Tigris’s first foray in freshwater research was studying the bugs, crawdads, and salamanders in her namesake “Tigues Creek” on Dayton Mountain. Tigris left her beloved mountain stream to gain an education, exploring the mangrove hammocks of Florida, sandy beaches of Southern Spain, and granite spruce-covered islands of Maine. At each location, Tigris expanded her knowledge of ecological systems and strengthened her skills in persuasive writing and project management.
Then, smack-dab in the middle of the ocean on Hurricane Island in Maine, Tigris refocused on her love for freshwater critters while teaching her students about aquatic bugs who lived in the island’s Meadow Pond. She knew then it was time to return home to Tennessee.
Luckily, she was hired by the Tennessee Aquarium as a part-time educator then subsequently as the Grant Coordinator. You can find her now pouring over budget spreadsheets, saying hi to the pea puffer in River Journey’s Rivers of the World exhibit, crafting a narrative for a proposal or report, or tracking down her coworker’s grant hours.
Loves: Her dog Dolly, dark chocolate, snorkeling in the Hiwassee River
Favorite animal: Predacious diving beetle larvae
Education: University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, BA Philosophy and Religious Studies, 2021.