The Baker Lab
Colleagues, Collaborators, & Comrades
All of my research would not be possible without the support of many great people. Below you will find bios on my close collaborators and friends with links to their research, if available.
Nancy Knowlton
Sant Chair of Ocean Science
Smithsonian Institution
(post-doc advisor; coauthor)
Nancy was my post-doctoral advisor at the Smithsonian Institution and is currently the Sant Chair of Ocean Science. She is a champion for increasing our awareness of marine biodiversity which includes not only cutting edge research, but also public outreach. Check out her new book, Citizens of the Sea at the Smithsonian's Ocean Portal.
Drew Harvell
Professor (EEB)
Director for Environment,
Atkinson Center
Cornell University
(Ph.D. advisor; coauthor)
Drew was my Ph.D. advisor and is a valued friend and collaborator. She is an expert invertebrate zoologist with a specialized focus on understanding marine diseases in a rapidly changing global environment. Drew played a lead role in the GEF/World Bank Coral Targeted Research Program as the Chair of the Disease Working Group. Through this connection I made many lifelong friends and collaborations and was exposed to international research.
Laurie Raymundo
Associate Professor
Marine Biology
University of Guam Marine Lab
(co-author; possible kin)
Laurie is my anchor in the Pacific. Having survived living in Ithaca herself she understands the desire to live somewhere warm year-round. Laurie is a expert in coral disease ecology and her work has contributed to our understanding of the benefits of Marine Protected Areas and their enhancement of ecosystem health. Having stared at the ocean floor for countless hours, she is a great teacher in both coral and pathogen identification and taxonomy. She also has a killer vibrato.
Marilyn Fogel
Professor
UC Merced
(post-doc advisor; coauthor)
Marilyn is the reigning Queen of Stable Isotope Ecology and an expert on everything from amino acids in bird feathers to carbon isotopes in meteorites. Her breadth of knowledge across ecology, geology, biochemistry, and geochemistry is astounding! Recently, Marilyn left the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution of Washington to start a new career in research and TEACHING at UC Merced.
Kiho was my MS advisor at AU and contiues to be a close colleague. We have continued the work we started during my MS exploring historical and modern human impacts on coastal oceans. We have extended our research on gorgonians to other species, including seagrasses, mangroves, and manatees. Kiho has served as a member of the Ocean Sciences Advisory Board to the National Academies.
Rosa Rodríguez-Martínez
Senior Research Technician
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Puerto Morelos
Rosa is a long time collaborator whom I met while during my Ph.D. through the GEF Project on coral disease. Working with Eric Jordán, Rosa is a true field commander! We have spent many hours underwater together surveying tens of thousands of corals of the Meso-American Barrier Reef. Rosa is also a true conservationist and fights the good fight to limit development in her beautiful home of Puerto Morelos. Although I have been away from Mexico too long, Rosa and I continue to publish together!
Chris Freeman
MarineGEO Fellow
Smithsonian Institution
(coauthor)
Chris is a 2012 MarineGEO (Marine Science Network) Fellow working with Val Paul and Rachel Collin out of the Smithsonian station in Ft. Pierce, FL. Chris is interested in sponge biodiversity and biogeochemistry and we collaborate on joint experiments examining the functional significance of diverse marine symbioses. Chris visited Hong Kong for collection work from Sept-Nov. 2013 and contributed a new collection of HK sponges to SWIMS.