Karina I.

Brocco French
University of California, Irvine
Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
[email protected]
Professional Summary
• Current PhD Candidate and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow in the Department
of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Irvine.
• Previous Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellow at Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C.

Education
[2024] -- Ph.D. candidate in Biological Sciences. University of California, Irvine, Dept. of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology. GPA 4.0. Advisor: Dr. Donovan German. Ontogenetic and toxic effects on the
microbiome of keystone species of the phylum Echinodermata.

2016 -- B.S. in Biology (GPA 3.8) with a minor in Marine Science. College of William & Mary. Overall
GPA 3.6. Advisor: Dr. Jon Allen. Early-life stage ecology of cannibalistic species of the class Asteroidea.

Publication
Karina Inge Brocco French, Jonathan D. Allen, Cannibalism of newly metamorphosed juvenile sea
stars, Ecology, 10.1002/ecy.3352, (2021).

Published Abstracts and Presentations (*award winning presentations)

6. Brocco French, K.I.; German, D.P.; Herrera, M.J. [Sept 2022]. The Bill for the Built Environment:
Exploring the Microbiome of an Infamous Marine Invertebrate near the Port of Los Angeles. OCMPAC
Sponsored CMR Symposium 2022. Irvine, California. (graduate poster)

5. Brocco French, K.I.; German, D.P. (Jan 2021). Effect of Toxins on Host Microbiomes in an Echinoderm
Keystone Species as an Indicator of Ecosystem Health. SICB Annual Meeting 2021. Virtual/Washington D.C.
(graduate poster)

4. *Brocco French, K.I.; German, D.P. (Nov 2020). Effects of Ontogeny and Toxins on Host Microbiomes in
Echinoderm Keystone Species as Indicators of Ecosystem Health. SETAC Annual Meeting 2020. Virtual
(graduate poster)

3. Brocco French, K.I.; German, D.P. (Dec 2018). I hope you brought your appetite: Cannibalism on a
changing planet. Ridge to Reef Environmental Research Poster Symposium 2018. University of California,
Irvine. (graduate poster)

2. *Brocco French, K.I.; Allen, J.D. (Jan 2017). Density dependent and size specific cannibalism among
juvenile echinoderms. SICB Annual Meeting 2017. New Orleans, LA. (undergraduate oral)

1. Brocco French, K.I.; Allen, J.D. (Mar 2016). Density dependent and size specific cannibalism among
juvenile echinoderms. Benthic Ecology Meeting 2016. Portland, ME. (undergraduate poster)

Invited Presentation
Brocco French, K.I. 2021. Ports & Pollutants, it’s a Pisaster! Eastern Carolina University Department of
Biology, Greenville, NC. 03/22/2021.

Awards and Grants

UC Irvine Faculty Research and Travel Award in collaboration with Dr. Donovan German
Winter 2022
• $7,000 for -Omics sequencing.
• $750 for -Omics extraction kits.

Southern California Academy of Sciences (SCAS) Research Grant

Spring 2021
• Full-funding for 2021-2022 research. $2,000.

Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Student Presentation Award

Winter 2021
• 2nd Best Student Presentation Award in the PhD Poster category.

Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Student Attendance Grant

Fall 2020
• Funding to attend the SETAC North America SciCon2/41st Virtual Annual Meeting.

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP)

Spring 2020
• Three-year Federal grant awarded to outstanding graduate research students.
• $138,000 grant to support graduate career.

National Science Foundation (NSF) Ridge to Reef (R2R) Fellowship

Spring 2019
• One-year R2R fellowship in recognition of my contributions and future potential in the program.
• $34,000 stipend and coverage of all tuition and fees.

Graduate Opportunity Fellowship

Spring 2018
University of California, Irvine
• Multi-summer fellowship award for incoming graduate students pursuing the Ph.D. who contribute to the
diversity of the institution.

School of Biological Sciences Graduate Dean Fellowship

Spring 2018
University of California, Irvine
• To recruit and recognize academically superior doctoral students exhibiting outstanding promise as
scientists, researchers, and public leaders.
• A $10,000 award during the first year of graduate study.

UC Irvine Diversity Recruitment Fellowship

Spring 2018
University of California, Irvine
• $5,000 to supplement financial support packages of admitted doctoral diversity students.
Division of Invertebrate Zoology Best Student Oral Presentation
January 2017
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Meeting, New Orleans, LA
• Undergraduate talk on cannibalism among juvenile echinoderms.
• Received $100.

Adrian M. Wenner Strong Inference Award

January 2017
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Meeting, New Orleans, LA
• Undergraduate talk on cannibalism among juvenile echinoderms.
• Received $150.

Conference Funding
Winter 2015
The College of William & Mary
• To present a poster on the cannibalistic behavior of juvenile sea stars at the Benthic Ecology Meeting in
Portland, ME in March of 2016.
• Selected to receive $300 award among undergraduate researchers across all academic departments.

Honors Funding
The Charles Center at The College of William & Mary
Spring 2015
• To research the morphological and behavioral response of juvenile echinoderms to predator cues.
• Received $790 in partial Honors funding.

Mary E. Ferguson Memorial Research Award

Spring 2015
The College of William and Mary Biology Department
• To research the morphological and behavioral response of green sea urchin juveniles to predator cues.
• Selected to receive $557 award for independent research among other biology undergraduate researchers.

Professional Development
• Science Policy & Advocacy Certificate Program for STEM Scientists by UCI-GPS STEM (June 2020 –
October 2020). Panelist in module on Science Policy & Advocacy Engagement at the Local Level and
participant in the online course in Science Policy and advocacy for STEM scientists.

• Brocco French, KI; California Council on Science and Technology (CCST). UCI R2R blog Archives. April
28th, 2020.

• NSF R2R Trainee and previous Fellow at UCI (September 2018 – present). Training to manage natural
resources in urban ecosystems. Learning to build partnerships with local communities, non-profit
organizations, government, and stakeholders to develop and implement management solutions.

• Science Policy Career Panel (February 2020). Led, organized, and moderated a panel for
graduate/undergraduate students to network and engage with science policy professionals in academia,
industry, and government.

• California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) Science Translators Showcase (February 2020).
Discussed my graduate research with California State legislative staffers and policy leaders in a formal
setting to learn how to provide impartial and nonpartisan scientific advice to policy makers.
• Making Your Case to Congress - Online Workshop (December 2019). Alan Alda Center for
Communicating Science at Stony Brook. Selected to participate in a nation-wide online workshop to learn to
communicate effectively with members of Congress and their staff with regards to science policy.

• ORISE Fellow - Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR), Washington, D.C. (June 2017 –
August 2018). Research Participation Program for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through
ORISE. Designed web-based communications to help engage local communities in the benefits of land
revitalization for economic growth, human health, and environmental resilience and sustainability. Drafted
Requests for Proposals and reviewed grant proposals in collaboration with program leads. Coordinated
printing and shipping of all printed materials for National Brownfields Conference. Answered web inquiries
about OBLR program and assisted in web reviews.

Community Outreach, Service, and Education

• Targeted Instruction Generating Excitement about Research and Science (TIGERS) (Mar. 2019 -
present). Promoting scientific literacy through monthly hands-on activities at Valencia High School (>65%
underrepresented minority (URM) population) in Placentia, CA.

• Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Mentor (July 2020 – present). Mentoring students in minoritized groups
in gaining admission to graduate school in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and in applying for graduate
fellowships.

• Anti-Black Racism Course for the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (June 2020 – Fall
2020). Led the development of an anti-Black racism syllabus with 7 other graduate students for weekly
physiology seminars with faculty, post-docs and graduate students. Contributed resources and organized
class structure and expectations for the course.

• League of Women Voters (LWV) of Orange County (July 2019 – present). League member. Advising
local chapter on importance of Climate Change and Environmental Justice, participating in meetings with
local and state representatives to advocate for League positions, and communicating with candidates for
local and state level elections to provide information to voters through Voter’s Edge website.

• Speakers Bureau of Orange County’s Registrar of Voters (November 2019 – March 2020). Worked
directly with the Registrar of Voters to educate voters on the Vote Centers instituted in Orange County.
Presented and communicated Vote Center information to on-campus organizations and local community
groups and answering public inquiries on Vote Centers.

• Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (CMA) (June 2019 – present). Aquatic Nursery Docent. Teaching aquarium
visitors (general public ages 3-75) about marine invertebrate ecology while conducting echinoderm
research.

• Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science UCI Chapter
(SACNAS) (September 2018 – present). Graduate student chapter member. Attend general meetings, help
plan and organize programming for outreach and professional development events geared towards URM
students at UCI.

• Diverse Educational Community And Doctoral Experience (DECADE) (September 2018 – present).
Graduate student member. Supporting DECADE goals in diverse graduate student recruitment and retention
by attending programming and fostering inclusive sense of community on campus.
Teaching Experience
• Graduate Teaching Assistant for Applied Human Anatomy (Dev Bio 399). Department of
Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine. Spring Quarter 2019. (April 2019 - June
2019).

• Graduate Teaching Assistant for Physiology Laboratory (Bio Sci E112L). Department of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine. Quarters: Fall 2018, Winter 2019. (September 2018
– March 2019).

• Biology Tutor. Novastar Prep, Northern Virginia, VA. Tutoring elementary through high school level
students in biology and various subjects during weekly sessions. (August 2016 – June 2017).

• Undergraduate Biology Tutor. The College of William & Mary Athletics Office, Williamsburg, VA.
Tutored student athletes in introductory biology and upper-level biology courses including molecular
cellular biology and animal physiology. (August 2015 – May 2016).

Research Experience
• Undergraduate researcher for invertebrate marine ecology at Bowdoin College Coastal Studies Center,
Orr’s Island, ME. Reared sea star and sand dollar larvae to metamorphosis. Researched morphological
plasticity in sand dollar juveniles after exposure to predator cues as larvae. Assisted undergraduate
researchers investigating ecology of mud snails and development of sea stars. Conducted field studies on
species diversity and abundance at rocky intertidal field sites. Presented a talk on my ongoing research in
juvenile marine invertebrate ecology: https://bowdoin.ensemblevideo.com/Watch/w4B8AyCx. (June 2015 –
August 2015).

• Undergraduate researcher in the invertebrate marine ecology laboratory at the College of William &
Mary, Williamsburg, VA. Researched cannibalistic behavior of sea star juveniles of Asterias forbesi.
Research assistant for various projects involving polyembryony of Echinoderms. Studied feeding behavior
of Rhizocephalin larvae. Weekly maintenance of laboratory tanks containing live invertebrates. Researched
polyembryony in brittle star larvae of Ophiopholis aculeate. Researched phenotypic plasticity in sea urchin
juveniles, sea star juveniles and sand dollar juveniles. (August 2013 – May 2016).

• Undergraduate researcher at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), Gloucester Point, VA.
180 hours of volunteer undergraduate research in the marine plankton ecology research laboratory.
Collaborated on a project relating plankton ecology to climate change in the Antarctic Peninsula. Size-
categorized preserved zooplankton samples. Identified and counted species of zooplankton using a ZooScan
machine and ZooScan software. (June 2013 – December 2013).

Internship Experience
• Summer research intern. MOTE Marine Laboratory and Chicago Zoological Society: Sarasota Dolphin
Research Program, Sarasota, Fl. Conducted field surveys of dolphin groups through photographic
identification 8 hours a day for two weeks a month. Collected behavioral and environmental data. Updated
dorsal fin identification catalogs, entered field data into database, and assisted with dolphin shark-bite photo
identification when not conducting field surveys. Maintained boat and field equipment. Studied ecological
relationships between dolphins and their prey by surveying fish populations. (August 2016-October 2016).

• Summer intern. Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Surf City, NC. Worked 65
hours weekly with 8 other interns running daily maintenance of the facility including animal husbandry and
rehabilitation. Performed treatments on critically injured sea turtles ranging from 20-200 pounds.
Maintained aquatic animal life support systems. Gained knowledge of various species of sea turtles and
 specific treatments. Led daily hospital tours (average daily attendance: 1000 visitors); educated visitors
about sea turtle hospital patients and about human threat faced by wild sea turtle populations. Trained
volunteers and patrolled/monitored beaches for sea turtle nests and hatchlings. (May 2014 – August 2014).

Professional Affiliations
• National Science Policy Network (NSPN). Graduate Student Member (2020-present).

• Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB). Graduate Student Member (2020-present).

• Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). Graduate Student Member (2020-
present).

• Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). Graduate
Student Member (2020 – present).
• American Physiological Society (APS). Graduate Student Member (2019 – present).

References
• Dr. Donovan German (Ph.D. advisor)
Associate Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of California, Irvine
[email protected]

• Dr. Deborah Lutterschmidt (Committee member)

Associate Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of California, Irvine
[email protected]

• Dr. Joleah Lamb (Committee member)

Assistant Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of California, Irvine
[email protected]

• Dr. Jonathan D. Allen (UG advisor)

Associate Professor of Biology
The College of William & Mary
[email protected]

Other
Choreographer and dancer for Pointe Blank Student Dance Company at The College of William & Mary.
Choreographed jazz and contemporary pieces for 30 dancers. Performed 18 jazz and contemporary pieces.
(August 2013 – May 2016).