Blaithe Flaherty Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il, Us

Temporary full time position that involved the caring for a variety of avian species. Maintained large aviaries, including plant care and exhibit modifications to properly support the species housed within.

Assisted with the husbandry of multiple taxa, providing daily care and enrichment for all ambassador and wild encounters animals. Provided multiple public chats daily while handing animal ambassadors to connect the public to wildlife, promoting the mission of the facility. Used operant conditioning to maintain and establish voluntary husbandry behaviors.

Baraboo, Wisconsin

Participated in the artificial incubation and costume rearing of an endangered species with the purpose of releasing them into a wild population. Also assisted with the husbandry and enrichment of the adults, learning how to care for all species of cranes. Assisted in the behavioral monitoring of pairs via camera and direct observations, working toward establishing breeding pairs.

Greater Chicago Area

South Bend, Indiana Area

Responsible for the husbandry of all Zoo Farm and Dragon Exhibit animals, maintained and improved exhibits, provided daily keeper talks to the public, and provided enrichment and training for the animals in my care, and was responsible for completing required paperwork for my section

South Bend, Indiana Area

Zoo Keeping Internship experience, obtaining knowledge of general animal husbandry practices and methods for many different species, being introduced to a variety of animal behavior and training practices, participating in zoo keeper talks to inform and interact with the public, and being able to work effectively as a team with other employees to maintain the safety and health of both the staff, public, and the animals

South Bend, Indiana Area

Designed and created a variety of costumes as a team for theater, opera, and dance productions. Involves multitasking on multiple projects at once while maintaining a standard of excellence for each, working to achieve this standard by a deadline. Also involves teaching new employees sewing machine, hand stitching techniques, and other skills in order to progress the abilities of the costume shop team.

Notre Dame, In

Independent ResearchBiology Department, Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame IN, January 2014-May 2015Senior Comprehensive under the direction of Dr. Thomas Fogle• Interpreted past research regarding Noni (Morinda citrifolia) and researched its possible benefits towards cardiovascular disease by using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system, improving my independent lab research skills• Utilized a variety of equipment including a spectrometer and statistical software to interpret Noni’s affect on lipid and glucose levels found in the fly tissue, expanding upon my lab equipment skillsLab Research ExperienceBiology and Chemistry Department, Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame IN, August 2011-May 2015• Mendelian genetics project using Drosophila wild type and mutant strains, including DNA and RNA isolation • Utilization of basic organic chemistry lab equipment and practices • Bacteria identification experience from Microbiology lab • Introduced to blood typing and tissue staining from Physiology Lab • Sample and slide preparation experience from Parasitology courseField Research ExperienceBiology Department, Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame IN, August 2013-May 2015• Biodiversity lab report on the degree of invasiveness of Tree-of-Heaven on campus nature trail• Quantified how hormones and specific visual markers attracted pollinators to plants• Ornithology identification field experience