About Me
Hi there! I'm David Levering. I'm a paleobiologist and educator turned Operations Director and (aspiring) YouTuber. I've also led some projects on AI integration with virtual education systems. My paleontology background includes mammalian locomotor biomechanics, single and multivariate statistical methods, and mass-extinction ecology.
While my formal training is in paleobiology and ecology, my career for the past decade has been that of Founder and Operations Director of the Sternberg Museum Science Camps+ program. In that time I've expanded the program I started on a $10,000 crowdfund into a six-figure operation that in 2024 employed twenty-four seasonal staff and operated in six different states across the US. This operational success has required me to self-teach marketing, recruiting, branding, growth strategy, community management, fundraising, and other entrepreneurial skills that are not part of the typical science degree programs.
How I Got Here
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2007 - Bachelors degree from University of Oregon in Geological Sciences with emphasis on paleoecology. During my time here I also co-founded and led the UO Geology Undergraduate Club, and completed original research on mammalian locomotor mechanics and ecology.
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2013 - Masters degree from Oklahoma State in Zoology, with research focus on analyzing the ecology of the end-Cretaceous extinction using multivariate statistical methods.
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Three summers as a paleontology field and lab intern with the National Parks Service at Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument.
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2013 - Hired by the Fort Hays State University Sternberg Museum to lead the museum's Education Department.
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2014 - Founded Sternberg Museum Science Camps+, with three crowdfund campaigns over three years to establish the foundation of the program.
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2018 - Moved to full time Operations Director of the Sternberg Camps+ program following major program growth.
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2023 - Established BioGeoVerse as a platform for professional development projects outside my scope of duties as Operations Director of the Sternberg Camps+ program.
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2023 - Founded and lead the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Annual Virtual Meeting Committee, establishing the society's YouTube channel and organizing four full days of professional development content for membership.
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2024 - Moved to Sternberg Museum Assistant Director, while maintaining duties of Operations Director of the Sternberg Camps+ program.
CONTACT
BIOGEOVERSE at GMAIL dot COM