OVERVIEW

I am an ecologist with specific interests in natural history, physiology, morphology, conservation, and evolution of reptiles and amphibians. My research questions address organismal, population, and conservation ecology using observational and experimental conditions in both lab and field settings. Although my research interests have mostly focused on reptiles and amphibians, I also have a great interest in researching habitat conservation and invertebrates.

Most of my research has focused on horned lizards, often known as "horny toads." I find these lizards fascinating, as they inhabit habitat extremes, from arid, hot deserts to temperate, cool forests. I have primarily focused on two species within the short-horn clade: the short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi) and the pygmy short-horned lizard (P. douglasii). These are two of the four currently recognized species within the short-horn clade, grouped by their reduced cranial horn morphologies. Other shared characteristics within the short-horn clade include a reduction in or loss of blood-squirting, reduced body size, and persistence in more temperate, cool habitats throughout North America.

Currently, I have three main research projects:

1. The Effects of Stratification and Seed Manipulation on Milkweed Germination and Growth. This project is funded by the Nevada INBRE Pilot Grant program and is focused on providing undergraduate research opportunities. Milkweed populations throughout North America have overall experienced decline over the last few decades. These plants are critical for monarch butterflies, as they serve as host plants for monarch larvae. Milkweed population declines are implicated as a contributing factor associated with rapid decline in monarch butterfly populations, and much effort is being placed on restoring milkweed populations for monarchs, as well as other pollinating species (bees, flies, other butterflies). See video below.

2. Influence of Body Proportions on Movement in Pre-Professional Dancers. The Dance Biometrics lab is an interdisciplinary research program that explores a core theme in biology: form and function. By investigating body proportions, we aim to better understand movement in pre-professional dancers. This novel research is will also facilitate performance enhancement and injury prevention in pre-profesisonal dancers. This project is funded by the Nevada INBRE Pilot Grant program and is focused on providing undergraduate research opportunities.

3. Effects of Latitude on the Morphology of Two Lizard Species: the Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos) and the Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus uniformis). This project is funded by the NASA Community of Practice Research Grant. We are investigating the effects of latitude on populations of both lizard species inhabiting the Great Basin and Mohave deserts of Nevada. Many species are known to experience shifts in body size and morphology across latitudes and elevations. We are investigating this relationship for two species by conducting digital measurements of body, limb, and cranial morphology on museum specimens.