I grew up moving around the U.S., living in Ohio, Illinois, Washington state, and New Hampshire. I was fortunate to grow up in a family that hiked, camped, and boated our way around each of these unique places. I found my love of nature while exploring these varied habitats and landscapes.

As an 18-year-old I got an internship for The Wilds working on an osprey reintroduction project. I knew I had picked the right path. I went on to do my B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences at North Carolina State University. After my undergraduate program, I was fortunate to get a position with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, where I worked in wildlife policy research and reform. Assisting with the creation of policies that transformed wildlife conservation was an exciting and humbling experience for me as a young biologist. I realized working with natural resource managers, policy makers, and citizens was critical for sustainable conservation change. I went on to complete a M.S. in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at North Carolina State University focused in human dimensions of wildlife conservation, advised by Dr. Nils Peterson.

After my first round of graduate school I headed south to Mobile, Alabama. I started out working as a Partnership Coordinator for a local non-profit, where I managed our collaborative initiatives with local businesses, government agencies, and other NGOs. I then moved on to become a Research Analyst for a private consulting firm on the Natural Resource Damage Assessment of the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Working on the BP Oil Spill was an eye-opening experience that taught me just how intertwined our quality of life, economy, and public health are with the health of our environment.

After my time on the Gulf Coast I headed east to central Florida, where I earned a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Ecology at University of Florida, advised by Dr. Mark Hostetler and Dr. Steve Johnson. For my dissertation research I studied the ecology and impacts of introduced non-human primate populations in Florida, which was a personal dream for many years beforehand. I then worked as a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at University of Florida, advised by Dr. Christina Romagosa, studying rhesus macaque abundance in a recently-invaded habitat and using climate envelope modeling to evaluate the invasion potential of introduced mammals in Florida.

I recently completed a three year position as an Assistant Professor of Research at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute of Texas A&M University – Kingsville, where I led a study funded by the Hawai’i State Legislature and the USDA National Wildlife Research Center to evaluate the ecology and management options of invasive rose-ringed parakeets on the island of Kaua’i, Hawai’i. I am currently working as a Adjunct Professor for the Austin Community College Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, where I am teaching Introduction to Wildlife Management and helping develop the new Wildlife Management degree program. I also serve as the Chair Elect of The Wildlife Society’s Invasive Species Working Group Board of Directors.

Outside of my work as a scientist, I am a writer. I strive to use narrative to convey science in ways that are engaging and accessible. I am passionate about supporting fellow writers, which is why I love serving on the Board of Directors of the Writers’ League of Texas. I’m also a member of the Austin Texas Science Communicators.

I live in Round Rock, Texas, with my husband, Jeff, our son, Gus, and our two riffraff dogs.