I am a passionate ecologist with a bachelor’s in Ecology and Evolution from the University of California, Santa Cruz. I am an avid scholar of nature’s patterns and idiosyncrasies, and I am seeking to further my research experience with responsibilities in the field, lab, and office. I fell in love with Oregon’s ecology while visiting over the years and have yearned to study there; I am now taking the leap to move there for my career and passion. Through my assortment of positions, I have trained and supervised teams of interns and employees, served as a liaison to outside organizations and the public, and coordinated with teams of colleagues. I have also worked with a variety of flora and fauna species via site surveys and live trapping, including bird/nest surveys and small mammal trapping. I have a diverse skillset in the management and analysis of data— e.g. using ArcGIS and Excel—as well as the writing of work reports, grant proposals, and scientific papers. I am eager to build upon my experience and skills, to contribute to your organization with my drive to improve all that I work on, and to further my goals of an eventual PhD and career in wildlife conservation.

1. Deanna Rhoades 1
Deanna Rhoades
(925) 399-2324 Current residence:
deannarhoades1@gmail.com Watsonville, CA 95076
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanna-rhoades
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
I am a passionate ecologist with a bachelor’s in Ecology and Evolution from the University of California,
Santa Cruz. I am an avid scholar of nature’s patterns and idiosyncrasies, and I am seeking to further my research
experience with responsibilities in the field, lab, and office. I fell in love with Oregon’s ecology while visiting
over the years and have yearned to study there; I am now taking the leap to move there for my career and passion.
Through my assortment of positions, I have trained and supervised teams of interns and employees, served
as a liaison to outside organizations and the public, and coordinated with teams of colleagues. I have also worked
with a variety of flora and fauna species via site surveys and live trapping, including bird/nest surveys and small
mammal trapping. I have a diverse skillset in the management and analysis of data— e.g. using ArcGIS and
Excel—as well as the writing of work reports, grant proposals, and scientific papers.
I am eager to build upon my experience and skills, to contribute to your organization with my drive to
improve all that I work on, and to further my goals of an eventual PhD and career in wildlife conservation.
EDUCATION
BS in Ecology and Evolution University of California, Santa Cruz Sep 2013 – June 2017
o Overall grade point average: 3.76
o Relevant Coursework: mammalogy, GIS & environmental applications, quantitative ecology,
molecular ecology, disease ecology, community ecology, behavioral ecology, genetics, and statistics
HONORS & GRANTS
BS with Honors (cum laude), UCSC 2017
Norris Center Natural History Project Grant, UCSC ($1000) 2016
Dean’s Honors List, UCSC 2014 – 2015
Freshman Year Honors Program, UCSC 2013
SKILLS
Fieldwork: surveys of small mammals, plants, and protected species
o plants: 4 months; CFI (Continuous Forest Inventory) – measurements and species ID for plot census,
species ID in leaf litter traps
o small mammals: 1+ years; SMURF (Small Mammal Undergraduate Research in the Forest), mammalogy,
thesis – Live-trapping, rodent species ID (live animal or skulls), scruffing for life history data (sex, age,
morphometric), ear tagging & biopsy punch, UV dusting, tick collection
o sensitive species: 5 months; RCD (Resource Conservation District) – bird and lizard species ID, mammal
ID using burrow/scat/track, vegetation ID, environmental permit compliance
Field equipment: hand-held GPS units, radio telemetry, camera traps, Sherman-traps, GIS Collector, inclinometer,
laser rangefinder, 4WD trucks and ATVs, power tools and chainsaws
Computer software: ArcGIS (proficient); Microsoft Office Suite for spreadsheet data entry, analyses, graphical
visualization, and word processing (proficient); Adobe Acrobat for PDF management (proficient); R programming
for modeling and data analysis; JMP statistical software; molecular analyses using Geneious and Structure software
Certifications: ATV driving, 2019 by ATV Safety Institute; Animal research handling for non-biomedical
“Wildlife Research” & “Animal Care and Use for Research”, 2016 by CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training
Initiative); Project Management in Wildlife Conservation, 2021 by WildTeam UK
Other: 20/20 vision, capable of heavy lifting, CA driver’s license, past CPR and First Aid training

2. Deanna Rhoades 2
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Monitoring Biologist Aug 2018 – Dec 2018
Resource Conservation District (RCD) – Monterey County, CA
o Field: Surveyed land on the Salinas River with a team of biologists for flora and fauna species protected by
work permits. Taped off protected areas and recorded the polygons and associated data using GIS
Collector. Supervised crews spraying pesticides on invasive Arundo donax plants and mowing flood
channels in the surveyed areas. Ensured permit compliance and safety of protected species during crew
work. Wrote extensive professional correspondence to coordinate with fellow biologists, spray/mow crews,
and landowners. Worked in extreme heat, on rough terrain, and around pesticides and poison oak.
o Office: Proofed and organized GIS data from previous seasons to produce a map layer package for data
analysis in Arundo donax research; cleaned up GIS features and descriptive data from current season’s
map; wrote the project’s 2018 annual work report.
o Schedule: 40-60 hours/week; Mon-Friday 6 AM – 2 PM or later, occasional office weekdays 8 AM – 4 PM
Independent Researcher, bachelor’s thesis Sept 2016 – June 2017
UC Santa Cruz (UCSC) – Santa Cruz County, CA
o Investigated the current range of the Santa Cruz kangaroo rat, suspected to be an endangered subspecies, by
trapping at localities selected by historical distribution records and habitat suitability.
o Collected records from historical scientific papers of Dipodomys v. v. distribution. Used GIS software to
create a layered map of these recorded locations and of currently suitable habitat.
o Surveyed sites from this map for kangaroo rat presence, with the assistance of student interns, by deploying
Sherman traps at each site over several nights. Collected trap locations using a GPS device, recorded
trapping data on datasheets, supervised interns, and organized and proofed the data.
o Received a $1000 grant from the Ken Norris Natural History Center to fund my work.
o Wrote a thesis paper and created GIS maps showing historical records and trapping results. Presented my
project at two undergraduate research poster symposiums.
o Thesis accessible at https://www.slideshare.net/DeannaRhoades/deanna-k-rhoades-bachelors-thesis
o Schedule: 15 hours/week; schedule highly variable
Program Assistant and Intern June 2016 – Sept 2017
Small Mammal Undergraduate Research in the Forest (SMURF), UCSC – Santa Cruz, CA
o Intern (2016): Trapped native rodents for long-term population research on a forest research plot.
o Senior Intern (2017): Trained and supervised interns on mouse scruffing, species ID, ear biopsy punching
and ID tagging, setting 100 traps in a grid, data entry and proofing, etc.
o Primary Course Assistant (2017): Assisted with teaching the class and coordinating/supervising fieldwork,
created a local field species key for teaching interns (now used by many UCSC Reserve researchers),
improved research plots and marked out new ones.
o Field species key accessible at https://www.slideshare.net/DeannaRhoades/deanna-k-rhoades-monterey-
bay-small-mammal-species-key
o Schedule: Intern) 10 hours/week, Assistant) 20 hours/week; schedule variable
Intern March 2016 – Sept 2016
Puma Project, UCSC – Santa Cruz County, CA
o Identified animal species and behavior from camera trap photos/ videos, placed/collected camera traps,
located tracking collars with radio telemetry, visited GPS clusters for possible dens/feeding sites
o Schedule: 10 hours/week; schedule variable
Intern and Volunteer Sept 2015 – Dec 2015
Continuous Forest Inventory (CFI), UCSC – Santa Cruz, CA
o Intern: Recorded vegetation censuses and tree measurements in forest research plots, navigated off-trail to
plots using hand-held GPS units, worked constantly around poison oak.
o Volunteer: Identified plant species of leaves/flowers/fruits found in litter traps and recorded in iPad
spreadsheet using established codes.
o Schedule: 8 hours/week; Fridays 8 AM – 4 PM

3. Deanna Rhoades 3
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE & TEACHING
Senior Park Aide July 2019 – April 2020
California State Parks, Wilder Ranch – Santa Cruz County, CA
o Field: Responded to emergency calls, enforced park rules, interacted with the public and taught natural
history and park history, supervised employees in kiosks, opened and closed the parks, collected entrance
fees, drove 4WD trucks and ATVs on dirt trails and beaches, maintained 35 miles of trails—checked trail
conditions, removed fallen trees with a chainsaw, mowed overgrown trails, and installed signs. Had
minimal supervision, carried heavy gear, hiked rough terrain.
o Ranger station: Submitted monthly operations paperwork, maintained tools and station vehicles, learned
new equipment using technical manuals, obtained purchase cost estimates, ordered station supplies, assisted
with the implementation of a task management app (Trello) for coworker coordination
o Schedule: 25 hours/week; schedule variable
Program Assistant April 2019 – May 2019
California Ecology and Conservation class (CEC), UCSC – Northern California
o Managed logistics for the traveling field course with my co-assistant, for 27 students—meal planning,
shopping, cooking, driving vans, organizing kitchens, and assisting student research.
o Schedule: 60 hours/week; Mon – Sat 6 AM – 10 AM and 5 PM – 9 PM, Sundays 6 AM – 9 PM
Barista and cashier Sept 2017 – Aug 2018
Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Co. – Santa Cruz, CA
o Rang up customers and made drinks during peak hours, trained new employees, cleaned and restocked shop
o Schedule: 30 hours/week; schedule variable
Peer tutor Sept 2016 – June 2017
Learning Support Services (LSS), UCSC – Santa Cruz, CA
o Tutored UCSC undergraduates for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Animal Physiology, and Ecology; 6
sessions a week with interactive exercises, small-group discussion, and building study skills.
o Schedule: 10 hours/week; schedule variable
Teaching Assistant Jan 2015 – March 2015
Crown College Virology class, UCSC – Santa Cruz, CA
o Facilitated lecture discussions, gave students critiques on their work, coordinated lab set-up, assisted
students with lab procedures, and discussed class improvements with professor and co-TA.
o Schedule: 5 hours/week; Tues 10 AM – 12 PM, Thurs 2 PM – 5PM
REFERENCES
Wilder Ranch State Park supervisor: Joe Connors
(831) 212-7672, joseph.connors@parks.ca.gov
RCD supervisor: Dr. Emily Zefferman
(831) 975-7761, emily.zefferman@rcdmonterey.org
SMURF supervisor: Dr. Tina Cheng
(510) 384-4542, tcheng@batcon.org
Thesis advisor: Dr. Gage Dayton
(831) 459-4867, ghdayton@ucsc.edu