Dr. Nate Rycroft
 

Current Courses: Marine Biology & AP Chemistry

Dr. Rycroft earned his Ph.D. working in Dr. Jelle Atema's laboratory at Boston University. He has been teaching AP Chemistry, Honors Chemistry, and Biology at Westwood High School starting in the fall of 2015 and Marine Biology starting in the fall of 2017.

Dr. Rycroft's dissertation research involved olfactory recognition, local adaptation, and genetic population structure in the American lobster (Homarus americanus). The American lobster is one of the most important commercial species in New England with annual landings worth nearly $450 million. The goal of his research was to determine whether the lobster population in the Northwest Atlantic is genetically structured and if geographically distinct populations show signs of genetic adaptation to their local environments.

Prior to his graduate career, Dr. Rycroft received his Bachelors Degree from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. At ODU, he double majored in Marine Biology and Oceanography. During his undergraduate tenure, he completed research under Dr. John McConaugha in the Oceanography department. His research utilized protein and lipid analyses to determine changes in the quality of eggs in relation to the carapace size of berried female Blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus). While at ODU, he earned the distinction as the top undergraduate student in the physical sciences.