Alexandra is currently a Knauss fellow in the National Sea Grant Office with a joint appointment with the Weather Program Office, serving as the Social Science Policy and Planning Liaison. She is one of three Knauss fellows from the Ohio Sea Grant program and an Ohio native from Canton, Ohio.

Alexandra recently obtained her Ph.D. in Biology from Bowling Green State University (OH). Her dissertation work was centered on the effects of pharmaceutical pollution on crayfish behavior and physiology, as well as the role of the critical components of dynamic exposure paradigms. Similarly, she received her MS degree in Biology from Bowling Green State University in 2016. Her research showed the impacts of a novel dynamic exposure paradigm on crayfish behavior compared to standard toxicological exposure tests using sublethal concentrations of pharmaceuticals. Additionally, Alexandra holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Dayton (OH). During her undergraduate career, Alexandra completed a Research Experience for Undergraduates at Auburn University (AL), where she investigated the role of turbidity in the juvenile recruitment success of freshwater mussels.

Outside of work, Alexandra has been a lifelong athlete and enjoys multiple sports, including powerlifting and rock climbing. She also loves the outdoors and is an amateur mushroom forager.

Email: alexandra.neal@noaa.gov