Curriculum Vitae

Thaïs Erbel Perkins

125 N 2nd St BD: 10-07-77

Ponchatoula, LA 70454 985-370-7099 h

985-549-2268 w

985-371-6021 c

Education

M.S. Forest Science. 2001. Oregon State University. Thesis: The Spatial Distribution of Beaver (Castor canadensis) Impoundments and Effects on Plant Community Structure in the Oregon Coast Range.

B.S. Biological Sciences and Honors College. 1998. University of Southern Mississippi. Thesis: Southern Pine Beetle in Mississippi Forests: Pathogen Spread in the Environmental Matrix.

Professional Experience

Assistant Director and Information Transfer Coordinator, (2005-present) The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Research Program, Southeastern Louisiana University. Goals: To administer EPA- funded research program and to provide an information conduit from researchers to stakeholders in the basin, while enabling communication flow between the public and scientific community. Supervision of student assistant.

http://www.selu.edu/pbrp

Designer, Lessons on the Lake Online Edition (2006-2007). Goals: to create an online/DVD version of the Environmental Guide to the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, a manual of lesson plans for k-12 teachers. Responsible for project from conception to grant writing to execution. Supervision of student assistant.

http://www.selu.edu/turtlecove/lessonsonthelake

Research Associate (Wetland Ecology) 2002-2005. Dr. Gary Shaffer. Wetlands Restoration Laboratory, Southeastern Louisiana University. Skills: Experimental Design and Execution, Analysis, Publication Preparation, Extensive Field Experimentation, Lab management. Supervision of field teams and student workers.

Instructor, Biology. Southeastern Louisiana University, 2002-present.

Classes: Introductory Biology for biology majors (GBIO 151, 153), Environmental Awareness (GBIO 281), Biostatistics Laboratory, Multivariate Statistics Workshop (PC-Ord)

Proprietor, Greenprint Communications.

2003-present. Self-run web design side business for independent projects.

http://www.greenprintwebdesign.net

Freelance Ecological Data Analyst 2001-present. Ken Carloni, David Hibbs, Gary Shaffer. NMS ordination, univariate statistics using SYSTAT, Excel, Sigmaplot, data storage and database maintenance.

Graduate Assistant (Forest Ecology) 1998-2001. David Hibbs, Oregon State University. Skills: Thesis preparation; project creation and implementation; database creation, maintenance, and storage; supervision of research assistants; manuscript preparation; preparation of presentations to be delivered at national conferences.

Publications

Gary P. Shaffer, Thais E. Perkins, Susanne Hoeppner, Susan Howell, Heath Benard, and A. Carol Parsons. 2003. Ecosystem Health of the Maurepas Swamp; Feasibility and Projected Benefits of a Freshwater Diversion. Final Report for the Environmental Protection Agency, Government Document. 105pp.

Perkins, Thais E., Gary P. Shaffer and Susanne Hoeppner. 2003. In prep. Potential Approaches to Assessing Wetland Health for the Tidal Fresh/Intermediate Marshes and Swamps of Coastal Louisiana.

Perkins, Thais E. and Mark Wilson. 2005. The Effect of Phalaris arundinacea invasion on species richness in beaver wetlands of the Oregon Coast Range. Biological Conservation. 124:2 pp 291-295.

Perkins, Thais E., D. Hibbs and J. Hayes. In prep. The Effects of Beaver Impoundments on Plant Community Structure in the Oregon Coast Range.

Perkins, Thais E. and Glenn R. Matlack. 2002. Human-generated pattern in commercial forests of southern Mississippi and consequences for the spread of pests and pathogens. Forest Ecology and Management 157:1-3. pp. 143-154.

Presentations

Presenter, PBRP Stakeholder Seminar Series. Responsible for developing and presenting “State of the Basin” about environmental issues for stakeholders in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin using techniques learned for presentation of “An Inconvenient Truth”.

Presenter, The Climate Project. 2006- present. The Climate Project is a nonprofit organization created by former Vice President Al Gore to train science communicators to give the slideshow as seen in “An Inconvenient Truth”. Presentations given include Southeastern Louisiana University, Tulane University, Unitarian Universalist Church of Lafayette, several area k-12 schools and assorted civic groups.

Society of Wetland Scientists National Meeting in New Orleans, LA. 2003. Perkins, Thais E. and Gary P. Shaffer. Relative Success of Mississippi River Diversions at West Point A La Hache, Naomi, and Caernarvon (Louisiana): A Multivariate Approach.

Southeastern Louisiana University. 2002. Pc-Ord Analytical Tutorial for the Ecological Sciences.

Volunteer work

Presenter, The Climate Project (see above).

Web Designer, The Alliance for Affordable Energy. 2002-present. New Orleans, LA.

Instructor. Corvallis Outdoor School, 1999. Corvallis, OR. Volunteer teacher of plant ecology section of outdoor learning experience for 6th graders. Skills: instruction, curriculum development.

Instructor. Songwriting for emotionally challenged youth. 2000. Children’s Farm Home, Corvallis OR.

Grants

Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation

Title: Teacher Education Workshops at Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station: Web-based Tools. $126,654

Southeastern Louisiana University Student Technology Fee Large Projects Grant.

Title: Technological Upgrade for the Wetlands Restoration Laboratory. $12,277.

Continuing Education

The Loyola University Center for Environmental Communications Institute (LUCEC). Fall 2002.

Audit of Environmental Business course at SLU. Fall 2003.