Chelsea and Banjo in front of ephemeral pool

About Chelsea Clifford

Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Helmers Lab, Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University

Originally, I come from the salt marshes of southeastern Virginia. I did my PhD at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment, in Dr. Jim Heffernan's lab in the River Center. My dissertation focused on the ecological limitations and potentials of artificial aquatic systems, especially ditches. Before Duke, I worked for Chesapeake Environmental Communications, The Nature Conservancy, MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center, White Mountain Research Station, and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. I got a BA in biology and environmental studies from Carleton College in 2010, and am a Virginia Master Naturalist. I value water, soil, air, life, knowledge, ideas, memory, expression, education, exploration, community, sharing, kindness, integrity, effort, and play.

Pronouns: she, her, hers

My curriculum vitae:

River Center Blog

I contributed to a group blog by PhD students of the Duke River Center about our experiences in this program. My posts tended to focus on difficult issues that I think deserve attention.

Dissertation Topic Swamp Walking Blues

I made this song/video midway through my second year of grad school, to explain what I was doing at the time at the Duke River Center's annual River Retreat.

This video is meant to suggest that I do have hobbies, like this making bad music; they include art, soccer, hiking, running, dog-walking, yoga, gardening, baking... The swamp walking habit is real; for some of the latest critters I have observed, check out my iNaturalist account.

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