PhD | University of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla.
MS | University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
BS | Ferrum College, Ferrum, Va.
Dr. Nathaniel “Nat” Holland is a research scientist with more than 20 years of experience in using the scientific method to extract information from complex multi-dimensional data. In January 2018, he joined the Office of Research of the School of Dentistry as a senior statistician to aid in the quantitative analyses of various research projects of faculty, fellows and students. Trained as a quantitative ecologist and evolutionary biologist, Dr. Holland holds a doctorate in biology, ecology, and systems biology from the University of Miami, a master’s degree in ecology and entomology from the University of Georgia, and a bachelor of science degree in biology, environmental science and chemistry from Ferrum College.
Prior to joining the School of Dentistry, Dr. Holland held professorial and research positions from 2001 to 2014 at the University of Arizona, Rice University, and the University of Houston. His research advanced understanding of the population ecology and evolutionary biology of mutualistic interactions between species (e.g., plant-pollinator interactions), conceptually similar to those microbial communities of oral biofilms. His research was funded by numerous competitive grants from both public (e.g., NSF) and private (Mellon Foundation) sectors. Holland has given more than 60 invited presentations, seminars and conference presentations, and he has authored more than 50 scientific publications, including 42 journal articles that have more than 2,500 citations and an H-index of 26.
Apart from academia, Dr. Holland worked as a data scientist in the business sector from 2014 to early 2018. He served as the chief research and data scientist at NAI Partners, where he applied his quantitative skills to guide data-driven business decisions in commercial real estate. Dr. Holland also worked for Hewlett Packard Enterprise, where he was an internal consultant and statistician for a variety of corporate strategy initiatives, including executive-level analyses and presentations to guide the company's leadership team and business decisions.