Education

M.A. Humanities, University of Tulsa, 1977
B.S. Physics, Christian Brothers College, 1973

Research Interests and Responsibilities

     Finnegan is the Research Assistant to Dr. Conrad Labandeira, curator of fossil arthropods. He assists Conrad primarily in his research in the analysis of insect damage of plants throughout the fossil record. Finnegan can be found doing a wide variety of work in this area of study, from planning and participating in field trips to fossil localities in Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana, to designing and compiling databases of fossil specimen inventories.
     Finnegan is also the IT troubleshooter for the Paleobiology Department, is in charge of the department's Computer Graphics Lab, and is a web designer and developer for the Paleobiology Department's web site. He serves on a museum-wide committee in regard to the Natural History Museum's web design. He uses his many computer graphics skills to render many of Conrad's illustrations for his publications.
     Finnegan coordinates a battery of volunteers for Dr. Labandeira, assists visiting scholars and handles fossil specimen loan requests.

Committees

• 2008 - present, Treasurer, Natural History Museum's Senate of Scientists
• 2002 - present, Natural History Museum's Web Advisory Committee

Editorial Service

• Editor, Paleobiology Department'sThe Fossil Record, 1993 - 2002
• Assistant Editor, Paleobiology, 1995 - 2001
• Layout and Production, The Grapevine, Smithsonian Forum on Material Culture, 1993 - 1996

Field Work

• 2003 Survey of Molteno Formation (Triassic) insect-damaged leaf specimens at the South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
• 2002 Fossil plant localities of the Fort Union Formation (Paleocene) in Wyoming and Montana.
• 2001 Fossil plant localities of the Fort Union (Paleocene) and Green River Formation (Eocene) near Rock Springs, WY.
• 1996 Fossil plant localities (Upper Cretaceous) localities in the Bisti Wilderness, NM.
• 1996 Fossil plant localities of the Green River Formation near Bonanza, UT.
• 1995 Fossil insect localities of the Green River Formation in Colorado.
• 1994 Fossil insect localities of the Green River Formation in Colorado.
• 1993 Fossil plant and insect localities of the Battery Point Formation (Devonain Period) in the Gaspé peninsula, Quebec, Canada.
• 1992 Fossil plant localities of the Meeteetse Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Big Cedar Ridge, WY.