About Deborah

Research Experience

Animal Welfare Research

Animal Welfare Research

Zoologist, Dallas Zoo

Designed, funded, implemented, analyzed, published/presented, and supervised research on

  • Okapi welfare
  • Elephant welfare
  • Otter vocalizations
  • Ocelot conservation
  • Salamander identification
  • Iguana natural history
  • Flamingo behavior
  • Giraffe welfare
Vocal Learning Research

Vocal Learning Research

Postdoctoral fellow, Graduate Research Assistant, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

Designed, funded, implemented, analyzed, published/presented, and supervised research on vocal learning in captive and wild bottlenose dolphins, using cutting-edge technology and software.
Noise Disturbance Research

Noise Disturbance Research

Postdoctoral Investigator, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

Multivariate statistical analysis of data from a large-scale project assessing the risk of noise disturbance to wild marine mammals.
Vocal Development Research

Vocal Development Research

Graduate Research Assistant, Harvard University

Analysis of data on the development of echolocation in the little brown bat, working with Dr. Cynthia Moss.

Informal Education Experience

Summer Internship Program

Summer Internship Program

Dallas Zoo

Developed and ran a summer research internship for undergraduates at the Dallas Zoo, designed to give students with an interest in research experience in research in a real-world setting, as well as mentorship on their career paths. Supervised and mentored 25 students over 5 years.
Party for the Planet

Party for the Planet

Dallas Zoo

Designed and implemented an Earth Day event modeled after “Science Day at the Zoo” to demonstrate practical ways people can conserve, through hands-on activities that allow them to see how much difference they can make.
Science Day at the Zoo

Science Day at the Zoo

Dallas Zoo

Assisted with curriculum development for hands-on activities designed to engage students of various ages, which were then presented for teachers and students to experience in a day-long teacher-training and public education event at the Dallas Zoo.

Formal Classroom Teaching Experience

Evolution

Evolution

Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX

Upper-division undergraduate/graduate class. Developed curriculum and content, designed to actively engage the students through demonstrations, hands-on learning, discussions of real-world issues, readings from current scientific literature and popular science books such as The Beak of the Finch and Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Guide to All Creation, and field experiences.
Introductory Biology for Majors I and II

Introductory Biology for Majors I and II

El Centro College, Dallas, TX

First and second semester biology lecture and laboratory. First semester covers biochemistry and cell biology; second semester covers evolution, biodiversity, and ecology.
Animal Behavior and Career Development Seminar

Animal Behavior and Career Development Seminar

Dallas Zoo Internship Program, Dallas, TX

Developed curriculum and content, designed to give students a basic understanding of animal behavior methods and of the needs of a scientific career.
Summer Science Institute

Summer Science Institute

Dallas Zoo Teacher Training Workshop, Dallas, TX

Teacher training workshop at the Dallas Zoo, team-taught by researchers and educators. Developed and taught lectures and activities on animal behavior methods and animal communication.

Education

Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography

Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography

Massachusetts Institute of Technology & Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Dissertation: Techniques for studying vocal learning in bottlenose dolphins.
Thesis supervisor: Dr. Peter Tyack

B.S. in Biological Sciences with honors and distinction

B.S. in Biological Sciences with honors and distinction

Stanford University

Honors Thesis: Effect of glucocorticoids on metabolic rate in normal and cancerous fibroblasts.
Thesis supervisor: Dr. Robert Sapolsky

Grants, Scholarships, and Awards

Institute of Museum and Library Sciences, Okapi Behavior Research with Brookfield Zoo ($249,992)
National Institutes of Health, Dolphin Vocal Learning ($264,494)
National Institutes of Health, National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellowship, Dolphin Vocal Learning ($62,672)
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Predoctoral Fellowship, Dolphin Vocal Development ($128,500)
Rinehart Coastal Research Center, Dolphin Cognition pilot study ($6,800)
Ocean Ventures Fund, Dolphin Vocal Development ($8,000)
Rinehart Coastal Research Center, Dolphin Vocal Development ($5,400)
Stanford Undergraduate Research Organization, Cancer Research ($2,500)
Deborah Fripp, Ph.D.

Deborah Fripp, Ph.D.

President

3826 Cemetery Hill Road
Carrollton, TX 75007
972-939-0839

deborah@darwinsark.net

Research Experience

Animal Welfare Research

Animal Welfare Research

Zoologist, Dallas Zoo

Designed, funded, implemented, analyzed, published/presented, and supervised research on

  • Okapi welfare
  • Elephant welfare
  • Otter vocalizations
  • Ocelot conservation
  • Salamander identification
  • Iguana natural history
  • Flamingo behavior
  • Giraffe welfare
Vocal Learning Research

Vocal Learning Research

Postdoctoral fellow, Graduate Research Assistant, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

Designed, funded, implemented, analyzed, published/presented, and supervised research on vocal learning in captive and wild bottlenose dolphins, using cutting-edge technology and software.
Noise Disturbance Research

Noise Disturbance Research

Postdoctoral Investigator, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

Multivariate statistical analysis of data from a large-scale project assessing the risk of noise disturbance to wild marine mammals.
Vocal Development Research

Vocal Development Research

Graduate Research Assistant, Harvard University

Analysis of data on the development of echolocation in the little brown bat, working with Dr. Cynthia Moss.

Informal Education Experience

Summer Internship Program

Summer Internship Program

Dallas Zoo

Developed and ran a summer research internship for undergraduates at the Dallas Zoo, designed to give students with an interest in research experience in research in a real-world setting, as well as mentorship on their career paths. Supervised and mentored 25 students over 5 years.
Party for the Planet

Party for the Planet

Dallas Zoo

Designed and implemented an Earth Day event modeled after “Science Day at the Zoo” to demonstrate practical ways people can conserve, through hands-on activities that allow them to see how much difference they can make.
Science Day at the Zoo

Science Day at the Zoo

Dallas Zoo

Assisted with curriculum development for hands-on activities designed to engage students of various ages, which were then presented for teachers and students to experience in a day-long teacher-training and public education event at the Dallas Zoo.

Formal Classroom Teaching Experience

Evolution

Evolution

Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX

Upper-division undergraduate/graduate class. Developed curriculum and content, designed to actively engage the students through demonstrations, hands-on learning, discussions of real-world issues, readings from current scientific literature and popular science books such as The Beak of the Finch and Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Guide to All Creation, and field experiences.
Introductory Biology for Majors I and II

Introductory Biology for Majors I and II

El Centro College, Dallas, TX

First and second semester biology lecture and laboratory. First semester covers biochemistry and cell biology; second semester covers evolution, biodiversity, and ecology.
Animal Behavior and Career Development Seminar

Animal Behavior and Career Development Seminar

Dallas Zoo Internship Program, Dallas, TX

Developed curriculum and content, designed to give students a basic understanding of animal behavior methods and of the needs of a scientific career.
Summer Science Institute

Summer Science Institute

Dallas Zoo Teacher Training Workshop, Dallas, TX

Teacher training workshop at the Dallas Zoo, team-taught by researchers and educators. Developed and taught lectures and activities on animal behavior methods and animal communication.

Education

Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography

Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography

Massachusetts Institute of Technology & Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Dissertation: Techniques for studying vocal learning in bottlenose dolphins.
Thesis supervisor: Dr. Peter Tyack

B.S. in Biological Sciences with honors and distinction

B.S. in Biological Sciences with honors and distinction

Stanford University

Honors Thesis: Effect of glucocorticoids on metabolic rate in normal and cancerous fibroblasts.
Thesis supervisor: Dr. Robert Sapolsky

Grants, Scholarships, and Awards

Institute of Museum and Library Sciences, Okapi Behavior Research with Brookfield Zoo ($249,992)

National Institutes of Health, Dolphin Vocal Learning ($264,494)

National Institutes of Health, National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellowship, Dolphin Vocal Learning ($62,672)

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Predoctoral Fellowship, Dolphin Vocal Development ($128,500)

Rinehart Coastal Research Center, Dolphin Cognition pilot study ($6,800)

Ocean Ventures Fund, Dolphin Vocal Development ($8,000)

Rinehart Coastal Research Center, Dolphin Vocal Development ($5,400)

Stanford Undergraduate Research Organization, Cancer Research ($2,500)

Deborah Fripp, Ph.D.

Deborah Fripp, Ph.D.

President

3826 Cemetery Hill Road
Carrollton, TX 75007
972-939-0839

deborah@darwinsark.net