Dr. Heather Judkins is a full professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island, Master’s degree in Science Education from Nova Southeastern University and her PhD in Biological Oceanography from the University of South Florida. As an invertebrate zoologist, her research focuses on understanding the evolution, ecology, phylogeny, and biogeography of cephalopods.  Her main focus since 2010 has been working as a part of the DEEPEND Consortium; a team investigating the midwater of the Gulf of Mexico since the BP oil spill occurred.