Education

1999 Providence College, B.S.
2005 The University of Texas at Austin, Ph.D.

Courses Taught

Biological Diversity (Lecture and Lab)
Introduction to Marine Science

Career Specialties

Rebecca Waggett is a marine scientist specializing in plankton ecology. Her research ranges in scale from organismal to ecosystem level questions. On the organismal level, she examines biomechanics of feeding and escape strategies while ecosystem-based research investigates the trophic role of certain zooplankters in coastal food webs. Specific research  areas include the sensory ecology of zooplankton, predator-prey interactions involving planktonic organisms and the biomechanics of feeding and escape.

Professional and Community Activities

Waggett is an active member of the oceanography community as a member of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Coastal, and Estuarine Research Federation and American Geophysical Union. She routinely presents her research at national and international conferences and publishes in scholarly journals including Marine Ecology Progress Series, Marine Biology,Journal of Plankton Research and Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. Recently, Waggett worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through the National Research Council Research Associateship Program studying the potential role of zooplankton in the trophic  transfer of algal toxins from harmful algal blooms (HABs). In addition, Waggett enjoys participating in outreach activities involving marine science and the community such as the National Ocean Sciences Bowl.

Honors and Awards

National Research Council Research Associateship Program Fellowship