Dr. Whittaker completed her PhD in the Rynearson lab in 2014 with a dissertation focused on the population genetics of diatoms. Her research looked at genetic connectivity in the diatom Thalassiosira rotula at local, regional and global scales. During her time in the Rynearson lab, she participated in several research cruises including to the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Alaska and the Southern Ocean. She is currently a faculty member at the Coastal Studies for Girls School in Freeport, ME and a visiting lecturer at Bates College.