World traveler, research biologist, scuba diver – All are words that can be used to describe Tiffany Oliver. As an IB 11th and 12th grade HL (Higher Level) Biology teacher, Mrs. Oliver is not only a fascinating teacher, but also a fascinating person.

With a father in the airline industry, Oliver has a difficult time answering the typically simple question “Where did you grow up?” She has lived in a total of eight countries and 14 states. However, she feels a special connection with St. Martin.”I call home St. Martin because that’s where my heart is and that’s where I go home every summer,” she said.

She attended Aloha High School in Portland, Oregon and then attended the University of Oregon where she earned her Bachelors degree in Marine Biology. Later, she attended the University of South Florida where she earned her Masters degree in Biology.

Along with her job as a teacher, Oliver maintains a position at USF as a research biologist. She specializes in the ecology of echinoderms (starfish, sea urchins, sand dollars, etc.) and has published 8 publications in scientific journals.

“I love, love, love to [scuba] dive!” boasts Oliver. “I love to explore. I’ll throw my dog in the back of the car and then we will just go explore. We’ll go find a new beach or go find a new park. We might go camping for the weekend – me, my husband, and my dog. We love to just jump in the car and maybe go to Key West for a couple of days or maybe jump on a plane and just go somewhere for a weekend. We love to explore. [We] love new places.”

In addition, Oliver earned the title of Robinson’s Teacher of the Year. “It’s so awesome. I love to represent Robinson,” said Oliver. “It was so neat to actually talk about how awesome Robinson is.”