Jody studied at the University of Cape Town, graduating in 2012 with a BSc in Zoology, Ecology, and Environmental and Geographical Science. During her undergraduate degree she also worked for the Freshwater Consulting Group as a field assistant to Dr Kate Snaddon and Dr Dean Ollis, gathering baseline data for the Table Mountain group aquifer project. It was at this time that her interest in the freshwater realm had been sparked. In 2013 she worked under the supervision of Dr Helen Dallas on the Water Research Commission funded project, K5/2182 focusing on the upper thermal limits of aquatic macroinvertebrates in the Western Cape. Investigating temperature-mediated effects on aquatic organisms has been her research focus since. In 2014 she graduated with BSc Honours (Environmental and Geographical Science) (UCT), during which time she was also under the supervision of Dr Helen Dallas and Dr Kevin Winter. Jody obtained her MSc in the department of Biological Science (UCT) in 2017. Together with Dr Helen Dallas, Dr Jeremy Shelton, and Dr Bruce Paxton from FRC, she undertook the experimental component of the K5/2337 project, determining the thermal tolerances and preferenda of indigenous fishes in the CFR. Her research is experimentally based and aimed at understanding the relationship between climate resilience and biodiversity in the Cape Floristic Region. Jody is currently based at UCT, where she holds a teaching assistant position on the undergraduate biological diversity course, and is a member of the teaching task team in the department of biological science.
To echo the sentiments of Jackie King, we have to learn to read freshwater biota as words and pages in the book of life, and it is a privilege to be involved in doing so – Jody