CV

EDUCATION

University of California Riverside (UCR) – Riverside, CA Expected Graduation: July 2021

Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology (EEOB) PhD Program.

Advisor: David Reznick

Florida State University (FSU) – Tallahassee, FL Graduated: April 2016

Bachelor of Science in Biological Science with Honors in Biology, Minor in Chemistry

ACADEMIC HONORS

UCR GradSlam Semifinalist (04/2017)
UCR GradFest Recruitment Weekend, 2nd Place for Best Graduate Student Presentation (03/2017)
FSU Honors in the Major in Biological Sciences (04/2016)
FSU Garnet and Gold Scholar Society (04/2016)
FSU Dean’s List, (multiple semesters 2014-2016)
Outstanding Oral Presentation in NOAA’s Healthy Oceans Goal (07/2015)
WIMSE Best Overall Life Sciences Oral Presentation (04/2015)

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

UCR Chancellor's Distinguished Fellowship (09/2017-06/2018)
2017 UC MEXUS Student and Postdoctoral Research Small Grant (04/2017)
Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Fellowship (09/2016-06/2017)
FSU Bess H. Ward Thesis Award (01/2016)
National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship (08/2014-04/2016)
FSU John Mark Caffrey Scholarship (11/2015)
FSU Kevin L. McKeown Scholarship (11/2014)
Dr. Eugenie Clark Garden Eel Expedition to Andros Island, Bahamas Scholarship (06/2013)
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium High School Scholarship (06/2012)
Pine View School Sol Malinsky Scholarship (06/2012)

RESEARCH

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

January 2013 - Present

Post-Copulatory Mate Choice Research with Dr. David Reznick – UCR

Graduate Student Researcher

I am using artificial insemination to examine post-copulatory mate choice in Heterandria formosa, Poeciliopsis infans and P. prolifica.

Rivulus Project with Joshua Goldberg & Dr. David Reznick – UCR

Intern on the FIBR Guppy Project in Trinidad

I participated in monthly census expeditions as a part of a long-term mark-recapture

experiment analyzing how the presence of the guppy Poecilia reticulata influences life

history characters of the jumping guabine, Anablepsoides (Rivulus) hartii. Additionally, I designed and completed an independent experiment examining the competitive influence of different size classes of A. hartii on each other.

Ecology & Evolution Research on Heterandria formosa with Dr. Joseph Travis – FSU Undergraduate Research Assistant, Research Experience Program

I designed and completed multiple independent research projects involving the Least Killifish, Heterandria formosa. These projects are in various stages of being submitted for publication.

Sponge Ecology & Species Interaction Research with Dr. Janie Wulff – FSU

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Directed Individual Study

I studied endosymbionts of sponges including amphipods and hydroids

Forage Fish Habitat Selection Research with Dr. Correigh Greene – Seattle, WA

Summer intern project supported by the NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship Program

I conducted an independent project using forage fish in Puget Sound, WA using three-spine stickleback, sandlance, pacific herring, and shiner perch. My experiment was constructed as a choice experiment combined with social cues to study habitat selection in forage fish and how their behavior is linked to their response to shoreline hardening. Additionally, I participated in 2-6 census

trips monthly through Skagit Indian Tribe, Snohomish County, and NOAA NMFS.

PRESENTATIONS

March 2013 - Present

Levell, S. T. January 2018. “Intergenomic Conflict: Understanding Maternal Investment and Post-Zygotic Mate Choice” (Oral Presentation). SICB Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
Levell, S. T. June 2017. “Maternal Effects Crowding on Reproduction and Fitness” (Oral Presentation). Evolution Meeting, Portland, OR.
Levell, S. T. May 2017. “Maternal Effects on Reproduction and Fitness” (Oral Presentation). 7th Annual Meeting for Poeciliid Biologists, Normal, OK.
Levell, S. T. April 2017. “Illuminating Maternal Investment through Artificial Insemination” (Oral Presentation). UCR GradSlam, Riverside, CA.
Levell, S. T., D. Reznick. March 2017. “Maternal Investment & Post-Copulatory Mate Choice in Livebearing fishes” (Oral Presentation). UCR GradFest Recruitment Weekend, Riverside, CA.
Levell, S. T., J. Travis. March 2016. “Maternal Effects in the Least Killifish, Heterandria formosa” (Oral Presentation). Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conference, Tallahassee, FL.
Levell, S. T., J. Travis. March 2016. “The Effects of Crowding on Reproduction in the Least Killifish, Heterandria formosa” (Poster Presentation). WIMSE Research Colloquium & Undergraduate Research Symposium, Tallahassee, FL.
Levell, S. T., C. M. Greene. November 2015. “Habitat Selection and the Effect of Conspecific Presence in Forage Fish” (Poster Presentation). Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation Conference, Portland, OR.
Levell, S. T., C. M. Greene. July 2015. “Habitat Selection and the Effect of Conspecific Presence in Forage Fish” (Oral Presentation). National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hollings Scholar Symposium, Washington, DC.
Levell, S. T., J. Travis. March 2014 & 2015. “Activity Levels and Predation Risk in the Least Killifish, Heterandria formosa” (Poster Presentation 2014, Oral Presentation 2015). WIMSE Research Colloquium, Tallahassee, FL.
Levell, S. T., J. L. Wulff. March 2013. “From Sea to Slide and Beyond: Specimen Preparation for Sponge Taxonomy and Why Sponge Identification is Important” (Poster Presentation). WIMSE Research Colloquium, Tallahassee, FL.

PUBLICATIONS

October 2017 - Present

Levell, S. T., J. Travis. 2018. Activity Level and Predation Risk in the Least Killifish, Heterandria formosa. Copeia. In review.
Levell, S. T., S. A. Bedgood, J. Travis. 2018. Maternal Effects on Reproduction and fitness in the Least Killifish, Heterandria formosa. Evolution. In prep.

MENTORSHIP

May 2015 - Present

While I was an undergraduate, I had three undergraduates assisting with my projects. Now, as a graduate student, I mentor six undergraduate students. Through my experiences, I have developed a mentorship philosophy that I will continue throughout my career. I am always available to my students, and I provide them with papers relevant to their projects when they decide to start an independent project.

TEACHING

UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING ASSIATANT

August 2015 - April 2016

I taught two sections of non-majors biology lab at Florida State University. Each section contained 24 students, and I was responsible for lecturing and grading for each of my sections.

OUTREACH

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

September 2016 - Present

I am involved in outreach through the EEOB Graduate Student Association and Reznick lab-related outreach. I help coordinate monthly workshops with nearby STEM Academy students to plan for their competition in the STEM Olympiad. Over twenty students are competing in Ecology, Anatomy & Physiology, and Herpetology subjects.
I am also involved in the Mentorship for the Enrichment of College and Career Achievement (MECCA) program. In this role, I help design monthly workshops to increase the involvement of twenty underprivileged high school students in the college application process and inprofessional development.

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

August 2012 - April 2016

I organized volunteer events with the Women in Math, Science, and Engineering (WIMSE) for STEM events through FSU Schools and Girl Scouts. I also worked with WIMSE teams for Relay for Life, a cancer fundraiser, and The Big Event to combat pollution problems in the community. Additionally, I participated in environmental events in my community such as marine debris clean-ups and environmental outreach.

MOTE MARINE LABORATORY AND AQUARIUM

August 2009 - September 2014

As a High School Intern and Volunteer (going into college), I volunteered over 800 hours. My responsibilities included:

Assisting with the cleaning, feeding, shipping, and maintenance in the Seahorse Conservation Laboratory containing over 600 animals
Working with educational/overnight school and summer programs with over 20 schoolchildren at a time, ages ranging from preschool to high school
Assisting with Spotted Eagle Ray research and conservation outreach
Attending workshops and meetings where public speaking and other presentation tactics are extensively practiced and perfected
Working with Dr. Eugenie Clark on pikeblennies, Chaenopsis sp. follow-up from Andros, Bahamas

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

JOVE CONTRACTED WRITER & ACTOR

May 2017 - March 2018

I, along with other UCR Graduate Students were contracted by the Journal of Visualized Experiments. This project involves writing and acting in corresponding laboratory manuscripts for advanced high school and early college level biology lab experiments.