About Me
I hold a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. My graduate research took place at a non-profit arboretum, where I studied the impacts of forest management on plant and animal population and community dynamics. My research explores understory dynamics as a function of management and restoration practices in a forest located at the Holden Arboretum, known as, "Working Woods". More specifically, I investigated how common management practices (e.g. canopy thinning and invasive species removal) influence rates of fruit dispersal, herbivory, and the productivity and survival of understory shrub/tree species in order to determine mechanisms responsible for plant recruitment and forest diversity. Ultimately, I look to understand the health and resiliency of current and future forest communities. Prior to grad school, I worked at a variety of non-profit and public-facing companies, with a focus on science literacy and communication. I am passionate about translating academic research into actionable science that impacts the decisions of those managing or restoring land. I look for opportunities to contribute to real-world solutions that tackle climate change, loss of biodiversity and land degradation on large-scales. More recently, my work focuses on dynamics of aboveground forest woody carbon pools—live trees and shrubs, using satellite and ground inventories. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, birding, hacking my way through home improvement projects and spending time with my dog, Nala!