Patricia A. Houle

After completing her BSc in Biological Sciences and MSc in Nutritional Biochemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ms. Houle worked in the medical device industry developing new tests for the assessment of human health and disease and managing research laboratories. She came to FIU to pursue her interests in medicinal and food plants, Florida ecology and current environmental issues, earning an M.Sc. in Environmental Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Ms. Houle's research, in collaboration with Drs. Zhang and Ross, used laser altimetry to study the 3D structure of pine forest and mangrove vegetation in the Everglades and the Florida Keys. Ms. Houle teaches undergraduate courses for the Environmental Studies Department, including Ecology of South Florida and Intro to Environmental Science as well as working with Faculty members on applications of remote sensing and GIS to areas of environmental research.