SAC members volunteer for the needs of AES student members and the AES society as a whole. They volunteer their time running the AES Store and Auctions at the annual meetings, as well as working on their own research, helping students of AES to network, and contributing to elasmobranch science as a whole. Below you can find each member, how they contribute to the SAC, and their associations and contacts.
Ashley Mackenzie Dawdy
Chair
PhD Student
Florida State University
Florida State University Coastal & Marine Laboratory
Florida State University Coastal & Marine Laboratory
More information
Email: adawdy@bio.fsu.edu
I am a PhD candidate in the Grubbs lab at Florida State University. My research is rooted in behavioral ecology, with the goal of filling inhibitive knowledge gaps for species of conservation concern. My current work investigates the ontogenetic changes in movement and habitat use of cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) in Apalachicola Bay and the migratory and social behavior of the critically endangered smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) in the Southeastern United States. I have been coming to AES meetings since 2019 and currently serve as the SAC Chair.
Nick Weber
Early Career Representative
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Portnoy Lab
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I am a postdoctoral research associate in the Portnoy lab at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where I use genomic techniques to answer ecological-based questions. I am currently developing epigenetic clocks for non-lethal age estimation in both teleosts and elasmobranchs of management and conservation concern. I have been a member of AES since 2018.
Dominic Swift
Postdoctoral Representative
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Marine Genomics Lab
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I am a postdoctoral research associate in the Marine Genomics Lab at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. I have been an AES member since 2015 and currently serve as the postdoctoral representative to the Student Affairs Committee. My research integrates genetic and genomic tools to study elasmobranch reproduction and demographics, with the goal of informing conservation and management. Current projects include work on smalltooth sawfish, blacktip sharks, sand tiger sharks, and several hammerhead species.
Maria Lopez Bringuier
Social Media Coordinator
M.S. Student
Chicago, IL
Chicago, IL
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Maria Lopez Bringuier is originally from Puerto Rico, where her love for the ocean first began. After growing up in Cincinnati, frequent visits to the Newport Aquarium transformed that early spark into a lifelong passion for protecting the ocean’s vulnerable and biodiverse ecosystems. With a background in public relations and advertising, Maria brings a broad communications skillset to organizations dedicated to ocean advocacy. She completed a research fellowship with Love the Oceans in Inhambane, Mozambique, where she deepened her commitment to marine protected areas and biological conservation. As a Development and Communications Intern at Marine Conservation Institute, Maria supports global conservation efforts through outreach, fundraising, and digital communications. She also serves as a Social Media Coordinator for the American Elasmobranch Society (AES), where she manages content creation, community engagement, and digital strategy to support elasmobranch research and conservation. Now based in Chicago, Illinois, she is preparing to pursue a master’s degree in marine biology to further her work in ocean protection. Outside of her professional pursuits, Maria spends her summers working as a dockhand on the Chicago River, biking along the lakeside trail, or reading classic horror novels—her current favorite being The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe.
Emma Jackson
Student Workshop Coordinator
Florida State University PhD Student
Dr. Dean Grubb’s Lab
Dr. Dean Grubb’s Lab
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I am a second-year PhD student at Florida State University in Dr. Dean Grubbs’ lab. I study shark, ray, and fish community ecology off the coast of Florida’s Big Bend region and the Deep sea. I serve as the student workshop coordinator within the AES student affairs committee.
Sarah Worthington
Student Store Coordinator
University of North Florida M.S. Student
Gelsleichter Shark Biology Lab
Gelsleichter Shark Biology Lab
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I recently completed my master’s degree at the University of North Florida under Dr. Jim Gelsleichter. My thesis focused on evaluating the use of baited remote underwater video (BRUV) as a method of assessing shark and fish populations in a low-visibility estuarine system. I am currently serving as one of the store coordinators for the AES student affairs committee.
Morgan Lattomus
Student Store Coordinator
Graduate Student
University of North Florida
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I am a second-year graduate student at the University of North Florida with Dr. Jim Gelsleichter, studying environmental toxicology and food web dynamics in estuarine environments. I am currently serving as one of the SAC student store coordinators, and have been attending AES meetings since 2022.
Lukas Heath
Auction Coordinator
Graduate Student & Fish Biologist
University of Florida & Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
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I am a graduate student at the University of Florida and a fish biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in Dr. Gregg Poulakis’ lab. We study the biology and ecology of the endangered smalltooth sawfish, currently focusing on movements, reproductive biology, genetics, musculature, age and growth, and ongoing mortality events. I have been attending AES meetings since 2018 and am in my second year as an auction coordinator for SAC.
Kenzie Horton
Auction Coordinator
More information
*Kenzie’s bio will be updated shortly!
Jasmine Nyce
T-Shirt Coordinator
PhD Student
Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi
Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi
Coffey Movement Ecology Lab
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I am a PhD student in Dr. Daniel Coffey’s Movement Ecology Lab at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. My dissertation research focuses on the movement and trophic ecology of estuarine fishes in South Texas. I previously worked on bull shark movement ecology projects in the Western North Atlantic, using acoustic telemetry and ultrasound to investigate spatial patterns and reproductive behavior. I served as the AES T-shirt coordinator in 2024 and will continue in this role for 2025.
Erin Sullivan
Member at Large
Marine Science Undergraduate Student
Southern Maine Community College
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I am a second-year undergraduate student completing my Associate’s Degree in Marine Science at Southern Maine Community College. I plan to continue my education by pursuing a dual major in Marine Biology and Biochemistry, with the goal of earning a Master’s degree in the future. My interests include marine conservation and policy, migration and behavior, and toxicology. This is my first year with AES, where I serve as a member-at-large for the SAC.
Elizabeth Jahn
Member at Large
PhD Student
Michigan Technological University
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I am currently a PhD student in Dr. Jill Olin’s lab at Michigan Technological University. My research is primarily focused on shark foraging ecology and food web dynamics in the nearshore waters of Long Island, New York, using stable isotope analysis. Within AES, I am a member-at-large of the SAC.
Carylanne Joubert Maier
Member at Large
University of Nebraska at Kearney
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I am going into my first semester of my Master’s in Biology at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and I also teach college composition at South Florida State College from my first Master’s degree in English. My interests include conservation, ecology, GIS, science communication, and teaching. I love science communication, having published five books for children on various animals, and sharing science with the public on BlueSky. I have been a member of AES since 2019, and this is my first year on a committee. As a member-at-large of SAC, my aim is to help in any way I can to support our students and the running of the annual meeting.
Cecilia Hampton
Member at Large
Graduate Student
Florida Atlantic University
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
More information
Email: hamptonc2022@fau.edu
I am a graduate student at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. I am currently studying the bioacoustics of feeding behaviors in durophagous predators, specifically in the cases of predation by loggerhead turtles, spotted eagle rays, stone crabs, or longspine puffer fish on gastropods, crustaceans, and bivalves. I hope to work with machine learning and classification of these sounds to monitor depredation through passive acousitc monitoring. My interests are mainly in elasmobranchs, movement ecology, and bioacoustics.