Lily Frierson

Hi, I'm Lily. ​I am a fourth year student at the University of Florida pursuing a BS in Marine Sciences. I am also pursuing minors in Bioinformatics, Zoology, and Extension Education, as well as a certificate in Geographic Information Systems. I am passionate about a variety of scientific disciplines including evolutionary biology, phylogeny, taxonomy, ecology, and statistics, as well as scientific communication. As a native Floridian, I have always been passionate about the marine ecosystem, and since becoming involved in Dr. Paulay's invertebrate zoology lab, I've grown an immense appreciation for the role that taxonomy plays in upholding the responsibility to document and understand our biological heritage. Additionally, I've grown passionate about scientific communication and the networks that connect scientific research to our communities, such as museums. I am passionate about documenting biodiversity and broadening the scientific scope on certain underrepresented species of marine fauna.  As a senior at UF, I am a part of the University Scholars Program, researching polychaete speciation in the northeast pacific ocean.