Assistant Professor of Environmental Ecology
As an undergraduate student, Dr. Sheri Shiflett double-majored in Biology and French at Virginia Commonwealth University. Though she didn’t have a hobby for gardening, she maintained a basic appreciation for plants. In college, her Plant Physiology course strongly piqued her interest; the “different environments in which plants grew and their various survival strategies were fascinating”. Taking Wetlands Ecology under the guidance of Dr. Crawford inspired her to pursue her interest in Environmental Science. Dr. Shiflett continued her education at Virginia Commonwealth University for her Master’s degree in Biology. During this period of time, she began working as a teaching assistant. While she enjoyed helping others learn, her primary career goal remained research-oriented.
Dr. Shiflett followed this research-based goal, earning a Phd in Ecophysiological Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she investigated the “physiological mechanisms of shrub expansion, primarily those pertaining to light processing, and hydraulic conductivity and the link between them”.
Afterwards, Dr. Shiflett worked as a VPDES Permit Writer at the Department of Environmental Quality in Virginia. She then pursued Postdoctoral training at the University of California - Riverside, where she was mentored by Dr. Jenerette. Her research during this phase of her life was “identifying urban system relationships among climate, land cover, and surface energy balance variables (e.g., temperature, evaporation) across a coastal to desert gradient”.
After successfully completing her Postdoctoral training, Dr. Shiflett gained further industry experience working at the US Army Corp of Engineers. She worked as a regulatory project manager and biological sciences environmental manager, reviewing permits for the Clean Water Act Section 404 Program with a concentration on environmental preservation. After a period of time learning at these institutions, she decided to move on to a career that held greater focus on guiding environmental conservation.
Now an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, she teaches introductory, core, and specialized courses where she can communicate her experience in environmental policy and regulatory science. Though Dr. Shiflett prefers smaller classes where she can provide more individualized time, she also enjoys the scope of large classes as she is able to share her knowledge with many students simultaneously. One of her favorite moments in teaching is when her students reflect her love of learning, as they articulate and demonstrate concepts that “took her a lifetime to acquire.” She currently has a higher teaching load than research hours in what is considered 3 parts teaching to 1 part research, though she introduces students to research in her lab where she investigates photosynthesis in Dune grasses and salt marsh plants, and carbon and nitrogen storage in constructed and natural wetlands. She hopes to eventually equalize the balance of teaching and research responsibilities.
To be successful, Dr. Shiflett recommends that students take the initiative in their academic and career interests, in addition to maintaining their personal life. For her, this includes hiking, reading, and attending French film festivals.
Interview by: Catherine Velasco-Dong, Ryan Piscatella, and Beverlie Gomez
Dr. Shiflett followed this research-based goal, earning a Phd in Ecophysiological Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she investigated the “physiological mechanisms of shrub expansion, primarily those pertaining to light processing, and hydraulic conductivity and the link between them”.
Afterwards, Dr. Shiflett worked as a VPDES Permit Writer at the Department of Environmental Quality in Virginia. She then pursued Postdoctoral training at the University of California - Riverside, where she was mentored by Dr. Jenerette. Her research during this phase of her life was “identifying urban system relationships among climate, land cover, and surface energy balance variables (e.g., temperature, evaporation) across a coastal to desert gradient”.
After successfully completing her Postdoctoral training, Dr. Shiflett gained further industry experience working at the US Army Corp of Engineers. She worked as a regulatory project manager and biological sciences environmental manager, reviewing permits for the Clean Water Act Section 404 Program with a concentration on environmental preservation. After a period of time learning at these institutions, she decided to move on to a career that held greater focus on guiding environmental conservation.
Now an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, she teaches introductory, core, and specialized courses where she can communicate her experience in environmental policy and regulatory science. Though Dr. Shiflett prefers smaller classes where she can provide more individualized time, she also enjoys the scope of large classes as she is able to share her knowledge with many students simultaneously. One of her favorite moments in teaching is when her students reflect her love of learning, as they articulate and demonstrate concepts that “took her a lifetime to acquire.” She currently has a higher teaching load than research hours in what is considered 3 parts teaching to 1 part research, though she introduces students to research in her lab where she investigates photosynthesis in Dune grasses and salt marsh plants, and carbon and nitrogen storage in constructed and natural wetlands. She hopes to eventually equalize the balance of teaching and research responsibilities.
To be successful, Dr. Shiflett recommends that students take the initiative in their academic and career interests, in addition to maintaining their personal life. For her, this includes hiking, reading, and attending French film festivals.
Interview by: Catherine Velasco-Dong, Ryan Piscatella, and Beverlie Gomez