Director: Catherine Macdonald, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Liza Merly, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer

Julia Wester, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer

Christian Pankow, Assistant Director

Jake Jerome, Intern Coordinator & Lecturer

Katie Miller, Logistics Coordinator

Nola Schoder, Media Manager, Photography Lead

Emma DeLillo, Research Assistant

Ph.D. Students

John Hlavin, Ph.D. Candidate,  Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy

Christine Martin, Ph.D. Student, Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy

Candy Real, Ph.D. Student, Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy

Delaney Reynolds, Joint Ph.D./J.D. Student, Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy

Julia Saltzman, Ph.D. Student,  Department of Biology (co-supervised with Searcy Lab)

Emily Yeager, Ph.D. Candidate, Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, Undergraduate Intern Coordinator

Affiliated Ph.D. Students

Karizma Acosta, Ph.D. Student, Sikkel Lab, Department of Marine Biology and Ecology

Hannah Aycock, Ph.D. Candidate, Babcock Lab, Department of Marine Biology and Ecology

Amani Webber-Schultz,  Ph.D Candidate, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Masters Students

Nicki Adle, M.P.S. (co-supervised with Babcock Lab)
Max Ajemian, M.P.S.
Kim Heely, M.P.S.
Margaret “Maggie” Hunt, M.P.S.
Becca Jones, M.S. (co-supervised with Babcock Lab)
Caitlin Coyle, M.P.S.
Kathleen “Katie” Davis, M.P.S.
Jeynaliz Gonzalez Ortiz, M.P.S.
Wendy Miyazaki, M.S.
Jackson “Jack” O’Donnell, M.P.S.
Katherine Polatchek, M.P.S.
Amber Ringle, M.P.S.
Elise Rivera, M.S.
Athena Santomero, M.P.S.
Sophia Santomero, M.P.S.
Brian Schlernitzauer, M.P.S.
James Tuttlebee, M.P.S.

Undergraduate Interns

Regina Aragon
Maia Bond
Brynne Casto (Creative Intern)
Gavin Doak
Ali Donnelly
Sarah Faestel (Creative Intern)
Ciara Hughes
Brian Jamison
Hannah Lewis
Miles Lubas (Creative Intern)
Tyler Mace
Gabriela Martinez
Alexandra Morgan (Creative Intern)
Brian Mulvey (Creative Intern)
Jack Peiser
Anjali Shah
Oscar Stachelberg (Creative Intern)
Chase Tovornik
Elizabeth Yera