Doug Causey Lab

I am a born and raised Jersey girl. I earned her undergraduate degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology from Columbia University in New York. I discovered my passion for wildlife research during the summer between my junior and senior years, when I was a research intern for Wildlife Trust, investigating the overall health of black-crowned night herons living in the New York Harbor. My undergrad mentor offered me a position on a project in Alaska the following year, and although I had never really considered Alaska before, I was ready for adventure and accepted the offer. It was perhaps the best decision I could have made, because I have not left Alaska since. In my 10 years since moving to Alaska, I have earned my master’s degree in fisheries and am currently pursuing my PhD. My master’s research investigated the genetic relationships of least cisco, a whitefish species that is broadly distributed across Alaska. My PhD research investigates the impacts of plastic marine debris on food webs in the Bering Sea. I am also currently the STEM Program Manager for the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Ecosystem Conservation Office, where I help coordinate science programs for students. I believe anyone can be a scientist, and hope that by spreading my love and passion for all things science, I can make the field more accessible to everyone.