This document is a resume for Lauren M. Merchant that highlights her education and experience in ecology, evolution, organismal biology, and the arts. She earned a B.S. in Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology from Saint Louis University with a minor in Studio Art. Her experience includes undergraduate research, teaching assistant positions, scientific illustration internships, and presentations at ecology conferences. She has strong skills in field research, statistical analysis, and community outreach.

1. LAUREN M. MERCHANT
716 Barley Ridge Ct S, St Peters, MO 63376 | (618) 560-9710 | lauren.merchant@gmail.com
Education
B.S. ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY | MAY 2016 |
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY
· Minor: Studio Art
RELATED COURSE WORK
· Field Botany, Field Mammalogy, Field
Ornithology
· Comparative Genetics
· Evolutionary Biology
· Biometry
· GIS in Biology
· Native Peoples of North America
· Animal Behavior
· Conservation Biology
· Environmental and Ecological Ethics
· General Ecology
· Primate Social Behavior
· Comparative Animal Physiology
· Social Practice in the Arts
· Advanced Independent Study at the Reis Biological Field Station – Designed, carried out, and presented
the results of roosting behavior in birds of the upland Ozark forest region of Missouri. Work conducted
under the direction of Dr. Thomas Valone. Fall 2011.
· Unofficial audit: Ethnobotany. Spring 2014.
· Participant in the iLead servant leadership seminars. Spring 2014.
Academic Awards & Recognitions
· Dean’s List for Fall 2011, Spring 2012 & Spring 2013
· Horatio Alger Scholar
· Garden Club of America Scholar and Regional Nominee
· Udall Scholarship Nominee
· 1st Generation College Student
· Work exhibited in the Saint Louis University Art shows:
· One piece in Fall 2010
· Two pieces in Spring 2012
· One piece in Spring 2013. Title: My Red Pill.
Working Experience
· Spring 2013 – Spring 2016. Bee diversity across urban gardens in St. Louis. Supervisor: Dr. Gerardo
Camilo. Collected, mounted, identified, and illustrated pollinators from urban food gardens in order to
determine the effects of the constructed environment, socioeconomic status, and ethnic composition on
pollinator community dynamics and pollination services.
· Summer 2014. NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates, University of New Mexico, Sevilleta
National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico. Supervisor: Dr. Ken Whitney. Assisted in the establishment,
carrying out, and initial data collection of the LTER study into the cause of polychromism in Sphaeralcea
pollychroma.

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· Spring 2014. Personalities and Stereotypic Behavior in Captive Callimico goeldii of the Saint Louis Zoo,
Independent research project, Primate Social Behavior course. Supervisor: Dr. Katherine MacKinnon.
Designed and carried out independent project to test whether or not the Saint Louis Zoo population of
Callimicos exhibited behavioral tendencies (“personalities”) and if there was a correlation to the severity of
tail damage and frequency of tail sitting.
· Spring 2012 – Spring 2014. CRLA Certified Tutor in the Saint Louis University Student Success Center.
Tutored: College Algebra, Pre-calculus, Calculus I, Basic Statistics, Biology 104 and 106, and Spanish 110.
(College Reading and Learning Association level-one certification.)
· Fall 2013. Assisted in leading SLU Student Success Center tutor training for beginning tutors. Led
discussions, answered questions and shared experiences.
· Fall 2013. Surface water runoff and turf management at Saint Louis University, Independent research
project, General Ecology lab. Supervisor: Dr. Gerardo Camilo. Designed and carried out independent
project to ascertain the amount, and associated costs, of surface water runoff in relation to turf
management on campus.
· Summer 2013. NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates, Missouri Botanical Garden. Supervisor: Dr.
Ginger Allington. Assisted in the establishment and initial collection of the Shaw Nature Reserve regional
seed bank. Analyzed collection prioritization for Missouri Ozark species.
· Spring 2012 & 2013. Biology 106 Lab Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, Saint Louis University. Assisted
the graduate teaching assistants in preparation and teaching of the lab. Was responsible for engaging
students and answering questions.
· Spring 2012. Taught and directed entire lab lecture on cladistics and phylogenetics.
· January 2013. Smithsonian Institute, National Museum of Natural History. Scientific Illustration Intern
under the direction of Alice Tangerini. Learned techniques for handing specimens and preparing,
sketching, inking, and finalizing scientific illustrations for professional publication.
· Fall 2011 – Summer 2012. Botanical scientific illustrator, Dr. Jan Barber’s lab. Worked under the
direction of Dr. Mauricio Diazgranados on illustrations of Espeletiinae for scientific publication. The
worked was carried out at, and sponsored, by the Missouri Botanical Garden.
· Spring 2011 – Summer 2012. Undergraduate research assistant, Dr. Gerardo Camilo’s lab, Saint Louis
University. Surveyed soil parameters and invertebrates in St. Louis city’s public parks. Sorted, preserved
and identified specimens for diversity analysis.
· Fall 2010 – Fall 2012. Annual Giving Program at Saint Louis University. Contacted alumni and students
to request financial contributions and inform them of university news and accomplishments. In fall 2012
was promoted to Team Leader.
SKILLS
· Insect/plant collection, mounting and curating techniques
· Pollen washing and microscopic mounting
· Small mammal processing
· Plant understory surveying
· Proficiency in statistical computing in the R computational environment
· Proficiency in ArcGIS
· Proficiency in Microsoft Office !
· Experimental design
· Intermediate proficiency in Spanish

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Publications
SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATIONS
· 2013. Diazgranados M, Morillo G. A new species of Coespeletia (Asteraceae, Millerieae) from Venezuela.
PhytoKeys 28: 9–18. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.28.6378
· 2013. Diazgranados M, Sánchez LR. A new species of Espeletiopsis (Millerieae, Asteraceae) from Colombia.
PhytoKeys 32: 37–48. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.32.6387
· 2012. Diazgranados M. A nomenclator for the frailejones (Espeletiinae Cuatrec., Asteraceae). PhytoKeys 16:1–52.
doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.16.3186
NONPEER-REVIEWED
· 2013. Merchant, L. M. Morality, Intrinsic Value and Human Obligation: Neither We, Nor the Environment, Ever
Got the Memo... Saint Louis University.
Professional Presentations
· 2015. Tonietto, R. K., G. R. Camilo. Presented by L. M. Merchant. Trends in Bee Communities of Shrinking
Cities from Taxonomic and Functional Perspectives. 100th annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America.
Baltimore, MD.
· 2015. Merchant, L. M. Morality, Intrinsic Value and Human Obligation: Neither We, Nor the Environment, Ever
Got the Memo… Webster University Fourth annual Sustainability Conference. Poster presentation. St. Louis,
MO.
· 2014. Merchant, L. M. Morality, Intrinsic Value and Human Obligation: Neither We, Nor the Environment, Ever
Got the Memo… 99th annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Poster presentation. Sacramento,
CA.
· 2014. Camilo, G. R., P. A. Muñiz, A. Vavra, & L. M. Merchant. Pollinator community structure in the shrinking
city. 99th annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Sacramento, CA.
· 2014. Muñiz, P. A., Vavra, L. M. Merchant, G. R. Camilo. Pollinator diversity across socio-economic range of
urban gardens in St. Louis city. 99th annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Poster
presentation. Sacramento, CA.
· 2014. Merchant, L. M., K. Paine, & K.D. Whitney. Investigation of Floral Polychromism in Sphaeralcea
polychroma. University of New Mexico, Undergraduate Research Symposium, Sevilleta National Wildlife
Refuge, NM.
· 2014. Merchant, L. M. Morality, Intrinsic Value and Human Obligation: Neither We, Nor the Environment, Ever
Got the Memo… St. Louis Ecology, Evolution and Conservation annual retreat. Southern Illinois University.
Poster presentation. Edwardsville, IL.
· 2014. Merchant, L. M. Morality, Intrinsic Value and Human Obligation: Neither We, Nor the Environment, Ever
Got the Memo… St. Louis Area Undergraduate Research Symposium, Southern Illinois University.
Carbondale. , IL.
· 2013. Merchant, L. M. and G. R. H. Allington. Prioritizing flora for seed bank collection in the Missouri Ozark
highlands. Missouri Botanical Garden, Undergraduate Summer Symposium. St. Louis, MO.
· 2013. Merchant, L. M. and G. R. H. Allington. Prioritizing flora for seed bank collection in the Missouri Ozark
highlands. St. Louis Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Consortium annual retreat. St. Louis Zoo. Poster
presentation. St. Louis, MO.
· 2012. Gruenewald, D. L., L. M. Merchant, & G. R. Camilo. Public parks’ soil environment in the shrinking city.
Sigma Xi Annual Student Symposium, St. Louis. 1st place.
· 2012. Merchant, L. M., D. L. Gruenewald, & G. R. Camilo. Biodiversity and environment in St. Louis’ city parks.
First Sustainability Symposium, Webster University, St. Louis, MO.

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· 2012. Gruenewald, D. L., L. M. Merchant, & G. R. Camilo. Biodiversity and environment in the shrinking city.
97th annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Portland, OR.
Scientific & Professional Organizations
· Member of the Ecological Society of America. August 2013 – Present.
· Beta Beta Beta – The National Biological Honor Society, Saint Louis University Chapter. Have been a full
member since Fall 2012, but have been participating in the society since Fall 2011.
· Saint Louis University SGA Sustainability Committee. Fall 2012 – Spring 2013.
SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS ATTENDED
· Ecological Society of America 98th annual meetings, Minneapolis, MN. 2013.
· Ecological Society of America 99th annual meetings, Sacramento, CA. 2014.
· Ecological Society of America 100th annual meetings, Baltimore, MD. 2015.
· Ecological Society of America 101st annual meetings, Fort Lauderdale, FL. 2016.
Further Community Involvement
SERVICE
· Spring 2015. National Adaptation Forum Volunteer. Assisted presenters and facilitated sessions
(11 hours).
· Fall 2013 – Spring 2015. Student mentor to first generation college students. SLU Department of
Biology.
· Fall 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015. Speaker for Science, Saint Louis Academy of Sciences. Visited Rockwood
School District, St. Louis County, to present students with the basic principles of ecology and provide a
role model for women in science.
· Fall 2013. Tower Grove Park Bioblitz. St. Louis Academy of Sciences. Lead citizen scientists in insect
collections across the park.
· Fall 2012. Volunteered at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Worked in the herbarium gathering and
handling specimens from the historical Bernardi Herbarium to be digitally imaged.
· Fall 2012. Volunteer Wilderness Buddy. Worked with inner city kids at Mastodon state park to provide a
role model in the Natural Sciences as well as encourage and expose them to the love of nature.
PERSONAL INTERESTS
· Latin American and Indigenous cultures
· Social and Environmental Justice
· Interdisciplinary Work
· Dancing and Singing
· Travel, Hiking and Camping