Ariel Christensen Email & Phone Number

Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina Area

- Oversee three state surveillance systems. 1. Designed, built, and manage the Chemical Preparedness and Response Surveillance System 2. Deputy Director of the North Carolina Wastewater Monitoring Network 3. Primary Epidemiologist for the SENSOR-pesticides program- Work in multiple leadership positions within the Incident Command Structure, including Operations Chief, during public health emergencies such as COVID-19, EVALI, and hurricane responses.- Redcap administrator for the Epidemiology Section; manage user rights and provide technical support for database and survey design.- Provide subject matter expertise, and conduct analyses for cancer cluster investigations, climate and health topics, PFAS response, etc. in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team of epidemiologists, toxicologists, industrial hygiene consultants, and public health medical consultants/nurses.- Write grants for federal funding opportunities, including co-author for the CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking Network grant (awarded Aug 2022).- Publish manuscripts, reports, and develop public facing dashboards and present findings to a variety of research and applied public health professionals at state and national conferences.

Charleston, South Carolina

• Constructed a Guidebook for a Community-Level Public and Environmental Health Assessment of Susceptible Water Infrastructure in Coastal Cities (publication in progress)• Collaborated in the development of workshop and tabletop exercises for NOAA's Coastal and Ocean Climate Applications Project (COCA)• Summarized epidemiological and environmental health studies, analyzed health and environmental data, and conducted interviews to produce a timeline of potential public health impacts following extreme weather events driven in the context of a changing climate

Charleston, South Carolina

• Responsibilities: lead safety briefings on board the charter, guided off-shore dive tours, taught Discover SCUBA and Refresher courses, and assisted instructors with SCUBA certification courses in the pool, lake, and offshore Charleston• Certifications: Rescue Diver, Emergency Oxygen Provider, Emergency First Responder (CPR & First Aid), and Diving Emergency Management Provider

Charleston, South Carolina Area

North Charleston, South Carolina

• Led a project addressing vulnerable populations during emergencies in the Lowcountry Region • Analyzed health trends and patterns using Medicare and census data, summarized findings into community health reports for county emergency managers• Performed statistical analysis on data obtained from national and state data sources; interpreted results and provided reports• Researched best practices for emergency sheltering, registries, and communication techniques in other states• Utilized Microsoft Office Suite to design preparedness communication tools and workshops for community engagement• Presented findings in written reports as well as oral presentations• Completed FEMA coursework in Incident Command Structure (ICS), National Response Framework, and National Incident Management System (NIMS); participated in training and exercises with local partners

Charleston, South Carolina Area

• Prepared large dataset (New York State Anglers Cohort Study ~16,000 participants) and selected appropriate study design for epidemiological analysis• Utilized statistical software, such as SAS and R, to execute data analysis (descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and cox proportional hazards regression) and to summarize/present findings• Collaborated with researchers, colleagues, and peers to analyze data and provide recommendations for further research• Consumption of Contaminated Sport Fish from Lake Ontario and Breast Cancer Risk, New York State Anglers Cohort Study (NYSACS) (publication in progress)

Hollings Marine Lab

• Designed 16S rRNA primers for the members of the metagenome of the Electrobiome, anaerobic microorganisms that live at the cathode of the electrochemical cell. • Created PCR and qPCR genotyping protocols to evaluate pure and co-culture experiments. • Performed DNA extractions and cloning for qPCR standards. • Made LB media and various types of anaerobic media using sterile techniques. • Programs: Amplify 3X, MEGA6, BLAST, Genbank, and MG-RAST

Hollings Marine Lab, Charleston Sc

• Spearheaded and implemented a digital inventory for ~15,000 DNA, and tissue samples• Performed PCR analysis, gene capture, library assembly, DNA extractions, and sequence alignments for the Chondrichthyes Tree of Life project: sharksrays.org• Skilled in conducting data analysis for quality assurance • Developed phylogeny exercise for community outreach; presented at Department of Natural Resources Open House• Organized and helped lead a shark dissection at Mason Preparatory Academy

College Of Charleston

• Discovered the presence of microfibers in the gills of the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, using a novel enumeration technique, as well as confocal and epifluorescence microscopy• Founded the Microplastics laboratory - continued to mentor undergraduate students to gain research experience and continue data collection• Created a microplastics lesson and laboratory exercise to inform the public on the harms of microplastics in the environment and threats to human health. Led nine educational outreach workshops tailored for varying audiences from 5th grade, to 9th grade, to marine educators

• Assisted with experimentation design and setup at Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, North Carolina• Identified and analyzed Loggerhead sea turtle behavior using VLC player • Created an organizational system and cataloged a private collection of scientific publications• Acknowledged in PLOS ONE paper: Incubation Temperature Effects on Hatchling Performance in the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)

New Student Programs, Charleston Sc

• Planned and developed a six-day program for freshmen interested in marine science called Diving into Charleston• Organized programs throughout the year to support the first-year students

Office Of New Student Programs

• Supported incoming students with their logistic, academic, and social transitions into the College of Charleston• Organized and lead programming and presentations for students and their parents• Assisted in basic office work and customer service

Penn Yan, New York

• Lead and created training materials for monthly in-services• Organized weekly schedules for 10 person team• Commanded and coordinated coverage for the annual Keuka Lake Triathlon

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Epidemiology

Master Of Public Health - Mph, Epidemiology, Second Honor Graduate

Activities and Societies: Honor Council Representative, South Carolina Public Health Association

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.), Marine Biology

Activities and Societies: Biology Club, The Office of New Student Programs, Dance Marathon, Club Soccer, Club Lacrosse, MANTA British.

Semester At Sea | Sea Education Association, Oceanography

Public Policy Brief: Working for Ecosystem Resiliency in Kiribati (WERK) Independent Research project: Cyanobacteria Abundances along.

Advanced Regents Diploma, Mathematics

Activities and Societies: Varsity Lacrosse, Varsity Cross Country, Varsity Soccer, National Honor Society, Honor Roll, Girls Athletic.