CURRICULUM VITAE

 

Contact Information

Mission Statement

  • To contribute to the greater body of scientific research in the fields of paleontology and geology; to raise science literacy by giving people a deeper understanding and appreciation of the natural world using Earth Science.

Education

Undergraduate:

Bachelors of Science Interdisciplinary Studies in Biology

  • Completed: December 2015

  • Minor: Geology

  • Campus: University of Houston Downtown in Houston, Texas

Associate of Arts

  • Completed: December 2012

  • College: Lone Star College Systems in Spring, Texas

  • Activities: Geology Club President (2012) Vice President (2009-2011)

  • Honor’s Credit: Biology, Advisor: Geology Department Head Prof. Tom Hobbs

High School:

Channelview High School Diploma

  • Location: Channelview, Texas

  • Activities: JROTC Staff-Battalion Adjutant (S-1) and Operations Officer (S-3)

  • Activities: JROTC Drill Team and Color Guard Rifle Commander 

  • Activities: Mentor in P.A.L.S. Program

Certifications:

College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA)

  • International Tutor Program Certification (ITPC)

  • Regular Tutoring Certificate Tutor Level 1

  • North Harris Learning Center

University of Alberta: Course Certificate

  • Dinosaur 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology, June 2020

Professional Experience

Houston Museum of Natural Science:

Department: Adult and Youth Education

  • Programs Facilitator: Augus 2022 – Present

  • Earth Science Instructor: January 2015 – Present

  • Summer Camp Science Instructor: June 2020 – August 2022

  • Adult Education Auditorium Lecturer: May 2015 – August 2022

  • Field-trip Leader/Educator: May 2016 – August 2017

Deparement: Visitor Services

  • Customer Service Senior Lead, Discovery Guide and Gallery Attendant Trainer: September 2016 – August 2022

  • Concierge and Discovery Tour Guide and Lead: May 2012 – September 2016

Deparement: Marketing

  • Social Media contributer and personality

  • Bog contributor and scientific advisor 

Lone Star College-North Harris:

Department: Geology

  • Geology Lab Assistant: January 2008 – May 2013

Department: The Learning Center

  • College Geology Tutor: January 2008 – December 2014

  • Supplemental Instructor-Physical and Historical Geology: August 2007 – May 2011

Paleontological Experience

Upper Carboniferous Period (Pennsylvanian):

Mineral Wells Fossil Park

  •  Site: Palo Pinto County, Mineral Wells, Texas

  • Dates: October 2016, October 2017, July 2019, December 2019, September 2020, January 2021, and October 2021

  • Excavated: Invertebrate cnidaria, bryozoans, brachiopods, bivalves, gastropods, cephalopods, trilobites, and crinoids.

Palo Pinto Roadcut Exposure

  •  Site: Palo Pinto County, Texas

  • Dates: July 2019, December 2019, June 2020, September 2020, October 2021

  • Excavated: Invertebrate cnidaria, bryozoans, brachiopods, bivalves, gastropods, cephalopods, trilobites, and crinoids.

Jacksboro Spillway

  •  Site: Finis Shale, Graham Formation

  • Dates: October 2016, December 2019, September 2020, and October 2021

  • Locality: Jack County, Jacksboro, Texas

  • Excavated: Invertebrate cnidaria, bryozoans, brachiopods, bivalves, gastropods, cephalopods and crinoids.

Lower Permian (Kungurian Series):

Early Permian Red Beds

  •  Site: JC Ranch-Seymour, Texas

  • Age: 290 Million Years Old

  • Date: September 2020

  • Excavated: Dimetrodon, Shark teeth and Amphibians

  • Under the direction of: Chris Flis (Director of the Whiteside Museum of Natural History in Seymour, Texas) and Holly Simon (Assistant Director of the WMNH in Seymour, Texas)

Early Periman Red Beds

  • Site: Craddic Ranch-Seymour, Texas

  • Age: 280 Million Years Old

  • Dates: September 2017, November 2017 and December 2019

  • Excavated: Dimetrodon, Diplocaulus, Capterhynus, Eryops and Orthocanthus shark

  • Under the direction of: Dr. Robert Robert Bakker (HMNS Curator of Paleontology), Mr. David Temple (HMNS Associate Curator) and Chris Flis (Director of The WMNH).

Middle to Late Jurassic (Sundance Formation):

Shallow Marine Limestone

  • Site: Waugh Ranch in Wyoming

  • Date: August 2017

  • Excavated: Belemnite (internal shells).

  • Under the direction of: Peter Larson (Director of the Black Hill Insitute) and David Temple (HMNS)

Late Jurassic (Morrison Formation):

Terrestrial Flood Plain

  • Site: Waugh Ranch of Wyoming

  • Date: August 2017 and July 2022

  • Excavated: Camarasaurus sp. and Barosaurus sp.

  • Under the direction of: Peter Larson (Director of the Black Hill Insitute) and David Temple (HMNS)

Terrestrial Flood Plain

  • Site: Private Ranch in Northern Wyoming

  • Date: June 2022

  • Excavated: Sauropodmorpha

  • Under the direction of: Lauran Rooney (Curator of Paleontology) and Jessica Taylor (Head Lab Prepper)

Lower Cretaceous (Comanchean Series):

Early Cretaceous exposures northwest of Kerrville, Texas

  •  Site: Interstate 10 west of Kerrville, Texas

  • Dates: Biannually (Spring or Fall) 2008 to 2012 and July 2018

  • Excavated: Invertebrate gastropods, bivalves and urchins.

Dinosaur Valley State Park (Research)

  •  Site: West of Glen Rose, Texas

  • Dates: October 2016, October 2017 and December 2019

  • Took records and mapping of: Acrocanthosaurus and Sauropod tracks.

Blanco River Sauropod Tracks (Research)

  •  Site: Blanco River west of Blanco, Texas near 103

  • Date: September 2017

  • Took record of: Blanco River Sauropod tracks. Note: Theropod tracks were covered.

Leander River Theropods tracks (Research)

  •  Site: Leander Theropod Track

  • Date: September 2017

  • Took record of: Early Cretaceous Leander River Theropod tracks.

Northwest exposures near Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas

  • Site: Northwest of Fort Worth, Texas

  • Dates: September 2013, November 2017, July 2019 and September 2020

  • Excavated: Early Cretaceous invertebrate gastropods, bivalves, ammonite cast and urchins.

Exposures west of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas

  • Site: West of Fort Worth, Texas (North of I-20)

  • Dates: January 2021

  • Excavated: Early Cretaceous invertebrate gastropods, bivalves, ammonite cast.

Upper Cretaceous:

The Waco Pit

  • Site: The Waco Pit of Waco, Texas

  • Dates: December  2019

  • Excavated: Invertebrate bivalves, gastropods and ammonites.

Brazos River Marlin, Texas

  • Site: West of Marlin, Texas

  • Dates: January 2021

  • Excavated: Late Cretaceous oyster Exogyra ponderosa

Late Cretaceous exposures northeast Sulfur River, Texas

  • Site: Ladonia Fossil Park, North of Ladonia, Texas

  • Dates: October 2016, February 2020, and September 2020

  • Excavated: Invertebrate bivalves, ammonites, baculites and mosasur bone fragments.

Late Cretaceous Post Oak Creek in Sherman, Texas

  • Site: Post Oak Creek in Sherman, Texas

  • Dates: September 2020 and October 2021

  • Excavated: Invertebrate bivalve (oyster: Lopha) and Shark teeth.

Eocene Epoch:

Pleistocene Epoch

  • Site: Stone City (Whisky Bridge)

  • Dates: July 2019, February 2020, September 2020, and November 2020

  • Excavated: Bivalves, gastropods, and shark teeth.

  • Under the direction of: David Temple (Associate curator oh HMNS) and Chris Flis (Director of the WMNH) and Holly Simon (Assistant Director of the WMNH).

Quaternary (The last ice age):

Pleistocene Epoch

  • Site: Bond Ranch NW of Seymour, Texas.

  • Dates: September 2020

  • Excavated: Equus sp. (Horse jaw) and Glyptodont scutes.

  • Under the direction of: Chris Flis (Director of the WMNH) and Holly Simon (Assistant Director of the WMNH).

Pleistocene Epoch and Cretaceous disconformity

  •  Site: Shoreline of High Island, Texas.

  • Dates: October 2020, April, 2021, May 2021, September 2021, January 2022, April 2022.

  • Excavated: Mastodon upper tibia. Crustacean burrows.

Prepatory Lab Experience

Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) Preparation lab

  • Date: Spring 2012

  • Prepped: Permian age Dimetrodon vertebrae

  • Under the direction of: Dr. Robert Bakker (Curator) and Mr. David Temple (Associate Curator).

Lone Star College: North Harris Geology lab

  • Date: January 2008 to May 2013

  • Prepped: Mineral, rocks, and fossils specimen.

  • Under the direction of: Prof. Tom M. Hobbs (Department Head)

Adult Education Lectures

Based on a true story: Monsters and Myths of the Fossil Record

  • Date: 21 September 2021

  • Host: Adult Education

  • Venue: Houston Museum of Natural Science Giant Screen Theater

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

  • Date: June 2019

  • Host: Adult Education

  • Venue: Houston Museum of Natural Science Burt Baker Planetarium

Sex in the fossil Record II

  • Date: May 2019

  • Host: Adult Education

  • Venue: Houston Museum of Natural Science Burt Baker Planetarium

Paleontology and Fossils

  • Date: Spring 2019

  • Host: Dr. Neal Immega, Chair

  • Venue: Houstom Gem and Mineral Society

Dinosaurs in Hollywood

  • Date: June 2018

  • Host: Adult Education

  • Venue: Houston Museum of Natural Science Burt Baker Planetarium

Rocks and Minerals of the Ancient World

  • Date: May 2017

  • Host: Adult Education

  • Venue: Houston Museum of Natural Science Burt Baker Planetarium

Sex in the Fossil Record

  • Date: May 2015

  • Host: Adult Education

  • Venue: Houston Museum of Natural Science Burt Baker Planetarium

Conference Presentations

Dinosaur Radiation in relationship to Plate Tectonics

  • Dates: April 2009

  • Host: Great Plains Honors Council

  • Locality: Lincoln, Nebraska; hosted by the University of Nebraska

  • Venue: Session 2C room 121 from Lone Star College-North Harris

Notable Presentations

The history of Tyrannosaurus rex

  • Date: 7 September 2021

  • Host: HMNS Membership Department

  • Venue: Houston Museum of Natural Science Giant Screen Theater (Formerly Imax)

Pacific Rim: The science of Kaiju

  • Date: June 2019

  • Host: Come for the Movie Stay for the Facts

  • Venue: Houston Museum of Natural Science Giant Screen Theater (Formerly Imax)

Introduction to Rocks and Minerals

  • Date: July 2017

  • Venue: Kids-N-Play, Houston, Texas

  • Host: Private owners

Introduction to Fossils

  • Date: June 2017

  • Venue: Kids-N-Play, Houston, Texas

  • Host: Private owners

Dinosaurs and birds

  • Date: May 2017

  • Venue: Shore Country Day School in Beverly, Boston, Massachusetts

  • Contact: Principle Sara Knox

The Inaccuracy of the Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park

  • Time/Date: 5:30pm on Thursday, 11th June 2015

  • Venue: Jurassic World Premiere at Studio Movie Grill

  • Host: Steve Zito Company iGlobal

The Inaccuracy of the Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park

  • Time/Date: 10:45 AM Saturday, 20th June 2015

  • Venue: Jurassic World Premiere at Studio Movie Grill

  • Host: Steve Zito Company iGlobal

Notable Speeches

Becoming Jurassic James

  • Date: May 2019

  • Venues: Western Academy, Houston, Texas

  • Host: Mr. and Mrs. Riches

Hall of Paleontology

  • Venue: Houston Gem and Mineral Society

  • Locality: Southwest Houston Headquarters

  • Hosted by: Society Chair Dr. Neal Immega

Raising an “unusual” child focused on science

  • Date: May 2017

  • Venue: Repairers Church Worship Center

  • Host: Sheila Smith

  • Note: Spoke at graduation to the parents.

Paleontology as a career

  • Date: 18 May 2017

  • Venue: Scanlan Oaks S.T.E.A.M Day

  • Locality: Fort Bend County, Texas

  • Host: Teacher Mrs. Lansangan

The causes of Earthquakes and Tsunamis

  • Date: 28 March 2015

  • Topic: Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004: A Decade of Remembrance

  • Venue: Houston Buddhist Temple Vihara, Houston, Texas

Notable Media Events

The Houston Symphony

  • Date: June 2017

  • Host: Commercial for Jurassic Park screening with live orchestra.

  • Type: Answered interview questions on camera.

The Houston Chronicle

  • Date: 03 January 2017

  • Host: Front page article by Kim Maguire.

  • Type: Article about tours and classes conducted at HMNS

Houston Press

  • Dates: April 20-26, Volume 29, Number 17.

  • Host: Article titled: Courting and Mating on Page 16

  • Type: Promoting my sex in the fossil record lecture.

Houstonia Magazine

  • Date: Published on 15 June 2015, 8:00am

  • Article: Is Jurassic World Dino-Mite: An HMNS paleontology guide on the latest prehistoric blockbuster.

  • Host: Nick Esquer Arts and Culture Editor (Written interview).

Fieldtrips and Excursions

 

Bryan, Texas Eocene Exposure “Whiskey Bridge”

  • Conducted September 2020.

  • Topics include: Soil horizons, swamp environments, flood zone, point bar, cut bank, levees, drainage and environmental awareness.

Jessie Jones Park: Gulf coast geology and ecology

  • Conducted two to three times a year from 2008 to present.

  • Topics include: Soil horizons, swamp environments, flood zone, point bar, cut bank, levees, drainage and environmental awareness.

Sheldon Lake State Park: Gulf coast geology and ecology

  • Conducted twice in 2017 to Home School and Beyond Groups

  • Topics include: Local wildlife and environments such as marsh, prairie and swamps.

Fossil Digs in North Texas

  • Conducted during the fall of 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

  • Topics include: Dinosaur Valley State Park, Dinosaur World, Mineral Wells, Jacksboro Spillway, Fort Worth Cretaceous exposure and Perot Museum in Dallas.

 Geology of the Texas Hill Country

  • Conducted eight times from 2008 to 2012.

  • Topics include: Dinosaur Adventure Park, Pedernales Falls, McKinney Falls, Blaco river sauropod tracks, Enchanted Rock, Kerrville fossil exposure, the Lano Bridge, Lanite dike exposure and Marble Falls granite exposure.

Geology of West Texas and New Mexico

  • Conducted annually from 2008 to 2012

  • Topics include: Uvalde petroliferous limestone, Kanippa basalt, Big Bend National Park, Davis Mountains, Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns American Talc mine and Cavern of Sonora.

College Level Geologic Classes Tutored

Freshman Level

  • Physical Geology

  • Environmental Geology

  • Introduction to Minerals

Sophomore Level

  • Historical Geology

  • Geology of Texas

  • Paleontology

Exhibit Halls Toured at HMNS

Permanent Exhibits:

  • Morian hall of Paleontology

  • Hall of Ancient Egypt

  • Wiess Energy Hall

  • Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals

  • Lester and Sue Smith Gem Vault

  • Faberge

  • Hall of the Americas

  • Frensley/Graham Hall of African Wildlife

  • Farish Hall of Texas Wildlife

  • Cabinet of Curiosity

  • Strake hall of Malacology

  • John P. McGovern Hall of the Americas

  • Welch Hall of Chemistry

  • Hamman Hall of Coastal Ecology

Special Exhibits:

  • Ramses and athe gold of the Pharaohs

  • Body Worlds

  • Pompeii

  • Mars by Luke Jerram

  • Stonehenge: Ancient Mysteries and Modern Discoveries

  • The Art of the Brick

  • Moon by Luke Jerram

  • Life in Stone

  • Tourmaline Treasures

  • Vanishing Arts: Highlights from the Beasley-Hwang Collection

  • Knights

  • Curator’s Choice: Recent Acquisitions of the Houston Museum of Natural Science

  • Art of the Gunsmith: From Columbus to Napoleon

  • Microsculpture: The Insect Photography of Levon Biss

  • Death by Natural Causes

  • The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes

  • Amber Secrets: Feathers from the Age of Dinosaurs

  • Mummies of the World

  • Biophilia: A Dialogue with Art

  • Gems of the Sea: The Guido T. Poppe Collection

  • Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum

  • Amending America: The Bill of Rights

  • Gemstone Carving

  • La Virgen de Guadalupe: Empress of the Americas

  • Mapping Texas: From Frontier to the Lone Star State

  • Samurai: The Way of the Warrior

  • Spies, Traitors, Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America

  • China’s Lost Civilization: The Mystery of Sanxingdui

  • Battleship Texas

  • Magna Carta

  • Knights

  • Trains over Texas

  • Out of the Amazon: Life on the River

  • Bulgari: 130 Years of Masterpieces

  • The Cave Paintings of Lascaux

  • Maya 2012: Prophecy becomes History

  • Gems of the Medici

  • Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition

  • Warriors, Tombs and Temples

  • Discovering the Civil War

VIP tours guest toured at the museum

  • Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich

  • Parker Houston Mayor Annise Parker

  • Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China

  • City Council Member Ellen Cowen

  • Philanthropist Andrea Johnson

  • A number of private anonmyous donors

Class Curriculum written and taught

Paleontology:

  • Paleontology 101.

  • Fossilization methods.

  • Extinction: The cause and clues.

  • Paleozoic: Introduction to invertebrate fossils.

  • Mesozoic: The Dinosaurs and their contemporaries!

  • Cenozoic: Life after Dinosaurs.

  • What is a Dinosaur

  • Life in the Jurassic.

  • Life in the Cretaceous.

  • Theropods: Predatory dinosaurs.

  • Sauropods: The “long necked” dinosaurs.

  • Ornithopods: Iguanodon, duck bills and their kin.

  • Marginocephala: Horned dinosaurs and their kin.

  • Thyreophora: The shield bearing dinosaurs.

  • Pterosaurs and Marine Reptiles: Dinosaur Contemporaries

Geology:

  •  Introduction to Minerals

  • The Rock Cycle

  • The Ten Evidences of Plate Tectonics

  • Volcanoes, Igneous Rocks and Metamorphism

  • Sedimentary Rocks and the Environments that make them

 

 Biology

  • Intro to Malacology.

  • Sea shell classifications.

Archaeology:

  •  Minerals and Rocks of Ancient Egypt

  • Minerals and Rocks of the Americas

Virtual Tours with live Q&A

  • Early Civilizations: Human/Paleontology and Ancient Egypt-01 October 2020

  • Prehistoric Survivors: Paleontology and Malacology-22October 2020

  • Effect of Plate Tectonics on Life on Earth-19 November 2020

  • Origin and Evolution of Minerals-14 January 2021

  • Effect of Plate Tectonics of Life on Earth-18 February 2021

  • Earliest Life on Earth-11 March 2021

  • Terrestrial Life Debuts-8 April 2021

  • Dinosaurs of the Triassic and Jurassic-6 May 2021

  • Dinosaurs of the Cretaceous-10 June 2021

  • Reign of the Mammals-8 July 2021

  • Ice Age Survivors: Texas Wildlife-12 August 2021

  • Ice Age Survivors: African Wildlife-9 September 2021

  • Early Humans: In the Hall of Paleontology-7 October 2021

  • Prehistoric Sea Survivors: Malacology-4 November 2021

  • Early Civilization: Ancient Egypt-9 December 2021