Wendy McFarlane

Wendy was raised and educated in Canada, achieving a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and a PhD in Fish Physiology.  In addition to her undergraduate course offerings, she mentors undergraduate students doing research on organisms from jellyfish to spiders to sea turtles. The bulk of her most recent research is focused on endangered sea turtles.  Wendy initially became interested in these species during a trip to help teach in a field school in the Caribbean island of Barbuda with Manhattanville colleague, Nancy Todd. Together, they developed a field course offered by Manhattanville and a research program on the island’s biodiversity, including its turtles.  Her background in animal physiology and marine biology was a perfect fit to begin working with the New York Marine Rescue Center in Riverhead, NY on the physiology and rehab of cold-stunned sea turtles.  She has been volunteering as a visiting scientist with the rescue center since 2017 and feels fortunate to have been involved in the ongoing satellite tagging of rehabilitated turtles that had stranded on New York beaches.