EDUCATION

PhD, The CUNY Graduate Center, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, fall 2018–fall 2024

Thesis: Variability in associations among seabirds and marine mammals: Causes and consequences (https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/5974/)
- Studied local enhancement (where seabirds use other birds, marine mammals and predatory fishes as cues to food) in both the California Current and the sub-Antarctic
- Research partly funded by NOAA, NASA, and the NSF
- Click HERE to watch the trailer for our new documentary about my time in the Antarctic! (Narrated by yours truly)

MA, Columbia University, Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, fall 2013–winter 2016

Master’s Thesis: Evidence that false belief representation may be possible in old world monkeys
- Assisted in data collection for several concurrent cognition projects with free-ranging rhesus monkeys on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. Developed models to determine what factors influence a monkey’s performance on a cognitive test.

BA, Bard College, Biology (mind, brain, and behavior concentration), fall 2008–spring 2012

Undergraduate Thesis: Puzzle solving as a means of understanding foraging decisions in captive lemurs, at the Trevor Zoo, in Millbrook, NY (https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/senproj_s2012/307/)
- Designed an independent research project to evaluate lemur foraging behavior and cognitive ability. Lemurs were given the choice between using a tool to obtain a favorable reward or immediately consuming a less preferred food. Males were more likely to engage in tool use than females, even when the two sexes were equally competent at solving the puzzle.

PUBLICATIONS

Monier, S. 2024. Social interactions and information use by foraging seabirds. Biological Reviews. 99: 1717–1735. doi:10.1111/brv.13089.

Yang H, Butler E, Monier S, and Siegel D. 2022. Proteins, possibly human, found in World War II concentration camp artifacts. Scientific Reports 12:12369. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16192-5

Yang H, Butler E, Monier S, Teubl J, Ueberheide B, Fenyö D, and Siegel D. 2021. A predictive model for vertebrate bone identification from collagen using proteomic mass spectrometry. Scientific Reports 11: 10900. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-90231-5

Monier S, Viet RR, Manne L. 2020. Changes in positive associations among vertebrate predators at South Georgia during winter. Polar Biology 43: 1439-1451 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-020-02720-4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

(Publications where my contributions have been acknowledged in the “acknowledgments” section, either by name or as a “seabird observer”)

Veit RR, Velarde E, Horn MH, Manne LL. 2021. Population Growth and Long-Distance Vagrancy Leads to Colonization of Europe by Elegant Terns Thalasseus elegans. Front Ecol Evol 9. doi:10.3389/fevo.2021.725614.

Fuirst M, Veit RR, Hahn M, Dheilly N, Thorne LH. 2018. Effects of urbanization on the foraging ecology and microbiota of the generalist seabird Larus argentatus. PLoS One 13:1–22. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0209200.

Goyert HF, Gardner B, Veit RR, Gilbert AT, Connelly E, Duron M, Johnson S, Williams K. 2018. Evaluating habitat, prey, and mesopredator associations in a community of marine birds. ICES J Mar Sci 75:1602–1612. doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsy020.

Rosati AG, Santos LR. 2016. Spontaneous Metacognition in Rhesus Monkeys. Psychol Sci 27:1181–1191. doi:10.1177/0956797616653737.

Rosati AG, Arre AM, Platt ML, Santos LR. 2016. Rhesus monkeys show human-like changes in gaze following across the lifespan. Proc R Soc B Biol Sci 283. doi:10.1098/rspb.2016.0376.

RESEARCH POSITIONS

Forensic Proteomics, New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, City Research Scientist I spring 2018–fall 2018, Visiting Scientist summer 2016–winter 2018, Intern fall 2012–summer 2013

Aided in the development of a protocol to extract and concentrate proteins found in fresh bone, blood, muscle and burnt remains for species identification
Laboratory skills: Protein extraction, quantification, concentration & digestion, High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry (Sciex 4800 MALDI TOF/TOF, 6600TripleTOF, 6500 QTRAP)
Experience supervising interns, writing progress reports, drafting IRBs and SOPs
Research partly funded by the DOJ

Environmental Impact Surveys, Research Foundation CUNY, Field Biologist (seabird observer), fall 2012–summer 2013

Helped collect data for the Mid-Atlantic Baseline Studies (https://briwildlife.org/mabs/). Conducted surveys of seabirds and marine animals to document “hot spots” prior to the development of new offshore wind

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Adjunct (instructor-on-record)

CUNY, College of Staten Island, (fall 2019–fall 2024t)

Community Ecology, master’s elective

Science Communication, required master’s course (writing intensive)

Animal Behavior Lecture & Lab, elective upper-level undergraduate course (field-based lab, writing intensive)

Principles of Biology Labs, introductory undergraduate course

k-12

Science Activity Specialist, Neighborhood Improvement Association, summer 2013–summer 2014

Taught science to elementary and middle school children as part of a New York City public school enrichment program

SELECT INVITED TALKS

Guest speaker, post-film Q&A following a screening of my documentary “Antarctic Voyage”, Nuttall Ornithological Club, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, Spring 2025
Invited panelist, post-film Q&A following a screening of my documentary “Antarctic Voyage”, the Climate Film Festival in conjunction with WINGS: Women in Discovery, summer 2024
15-minute talk, Pacific Seabird Group (PSG), 50th Annual Meeting, San Diego, winter 2023 (Runner up for best PhD student talk)
Invited panelist, Early Career Scientist Panel, Pacific Seabird Group (PSG), 49th Annual Meeting, virtual meeting, winter 2022
15-minute talk, Pacific Seabird Group (PSG), 49th Annual Meeting, virtual meeting, winter 2022
Invited 45-minute talk, Biology Seminar, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, spring 2020

RELEVANT COURSES TAKEN

Chemistry: Organic Chemistry

Science Policy & Communication: Public Writing for Academics | Food Ecology and Globalization | Earth and Human Interactions | Science Diplomacy | Environmental Politics in the United States

Psychology and Philosophy: Neuroscience | Social Neuroscience | The Evolution of Intelligence and Consciousness | Human Memory | Philosophy of Science

Statistics, Mathematics and Computer Science: Object Oriented Programming with Robotics (Python) | Calculus | Biostatistics (R)