Research - Teaching - Mentorship

I began my career as a scientist, educator, and mentor at Murray State University, where I received a bachelor's in Wildlife & Conservation Biology. From there, I earned a master's degree in Biology at Humboldt State University. I am currently a PhD candidate in the Integrative Biology Department at the University of South Florida (Tampa).

My research interests include the movements of amphibians, especially plethodontid salamanders, ranging from fine-scale biomechanics of locomotion to dispersal at the ecosystem level. Ultimately, my work examines the life history of amphibians in the broader context of ecological and evolutionary theory with the goal of increasing awareness for conservation.

Mentoring and inspiring STEM students is a passion of mine. I have developed effective teaching practices through instructing a variety of courses: General Biology, Botany, Biological Methods, Ecology, Physiology, Vertebrate Anatomy, and Vertebrate Natural History. I have also mentored STEM students K-12 as a merit badge counselor at the Museum of Science and Industry (Tampa), and I am an ongoing graduate mentor to STEM majors at the University of South Florida through the STEM Academy (NIH). I am a wildlife biologist for international documentaries, mostly filming salamanders in the redwoods.