Grace Calhoun
Gainesville,FL
Summary
As a PhD candidate, I am not only becoming an expert in my field, but also developing invaluable skills such as project management, self-sufficiency, public speaking, teaching, creative problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, written and oral communication, and lab/office management. I am highly motivated and dedicated, driven by measurable progress and success. I combine deep knowledge of math and science with strong communication skills and empathy to provide unparalleled educational experience to students, whether as a teacher, individual tutor, or science outreach facilitator. I love learning new skills and topics, and being a part of hard-working, collaborative, goal-driven teams and communities.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
Work History
Content Tutor
University Athletic Association, University of Florida
08.2024 - Current
- I tutor undergraduate student athletes at UF, roughly 10 hours per week. I tutor many subjects across mathematics, science, and writing.
Lab Coordinator
C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, University of Florida
05.2024 - Current
- I work closely with medical examiners and law enforcement agencies across Florida on managing current and past cases that come through the lab. I oversee all aspects of the lab’s daily operations, including maceration, lab hygiene, case file organization, mentoring undergraduate volunteers, and maintaining lab and office supplies.
Teaching Assistant
Department of Astronomy, University of Florida
08.2023 - 05.2024
- In addition to grading, I was also heavily involved in course development, including giving guest lectures, developing new homework problems, and modifying rubrics and pre-class quizzes.
- Student feedback from Gatorevals:
- “Grace’s positive attitude and excitement towards the course content made her a great resource for discussion of various topics within this course. I found myself being more enthusiastic towards and engaged in the course activities as a result of her outward demeanor; it is clear that Grace has an affinity for the material within this course and a natural skillset towards higher education.”
- “Grace was so kind and helpful, even when we had silly and very obvious questions. I think having a TA like her is so important in a class that feels daunting for so many due to the course material.”
- “Grace was an engaging TA, and her support both in class and office hours improved my experience in the course.”
- “Passionate, well versed on content, always making herself available to help students.”
- “She could relate her past studies to the class information making it easier for students to understand.”
Instructor of Record
Department of Anthropology, University of Florida
05.2023 - 08.2023
- For this online course, my responsibilities included creating and managing the course Canvas page, ensuring the course content was correct and up to date, making improvements where needed, meeting with students to help them understand the online content, grading, answering student emails, and delegating the responsibilities of my TA.
- Student feedback from Gatorevals:
- “Ms. Calhoun was extremely understanding and helpful. She made this course truly amazing.”
- “Announcements for upcoming assignments and availability to answer questions are helpful. Grace Calhoun is a fine instructor that is always willing to assist me with my questions and concerns.”
- “Professor Calhoun was a highly effective professor that inspired her students to think outside the box. She was flexible and was up to date with emails and grades.”
- “Quick feedback; responsive and helpful.”
- “Professor Calhoun's strengths are that she easy to communicate with and she is kind.”
Teaching Assistant
Department of Anthropology, University of Florida
01.2020 - 05.2023
- I taught the lab portion of the course, which involved giving mini-lectures and guiding students through in-class lab activities.
- Student feedback from Gatorevals:
- “Grace always strove to foster a safe, welcoming, respectful environment conducive to learning and her students' comfortability—and she certainly succeeded! Grace never hesitated to offer an explanation, example, demonstration, or extra time of hers to help our class out, which is wholeheartedly appreciated (especially considering that she went above and beyond what she was definitionally conscripted to do as a TA). Moreover, Grace's fervor for the subdiscipline of Biological Anthropology was readily apparent in her instruction; her positive attitude and ardent educational mindset translated wonderfully to her pupils. Overall, this has been the best lab and lab TA I've had at UF thus far...I wish I could continue to have Grace as my TA for every lab class!”
- “Ms. Calhoun was very enthusiastic and helpful, and very effective in her explanations and teaching methods. Her genuine excitement and passion for the topic fostered a safe, comfortable environment during lab for learning and engaging with my fellow students.”
- “Grace was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about this course. She was able to answer all of our questions during our lab sections and help us to grasp some of the more difficult concepts that we were applying. She was super friendly and overall was just a very involved and knowledgeable TA.”
- “Grace works with students to help them understand the material better. She was very passionate about the topics discussed. I had an amazing semester with her in lab! Thank you.”
- “The instructor was very experienced in the course material and was an enthusiastic and helpful teacher during labs and office hours. She also had extra, in-depth knowledge about the material that was incredibly helpful for understanding concepts.”
Education
PhD Candidate - Anthropology
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL12-2026
MA - Anthropology
University of Florida
01-2022
B.S. - Anthropological Sciences with research distinction
The Ohio State University
01-2019
B.S. - Physics; Astronomy & Astrophysics
The Ohio State University
01-2019
Skills
- Data analysis (R, Microsoft Excel)
- Teaching
- Outreach
- Leadership
- Project management
- Technological proficiency
- Verbal and written communication
- Staff/team management
Timeline
Content Tutor
University Athletic Association, University of Florida
08.2024 - Current
Lab Coordinator
C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, University of Florida
05.2024 - Current
Teaching Assistant
Department of Astronomy, University of Florida
08.2023 - 05.2024
Instructor of Record
Department of Anthropology, University of Florida
05.2023 - 08.2023
Teaching Assistant
Department of Anthropology, University of Florida
01.2020 - 05.2023
B.S. - Anthropological Sciences with research distinction
The Ohio State University
B.S. - Physics; Astronomy & Astrophysics
The Ohio State University
PhD Candidate - Anthropology
University of Florida
MA - Anthropology
University of Florida
FIELD EXPERIENCE
- 2018: Origins Field School, Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brooke University This was a 6-week program where I learned a variety of field methods through assisting in the ongoing excavations of two archeological/paleoanthropological field sites, Nakwaperl and Lomekwi, both located in the Turkana Basin of Kenya.
- 2016 – 2017: Observing at the MDM Observatory, Kitt Peak, Arizona I operated the 1.5-meter McGraw-Hill Telescope at the MDM Observatory on Kitt Peak in Arizona for a few weeks during the summers of 2016 and 2017. I collected photometric data on binary star systems and variable stars. Data I collected on the pulsating variable star FO Aquari led to the 2016 publication in The Astrophysical Journal listed above.
AWARDS AND GRANTS
- 2026: AAA-AABA Anatomy in Anthropology Prize for Exemplary Student Research - $500 Awarded annually at the Annual American Association of Biological Anthropology Conference for the student presentation that best implements either traditional or state-of-the-art anatomical methodologies in innovative anthropological research.
- 2026: William R. Maples Scholarship Award, University of Florida - $2000 Awarded annually by the UF Department of Anthropology to graduate students for dissertation-related research expenses.
- 2025: John M. Goggin Memorial Scholarship, University of Florida - $1500 Awarded annually by the UF Department of Anthropology to graduate students for dissertation-related research expenses.
- 2024: James C. Waggoner Jr. Grant, University of Florida - $800 Awarded annually by the UF Department of Anthropology to graduate students for dissertation-related research expenses.
- 2020: William S. Pollitzer Student Travel Award - $595 Awarded annually by the American Association of Biological Anthropology to support student travel to the AABA conferences. Selection is based on essay prompts that change each year.
- 2017: Bunny and Clark Scholarship- $1,000 Given annually by The Ohio State University Physics Undergraduate Studies Committee to a minority physics major who shows strong service to the department. This was awarded to me for my service in the Physics Department’s Committee for Climate and Diversity as the appointed undergraduate representative, my years of leadership in the undergraduate Astronomical Society, and volunteer work for Girls Reaching to Achieve in Sports and Physics (GRASP), a summer camp organized by the Physics Department for middle school girls interested in science and sports.
- 2015: Research Scholar Award, The Ohio State University- $2,000 Given by The Ohio State Undergraduate Research Office for my research proposal on stellar rotation rates with Professor Donald Terndrup of the OSU Astronomy Department.
LEADERSHIP AND INVOLVEMENT
- 2021 – 2022: Events Coordinator, Florida Anthropology Student Association (FASA), University of Florida Coordinated multiple department-wide events and delegated tasks to other members of the FASA executive board.
- 2020 – 2021: President, Florida Anthropology Student Association (FASA), University of Florida Planned and organized executive board meetings and delegated tasks to the rest of the executive board.
- 2019 – 2020: Secretary, Florida Anthropology Student Association (FASA), University of Florida Took minutes during executive board meetings and helped plan and organize events for the department.
- 2017 – 2018: Committee for Climate and Diversity, Department of Physics, The Ohio State University I was appointed by OSU Physics Department chair, Brian Winer, to serve as the undergraduate representative for the newly established Committee for Climate and Diversity which addresses climate issues within the department such as sexual harassment and implicit bias.
- 2015 – 2017: President, Astronomical Society, The Ohio State University I transformed this club from small and little-known into a dynamic, inclusive environment for both astronomy and non-astronomy majors. Under my leadership, the club grew from fewer than ten members, all of whom were astronomy majors, to over 200 members with a wide array of educational backgrounds. The club is still a thriving and growing community due to this work. Annual events and overnight fieldtrips that I spearheaded still take place today.
ACADEMIC SERVICE
Guest lectures:
- 3/29/24: IDS2935 Knowledge and the Universe, “Big Bang Nucleosynthesis”
- 3/25/24: IDS2935 Knowledge and the Universe, “Galaxies, Hubble’s Law and Redshift”
- 1/12/24: IDS2935 Knowledge and the Universe, “Ancient Astronomy”
- 11/13/23: IDS2935 Knowledge and the Universe, “Dark Matter”
- 9/14/23: ANT3514C Introduction to Biological Anthropology, “Speciation”
- 3/28/23: ANT3514C Introduction to Biological Anthropology, “Later Genus Homo”
- 3/23/23: ANT3514C Introduction to Biological Anthropology, “Early Genus Homo”
- 3/29/22: ANT3514C Introduction to Biological Anthropology, “Later Genus Homo”
- 3/24/22: ANT3514C Introduction to Biological Anthropology, “Early Genus Homo”
RESEARCH AREAS
- Skeletal mechanics
- Trabecular bone
- Finite element analysis
- Primate locomotion
- Functional morphology
- Evolution
PUBLICATIONS
- Polvadore, T. A., Calhoun, G. V., & Daegling, D. J. (2025). Effects of chemical, radiational, and thermal treatment of bone tissue on material stiffness and anisotropy. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 186(1), e25038.
- Calhoun, G. V., Guatelli-Steinberg, D., Lagan, E. M., & McGraw, W. S. (2022). Dental macrowear, diet, and anterior tooth use in Colobus polykomos and Piliocolobus badius. Journal of human evolution, 163, 103123.
- Valenta, K., Bhramdat, H. D., Calhoun, G. V., Daegling, D. J., & Nevo, O. (2022). Variation in ripe fruit hardness: a mechanical constraint? Oikos, 2022(2).
- Littlefield, C., Garnavich, P., Kennedy, M. R., Aadland, E., Terndrup, D. M., Calhoun, G. V., ... & Vietje, B. (2016). Return of the King: time-series photometry of FO Aquarii’s initial recovery from its unprecedented 2016 low state. The Astrophysical Journal, 833(1), 93.
- 2026 American Association of Biological Anthropology meeting; Denver, CO (accepted, upcoming) Podium presentation title: Using 3D-Printing to Investigate the Mechanical Significance of Trabecular Bone Architectural Variables Authors: Grace V. Calhoun, Taylor A. Polvadore, W. Scott McGraw, David J. Daegling
- 2024 American Association of Biological Anthropology meeting; Los Angeles, CA Poster title: The efficacy of resin-based stereolithography 3D-printing of trabecular bone samples as a non-invasive option for mechanical testing Authors: Grace V. Calhoun, Taylor A. Polvadore, W. Scott McGraw, David J. Daegling
- 2023 American Association of Biological Anthropology meeting; Reno, NV Poster title: The mechanical contribution of trabecular bone in the MC3 head during knuckle-walking Authors: Grace V. Calhoun, Henna D. Bhramdat, Anna J. Ragni
- 2020 American Association of Physical Anthropologists meeting; Los Angeles, CA (cancelled) Poster title: Effect of thermal and chemical treatments on elastic modulus and anisotropy of bone Authors: Taylor A. Polvadore, Grace V. Calhoun, David J. Daegling
- 2019 American Association of Physical Anthropologists meeting; Cleveland, OH Poster title: Dental macrowear, diet and anterior tooth use in Piliocolobus badius and Colobus polykomos Authors: Grace V. Calhoun, Emma M. Lagan, Debbie Guatelli-Steinberg, Paul E. Morse, W. Scott McGraw
- 2019 Annual American Association of Physical Anthropologists Meeting; Cleveland, OH Poster title: Another look at canine variation in Neanderthals Authors: Debbie Guatelli-Steinberg, Grace V. Calhoun, Mark Hubbe
- 2018 American Association of Physical Anthropologists meeting; Austin, TX Poster title: Quantifying the sexual dimorphism in the geometry of modern human canines Authors: Grace V. Calhoun, Debbie Guatelli-Steinberg, Mark Hubbe