Samantha Monier PhD

EDUCATION

PhD, The CUNY Graduate Center, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, fall 2018–fall 2024

• Thesis: Variability in associations among seabirds and marine mammals: Causes and consequences (https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/5974/)

  • Studied local enhancement (where seabirds use other birds, marine mammals and predatory fishes as cues to food) in both the California Current and the sub-Antarctic.

  • Click HERE to watch the trailer for our upcoming documentary about my time in the Antarctic! (Narrated by yours truly)

MA, Columbia University, Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, fall 2013–winter 2016

• Master’s Thesis: Evidence that false belief representation may be possible in old world monkeys

  • Assisted in data collection for several concurrent cognition projects with free-ranging rhesus monkeys on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. Developed models to determine what factors influence a monkey’s performance on a cognitive test.

BA, Bard College, Biology (mind, brain, and behavior concentration), fall 2008–spring 2012

• Undergraduate Thesis: Puzzle solving as a means of understanding foraging decisions in captive lemurs (https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/senproj_s2012/307/)

  • Designed an independent research project to evaluate lemur foraging behavior and cognitive ability. Lemurs were given the choice between using a tool to obtain a favorable reward or immediately consuming a less preferred food. Males were more likely to engage in tool use than females, even when the two sexes were equally competent at solving the puzzle.

Talent Unlimited High School

• Valedictorian

PUBLICATIONS

Monier, S. 2024. Social interactions and information use by foraging seabirds. Biological Reviews. 99: 1717–1735. doi:10.1111/brv.13089.

Yang H, Butler E, Monier S, and Siegel D. 2022. Proteins, possibly human, found in World War II concentration camp artifacts. Scientific Reports 12:12369. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16192-5

Yang H, Butler E, Monier S, Teubl J, Ueberheide B, Fenyö D, and Siegel D. 2021. A predictive model for vertebrate bone identification from collagen using proteomic mass spectrometry. Scientific Reports 11: 10900. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-90231-5

Monier S, Viet RR, Manne L. 2020. Changes in positive associations among vertebrate predators at South Georgia during winter. Polar Biology 43: 1439-1451 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-020-02720-4

(Publications where my contributions have been acknowledged in the “acknowledgments” section, either by name or as a “seabird observer”)

Veit RR, Velarde E, Horn MH, Manne LL. 2021. Population Growth and Long-Distance Vagrancy Leads to Colonization of Europe by Elegant Terns Thalasseus elegans. Front Ecol Evol 9. doi:10.3389/fevo.2021.725614.

Fuirst M, Veit RR, Hahn M, Dheilly N, Thorne LH. 2018. Effects of urbanization on the foraging ecology and microbiota of the generalist seabird Larus argentatus. PLoS One 13:1–22. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0209200.

Goyert HF, Gardner B, Veit RR, Gilbert AT, Connelly E, Duron M, Johnson S, Williams K. 2018. Evaluating habitat, prey, and mesopredator associations in a community of marine birds. ICES J Mar Sci 75:1602–1612. doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsy020.

Rosati AG, Santos LR. 2016. Spontaneous Metacognition in Rhesus Monkeys. Psychol Sci 27:1181–1191. doi:10.1177/0956797616653737.

Rosati AG, Arre AM, Platt ML, Santos LR. 2016. Rhesus monkeys show human-like changes in gaze following across the lifespan. Proc R Soc B Biol Sci 283. doi:10.1098/rspb.2016.0376.

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

Forensic Proteomics, New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, City Research Scientist I spring 2018–fall 2018, Visiting Scientist summer 2016–winter 2018, Intern fall 2012–summer 2013

• Aided in the development of a protocol to extract and concentrate proteins found in fresh bone, blood, muscle and burnt remains for species identification

• Laboratory skills: Protein extraction, quantification, concentration & digestion, High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry (Sciex 4800 MALDI TOF/TOF, 6600TripleTOF, 6500 QTRAP)

  Experience supervising interns, writing progress reports, drafting IRBs and SOPs

 Environmental Impact Surveys, Research Foundation CUNY, Field Biologist (seabird observer), fall 2012–summer 2013

• Conducted surveys of seabirds and marine animals present off the southeast coast of the United States to help determine the placement of new offshore wind

Instructor on record

CUNY, College of Staten Island, (fall 2019–present)

Community Ecology, master’s elective

Science Communication, required master’s course (writing intensive)

Animal Behavior Lecture & Lab, elective upper-level undergraduate course (field-based lab, writing intensive)

Principles of Biology Labs, introductory undergraduate course

k-12

Science Activity Specialist, Neighborhood Improvement Association, summer 2013–summer 2014  

• Taught science to elementary and middle school children as part of a New York City public school enrichment program

AWARDS, GRANTS & FELLOWSHIPS

Honorable Mention (15-minute talk), 50th meeting of the Pacific Seabird Group, 2023

Doctoral Student Research Grant, CUNY Graduate Center, 2023

MA Student Research Grant, Columbia University, 2015

Biology Writing Fellow, Bard Learning Commons, fall 2010–spring 2012

• Tutored undergraduate and graduate students in science writing

Valedictorian, Talent Unlimited high school, 2008

CONFERENCES, INVITED TALKS & POSTERS

• Invited panelist, post-film Q&A following a screening of my documentary Antarctic Voyage, Sidewalk Film Festival, Birmingham AL, summer 2024

• 15-minute talk, Pacific Seabird Group (PSG), 50th Annual Meeting, San Diego, winter 2023 (Runner up for best PhD student talk)

• Invited panelist, Early Career Scientist Panel, Pacific Seabird Group (PSG), 49th Annual Meeting, virtual meeting, winter 2022

• 15-minute talk, Pacific Seabird Group (PSG), 49th Annual Meeting, virtual meeting, winter 2022

• Invited 45-minute talk, Biology Seminar, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, spring 2020

• Poster, 67th American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference, Atlanta, GA, summer 2019 (work presented by HYY)

• Presentation at NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development Symposium, 69th American Academy of Forensic Science Annual Scientific Meeting, New Orleans, LA, winter 2017 (work presented by EB)

• Invited panelist, Career Day, Talent Unlimited High School, New York, NY, fall 2016

• Invited speaker, John Dewey High School (girl’s leadership class), New York, NY, spring 2016

• Master’s Thesis presentation, Columbia University, New York, NY, spring 2016

• Invited 45-minute talk, Biology Seminar, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, fall 2015

• Poster, 63rd American Society for Mass Spectrometry Meeting, St Louis, MO, summer 2015 (work presented by HYY)

RELEVANT COURSEWORK

Biology: Conservation Biology | Field Ornithology | Animal Behavior (at the Virgin Islands Environment Research Station, USVI & the Trevor Zoo, NY) | Behavioral Ecology | Tropical Ecology (at La Selva Research Station, Cost Rica) | Advanced Evolution | Eukaryotic Genetics | Biogeochemistry

Chemistry: Organic Chemistry

Science Policy & Communication: Public Writing for Academics | Food Ecology and Globalization | Earth and Human Interactions | Science Diplomacy | Environmental Politics in the United States

Psychology and Philosophy: Neuroscience | Social Neuroscience | The Evolution of Intelligence and Consciousness | Human Memory | Philosophy of Science

Statistics, Mathematics and Computer Science:  Object Oriented Programming with Robotics (Python) | Calculus | Biostatistics (R)