Biography

Fran has had a winding path into the sciences. She received a B.A. in History of Ideas from William Jewell College before pursuing an M.A. in Journalism at the University of Missouri. Her thesis explored reader’s perceptions of the credibility of news articles about climate change. After completing her master’s, Fran worked for five years as a science communicator. Her time working with researchers inspired her to pursue her own career as a scientist. She completed a B.S. in environmental science from Oregon State University, where she had the opportunity to do field work at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. Fran pursued further field work with the National Park Service, contributing to long-term water monitoring efforts in the Sonoran Desert. At the University of Rhode Island, Fran continues to participate in long-term monitoring efforts through her involvement with field work for the Northeast Shelf Long-Term Ecological Research project. Her research will combine genomic techniques and time series analysis to understand changing trends in the phytoplankton communities of Narragansett Bay and the Northeast Shelf.