People

Dr. Kathleen G. O’Malley

Associate Professor, State Fisheries Geneticist

Dr. Kathleen O’Malley is a fisheries geneticist who uses both genetic and genomic approaches to address questions related to the ecological and population genetics of freshwater, anadromous, and marine fishes.  She has focused her efforts on and achieved success in utilizing advances from basic science to inform on the drivers that underlie both neutral and adaptive genetic diversity within and among populations.  The information generated has been used to help develop effective management and conservation strategies for freshwater and marine fish/fisheries and their environments.  Dr. O’Malley is originally from Valley Forge, Pennsylvania and earned a B.S. in biological science from Florida State University, a M.S. in Zoology from the University of Guelph, and a Ph.D. in Fisheries from Oregon State University.  She completed her postdoctoral research at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, Washington.  In her spare time, she enjoys running, whitewater kayaking, snowboarding, backpacking, and bow hunting.

 

Cristín Fitzpatrick, M.S.

Faculty Research Assistant

Cristín Fitzpatrick’s interest in conservation genetics first began in undergrad with her time spent at Duke University’s Marine Lab in North Carolina. There she became particularly interested in applications to marine and freshwater systems. Cristín went on to earn her B.S. in Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her M.S. in Marine Biology at Nova Southeastern University in Florida studying population and evolutionary genetics of the angelshark (Squatina squatina). She is interested in the use of molecular and genetic approaches as tools for exploring population, conservation, and evolutionary level questions about species. In particular she is interested in studying adaptation and speciation through genomic and computational approaches. Cristín came to the State Fisheries Genomics Lab after a break from the conservation realm, working in biomedical research for Scripps Research Institute. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cooking, hiking, scuba diving, snowboarding, and soccer.

 

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Dr. Kevin Olsen

Research Associate

Dr. Kevin Olsen is a molecular ecologist interested in the interface between matings systems, conservation, and evolution. As a researcher in the State Fisheries Genomics Lab, Kevin uses molecular tools to better understand the connectivity and life-history variation of salmonids. He is passionate about advocating for management strategies that incorporate scientific research findings in real time.

Kevin is from Daytona Beach, Florida. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of North Florida where he studied the effects of environmental stressors on coral larvae and recruitment. He earned a PhD in Biology from Florida State University where he evaluated the genetic consequences of demographic isolation and inbreeding in marine invertebrates. Prior to arriving at SFGL, he was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow with the National Science Foundation at the University of California San Diego. Outside of biology, a few of his favorite topics are surfing, dogs, and Batman.

 

Amy Pumputis

P.S.M. Student

Amy Pumputis found her passion for the marine environment at a young age. Growing up around Puget Sound in the Greater Seattle Area she was exposed to fishing, crabbing, tide-pooling, kayaking, boating, camping, hiking, and backpacking during the summers. Amy attended the University of Redlands, completing her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science in 2015.  Amy is working for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife conducting bull trout redd surveys and eDNA collection in the Clackamas River basin. She previously spent two years serving in Americorps and the Washington Conservation Corps working on a wide range of natural resource management projects. Amy’s specific interests lie within Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) and Salmonid research and management. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, backpacking, hiking, skiing, tennis, and soccer.

 

Ben Wiley

M.S. Student

Ben Wiley is from Durango, Colorado. He was a collegiate baseball player at Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee. At LMU, he conducted research using eDNA to investigate crayfish species composition in a southeastern river. He received a B.S. in Conservation Biology from LMU in 2020. Following graduation, he worked fisheries technician jobs for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Before joining the SFGL, he worked as a Fisheries Scientist in the Native Fish Lab of Marsh & Associates in Arizona. At M&A, he led a collaborative project using acoustic telemetry to research invasive Northern Pike (Esox lucius) and their impacts on the federally threatened June Sucker (Chasmistes liorus) in Utah Lake. With the SFGL, he will be using eDNA to investigate occupancy, distribution, and abundance metrics of Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in eastern Oregon. In his spare time, he enjoys exercising, fishing, hiking, and hunting.