91AV

Dania Whitaker, Lecturer, received her B.S. degree in Geology and M.S. degree in Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. Her thesis research examined species distribution and carbon and oxygen isotopic fractionation in benthic foraminifera from the Cretaceous Period in deep-sea drilling cores from the Walvis Ridge in the South Atlantic. Prior to teaching at 91AV, she taught lecture courses in both Environmental Geology and Oceanography at URI, as well as Historical Geology at the Community College of Rhode Island. While working on her Master’s Degree, she measured beach erosion over a two-year period at 8 sites along the southern Rhode Island coastline. She began lecturing at Bryantin 1996, and currently teaches courses in Biology, Oceanography and Geology. She has also organized the science seminar series since the fall of 2014. While at 91AV, Dania has assisted various organizations in field studies, including monitoring piping plovers at Goosewing Beach in Little Compton for the Nature Conservancy, assessing water quality in the Queen’s River for the U.S.G.S., and surveying invasive plant species at several southeastern RI preserves and management areas for IPANE (Invasive Plant Atlas of New England). For the last decade, Dania has been a First Responder for the Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Program for Mystic Aquarium, as well as assisting with necropsies in the field and at the Aquarium.