Michael J. Iacampo
Research & Photography
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Michael J. Iacampo

Ecology · Photography · Work in progress

Research Photography

About this site

Hello and welcome to my website! I coded this website for a few reasons: A.) To stand as a more vibrant resume/CV that represents me slightly better than a piece of paper. B.) Because I thought it would be fun. C.) To serve as a showcase of my photography portfolio, and a future business headquarters for when I inevitably abandon my academic ambitions and go down that path. It is currently a work in progress.

Who am I

Background

I am a recent graduate from the University of Houston, with a B.S. in Biology and minor in Mathematics. I was homeschooled and grew up in rural Arkansas. The more accurate way of saying this is that I was not schooled at all prior to college. I worked as a laborer and property manager through my teens which has given me a unique work ethic, a pragmatic sensibility, and an aptitude for creative problem solving. Through my love of learning and discovery I am on a lifelong journey of self education, striving to become the best I can be every day. So who am I?

The Researcher

I've been pursuing science my whole life — from a 10 year old naturalist studying butterflies and frogs, to a teenager listening to science audiobooks while roofing houses, to an undergraduate researcher studying urban wildlife. Next up, grad school! (Hopefully.)

Lab and analysis work
Field notebook and data collection

The Builder

I am a hands on person and love building things. From computers, to woodwork, to metalwork, to novel data collection tools, to flame throwers. There is always an immense satisfaction that comes with creation!

Custom computer setup

The Problem Solver

I take a very simple approach to problem solving — be pragmatic. If a janky and unprofessional solution works well and looks good, that's fine by me. For instance, this website would have taken weeks to code manually, but through pragmatic problem solving, and strategic deployment of GPT-5 coding agents, it took about 3 days. On the other hand, if I can't get what I'm looking for from an easy solution, I will do what's needed no matter what. For instance, learning QGIS just for one figure, because nothing can mimic the look of a good GIS map. Or learning to code in Python because my data really needed a polar bar graph to shine. Don't just find a solution, find the right solution!

Improvised solution example 1
Improvised solution example 2

The Bug Enthusiast

Nothing more to say really, I’m just a big fan of Invertebrates. Since I moved to Houston TX, I've been rearing monarch butterflies every year to marginally Increase larvae survival rates. Here's some invertebrate content I’ve made for YouTube over the years.

Research

My Interests, Research Projects, CV Highlights, and Event Talks.

Overview

My undergraduate research has primarily focused on urban mammal wildlife, but I've also conducted projects on urban invertebrate communities, and in broader Ecology contexts such as pH soil leaching, plant photosynthetic rates, plant community surveys and more. I am interested in pursuing graduate research into the effects of urbanization on local wildlife and invertebrate communities, with a strong interest in remote sensing methodologies, and large data set analysis.

Kinder Land Bridge

First Systematic Survey of Wildlife Usage of Houston’s Urban Land Bridge

Undergraduate Research Assistantship • University of Houston Honors College • Dec 2023 – August 2025
Advisors: Dr. Ann Cheek, Courtney Hall

Conducted independent research in collaboration with the UH Honors College and Memorial Park Conservancy to assess Wildlife early successional usage of the newly finished Kinder Land Bridge and Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Prairie.

  • Provided valuable information to green space managers for future site management.
  • Provided baseline survey data for future surveys to compare against.
  • Provided general insights into the wildlife usage of an extremely rare large urban crossing structure.
Pre-publication Manuscript
Hidden Life of Houston

Hidden Life of Houston (HLH)

Field Team Leader • Biology Dept. • Jul 2023 – Nov 2024
Supervisor: Dr. Ann Cheek

Worked part-time to support the ongoing Hidden Life of Houston (HLH) research project which surveys urban wildlife across Greater Houston as part of the nation Urban Wildlife Information Network (UWIN)

  • Led undergraduate field teams for camera sets/pulls/checks; executed solo fieldwork.
  • Prepared site reports for landowners; assisted with data management.
Research in Ecology

Research in Ecology (Course)

Spring 2023 • Instructor: Dr. Martin Nuñez

Course structured around conducting independent Ecology research. I conducted 3 projects over the course of the semester In collaboration with another student.

  • Assessed pH trends and potential soil leaching on the UH green roof (team project).
  • Studied flood/drought resistance in grasses using CO₂ measurement (with partner).
  • Drafted a green‑roof butterfly garden proposal after a preliminary insect survey.
Paper: Green Roof pH Paper: Grass CO₂ Resistance Paper: Butterfly Garden Proposal
Biological Field Research

Biological Field Research (Course)

Summer 2023 • Instructor: Dr. Ann Cheek

Summer research course primarily focused on field research methodologies. Gained experience in plant and Wildlife survey methodologies and broader Insights into the quantitative approaches to ecological science.

  • Conducted an independent research project on local invertebrate communities at the UH coastal center as final project.
Paper: Invertebrates Survey

Education

University of Houston, B.S. Biology, Minor in Mathematics (2024) — Cum Laude
GPA 3.58 (Major 3.84)

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Relevant coursework: Ecology (A), Invertebrate Zoology (A), Research in Ecology (A), Biological Field Research (A), Latin American Ecology (A), Conservation (A), and Mathematical Biology (A).

Download Full CV

Skills

Hard
🐍Python ℝR ✴️Mathematica 📈MATLAB 🧩VS Code 🗺️QGIS 📊Advanced Excel 🗃️MS Access
Soft
🧭Team leadership 🗂️Project management 🗣️Scientific presentation ✍️Scientific writing 🧠Problem solving 🌿Plant/wildlife surveys 🧪Laboratory safety

Awards

  • Best Undergraduate Presentation — HREE Symposium (2024)
  • Outstanding Presentation — GCURS (2024)
  • Honors Faculty Research Assistantship (2023–24)
  • Plenary Talk: “Temporal Partitioning Among Mesopredators on Houston’s Urban Land Bridges.” - , Hidden Life of Houston Symposium (2025).
  • Talk: “Temporal Partitioning Among Mesopredators on Houston’s Urban Land Bridges.” - Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium (2024) — Outstanding Presentation Award.
  • Talk: “Wildlife adoption and diel adaptation: a systematic camera study of kinder land bridge. “ - , HREE Symposium (2024) — Best Undergraduate Presentation.
Event talk photo 1
Event talk photo 2

Photography

Profit from my inexperience.

I am happy to consider pro bono event photography while I build out my portfolio. Let’s make something happen! Reach out.

Contact

For any inquiry — research, collaborations, or photography — send me a message.

Send a message

Or email me directly at Josephiacampo@gmail.com