Please note: Claude will be off exhibit on Oct. 9 as he gets his standard health checkup with our skilled veterinary team.
Search for Academy curators, collections managers, and research staff working to answer some of the world's most pressing scientific questions.
Senior Curatorial Assistant, Invertebrate Zoology
I am a Curatorial Assistant in the Recent Invertebrate Collection at the California Academy of Sciences. I started as a volunteer in the department in 2014 and joined as a full time in 2017. My work currently is focused on digitizing our collections as part of the NSF funded DigIn Grant. The Invertebrate Zoology collection is aiming to digitize 56,000 marine non-molluscan specimen lots over the next 3 years.
Research Scientist, Invertebrate Zoology and Geology
I am an evolutionary biologist with research interests in the ecology, evolution, and conservation of marine ecosystems. I have used genetics to address a wide range of topics in the ocean, from sea cucumber fisheries in Fiji, to coral bleaching in American Samoa, to how mutations accumulate in coral colonies. Currently, I combine genomics with aquarium husbandry for important marine animals like corals and sea stars, in order to inform best practices for conservation breeding programs worldwide.
Collection Manager, Botany
My time in the Botany department at the Cal Academy spans my graduate and curatorial assistant work from 2005-2011 and my return in 2018 to present. I studied the taxonomy of Paleotropical Mendoncia (Acanthaceae) for my MS degree and was lucky enough to travel to Madagascar twice. Now, I manage the collection and look forward to the challenging yet fulfilling work ahead with our great team.
Research Collections Registrar
Lindsay works in support of the research division. She enjoys condition reporting and environmental management. Lindsay received her Master of Arts in Museum Studies from San Francisco State University.
Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator
As a lifelong coastside dweller, my love for my ocean neighbors brought me to marine mammal rescue for 18+ years. It was only natural for me to expand my experience with them by volunteering to prepare their skulls for the research collection in O&M, beginning in 2008. I soon included field response – examining dead marine mammals – to my responsibilities, and in 2011, I became an employee. Every animal has a story, bearing witness to the rapidly changing ocean conditions, and our examinations tell that story.
Curatorial Assistant I, Ornithology and Mammalogy
I joined the Ornithology and Mammalogy department in 2022, first as a volunteer and later as a Curatorial Assistant focused on marine mammals. I double-majored with a B.S. in biology and zoology from Cal Poly Humboldt and have over 5 years of experience in marine mammal stranding response. As part of the Prescott grant, I participate in marine mammal stranding response, large whale necropsies, collection, preparation, and data digitization. In 2023, I was brought onto the RANGES grant to digitize trait data of the O&M departments 16,000+ terrestrial mammals.
Dive Officer On-Call & Ichthyology Graduate Researcher
Tyler is pursuing a Masters degree in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology at San Francisco State University and serves as an On-Call Dive Officer at the Steinhart Aquarium.
Senior Collections Manager, Invertebrate Zoology
Invertebrate Zoology, Polychaete Taxonomy
Chrissy Piotrowski manages care and maintenance of the Academy's vast and taxonomically diverse Invertebrate Zoology Research Collection (excluding entomology specimens). She oversees CASIZ collection-related activities and documentation including acquisitions, curation, taxonomic determinations, specimen loans and exhibit, researcher visits, data inquiries, and maintenance of an online searchable database of digital specimen records.