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Davey Wright

Davey Wright earned his PhD from SES in 2016 and is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History, but will be moving to start a new position as an Associate Research Paleobiologist in the Department of Paleobiology at the National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian) in Fall/Winter of 2020.

Contact: https://daveyfwright.wordpress.com

"In many ways, the time I spent in the School of Earth Sciences at Ohio State were some of the best of my life. Nothing can take that away."

Where has your degree taken you?

I study biological evolution using a combination of specimen-based observation, mathematical modeling of evolutionary trees, and statistical analysis of the fossil record. The focus of my current research is to better understand the relationship between rates anatomical change and species diversification in ancient lineages of echinoderms, a familiar group of marine animals that include starfish, sea urchins, and crinoids. Although I'm still a postdoc at the AMNH (and will remain affiliated as a Research Associate), later this fall I will be moving to a new position as an Associate Research Paleobiologist in the Department of Paleobiology at the National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian). Could you add that line to the site so the caption reads something like:

How do you feel your experience, specifically as an SES/geology student at OSU, prepared you for your career or life in general?

Graduate school was filled with delightful opportunities that would have been unavailable had I chosen another career path. I love the interdisciplinary nature of Earth Sciences. When I first became interested in paleontology, I never expected I would also get to learn so many cool and wonderful things about geochemistry, molecular biology, statistics, or computer science. Nor did I anticipate my studies would take me around the world. In many ways, the time I spent in the School of Earth Sciences at Ohio State were some of the best of my life. Nothing can take that away.

What is your favorite memory as a student?

I enjoyed participating in outreach opportunities during the Museum of Biological Diversity’s annual open house events, where I got to talk to kids about minerals, meteorites, and fossils alongside Orton Geological Museum’s curator Dale Gnidovec and museum director Dr. Bill Ausich. I also greatly enjoyed research-related travel and field-based coursework in department, which led me to places as far-reaching as San Salvador Island, Bahamas; London, UK; Sydney, Australia; and Zaragoza, Spain.

What advice do you have for current and future students?

Enjoy life, keep learning, and try to stay positive.