Elizabeth Jones Sbrocco, Ph.D.
Research Scholar, Ronin Institute
Email: elizabeth.sbrocco@gmail.com
Twitter: @EJSbrocco
EDUCATION
Ph.D. – Biology, Program in Marine Biology, Boston University
M.S. – Marine Biology, College of Charleston
B.S. – Biology, Duke University
BIOGRAPHY
I am a marine scientist studying climate change and biodiversity in our world’s oceans. I am particularly interested in how population connectivity and spatial variation in adaptive potential interact to determine species resilience in response to environmental stress. I employ a diverse set of skills in my studies, borrowing tools from molecular ecology, geospatial analysis, and environmental modeling to study evolution in response to climate change on paleontological and contemporary timescales and to predict the fate of marine species in the face of current and future threats.
I developed expertise in marine phylogeography and spatial analysis as a Ph.D. student in Paul Barber’s lab at Boston University. There I was also actively involved in mentoring undergraduates from under-represented groups through my advisor’s Diversity Project, and gained international research experience as a participant in the NSF-funded Coral Triangle Partnerships in International Research and Education (CT-PIRE) project at De La Salle University in the Philippines and the Indonesian Biodiversity Research Center in Bali.
As a postdoctoral fellow at the NSF-funded National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent), I further developed expertise in spatial ecology and seascape genetics and honed my skills in statistical modeling and geospatial analysis in ArcGIS and R. I also participated in several NESCent-sponsored working groups, catalysis meetings, and training workshops, including the Diversity of the Indo-Pacific working group, with whom work is still ongoing. Furthermore, I remained actively involved in STEM outreach and education initiatives through NESCent’s Ambassador Program, the Darwin Day Roadshow, and with UNC’s Increasing Diversity and Enhancing Academia Summer Science Institute.
Currently, I am a research scholar with the Ronin Institute for Independent Scholarship. I continue to work on issues related to marine biodiversity, climate change, and seascape genetics and remain committed to issues related to women in science, diversity in STEM fields, and communicating science to the American public and policy makers.
Elizabeth J. Sbrocco, Ph.D. 