Maria Aliberti
Tel: 401-874-7540 | Fax: 401-874-2494 | Email: mariaaa@mail.uri.edu
EDUCATION:
| Degree or Program | Year | Institution |
| PhD candidate | 2002—present | Univ. Rhode Island, Kingston Dept. Plant Sciences and Entomology |
| M.Sc.—Environmental Studies | 2000 | Antioch New England Graduate School, Keene, NH |
| •Degree Focus: Environmental Biology •Minor Focus: Environmental Education •Master’s Thesis:“Odonate nymphs as potential indicators of water quality in ponds of northeastern Massachusetts” | ||
| Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship | 1997 | Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| •Studied for two semesters in the Exact/Natural Sciences and Agronomy schools, as a Preserve Planet Earth Scholar •Coursework included intensive entomology and botanical systematics courses; also ethnobiology, environmental ecology, field ornithology | ||
| B.A.—cum laude | 1992 | Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT |
| •Majors: Biology and Spanish (Double Major), Biology focus on ecology
and organismal biology •Semester Abroad: Universidad de Costa Rica, Spring 1991. Coursework included ecology/natural history, art, literature, in Spanish. |
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WORK EXPERIENCE:
| Description | Year | Institution |
| Laboratory Technician, Mosquito Identification | 2006 | Dept. Plant Sciences, Univ. Rhode Island, Kingston, RI and USGS |
| Teaching Assistant | Sept. 2003—present | Dept. Plant Sciences, Univ. Rhode Island, Kingston, RI |
| •Humans, Insects, & Disease; Invertbrate Symbiosis; Emerging Infection Disease (Honors); Herbaceous Plant Taxonomy, Plant Propagation; Botany for Gardeners; Floriculture and Greenhouse Management | ||
| Adjunct Faculty | Summer 2004, 2005; Fall 2006 | Antioch New England Graduate School, Keene, NH |
| •Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology | ||
| Teaching Assistant | Sept. 2002—May. 2004 | Dept. Biological Sciences, Univ. Rhode Island, Kingston, RI |
| •Biology I, Biology II, Human Physiology | ||
| Digital Database Technician | Feb. 2002—present | Dept. Entomology, Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology. Cambridge, MA |
| •Use light-microscopy photographs and image and database software to archive insect type-specimens. | ||
| Invertebrate Taxonomist | Feb.—Sept. 2002 | Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection, Div. of Watershed Mgmt.—New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission |
| •Sample and identify stream invertebrates for regional biocriteria study; slide preparation, data processing | ||
| Research Assistant | Jan. 1999—Feb. 2002 | New England Aquarium, Aquatic Biodiversity Research. Boston, MA |
| •Collect, sort and identify the pond & wetland macroinvertebrates from study sites in northeastern MA , Block Island, RI and Nantucket; experimental design •Train summer interns in lab tasks (processing samples and ID of taxa); assist with coordination of interns, water quality testing, and other field and lab tasks | ||
| Research Assistant | Mar. 2000—July, 2001 | Massachusetts Audubon Society, Center for Biological Conservation. Lincoln, MA |
| •Collect and identify macroinvertebrates from Massachusetts vernal pools •Assist in data entry and management, report-generating and outreach tasks | ||
| Intern | March—Aug. 1999 | Essex County Greenbelt Association. Essex, MA |
| •Vernal Pool internship on Greenbelt properties in North Andover, MA •Survey amphibians, invertebrates and wildflowers | ||
| Research Intern | May—Dec. 1998 | The Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies. South Dartmouth, MA |
| •Trap and sort moths, process specimens, conduct vegetation, larval & adult Lepidoptera surveys on Cape Cod and elsewhere in southeastern MA. •Assist with data entry, organization and analysis; bimonthly bird census; outreach and interpretation activities •Independent project: survey of adult odonate fauna of Ponkapoag Bog/Pond; identify and organize all summer odonate specimens | ||
| Teacher Assistant—Naturalist | Oct. 1996—Jan. 1997 | Massachusetts Audubon Society. Lincoln, MA |
| Organized environmental education program for Boston elementary schools, with college student volunteers | ||
| Bilingual Research Assistant | July 1993—June 1995 | Brigham and Womens Hospital. Boston, MA |
| The Maternal and Infant Smoking Study of East Boston. Perform interviews and pulmonary function testing on mothers and their 4-6 year old children in English and Spanish, for community-based public health study. | ||
PUBLICATIONS:
M. Aliberti, S. Bradt, S. Greene, J. Haney, J. Morrissey, J. Nowak. 2003. Photographic Key to the Freshwater Zooplankton of the Northeast (Version 1.0) University of New Hampshire, Center for Freshwater Biology. PDF and CD-Rom Formats.
M. Chandler and M. Aliberti. 2002. Cross-seasonal survey of aquatic insects from six fishless wetlands on Block Island. Final Report to The Nature Conservancy.
M. Aliberti and M. Chandler. 2001. Survey of aquatic invertebrates from Nantucket Island wetlands. Final Report to Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program Small Research Contracts Program (2001).
M. Aliberti and M. Mello. 1999. Status of State-listed and Tracked Invertebrates at Ponkapoag Bog, Norfolk County, Mass.-1998. Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies (Dartmouth, MA). Report #98-4.
M. Mello, M. Aliberti, S. Galusha, K. Gerber, F. Hohn, A. Lawrence, D. Luers, R. Nagel, T. Ruehli, B. Stephenson. 1999. Inventory of State-listed Lepidoptera and Other Insects at Mass. Military Reservation 1996-1998. Final Report to The Massachusetts Army National Guard Camp Edwards Training Site. Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies (Dartmouth, MA). Report # 99-2.
M. Mello, M. Aliberti, S. Galusha, K. Gerber, B. Stephenson. 1999. Survey of Francis Crane, Hyannis Ponds, and Noquochoke Wildlife Management Areas for State-listed Lepidoptera. Final Report to The MA Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program Ecological Restoration Program, from the Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies (Dartmouth, MA). Report #99-1.
INTERNET PUBLICATIONS:
Identification of Aeshnid Exuviae (http://www.pse.uri.edu/museum/Aeshnid_ID/index.shtml) Photography and direction: M. Aliberti, Production: P. Logan
Rotary Scholars Write: “How can ‘service above self’ change the world?” (http://rotaryscholars.com/featured-essay-maria-aliberti/)
PRESENTATIONS:
Natal Habitat Use by Dragonflies Along an Urbanization Gradient in Rhode Island. M.A. Aliberti and H.S. Ginsberg. Invited presentations at:
- Cambridge Entomological Club. December 2006. [oral presentation]
- EPA Vulnerable Wetlands Forum, November 2006. [poster]
Persistence of dragonfly exuviae on vegetation and rock substrates. M.A. Aliberti and H.S. Ginsberg. [poster]
- New England Association of Env. Biologists (NEAEB). March 2007.
- Entomological Society of America, Eastern Branch. March 2007.
Analysis of Natal Habitat Use by Dragonflies in Rhode Island. M. A. Aliberti. Northeast Regional Meeting of the Dragonfly Society of the Americas, June 2006.
The assemblage of dragonfly species emerging from small wetlands along an urbanization gradient. M.A. Aliberti and H.S. Ginsberg. North American Benthological Society annual meeting, Anchorage, AK, June 2006.
The assemblage of dragonfly species emerging from small wetlands along an urbanization gradient: A preliminary analysis. M.A. Aliberti. RI Natural History Survey, March 2006.
Assemblages of Dragonfly Species that Emerged from Small Wetlands Along an Urbanization Gradient Within the State of Rhode Island, from May – October 2004. M. A. Aliberti. North American Benthological Society annual meeting, New Orleans, LA, June 2005.
Predation by Dragonfly Nymphs on Mosquito Larvae. R. Abney, M. Aliberti, R. Lebrun and P. Logan. New England Association of Environmental Biologists (NEAEB), March 2005. [poster]
Preliminary analysis of 2004 data: the assemblage of dragonfly species emerging from small wetlands along an urbanization gradient within the state of Rhode Island. M. A. Aliberti. New England Association of Environmental Biologists (NEAEB), March 2005.
Location of Anthropogenic, Urban Wetlands That Support Dragonfly Development and Adult Emergence. RI Natural History Survey, March 2004.
Queens and Beaver River Macroinvertebrate Survey. RI Natural History Survey, March 2004.
Larval odonates as potential bioindicators of pond water quality. Presented at:
- North American Benthological Society annual meeting, June 2001 [poster]
- The Massachusetts Bays Program’s Using Biology to Signal Ecological Health Conference, Nov. 2000 [poster]
- New York State Natural History Conference VI, April 2000
- New England Association of Environmental Biologists (NEAEB), March 2000
Location of Anthropogenic, Urban Wetlands That Support Dragonfly Development and Adult Emergence. RI Natural History Survey. March 2004.
Queens and Beaver River Macroinvertebrate Survey. RI Natural History Survey. March 2004.
Memberships
- Member, Ecological Society of America, 2005—present
- Member, Cambridge Entomological Club, 2001—present
- Member, URI Plant Science Club, 2003—present
Native & horticultural plant cultivation; sale promotion, marketing. Club Treasurer, 2005—present - Member, North American Benthological Society, 2001—present. Graduate Resources Committee: 2005 & 2006 Live Auction Committee co-chair
- Member, Ecological Society of America, 2005—present
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar Program. Alumni representative, Northeast Link organization committee.
Field and lab Mentor of URI Coastal Fellowship program interns, May – December 2004—2006.
Annual participant, Concord, MA-based Xerces Butterfly Count, 2000—present.
Invited participant, 2004 Nantucket BioBlitz.
Promoter of dragonfly nymph research
- Active instigator of, and participant in, the Millers River Environmental Center’s “Nymphfest”—a hands-on workshop for people interested in learning to identify dragonfly nymphs (February 2000, 2004).
Graduate coursework in Zooplankton Ecology, Spring 2002.
- Center for Freshwater Biology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH.
Participant in Spatial Ecology Seminar, Spring 2005.
- Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
ADDITIONAL SKILLS:
- Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint, JMP, Adobe Photoshop, AutoMontage, ArcInfo/ArcView/ArcMap Geographical Information Systems, GPS.
- Fluent in Spanish, conversant in Italian & French. Freelance translation of scientific papers/texts into English. Volunteer interpreter/translator at Massachusetts General Hospital (various periods) and elsewhere.
- Certified Emergency Medical Technician (Massachusetts—1995-96): Trained in administration of CPR, MAST and Basic Life Support.