service

My career goalS Are to:
1) Inspire kindness and SCIENTIFIC curiosity within OTHERS,
​2) pay forward opportunities to future scientists, AND
3) PromotE diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields.


I acknowledge the Systemic racism, gender discrimination, and other conscious and unconscious biases that are intertwined within U.S. educational systems are some of the impediments that underrepresented groups face. Throughout my career, I hope to contribute to the uplifting of underrepresented groups and to the decolonization of science.
Photo 1 (above): A Ramirez Lab undergraduate researcher, Cole Johnston, dressed as the lab mascot, a sea turtle, during the CMS Open House in October 2024 educating visitors on sea turtle age estimation.
Photo 2 (above): Jamie showed advanced high schoolers in Marine Quest's OCEANS 17 program how to image stained sea turtle humerus bones for age estimation (June 2024). Here, they are using the RMD Bio-Imaging Facility's Leica Thunder microscope. 
Photo 3 (above):  Jamie educated a local Girl Scout troop on sea turtle biology and conservation. She helped these 12 seventh graders achieve their sea turtle patch (2024)!
Photo 4 (above):  Jamie was instrumental to the Beaufort Lions Club during the COVID-19 pandemic. She became the President in July 2020 yet kept the club meeting and serving virtually. (Photo from 2021).

Jamie learned how to build a new website in WordPress: visit it HERE. 
Currently held positions:
  • Graduate Student Representative (1 of 3) on UNCW's Bio and Marine Bio Department's SAND (Science, Access, iNclusion, and Diversity) committee (2 yr role)
  • Graduate Student Representative to UNCW's Bio and Marine Bio Graduate Advisory Committee (GAC) - Officer position on the Biology Graduate Student Association (1 yr role)
  • NOAA Hollings Scholarship Program Application Advisor for UNCW's CSURF (Center for the Support of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships) (1 yr role)
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2024
  • Oct. – UNCW CMS Open House [~900 attendees]– led a table for the Ramirez Lab (educating visitors on sea turtle age estimation, anatomy, and food web ecology) and for the SAND Committee (educating about DEI initiatives within the Dept. of Bio and Marine Bio) [Photo 1]
  • Sept. – Femme in STEM, NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher [800 attendees]– led a table for the Ramirez Lab, educating visitors on sea turtle age estimation, anatomy, and food web ecology.
  • July – Leader of a fish dissection/aging lesson with 20 juniors [dissection, otolith retrieval, and aging-error analysis] – UNCW’s Marine Quest OCEANS15 program – Wilmington, NC
  • June – Co-leader of a 2-day sea turtle aging workshop with 20 seniors [necropsy, flensing, sectioning, staining, and aging] – UNCW’s Marine Quest OCEANS17 program – Wilmington, NC [Photo 2]
  • May – Delivered a sea turtle talk to a Girl Scout troop [7th graders] – Kure Beach, NC [Photo 3]
  • Jan. to present – Marine Quest animal husbandry volunteer [1 hr/week] – Wilmington, NC

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2023

  • Oct. – Marine Mammal Stranding Program – Ocean Fest [~2,000 attendees]– Surf City, NC
  • Oct. – UNCW Center for Marine Science Open House [750 attendees] – Wilmington, NC
  • Aug. to present – Marine Mammal Stranding Program – Volunteer – Wilmington, NC
  • May – GEST, Duke University Marine Lab [250 students] – Activity Leader – Beaufort, NC
 
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2022

  • March – NOAA Hollings Scholarship Prog. – Volunteer Application Reviewer – Beaufort, NC
  • Feb. – National Ocean Sciences Bowl [10 nationwide teams] – Science Judge / Volunteer – Beaufort, NC 2021 and previous
 
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2021- 2018 (post-M.S. degree)
  • Founder and Leader of the Beaufort Women's Collective (discussion group for 20 early-career women in the area) – Beaufort, NC
  • May 2020 (virtual) – GEST Education Outreach [130 attendees] – Duke University, Beaufort, NC
  • 2019, 2020 (virtual) – Career Day Booth – Morehead City Primary School, Morehead City, NC
  • 2018 to present – Beaufort, NC Lions Club – President, VP, Treasurer, Member – Beaufort, NC [Photo 4]