DR. BROOK LAURO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY 8000 UTOPIA PARKWAY JAMAICA, NEW YORK 11439 BENT HALL - ROOM 231 PHONE: 718-990-7475 E-MAIL: laurob@stjohns.edu
									Teaching and Research Interests Education Occupational Record Principal Research Projects -Photo Gallery Endangered Species Project		Selected Publications, Theses and Reports Professional Affiliations Courses Taught Links of Interest
			Teaching and Research Interests
			My focus at St. John’s is to balance quality undergraduate teaching with an active research program. My area of research is the ecology and conservation of waterbirds including endangered Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) and Oystercatchers (Family: Haematopodidae). I teach several biology courses that center on ecological topics and information gained from my research, and that of others, is integrated into classroom lectures and activities. Cooperative learning/inquiry based pedagogical techniques, as well as computer technologies, are utilized in the classroom. In addition, I work toward improving the participation of women and minorities in the sciences.
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			Education
			Ph.D. 1994 - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology- Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6. M.S. 1986 - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology- Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. 08893. B.S. 1983 - Environmental Science - Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. 08893.
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			Occupational Record
			1993-present St. John’s University, Jamaica, New York, 11439. - Tenure and promotion to Associate Professor of Biology in 1999. 1992-1993 William Paterson College, Wayne, New Jersey, 07470. - One year appointment as a full time Field Biology Instructor. 1983-1992 -Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6; -Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08854 - Various teaching and research fellowships while attending graduate schools. June 1982 - Dec. 1982 Sept. 1980 - June 1981 U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Edison N.J. - Environmental Biology Intern - Cultured Fathead Minnows for toxicity bioassays. Performed bioassays and water analysis tests. June 1981 - Aug. 1981 American Museum of Natural History - Great Gull Island Project. -Field Biologist - Bird banded Common and Roseate Terns in Hampton Bays, New York to examine movements between breeding colonies and to survival of recaptured birds.
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			Principal Research Projects
			1996 – present Waterbird conservation at Breezy Point, New York
			o Research focuses on methods to improve the productivity of federally endangered/threatened Piping Plovers as well as state listed species of waterbirds including: Common Tern, Least Tern, and Black Skimmers. Projects include studies of predatory threats and habitat enhancement. o This research has been supported through grants from the National Parks Service. · Photo Gallery
;			1988 - 1995 Patterns of habitat use for Pied (Haematopus longirostris) and Sooty Oystercatchers (Heamatopus fuliginosis) at the Furneaux Islands, Australia: the role of predation and food supply.
	This study examined the breeding biology, habitat use and foraging ecology for two little known species of oystercacher. I studied how these two similar species were able to co-exist in areas where they lived in close contact with one another (i.e., in sympatry). Sooty Oystercatchers nested only at small offshore islands on beaches that were rocky or that were mixed with rock and sand. Pied Oystercatchers nested at large or small islands at beaches that were sand or that were mixed sand and rock. These differences in habitat choice were in part related to differences in foraging behavior and bill shape for the two species.
		This project fulfilled the requirements for a Ph.D. Thesis (completed in 1994). Photo Gallery
			1983 - 1988 Nest site selection of American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus) in salt marshes.
			This project examined the basic nesting requirements for American Oystercatchers nesting at salt marshes on Long Island, New York. Birds preferred to nest at artificially created sand sites called dredge spoil in part because they were higher in elevation than surrounding areas hence protecting nests from tidal flooding, improving the survival of eggs and chicks.
			This project fulfilled the requirements for a Masters Thesis (completed in 1987). Photo Gallery
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			Selected Publications,Theses and Reports
			Lauro, B. 2006. Habitat enhancement to improve productivity of Piping Plovers at Breezy Point, New York. Final Report submitted to the National Parks Service. Lauro, B. 2003. Habitat use of sympatrically nesting Fish Crows ad American Crows. Wilson Bulletin 115: 382-387. Lauro, B. 2002. An Examination of predatory pressures on Piping Plovers nesting at Breezy Point, New York.      Waterbirds: 25(4): 401-409. Lauro, B. 2000. Wildflower Diversity. In: Exciting Plant Science Activities for the Secondary Classroom. Eds.      G. Madrazo Jr., S. Dyche. UNC Mathematics and ScienceEducation Network, Chapel Hill, N.C.. Lauro, B. 1999. An examination of predatory pressures on Piping Plovers at Breezy Point, New York.      Final Report submitted to the National Parks Service. Lauro, B., & E. Nol. 1995. Patterns of Habitat Use for Pied and Sooty Oystercatchers nesting at the Furneaux      Islands Australia. The Condor 92: 920-934. Lauro, B., & E. Nol. 1995. Comparative foraging ecology of Pied and Sooty Oystercatchers in Australia.      Wilson Bulletin 107: 629-640. Lauro, B. 1994. Patterns of Habitat Use for Pied (Haematopus longirostris) and Sooty (Haematopus fuliginosus)      Oystercatchers at the Furneaux Islands, Australia: the role of potential predators and food supply. Ph.D.      Thesis, Queens University, Kingston Ontario, Canada. Lauro, B., and E. Nol. 1993. The effect of prevailing wind direction and tidal flooding on the reproductive      success of Pied Oystercatchers (Haematopus longirostris). Emu 93:199-202. Lauro, B., and E. Nol. 1992. Nesting density and communal breeding in the American Oystercatcher       (Haematopus palliatus). Condor 94: 286-289. Lauro, B., and J. Burger. 1989. Nest site selection of American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus) in salt      marshes. Auk 106: 185-192. Lauro, B. 1986. Breeding Habitat Use of American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus). Masters Thesis,      Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
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				Professional Affiliations
		American Ornithological Union (member since 1983) Co-chair of the "Women In Ornithology Resource Group " (WORG). A study presented at the annual AOU meeting in 1994 showed that there is a high attrition rate of women from the field of ornithology.To address this issue WORG was established. WORG members: 1) established a listserve so that WORG members may communicate via e-mail; 2) developed a mentoring program; 3) organize dinners at the annual meetings and 4) developed a web page. American Association for the Advancement of Science (member since 1991) American Bird Conservancy (member since 2000) Association for Field Ornithologist (member since 1983) Association for Women in Science (AWIS - member since 1990) Board Member and Mentoring Liaison of the Long Island Chapter (1992-1996). I was involved with the organization of a yearly lecture series and an annual networking luncheon for women scientists on Long Island. I acquired a grant from AWIS in 1992 to conduct these activities. Waterbird Society (member since 1983) Cooper Union (member since 1983) Ecological Society of America (member since 1992) Linnaean Society of New York (member since 1975) National Association of Biology Teachers (member since 1993) Wilson Ornithological Society (member since 1983)
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		List of Courses Taught
		Animal Behavior Biology for Elementary Education Students* Ecology and Environmental Studies* Field Ecology Human Biology Issues in Biology Principles of Biology Scientific Inquiry* Topics in Health Women in biology
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	Links of Interest
	Ecological: American Museum of Natural History http://www.amnh.org Audubon Society http://www.audubon.org Ornithological Society of North America (OSNA) http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/OSNA National Parks Service http://www.nps.gov Nature Conservancy http://www.tnc.org National Wildlife Federation http://www.nwf.org New York Botanical Garden http://www.nybg.org U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov U.S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov U.S. Geologic Survey http://biology.usgs.gov Women and Minorities in Science: Association For Women in Science (AWIS) http://www.awis.org American Association of University Women http://www.aauw.org/home.html The Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences http://www.princeton.edu/~mcbrown/display/faces.html Four Thousand Years of Women in Science http://crux.astr.ua.edu/4000WS Women in Ornithology Resource Group (WORG) http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~tsipoura/worg.html Women in Science and Engineering http://www.mills.edu/ACAD_INFO/MCS/SPERTUS/Gender/wom_and_min.html Endangered Species Project Endangered species and biodiversity a classroom project and theme Endangered species fact sheet Sample worksheet for presentation day Endangered Species Project Rubric click here to go to the top
										Last Updated: November, 2010 Northeast River, Flinders Island, Tasmania, Australia