David graduated from the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Wildlife Science and a minor in Biological Sciences in 2012. Before joining the Hopkins lab, he worked as an undergraduate researcher examining the effects of highway expansion on red wolf and black bear populations in eastern North Carolina. He then worked as a technician for the Cape Lookout Seabird Study in eastern North Carolina, examining the effects of human activity on shorebird nesting behavior.
David joined the Hopkins lab in 2011, working as a volunteer for Sarah DuRant’s project examining the effects of incubation temperature on wood ducks. In the summer of 2011, he worked as a technician for Brittney Hopkins, trapping turtles along the South River in Virginia. Later in the summer he transitioned to capturing snakes along the South River with JD Willson. He continued to work with snakes for his senior thesis. His project focused on the factors that influence mercury bioaccumulation within and among snake species.
After graduation, David continued to work in the Hopkins lab as a technician for the TVA and eastern hellbender projects. He recently moved to Redding, CA, where he is a GIS Technician at the Bureau of Land Management Field Office.
