Education
  • Ph.D. Vertebrate Paleontology, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY. 2017.
  • BA Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England. 2010.
 
Research and Teaching Motivations
  • Evolutionary relationships and craniodental functional morphology of extinct and extant placental ungulates; environmental correlates of craniodental macroevolution.
  • Cretaceous through Paleogene chronostratigraphy and biogeography of Gondwanan landmasses.
  • Terrestrial and shallow marine Cretaceous and Paleogene faunas of the Antarctic peninsula.
  • Inquiry-driven learning, authentic-research curricula, responsive classroom practices, inclusive language.
  • Written and illustrated science communication, especially about evolution and tree-thinking, in museum and other public settings.

Appointments
  • Lecturer, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh. July 2018 – Present. Evolution, Foundations of Biology 2, Vertebrate Morphology Lecture, Vertebrate Morphology Lab, Communication in the Biological Sciences, Experience in Undergraduate Teaching.
  • Research Associate, Carnegie Musuem of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA. December 2018 - Present.
  • Rea Postdoctoral Fellow, Sections of Vertebrate Paleontology & Mammalogy, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA. December 2016 – December 2018.
  • Adjunct Instructor, Bank Street College of Education, New York, NY. June 2014 – August 2014.
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Peer-Reviewed Articles
  1. West, A.R., C.R. Torres, J.A. Clarke, J.A. Case, and M.C. Lamanna. 2019. Description of an avian femur from Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula: removing the record of cursorial land birds from the Cretaceous of Antarctica. PeerJ 7:e7231 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7231
  2. Lamanna, M.C., J.A. Case, E.M. Roberts, V.M. Arbour, R.C. Ely, S.W. Salisbury, J.A. Clarke, E. Malinzak, A.R. West, and P.M. O’Connor. In Press. Late Cretaceous non-avian dinosaurs from the James Ross Basin, Antarctica: description of new material, updated synthesis, biostratigraphy, and paleobiogeography. Advances in Polar Science.
  3. PDF Geiger, M., R.J. Asher, S. Marron, and A.R. West. 2018. Influences of domestication and island evolution on dental growth in Ovis. Journal of Mammalian Evolution p.1-16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10914-018-9452-y
  4. PDF Wible, J.R. and A.R. West. 2017. The basicranial axis in the rock hyrax, Procavia capensis (Pallas, 1766) (Mammalia, Afrotheria, Hyracoidea): novel structure of the frontal bone. Annals of Carnegie Museum 84(4): 287-300. [pdf]
  5. PDF West, A.R. 2016. Mitogenome of the extinct helmeted musk ox, Bootherium bombifrons. Mitochondrial DNA Part B: Resources 1: 862-863. [pdf]

Books and Other Publications
  1. PDF West, A.R. 2018. Book review: J.L. Prado and M.T. Alberdi, 2017, Fossil Horses of South America: Phylogeny, Systematics, and Ecology. Journal of Paleontological Techniques Book Review 2.
  2. Gold, M.E.L. and A.R. West. 2017. She Found Fossils. CreateSpace Publishing. ISBN: 9781981516544. MORE INFO ABOUT SHE FOUND FOSSILS

Courses Taught
University of Pittsburgh
  • Vertebrate Morphology Lecture: Fall 2018, Fall 2019
  • Vertebrate Morphology Lab: Fall 2019
  • Communicating in the Biological Sciences: Spring 2019
  • Foundations of Biology 2: Spring 2019, Summer 2019, Spring 2020
  • Evolution: Spring 2020
Bank Street College of Education
  • Kerlin Science Institute, Summer 2014
Columbia University (Teaching Assistant)
  • Earth: Origins, Evolution, Processes, Future
  • Planet Earth
  • Dinosaur Paleontology
Richard Gilder Graduate School (Teaching Assistant & Guest Lecturer)
  • Vertebrate Paleontology

Service
  • Peer Review: Mammalian Biology, Journal of Mammalian Evolution, Palaeontologia Electronica, Geological Society of America Bulletin
  • Organizing Committee, Three Rivers Evolution Event, March - September 2018.
  • Cenozoic Hall Renovation, Scientific and Educational Contributor. Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 2017.
  • Assistant Coordinator, Loan of Antarctic specimens from Carnegie Museum of Natural History to the Field Museum, Chicago, IL. 2017.

Selected Recent Outreach
  • Science Careers Presenter and Panelist, Student Observers from Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Carnegie Museum of Natural History, May 16, 2018.
  • Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Three Rivers Evolution Event. University of Pittsburgh, March - September 2018.
  • Children's Book: Gold, M.E.L. and A.R. West. 2017. She Found Fossils. CreateSpace Publishing. ISBN: 9781981516544. MORE INFO ABOUT SHE FOUND FOSSILS
  • “Expedition Antarctica,” short documentary and presenter-led activity at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 2018.
 
Mentoring
  • Carnegie Museum of Natural History: 12th grade student from The Ellis School, Pittsburgh, PA. “Invertebrate paleontology of Cape Marsh, Robertson Island, Antarctica,” July 2017 – Present.
  • American Museum of Natural History: undergraduate student from University of Rochester. “Investigating the morphological support for superordinal affinities of Notoungulata (Mammalia: Placentalia) using a large total-evidence dataset,” December 2014 – December 2016.
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