Kelly Speare, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
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Kelly is a community ecologist and her research investigates how local stressors such as pollution and fishing and global climate change interact to shape community assembly and resilience. Kelly is an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Texas Tech University. She was previously an NSF Ocean Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Donovan Lab at Arizona State University and a postdoctoral scholar in the Burkepile Lab and the Moorea Coral Reef LTER at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Kelly earned her doctorate at the University of California, Santa Barbara and her B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Kelly also spent time studying coral reefs in Bermuda and American Samoa, and worked at the Sea Education Association.
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Claire Vossler
Research Lab Technician
Research Lab Technician
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Claire joined the Speare Lab as a Research Lab Technician in 2026. In this role, she supports field research projects, utilizing AAUS Scientific Diving methods to collect data and perform experimental maintenance and safety protocol, and is responsible for data organization and analysis. Claire is interested in marine ecology, conservation, and restoration in the wake of human stressors impacting fragile ecosystems. She hopes to continue learning about the roles marine organisms play in their environments to comprehend how natural and anthropogenic forces may affect their future distribution and abundance. She is also interested in examining how ecosystems respond to human-induced stressors and how this knowledge can inform effective conservation management and restoration strategies. Claire received her BS in Aquatic Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2025. Beyond research, Claire enjoys hobbies such as rock climbing, hiking, baking, and any other outdoor activity she can get involved with.
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