JOANNE MARRAS TATE
Associate in Arts, Redlands Community College'
BSc. Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University
BSc. Psychobiology, Florida Atlantic University
MSc. Media and Communication, Lynn University
Ph.D. Communication, University of Colorado Boulder
A LITTLE ABOUT ME
Joanne Marras Tate ("Jo") is a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow for the Department of Communication and Instructor for Continuing Education at the University of Colorado Boulder. She completed her Ph.D. in 2023 in the Community and Social Interaction area with a dissertation focused on using the Ethnography of Communication and Cultural Discourse Analysis to investigate meaning-making practices within humanature relationships during COVID-19 lockdowns. Her background is in Marine Biology and Psychobiology. Jo is a multimedia producer and scholar. Her interests are in environmental communication, science communication, visual communication, emerging media, agnotology, marine sciences, conservation, and education. She currently volunteers with Science Under the Dome (SciDome) at Fiske Planetarium as a Science Communication Facilitator, and is the project manager and content creator for SciAll.org.
CURRENT RESEARCH
I am currently invested in publishing my dissertation research on humanature relationships during COVID-10 lockdowns. Specifically, I am working on a paper about humpback dolphins and humans in Queensland, Australia, and the concept of Interspecies Gift-Giving.
Humanature Relationships During COVID-19 lockdowns
INTERSPECIES COMMUNICATION
PROJECTS
NEST FELLOWSHIP
NEST - 2019 Fellow
“Hey, I know you!”
Enhancing Biophilia Through Species Identification: A Field Guide of CU Boulder Species
The purpose of this project is to increase students’ knowledge and awareness about the different species living at CU Boulder campus—including us.
You can download the field guide here:
http://nestcuboulder.org/2020/04/22/who-is-in-your-backyard/
The interdisciplinary team includes myself, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Communication, Robert Buehler, M.F.A. candidate in the Department of Art and Art History, and Mathew Sharples, Ph.D. from EBIO.
MICRO PLASTICS WORKING GROUP
WITH INLAND OCEAN COALITION
Ongoing
Working group was established to lead research & fundraising efforts on investigations of the presence of microplastics in Colorado’s headwaters.
Inland Ocean Coalition Mission: The Inland Ocean Coalition’s unifying charge is to develop a two-way relationship with the ocean and water. Those who live among mountains, rivers, and inland cities have a direct impact on the cycles of life in the ocean. As the nation's first Inland Ocean Movement, our goal is to be a wellspring for literacy and community engagement across North America.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Some favourite photos from around the world. See more photos and more of my work in Portfolio
RED ROCKS
I am fascinated by the geological structures in Colorado. The Reds Rocks are incredible I enjoy photographing the different layers and contrasts they have with the sky.
FLORIDA CRAB
I found this little guy in Florida going through debris on the beach as he searched for food. One of my favorite things to look for when I am at the beach is 'pseudofeces.' These are little round balls of sand that have been made by crabs after eating detritus and microorganisms from the sand. What is left is not poop, but perfect little sand balls around the beach.
RED DESERT
When living in Australia, I traveled from Adelaide, South Australia to Alice Springs in a 4x4. Saw fascinating peoples and landscapes.