ELISE B. WILKES [email protected] • 480-694-9856 Harvard University • 20 Oxford St. Hoffman G9 • Cambridge, MA 02138 Laboratory for Molecular Biogeochemistry and Organic Geochemistry
EDUCATION Harvard University, Cambridge, MA Expected 2018 Ph.D. Candidate in Organic Geochemistry, Adviser: Ann Pearson Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, GPA: 4.00/4.00
Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 2012 A.B., magna cum laude, Chemistry with High Honors, GPA: 3.86/4.00 Honors Thesis: Synthesis and characterization of benzylcyclopentadienyl lithium and related derivatives
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Graduate Research Fellow, Harvard University 2012-present
Teaching Fellow, Harvard University 2013-2017 Scientific Party, R/V Endeavor Research Cruise Summer 2016 Led by Dr. Carol Arnosti, UNC Chapel Hill
Presidential Scholar & Undergraduate Researcher, Dartmouth College 2010-2012 Advised by Dr. Ivan Aprahamian, Chemistry Department (Organic/Supramolecular Chemistry)
Hollings Scholar, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Summer 2011 Advised by Cathy Laetz, NOAA NW Fisheries Science Center (Ecotoxicology)
Research/Lab Aid, Arizona State University Summer 2009, Spring 2010 Advised by Drs. Laura Wasylenki & Ariel Anbar, School of Earth and Space Exploration (Biogeochemistry)
NASA NH Space Grant Intern 2009-2010 Advised by Dr. Mukul Sharma, Dartmouth Earth Sciences Department (Geochemistry)
Lab Assistant, Arizona State University Summer 2009 Advised by Dr. Peter Buseck, School of Earth and Space Exploration (Atmospheric Chemistry)
HONORS 2014-2017 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship 2013 Smith Family Graduate Science and Engineering Fellowship, Harvard University merit fellowship 2012 James Mills Peirce Graduate Fellowship, Harvard University merit fellowship awarded to top incoming Ph.D. applicants in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering 2012 Phi Beta Kappa
2012 Elden Bennett Hartshorn Medal in Chemistry, Presented to the senior chemistry major at Dartmouth “who is going on to graduate work in chemistry and who, in the opinion of the Department of Chemistry, shows the most promise in that field.” 2012 The John L. Zabriskie Jr. ’61 Senior Chemistry Prize, Dartmouth College award for outstanding undergraduate research in chemistry 2012 Sigma Xi Christopher G. Reed Poster Competition Second Prize 2010-2011 Ernest F. Hollings Scholar, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2009-2011 Rufus Choate Scholar, Awarded to students in the top 5% of Dartmouth class for the previous year 2010 James O. Freedman Presidential Scholar, Dartmouth College 2009-2011 Three Academic Citations for Meritorious Performance, Dartmouth College In Geobiology, by Dr. Jill Mikucki: “For demonstrating excellence in interdisciplinarity.”
In Earth Sciences, by Drs. Edward E. Meyer and Meredith A. Kelly: “…for excellent academic performance. She demonstrated an exceptional understanding of the course material.”
In Women’s and Gender Studies, by Dr. Paula Sprague: “The clarity and originality of her ideas were always insightful. Elise’s intellectual curiosity and acuity, as well as her deep engagement with the material studied, are very impressive.”
2008-2012 Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship 2008-2012 Class of 1987 Merit Scholarship, Dartmouth College
PUBLICATIONS
Wilkes EB, Carter SJ, and Pearson A (2017) CO2-dependent carbon isotope fractionation in the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2017.05.037 (Accepted)
Wilkes EB and Pearson A. Carbon isotope fractionation in marine phytoplankton. (In preparation) Wilkes EB, Lee RBY, McClelland, HLO, Rickaby REM, and Pearson A. Carbon isotope ratios of coccolith-associated polysaccharides of Emiliania huxleyi as a function of growth rate and CO2 concentration (In preparation).
Bryan AL, Dong S, Wilkes EB, Wasylenki LE (2015) Zinc isotope fractionation during adsorption onto Mn oxyhydroxide at low and high ionic strength. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 157, 182-197, 2015.
*Foy JT, *Wilkes EB, Aprahamian I. (2012) Self-assembly of benzyl cyclopentadienyl lithium. Crystal Engineering Communications. 14, 6126-6128, 2012. (* indicates co-first authors)
SELECTED PRESENTATIONS
TALKS Aug. 2017 Goldschmidt Conference, Paris (upcoming) Enzymatic controls on carbon isotope fractionation in marine phytoplankton
April 2017 Origins of Life Initiative Chalk Talk, Harvard University, MA (Invited) Understanding isotopic records of global carbon cycling.
Nov. 2016 GSPD Seminar, Harvard University, MA Understanding algal carbon isotope signatures through chemostat culture Sept. 2016 Solid Earth Graduate Student Seminar, Harvard University, MA Carbon isotope fractionation in phytoplankton April 2016 Northeastern Geobiology Symposium, Harvard University, MA Photosynthetic carbon isotope fractionation by the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense POSTERS July 2016 Organic Geochemistry 2016 Gordon Research Conference, Holderness, NH Photosynthetic carbon isotope fractionation by Alexandrium tamarense in chemostat culture Dec. 2015 AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA Photosynthetic carbon isotope fractionation of the marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense: A chemostat investigation of taxonomic and physiological controls on the stable carbon isotope record Sept. 2013 American Chemical Society National Meeting, Indianapolis, IN Zinc isotope fractionation during adsorption on birnessite (abstract) May 2012 Wetterhahn Symposium, Hanover, NH Synthesis and characterization of methyl cyclopentadienyl lithium derivatives *Awarded Sigma Xi Christopher Reed Poster Competition Second Prize Aug. 2011 Goldschmidt Conference, Prague Is your clean lab full of zinc? (abstract) Aug. 2011 NOAA Hollings Scholarship Symposium, Washington, D.C. The combined toxicity of pesticide mixtures and elevated temperature to juvenile coho salmon Dec. 2010 AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA Zinc finger takes on a whole new meaning: reducing and monitoring zinc blanks in the isotope lab Dec. 2009 AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA The platinum group elements in Younger Dryas horizons are terrestrial
TEACHING AND MENTORING 2017-present Research Mentor, Harvard University: Gayane Kaligian, high school intern 2015-present Research Mentor, Harvard University: Katie Mabbott, high school intern 2013-2017 Teaching Fellow, Harvard University The Fluid Earth: Oceans, Atmosphere, Climate, and the Environment (A. Pearson and P. Huybers), Spring 2017 The Fluid Earth: Oceans, Atmosphere, Climate, and the Environment (A. Pearson and P. Huybers), Spring 2016 The Dynamic Earth: Geology and Tectonics Through Time (F. Macdonald and R. O’Connell), Fall 2013 Spring 2017 Participant, 7-week teaching skills seminar, Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, Harvard University 2015-2017 Mentoring Program Co-Chair, Harvard Graduate Women in Science and Engineering Co-organizer of a mentoring program pairing >150 graduate student mentees with 80 faculty mentors
2015-2016 Volunteer Math Tutor, Cambridge Community Learning Center
2012-2015 Mentor, Harvard University Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics One-on-one mentor for undergraduate women considering science majors 2009-2012 Peer Mentor, Dartmouth College Women in Science Project 2010-2011 Organic Chemistry Tutor, Dartmouth College Academic Skills Center
RELATED ACTIVITIES
Leadership Faculty Search Student Advisory Committee, Harvard Dept. of Earth and Planetary Science, 2017 Harvard Agassiz Visiting Lecturer Committee, 2016-2017 Harvard Graduate Women in Science and Engineering Executive Board, 2012-2017 Mentoring Program Co-Chair (2015-2017) Cambridge Co-Chair (2013-2014) Board Member (2012-2013) Panel Moderator (Spring 2015): “WISE Beyond Your Years” Symposium Organizing committee (Spring 2013): Fireside Chat with MIT President Emerita Susan Hockfield Faculty Search Undergraduate Committee, Dartmouth Dept. of Chemistry, 2011
Short Courses/ Cenozoic pCO2 reconstructions workshop, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, 2017 Workshops Algal Culturing Techniques Course, Bigelow Laboratory, NCMA, 2014 Microbial Sciences Initiative Microscopy Short Course, Harvard University, 2013 Service/Outreach Contributor to www.p-CO2.org, 2017 Website developed through an international collaboration to synthesize information about marine CO2 proxies for expert and non-expert audiences
Scientific Editor for the Journal of Emerging Investigators, 2014-present Scientific journal for middle school and high school students’ original research Content contributor, CuSTEMized, 2016 Non-profit that provides personalized STEM-related motivational storybooks for kids Acknowledged contributor, What Every Science Student Should Know (U. Chicago Press, 2016) Panelist: “Grad School in the Sciences & Engineering: Applying, Surviving, & Thriving,” 2012, 2013 Harvard Office of Career Services; School of Engineering and Applied Sciences