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Search for Academy curators, collections managers, and research staff working to answer some of the world's most pressing scientific questions.
Dive Officer On-Call & Ichthyology Graduate Researcher
Tyler is pursuing a Masters degree in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology at San Francisco State University and serves as an On-Call Dive Officer at the Steinhart Aquarium.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Biodiversity, ecology and evolution of mesophotic reef fishes
The study of mesophotic reef fish communities is among my major research interests. I am exploring biodiversity and evolutionary processes of reef fishes in isolated seamounts and oceanic islands of the Atlantic Ocean. The discovery of endemic species and the assessment of their distribution and genetic patterns have contributed to a better understanding about the origin of species and biodiversity in these isolated environments.
Collection Manager, Invertebrate Zoology
Marine Invertebrate Collections; Polychaete Systematics
Chrissy Piotrowski is responsible for the care and maintenance of a vast, taxonomically diverse invertebrate research collection (excluding entomology specimens). She oversees all collections-related activities and documentation: acquisitions, curation, taxonomic determinations, loan and exhibit of specimens, research visits, inquiries, and maintenance of an online searchable database of digital specimen records.
Curator of Entomology, Emeritus
My specialty is the systematics and evolution of solitary wasps family Sphecidae since 1955. In addition to minor papers, I have published essential monographs of Palearctic Tachytes (1962), Palearctic Tachysphex (1971), Palearctic Ammatomus (1973), Neotropical Tachysphex (1974), Australian Tachysphex (1977), Old World Parapiagetia (1977), World Prosopigastra (1979), North American Tachysphex (1988), World Kohliella (1991), World Holotachysphex (1992), World Gastrosericus (1995), African Tachysphex (2007), a book of 698 pages, world Palarini (2008, coauthored with Michael A.
Research Associate, Botany
Systematics, Biogeography, Taxonomy, Malagasy flora
My research interests focus on the taxonomy, systematics and biogeography of the Malagasy flora. I am conducting ongoing research on the St. John’s wort family, Hypericaceae, and the princess flower family, Melastomataceae, and am also investigating the relationships between Malagasy species and closely related groups from mainland Africa and the New World.
Biodiversity Data Scientist
Dr. Giovanni Rapacciuolo is a biodiversity data scientist and macroecologist. Giovanni leads the Center for Biodiversity and Community's initiatives to analyze and visualize community-contributed biodiversity observations to answer key research and management questions and derive biodiversity indicators useful for decision making.
Lab and Collection Manager, Microbiology
Claudia Rocha is a Lab and Collection Manager for the Microbiology Department. She also manages the Ichthyology Tissue Collection where researchers around the world can request genetic samples as loans to answer questions on evolution, ecology, biodiversity and even climate change. One of her research focuses is on coral reef fishes, primarily on discovering viruses in coral reef fishes at different ecosystems. Her last publications are descriptions of new species of fish.
Curator, Invertebrate Zoology & Geology
Mass Extinctions, Paleocommunity Evolution, Evolutionary Ecology
I am the Curator of Geology, and I've been at the Academy since 1999. I hold degrees in Biology (B.Sc.), Oceanography (M.S.) and Geology (Ph.D.). My research is transdisciplinary, with a focus on understanding the evolution of ecological systems, emphasizing paleontology, deep time, and perspectives on complexity dynamics. Most of my research these days centers around global change biology, and how we can further develop our understanding of Earth's past ecosystems to better forecast our future.