Richard Erickson
About Richard Erickson
Richard Erickson is a Research Quantitative Ecologist at the U.S. Geological Survey and a DataCamp Instructor, both since 2018. He specializes in aquatic invasive species management and has developed innovative models for species management while utilizing advanced statistical programming tools.
Work at U.S. Geological Survey
Richard Erickson has been employed at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as a Research Quantitative Ecologist since 2018. In this role, he focuses on the application of quantitative methods to ecological research. Prior to this position, he worked at USGS as a Biologist from 2014 to 2018 and as a Quantitative Ecologist (contractor) from 2013 to 2014. His work at USGS includes developing occupancy models for environmental DNA (eDNA) to improve the management of aquatic invasive species and creating population models for Asian Carp management in the Upper Mississippi River.
Education and Expertise
Richard Erickson holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Environmental Toxicology with a minor in Mathematics from Texas Tech University, where he studied from 2009 to 2013. He also earned a Master of Science (M.S.) in Environmental Toxicology from the same institution from 2007 to 2009. Earlier, he completed a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point from 2002 to 2007. His academic background provides a strong foundation for his expertise in quantitative ecology and environmental management.
Professional Experience
Richard Erickson's professional experience spans various roles in ecological research and education. He served as a Graduate Research Assistant at Texas Tech University from 2007 to 2009 and as an EPA STAR Graduate Fellow from 2010 to 2013. Additionally, he worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Texas Tech University for nine months in 2009. His earlier roles include Wildlife Technician at Colorado State University from 2005 to 2007 and Scuba Dive Instructor at Marineland Dive Center from 2018 to 2020.
Research Contributions
Richard Erickson has made significant contributions to ecological research, particularly in the field of aquatic invasive species management. He developed new occupancy models for environmental DNA (eDNA) and a population model for Asian Carp management in collaboration with state and federal agencies. He utilizes HTCondor for high-throughput computing in his research and employs programming languages such as R and Python for statistical analysis, ensuring reproducibility in his research results.
Current Role as DataCamp Instructor
Since 2018, Richard Erickson has served as a DataCamp Instructor, where he teaches data science concepts and programming. His role involves creating educational content that helps learners understand data analysis and statistical methods, further bridging the gap between ecological research and data science.