Megan P. O'Connor
Barrington,USA
Summary
Resourceful Environmental Scientist known for high productivity and efficient task completion. Skilled in conducting comprehensive environmental impact assessments, ecological risk assessments, and executing detailed data analysis. Excel in problem-solving, critical thinking, and effective communication, ensuring successful project outcomes and stakeholder engagement.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
Work History
Secondary Science Teacher (Special Ed Certified)
RI Public Schools
Woonsocket, Providence, Pawtucket, RI
09.2013 - Current
- Developed engaging science curriculum aligned with NGSS standards.
- Facilitated laboratory experiments to promote hands-on learning and scientific inquiry.
- Integrated technology into classroom lessons to promote innovative teaching methods.
- Conducted regular parent-teacher conferences to discuss student progress.
- Developed individualized education plans for students with diverse learning needs.
- Collaborated with parents and staff to support student progress and well-being.
- Implemented behavioral management strategies in classroom settings.
Biology Teacher
Fall River Public Schools
Fall River, MA
01.2016 - 01.2017
- Taught Biology 2 in self-contained setting.
Postdoctoral Fellow
National Research Council
09.2011 - 07.2013
- Company Overview: Northeast Fisheries Science Center
- Research includes building a statistical model to describe yellowtail flounder spatial dynamics using R statistical software and ArcGIS software.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Studies (CIMRS)/ Oregon State University
01.2010 - 09.2011
- Responsible for building, parameterizing, and documenting a statistical model to predict the distribution of Pacific hake in the California current system. Covariates included many satellite products including SST and wind data products. Explored generalized linear models and generalized additive models using R statistical software and ArcGIS software.
Graduate Research Fellow
National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), Hudson River Estuary Station
12.2006 - 12.2009
- Studied the effects of hydrology and climate on the HRE fish assemblage, and applied multivariate statistical methods to 20 species-life history stages collected from 1974 to 2005.
Graduate Fellow
Hudson River Foundation
01.2008 - 01.2009
- Applied geostatistics and GAMs and modeled seasonal probability of presence of selected fish species in the Hudson River estuary. Created habitat maps using ArcGIS.
Teaching Assistant
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Amherst, MA
01.2005 - 01.2009
- Provided support for undergraduate class, “History of Conservation in the US”. Duties included grading and regular lecturing.
Environmental Scientist
TAMS Consultants – an EarthTech Company
Bloomfield, NJ
05.2001 - 01.2006
- Responsible for biological-related environmental consulting. Conducted Ecological Risk Assessments, fish and wildlife survey and assessment reports, and other environmental assessments.
- Projects include:
- Passaic River, Ecological Functional Assessment, Passaic, NJ. Assisted in gathering historical biological data and resources. (2004)
- Geddes Brook/Ninemile Creek (Onondaga Re-writes), NY, NYSDEC. Validated and recreated data and reference tables for the BERA. This task involved calculating NYSDEC metal standards and applying ORNL food web models. (2003-2004)
- Baseline Ecological Evaluation, Former Laser Diode Facility, New Brunswick, NJ. Prepared report including soil and groundwater ecological screening. (2003)
- Tappan Zee Bridge Ecological Evaluation, NY, New York State Thruway Authority. Prepared draft report of all Hudson River ecological resources from the George Washington Bridge (RM10) to Stony Point (RM40). Included gathering and compiling all available water, sediment, fish, avian and other wildlife data from various agencies. Involved analysis of abundance and distribution of all data. (2002-2004)
- Ninemile Creek Young of the Year Fish Sampling, Syracuse, NY, NYSDEC. Prepared and fulfilled sampling plan. Included collecting YOY fish via minnow traps and backpack electrofishing. (2002)
- Baseline Ecological Evaluation, Carter-Wallace Facility, Cranbury, NJ. Prepared report including soil and groundwater ecological screening. (2002)
- Fish Windows and Dredging Restrictions in New York Harbor, NY, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Prepared the regulatory review of a Magnuson Stevens Act examination for the potential to allow mitigation for impacts to essential fish habitats. (2001)
- Investigation of PCB Contamination: General Motors Powertrain Facility, Massena, NY, State of NY Office of the Attorney General. Constructed, deployed, and sampled a fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) one-month caged fish/bioaccumulation study. Collected field data including water, sediment, soil, benthos, and wild fish samples. Compiled and analyzed data and prepared report. (2001-2002)
- Onondaga Lake Re-writes, NY, NYSDEC. Validated and recreated data and reference tables for the BERA. This task involved calculating NYSDEC metal standards and applying ORNL food web models. (2001-2002)
- Reynolds Metal Site, Massena, NY, US Army Corps of Engineers/United States Environmental Protection Agency. Assisted in preparing a data evaluation report for a predredging remedial action on the St. Lawrence Seaway. (2001)
- Hudson River PCB Reassessment Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS), NY, United States Environmental Protection Agency. Provided technical assistance for the development of responses to comments for the record of decision for the Hudson River PCB site feasibility study. (2001)
- Onondaga Lake Comprehensive Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS), NY, NYSDEC. Prepared potential site specific sediment quality values based on data provided in the PRP final baseline ecological risk assessment. The calculations involved the development of ERL/ERM and PEL/TEL sediment concentrations based on both 10-day and 40+-day sediment toxicity tests. (2001)
Research Assistant
University of Maryland, Horn Point Laboratory
Cambridge, MD
01.1998 - 05.2001
- Responsibilities included operating an on-site fish hatchery and providing tours. Surveyed local waters for the impacts of environmental conditions on fish health, and designed relevant laboratory experiments under the auspices of the National Science Foundation’s Ecology of Harmful Algal Blooms program.
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Rhode Island
09.1994 - 12.1997
- Prepared and conducted lab experiments concerning growth acceleration in early juvenile stage summer flounder. Also analyzed and presented results to the aquaculture industry. And collected field data for the project, Cards Pond - Potential Effects of the North Cape Oil Spill on Zooplankton, Fish, and Benthos. Assisted the Fisheries Science professor with local field studies. Collected and analyzed field data for an MS thesis in order to study the abundance and distribution of young of the year winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus) in Point Judith Pond, Rhode Island.
Technician
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Narragansett, RI
05.1996 - 09.1997
- As Field Technician, acted as Fish Taxonomist for the mid-Atlantic integrated assessment field crew team. Sampled Chesapeake Bay tributaries for fish species abundance, water quality, sediment community, etc. as part of a comprehensive assessment of watershed health. As Laboratory Technician, designed and performed lab experiments concerning the consumption and growth efficiency of mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus). Assessed the juvenile fish habitat quality by measuring the growth rates of winter flounder in Rhode Island salt ponds. Responsibilities included assisting in the deployment, maintenance, and sampling of young of the year winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus) via one month caging studies. The objective of these studies was to compare the growth and survival of the young of the year winter flounder on vegetated and non-vegetated substrates.
Intern
Department of Environmental Resources
Wilkes Barre, PA
05.1994 - 09.1994
- As Summer Intern, inspected all public bathing places in two counties. Performed all water chemistry and prepared inspection reports.
Education
PhD - Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Amherst, MA01.2010
MS - Fisheries, Animal, & Veterinary Science
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI12-1997
BS - Biology
King's College
Wilkes Barre, PA01.1994
Skills
- Scientific research
- Science communication
- R statistical software
- Statistical modeling
- Ecological risk assessment
- ArcGIS software
- Data analysis
- Data visualization
- Team collaboration
- Recommending solutions
Awards
The New Teacher Project, Rhode Island Teaching Fellows 2013, National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council (NRC) Post Doctoral Fellow 2011, Hudson River Foundation (HRF), Graduate Research Fellow 2008-2009, Boscov Scholarship, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 2008-2009, National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), Graduate Research Fellow 2006-2008, Cronin Fisheries Award, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 2006, Hudson River Foundation, Tibor T. Polgar Fellow 2005, University of Rhode Island Grant-in-Aid of Research 1996, Albert E. Grady Graduate Scholar 1994, Moreau Scholar, King's College 1990-1994
Publications
- O'Connor, M.P., Juanes, F., McGarigal, K. and Gaurin, S. 2012. Findings on American Shad and Striped Bass in the Hudson River Estuary: A Fish Community Study of the Long-Term Effects of Local Hydrology and Regional Climate Change. Marine and Coastal Fisheries. DOI:10.1080/19425120.2012.675970
- O'Connor, M.P., Juanes, F., McGarigal, K. and Caris, J. 2011. Identifying Important Fish Habitat for juvenile American shad and striped bass in the Hudson River Estuary. Ecological Modeling. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2011.06.035
- O’Connor, M., Hawkins, C. and D.K. Loomis. 2008. A manual of previously recorded non-indigenous invasive and native transplanted animal species of the Laurentian Great Lakes and coastal United States, NOAA Technical Memorandum Series.
- O’Connor, M.P. and F. Juanes. 2006. Development of an Upper Hudson River Estuary GIS-Based Fish Data Resource. Section IV: 28 pp. In W.C. Nieder and J.R. Waldman (eds.), Final Reports of the Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship Program, 2005. Hudson River Foundation.
- Ferkin, M.H., Burda, J., O’Connor, M.P. and Lee, C.J. 1995. Persistence of the Attractiveness of Two Sex specific Scents in Meadow Voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus. Ethology. 101(3):228 - 238. DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1995.tb00361.x
- O'Connor, M.P., and Dunham, C.A. Mapping spatial dynamics of yellowtail flounder on the Northeast shelf with R. Meetup: Western Massachusetts Statistics and Data Science. October 22, 2013, Smith College.
- O’Connor, M.P. and M. Haluch, “Modeling Pacific Hake distributions using Satellite and Oceanographic Modeling Products,” Presented at the American Fisheries Society Southern New England Chapter Winter Meeting, Narragansett, RI, January 26, 2012.
- O’Connor, M.P. and F. Juanes, “Identifying Important Fish Habitat for juvenile American shad and striped bass in the Hudson River Estuary,” Presented at the American Fisheries Society Southern New England Chapter Summer Meeting, Hadley, MA, June 7, 2009.
- O’Connor, M.P. and F. Juanes, “Relating Long-term Trends in Hudson River Estuarine Fish Abundances to Climate Signals,” Presented at the Estuarine Research Federation Meeting, Providence, RI, November 7, 2007.
- O’Connor, M.P. and F. Juanes, “Development of a Hudson River Estuary GIS-Based Fish Data Resource,” Presented at the Annual American Fisheries Society Meeting, Lake Placid, NY, September, 2006
- O’Connor, M.P. and C.W. Recksiek, “Assessment of Abundance and Distribution of Young of the Year Winter Flounder, Pleuronectes americanus, in Point Judith Pond, Rhode Island,” Presented at the American Fisheries Society Southern New England Chapter Summer Meeting, Woods Hole, MA, June 11, 1997.
- O’Connor, M.P., Recksiek, C.W. and Klein-MacPhee, G, “Abundance and Distribution of Young of the Year Winter Flounder, Pleuronectes americanus, in Point Judith Pond, Rhode Island,” Presented at the NOAA/NMFS Flatfish Biology Workshop, Mystic, CT, December 6-7, 1996.
Affiliations
- Member of Ashfield, MA Conservation Commission 2004-2008
Publications
O'Connor, M.P., Juanes, F., McGarigal, K. and Gaurin, S. 2012. Findings on American Shad and Striped Bass in the Hudson River Estuary: A Fish Community Study of the Long-Term Effects of Local Hydrology and Regional Climate Change. Marine and Coastal Fisheries. DOI:10.1080/19425120.2012.675970
O'Connor, M.P., Juanes, F., McGarigal, K. and Caris, J. 2011. Identifying Important Fish Habitat for juvenile American shad and striped bass in the Hudson River Estuary. Ecological Modeling. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2011.06.035
O’Connor, M., Hawkins, C. and D.K. Loomis. 2008. A manual of previously recorded non-indigenous invasive and native transplanted animal species of the Laurentian Great Lakes and coastal United States, NOAA Technical Memorandum Series.
O’Connor, M.P. and F. Juanes. 2006. Development of an Upper Hudson River Estuary GIS-Based Fish Data Resource. Section IV: 28 pp. In W.C. Nieder and J.R. Waldman (eds.), Final Reports of the Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship Program, 2005. Hudson River Foundation.
Ferkin, M.H., Burda, J., O’Connor, M.P. and Lee, C.J. 1995. Persistence of the Attractiveness of Two Sex specific Scents in Meadow Voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus. Ethology. 101(3):228 - 238. DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1995.tb00361.x
Accomplishments
The New Teacher Project, Rhode Island Teaching Fellows 2013
National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council (NRC) Post Doctoral Fellow 2011
Hudson River Foundation (HRF), Graduate Research Fellow 2008-2009
Boscov Scholarship, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 2008-2009
National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), Graduate Research Fellow 2006-2008
Cronin Fisheries Award, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 2006
Hudson River Foundation, Tibor T. Polgar Fellow 2005
University of Rhode Island Grant-in-Aid of Research 1996
Albert E. Grady Graduate Scholar 1994
Moreau Scholar, King's College 1990-1994
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Biology Teacher
Fall River Public Schools
01.2016 - 01.2017
Secondary Science Teacher (Special Ed Certified)
RI Public Schools
09.2013 - Current
Postdoctoral Fellow
National Research Council
09.2011 - 07.2013
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Studies (CIMRS)/ Oregon State University
01.2010 - 09.2011
Graduate Fellow
Hudson River Foundation
01.2008 - 01.2009
Graduate Research Fellow
National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), Hudson River Estuary Station
12.2006 - 12.2009
Teaching Assistant
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
01.2005 - 01.2009
Environmental Scientist
TAMS Consultants – an EarthTech Company
05.2001 - 01.2006
Research Assistant
University of Maryland, Horn Point Laboratory
01.1998 - 05.2001
Technician
United States Environmental Protection Agency
05.1996 - 09.1997
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Rhode Island
09.1994 - 12.1997
Intern
Department of Environmental Resources
05.1994 - 09.1994
PhD - Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
MS - Fisheries, Animal, & Veterinary Science
University of Rhode Island
BS - Biology
King's College
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