Robin Francis

Like many BUMP students, I conducted marine science research as an undergraduate. I interned in a research lab, conducting underwater fieldwork as an AAUS scientific diver, at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I also had the opportunity to take immersive field courses abroad and I graduated with a strong desire to pursue field ecology in marine science. I first joined BUMP as a scientific diver for Dr. Pete Buston and his graduate students, assisting field research in Belize. I later joined the Buston Lab as PhD. student, where I conducted research on the reproductive ecology and mating system of the neon goby in Belize, and larval dispersal ecology of the orange anemonefish in Papua New Guinea and in the lab here at Boston. I developed a strong appreciation for teaching as a Teaching Fellow, especially in the Marine Semester, as I assisted professors and students in Scientific Diving, Marine Megafauna Ecology, Ichthyology, Coral Reef Dynamics, Coral Reef Restoration and Resilience, and Marine GIS. So, I continued teaching at BU as a Postdoctoral Associate Teaching Scholar, and began my research in effective and inclusive teaching strategies for immersive field courses in marine science. I grew my teaching philosophy under the mentorship of Dr. Kathryn Spilios, Dr. Kale Hartmann, and BU Diversity and Inclusion as a Developing Antiracist Curriculum Fellow. I am now thrilled to be a Lecturer with the Biology Department, where I can continue teaching in the Marine Semester and Marine Breadth courses.

Interested undergraduate researchers who wish to work with me should feel free to reach out.

Research Interests: marine fish ecology, evolution of mating systems, dispersal ecology, marine spatial planning, metapopulation dynamics, marine science education research, inclusive pedagogy, experiential learning