Holly F. Swift
(209) 228-4503 | 5200 N. Lake Road | Merced, CA 95343 |
hswift@ucmerced.edu
Education
University of California, Merced: PhD Candidate; Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program in the
School of Natural Sciences, with an evolutionary ecology focus; August 2007 – present
University of California, Los Angeles: Honors College, Bachelor of Science, Marine Biology & English focus;
Cumulative GPA of 3.644; Major GPA 3.9. September 2002 – June 2006
Certifications
Scuba Certifications:
NAUI Open Water I; certified June 2004
AAUS Scientifically certified August 2005 at UCLA; Blue water diving specialty
Dive Master Certification at UCLA; March 2006
First Aid Certifications:
First Aid and CPR certified; renewed May 2010
NOLS Wilderness First Aid certified: January 2010
Academic Experience
UCM Teaching Assistant: Biology 1: Introduction to Biology, Fall 2007; Biology 141: Evolution, Spring 2008 &
2010; Biology 148: Fundamentals of Ecology, Spring 2009; Biology 180: Mathematical Modeling for
Biology, Fall 2010; Environmental System Sciences 50: Ecosystems of California, Spring 2011;
Mathematics 15: Introduction to Data Analysis, Fall 2011 & Spring 2012
Guest Lecturer, UCM: Substitute lecturer for one class in BIO 180, BIO 148 and MATH 15; gave a guest lecture on
California Marine Ecosystems in ESS 50, Spring 2011 & Spring 2012
UCM Teaching and Learning in the Sciences: Student; August 2007 – December 2007
UCLA Teaching Assistant: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 122: Ecology; April – June 2007
UCLA Undergraduate Teaching Assistant: EEB 187: Tropical Oceans and Reefs; September – December 2004
Honors and Awards
UC Merced Outstanding Teaching Assistant – Nominated, April 2011
UCM Center for Research and Excellence in Teaching, Instructional Intern: April 2011
3rd International Jellyfish Blooms Conference – Honorable Mention Student Presentation
UC Merced Research Day: 3rd place Graduate Poster Competition: Niche evolution & jellyfish feeding: March 2008
UC Merced Graduate Research Council Fellowship: May 2010
Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research: Recipient, May 2010
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Award: Honorable Mention: May 2009
Sigma Xi: Associate Member, April 2008
UCLA Latin Honors Student: June 2006
Ecology and Environmental Biology Departmental High Honors: June 2006
American Association of University Women Scholar: March 2005 – June 2006
Golden Key Scholar: January 2003 - June 2006
UCLA Alumni Scholar: September 2002 – June 2006
Robert C. Byrd Scholar: September 2002 – June 2006
Research Papers
Cain, C.J., D.A. Conte, M.E. García-Ojeda, L. Gómez Daglio, L. Johnson, E.H. Lau, J.O. Manilay, J. Baker Phillips,
N.S. Rogers, S.E. Stolberg, H.F. Swift, and M.N Dawson. (2008) What systems biology is (not, yet).
Science 302: 1013-1014. *equal co-authors
Swift, H.F., W.M. Hamner, B.R. Robison and L.P. Madin. (2009) Feeding behavior of the ctenophore
Thalassocalyce inconstans: revision of anatomy of the order Thalassocalycida. Marine Biology 156: 10491056
Baumsteiger, J., H.F. Swift, J.M. Lehman, J. Heras, & L. Gómez-Daglio. (2010) Getting to the root of
phylogenetics. Frontiers of Biogeography 2(3): 68 – 69.
Conference Participation
3rd International Conference on Jellyfish Blooms: Presentation: Evolution of flow regimes during an adaptive
radiation of Mastigias papua, July 2010
Evolution 2010: Poster Session: Population genetics of zooxanthellae symbionts of genetically differentiated
Mastigias papua jellyfish in marine lakes, June 2010
UC Merced Research Day 2010: Poster Session: Evolution of flow regimes during an adaptive radiation of
Mastigias papua, April 2010
UC Merced Research Day 2008: Poster Session: Niche evolution & jellyfish feeding, March 2008
Research/ Scholarly Activities
Palau Lakes Modeling Project: biological mixing component of lake modeling project. January 2008 – present
Independent Research: Ctenophore flow and feeding ecology for differing morphologies, Liquid Jungle Lab,
Panama; January 2007 – present
Weston Solutions Technician: Monitor water quality and environmental health of Ballona Wetlands in Marina Del
Rey. Part time; October 2006 – June 2007
UCLA Lab Researcher: Mysid behavior. One undergraduate under my supervision. September 2006 – June 2007.
UCLA Independent Student Research: Gump Station, Mo’orea, Tahiti. Three projects: i.e.: zooplankton distribution
across a reef flat; macrozooplankton diversity in and outside the lagoonal system. April 2006 – June 2006
UCLA Lab Assistant: Ctenophore behavioral analysis using computer software. June 2004 – August 2006
UCLA Research Assistant: Assisted a graduate student looking at plankton distribution along oceanic fronts on a
whaler and research vessel. Led one cruise. June 2004 – June 2006
UCLA Student Research Position: Assisted Dr. Grether in a dietary experiment on guppies. April 2004 – June 2004
Wildlands Studies: Big Sur censuses of sea otters, seals, steelhead trout and inter-tidal species. August 2003.
Outreach
Adventure, Risk, Challenge: Volunteer with outdoor activities for program which advances leadership and literacy in
high school students in Merced County; helped organize a poetry workshop; February 2011 - present
Wilderness Education Center: Help student rangers with presentations to local high school classes. Presented to
Merced high school teachers about Sierra ecology during retreats. Help plan and lead activities for UCM
students in Yosemite National Park. August 2008 – present
Peer Mentor: Mentor for incoming graduate students at UC Merced. August 2008 – May 2009
Yosemite Leadership Project: Help plan and lead activities for UCM students in Yosemite National Park;
specializing in woman leadership and natural history. Help intern class with research presentations and
papers. Summers, April 2008 – August 2009.
Guest Lecturer: Teach evolution in MUHSD science classes using my research. November 2007 – present
Santa Monica Bay Aquarium: Aquarist. November 2006 – June 2007
UCLA Diver: Service the instruments on the UCLA Mooring. June 2006 – June 2007
Cruising Classroom: Marine instructor on seaboard field trips (4th – College). June 2003 – June 2007
COSEE-WEST: Mentor/Marine specialist in an online workshop for teachers. November 2004
Guest Lecturer: Lecture K-12 classes on various marine biology topics for PUSD teachers. January 2003 – present
TreePeople: Put out educational environmental event newsletter. Until program ended. January 2003 – June 2003
Heal-the-Bay: Participate in Heal-the-Bay activities, especially the beach clean-ups. September 2002 – June 2007
Ocean Discovery Center: Educational Volunteer. Until center closed; December 2002 – December 2003
Related/ Other Experience
ShrikeForce: Worked with a small team to put the Northern Channel Island Loggerhead Shrike on the state
endangered species list. September 2004 – March 2005.
Service
UC Merced Ecology & Evolution Graduate Discussion Group: Part of founding committee, since August 2011
UC Merced Violence Prevention Program: Graduate Student Representative Academic Year 2011 - 2012
UC Merced Sustainability Committee: Graduate Student Representative Academic Year 2010 - 2011
Diving Safety Board, UC Berkeley: UC Merced representative: since October 2008
Educational Policy Committee, UC Merced: Graduate Student Representative: Academic Years 2008-2010
Diving Safety Board at UCLA since September 2005
Honorary Assistant Diving Safety Officer at UCLA since October 2006