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                                                                                                    ALEX FIGUEROA
                                                                      Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans
                                                                          2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA 70148, USA
                                                                                                afigueroa21@gmail.com



ACADEMIC DEGREES

Ph.D.                     Conservation Biology     University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA     July 2016
                                 Phylogenetic relationships and evolution of snakes (Advisor: Simon Lailvaux)

M.S.                       Biological Sciences     School of Science and Technology, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA     June 2006
                                  Behavioral ecology of neonate southern Pacific Rattlesnakes, Crotalus oreganus helleri (Advisor: William K. Hayes)

B.S. (Honors)           Natural Resource Management in Conservation & Applied Ecology, Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ     May 2001

PUBLICATIONS
See Publications page.

HONORS AND AWARDS
2012                      University of New Orleans College of Sciences Graduate Student Research Grant
2012                      Short Course on Macroevolution in R
2011                      University of New Orleans Dissertation Improvement Grant
2011                      University of New Orleans College of Sciences Graduate Student Research Grant
2011                      University of New Orleans College of Sciences Travel Award
2011                      National Science Foundation East Asia & Pacific Summer Institute
2011                      The Field Museum Visiting Scholars Grant
2011                      American Museum of Natural History Collections Study Grant
2010                      University of New Orleans College of Sciences Graduate Student Research Grant
2010                      University of New Orleans College of Sciences Travel Award
2010                      California Academy of Sciences Charles Stearns Memorial Grant-In-Aid for Herpetological Research
2010                      University of New Orleans Department of Biological Science Dissertation Enhancement Award
2010                      University of New Orleans Latin American Studies Abroad Program Award
2010                      The Academy of Natural Sciences Jessup Award
2009                      University of New Orleans Department of Biological Science Dissertation Enhancement Award 
2008-2013              Ernest G. Chachere Doctoral Diversity Fellowship
2006                      Loma Linda University Ray Ryckman Award for Excellence in Professional Publication
2005                      Loma Linda University Biological Science Travel Award for Excellence in Professional Presentation 
2005                      Loma Linda University Earl Lathrop Award for Excellence in Scientific Presentation
2004                      Loma Linda University Department of Earth and Biological Sciences Student Travel Award
2004                      Loma Linda University Jaeger Book Award for Excellence in the Biological Sciences
2003-2005              Loma Linda University Research Assistantships
2001                      George H. Cook Honors Program & Scholar
2001                      Cook College/CAES Merit Scholarship
2001                      Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences Internship
2001                      Elizabeth & Arthur Reich Minority/Urban Access Scholarship
1997-1998              Local 210 Scholarship

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2013                     Teaching Assistant - Biodiversity Lecture, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
2013                     Teaching Assistant - Biodiversity Lab, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
2007                     Adjunct Lecturer - Environmental Sciences Lab, City University of New York, Baruch College, New York, NY

MEETINGS

2012                     Society of Integrative & Comparative Biology: Oral Presentation
                                  Ecomorphology and Convergence in Arboreal Snakes
2010                     Society of Integrative & Comparative Biology: Oral Presentation
                                 Effect of Prehensile Tails on the Strike Behavior of Amazon Treeboas (Corallus hortulanus)
2005                     Current Research on Herpetofauna of the Sonoran Desert III:  Oral Presentation
                                 Movements and Foraging Behavior of Neonate Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes, Crotalus oreganus helleri, in the Coastal Hills of Southern 
                                 California
2005                     Biology of the Rattlesnakes:  Oral Presentation
                                  Behavioral ecology of neonate Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus helleri)
2005                     Biology of the Rattlesnakes:  Committee Member