The Team

Vivienne Foroughirad - Principal Investigator

Vivienne is a behavioral ecologist interested in the fitness consequences of the social environment. Her research integrates genetics and long-term studies to characterize the evolutionary processes shaping patterns of variation in social structure across cetacean species. Vivienne earned her Ph.D. with Andy Read at the Duke University Marine Lab and then did a postdoc with Janet Mann at Georgetown University before moving to Galveston.

Email: vforough@tamug.edu
Twitter: @vforoughirad
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Nikki Shintaku - PhD Student

Nikki is a PhD student in the Marine Biology program at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Her research interests include population genomics/genetics and behavioral ecology in bottlenose dolphins and how they inform marine conservation actions. She received a Master’s of Coastal Environmental Management from Duke University and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from University of California, Davis. Go Aggies!

Ashley Rogers - Masters Student

Ashley is a Masters student in the Marine Biology program at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Her research interests include social learning and foraging ecology in bottlenose dolphins and how they inform conservation and management strategies of the species. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology from Vanderbilt University.

Ava Reynolds - Undergraduate Technician

Ava is a sophomore Marine Biology student at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Her interests include marine mammal ecology and behavior. After completing her Bachelor’s degree, she plans to complete her Master’s degree.

Zoe Olson - Undergraduate Technician

Zoe is an undergraduate Marine Biology major and Dive Technologies and Methods minor from Texas A&M University at Galveston. She is interested in researching cetacean behavioral and acoustic ecology on odontocetes such as killer whales and bottlenose dolphins. She also takes part in photography, which she hope will be useful in the Foroughirad lab and in my future research. Besides being a lab technician, she am also a member of Sea Aggie Dolphin Investigative Program, in which she photographs and collect behavioral data of the bottlenose dolphin population near Texas A&M Galveston.

Julianna Rosales - Undergraduate Technician

My name is Julianna and I’m an undergraduate junior at Texas A&M University at Galveston. My interests focus on marine ecology and animal behaviors. I also volunteer in the invertebrate lab on campus. In my free time I like to crochet!

Dylan Hankins - Undergraduate Technician

Dylan is an undergraduate Marine Biology major at Texas A&M University at Galveston. He is interested in researching cetacean behavioral and cultural ecology, specifically on odontocetes such as killer whales. After completing his Bachelor’s degree, he plans on continuing his education to complete his PhD.

Camari Knox - Undergraduate Technician

Camari is an undergraduate student with the Marine Science department at Texas A&M University at Galveston, with plans of pursuing a PhD. She aims to pursue a career focused in behavioral ecology of beluga whales, particularly their use of echolocation in the Arctic. She also plans to join ocean conservation efforts.

Madison Ealey - Undergraduate Technician

Madison is a senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marine biology at Texas A&M University at Galveston. She has plans to advance to a master’s program, she is eager to engage in first-hand research focusing on the physiology and morphology of cetaceans, particularly of sperm whales. Madison’s academic journey is driven by a deep-seated passion for marine life and a commitment to contributing valuable insights to the field.