44 University Drive
Dallas, PA 18612
Biography
Ms. Luciana Caporaletti has been employed as a biology instructor at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, NC, Mohave Community College in Kingman, AZ, and New Mexico State University in Grants, NM. While employed at NMSU, Luciana served as the program manager for the natural sciences department.
At Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Luciana teaches biology, environmental science, botany, and art in the natural world. Her goal is to inspire students to recognize the value and beauty of all living things and to become better stewards of the Earth’s resources.
Research Interests
Ms. Caporaletti’s research interests include sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation.
Luciana studied range management and plant taxonomy while working with the Bureau of Land Management. She created an herbarium for public access in Mills, Wyoming. Additional plant research focused on honeybee and bumblebee pollination of blueberry cultivars on farms in North Carolina.
Luciana’s graduate thesis focused on monitoring the wintering grounds of the endangered Piping Plover, and recording the breeding success of least terns and black skimmers at Wrightsville Beach, NC.
Luciana’s most recent field research involved volunteering to help Arizona Game & Fish determine the range of the endangered black-footed ferret. Additionally, she aided in the trapping of the ferret’s prey species, the prairie dog, to detect the presence of the pathogen Yersenia pestis.
Current research includes the use of hydroponics systems and the growth of microgreens to teach the scientific method to undergraduate students. Field research plans include working with undergraduate students in plant and wildlife ecology.
Publications
In press 2020: Ms. Caporaletti co-authored a chapter titled “Team Science: A library instrument to support scientific literacy,” featured in the book The Community College Library: Instruction and Reference.
Education
- M.S. Biology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington (2008)
- B.A. Geography, Bloomsburg University
Papers and Presentations
“Hydroponics and Sustainability in the Lab,” a hands-on workshop which demonstrated the set-up and operation of a hydroponics system for use in biology labs at the annual ACUBE conference in Syracuse, NY. 2019.
“Duckweed Discovery: Using a little plant to make a big difference,” a workshop that highlighted the benefits of student research in the lab at the NMHEAR Conference in Albuquerque, NM. 2018.