Dr. Lisa Whitenack is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Biology and Geology at Allegheny College. Through her research, Lisa aims to better understand how animals work from a mechanical perspective. She studies how sharks have used their teeth over their 400 million years of evolution, how salamanders jump, and how stone crabs perform pinching movements. When she’s not at work, Lisa loves getting creative with a variety of crafts such as crochet, cross-stitch, and painting. She also enjoys refereeing roller derby, hiking, and spending time with her family. Lisa received her B.S. in geology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, her M.S. degree in geological sciences from Michigan State University, and her Ph.D. in integrative biology from the University of South Florida. Lisa served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Tampa for about a year. She next conducted postdoctoral research in geology at the University of South Florida before joining the faculty at Allegheny College. Lisa has been named Volunteer Partner of the Year by the Crawford County K-12 Career Education Alliance for her science outreach efforts. In our interview, Lisa shares more about her life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers