Summary of my scientific publications
Two book publications
Two published scientific conference proceedings
67 published journal articles
56 scientific conference presentations
28 invited talks
Two IUCN red listing of threatened species
Two data publications (GBIF checklist and IPBES assessment)
Four encyclopedia thematic contributions
Education
May 2021
PhD (Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology), University of Nevada, Reno, United States
My 5-chapter dissertation focuses on generating empirical data with direct and immediate application in the conservation of a U.S. federally threatened plant species. My research focused on estimating population genetic diversity, quantifying the genome size within I. webberi and among Ivesia taxa, fitting ecological niche models, and investigating the regeneration niche of I. webberi via studies on the soil seed bank and seed viability and germination.
May 2010
MSc (Botany), University of Ibadan, Nigeria
My master's thesis investigates difference in foliar and pollen anatomical and morphological structures and phytochemical diversity in Tacca leontopetaloides along ecological gradient. Four papers were published from this thesis.
October 2007
Postgraduate Diploma (Science Education), National Teachers' Institute, Kaduna, Nigeria
I received training on professionalism in science education during this Diploma certificate program. This program is crucial for teaching science courses in Nigerian universities
May 2002
BSc with Honors (Botany), Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
My undergraduate degree in Botany deepened my interest in all things plants!
Research Experience
August 2021 - July 2023
Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, United States
I am a recipient of the 2021 David H Smith Conservation Research Fellowship. This 2-year fellowship funds my postdoctoral research on spatial phylogenetics of the North American native vascular flora to inform conservation prioritization due to global environmental change
August 2018 - July 2021
Adjunct faculty, Truckee Meadows Community College, Reno, NV, United States
In this Hispanic Serving Institution, I taught lecture and lab sections of General Biology for non-majors and Cell and Molecular Biology courses. During this time, I also served on the Student Resources Committee, contributing to the leadership in supporting students via counseling, food pantry services, and scholarship.
June - August 2020
Summer Instructor, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, United States
I taught an Introduction to Environmental Science course during the two 2020 summer sessions in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno
May 2008 - April 2021
Research Scientist, National Center for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Nigeria
In addition to managing the National Field Gene bank, an ex situ conservation site for recalciterant plant species, I also conducted research on assessing the threats of Nigeria's native flora and mentored over 30 undergraduate interns.