I am from a small town in New Hampshire and spent two years of my undergraduate education at Stonehill College in Easton, MA (2002-2004) and the last two years attending the University of New Hampshire (2004-2006) earning my B.S. in Biology with the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavioral Studies Concentration. During the summer of 2004, I was accepted in to the Stonehill College Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) to conduct research on the phenotypic plasticity of the fungi, Armillaria gallica and A. mellea. This study included research on the genetic structure of two populations and a study on habitat preference between different types of trees and bark versus the inner wood of trees. In the Spring of 2005, I participated in the study abroad program, EcoQuest, during which I studied ecology and environmental policy in New Zealand. During my studies there, I completed a directed research project entitled, “Preliminary Study of Translocation Techniques for the Restoration of the Copper Skink (Cyclodina aenea) on Mount Maungatautari”. This study was presented to the Maungatautari Scenic Reserve Trust to be considered when designing new restoration projects.

I began working on what is now my M.S. in Zoology thesis project at the University of New Hampshire as my senior year Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). I am evaluating the use of a 350 bp segment of the large ribosomal subunit (28S rDNA D3 expansion segment) as a genetic barcode for the species identification of New England freshwater calanoid and cyclopoid copepods. This project combines my interest in genetics with studying an organism’s habitat. In addition to my research, I am a teaching assistant for Biology of Animals in the Fall and Developmental Biology in the Spring, where I am the laboratory instructor.

Presentations:
Graduate:

• Allan, EB, Haney, JF, Litvaitis, MK. Aug 2007. Species Identification Of New England Freshwater Calanoid And Cyclopoid Copepods Using Molecular Tags. 30th Congress of the International Association of Theoretical and Applied Limnology in Montreal, Quebec August 2007, Poster Honorable Mention (pdf)
  
• Allan, EB, Haney, JF, Litvaitis, MK, Rawlinson, K. Mar 2007. Species Identification of New England Freshwater Calanoid And Cyclopoid Copepods Using Genetic Barcodes. New England Association of Environmental Biologists Annual Conference, Poster Presentation (pdf)
  
• Allan, EB, Haney, JF, Litvaitis, MK, Rawlinson, K. Nov 2006 Genetic Barcoding of New England Freshwater Calanoid and Cyclopoid Copepods. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 Annual Meeting, Oral Presentation.

Undergraduate:

• Allan, EB, Haney, JF, Litvaitis, MK, Rawlinson, K. April 2006. Barcoding of Two Freshwater Calanoid Copepod Species. Undergraduate Research Conference (URC) at the University of New Hampshire, Poster presentation
  
• Allan, EB. March 2005. Preliminary Study of Translocation Techniques for the Restoration of the Copper Skink (Cyclodina aenea) on Mount Maungatautari. Maungatautari Ecological Trust, Oral presentation.
• Allan, EB. November 2004: Bridgewater State Environmental Symposium, Poster presentation “The Phenotypic Plasticity of Armillaria gallica and A. mellea”