About Me

My interest in biology began as a child through the encouragement of my grandmother, Mama. She'd always invite me to spend time outside with her. There she would point out the flowers blooming in her garden, the squirrels in the trees, and, most importantly, the birds flying overhead. Though there was a language barrier between us, her speaking Spanish and I English, we bonded over the beauty held by mother nature. To this day, she gets excited seeing hummingbirds in the garden, and drags me to the window to point them out. Mama is devoted to caring for wildlife in any way she can; she plants flowers for the bumblebees and fills her bird feeders weekly. Her love for the outdoors, and more specifically birds, inspired me to pursue the field of Ecology. 

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my partner, David, and our two dogs. David is a computer scientist in industry, and he helps keep me sane as I pursue my PhD! Charles is my childhood pet, and he has been my best friend for 11 years now. He is a schnauzer mix who loves to invade your personal space or give you side eyes from across the room. Ronan is our 5 year old pure bred mutt. David adopted him from a shelter 2 years ago, and we quickly realized that he is interested in only two things: cuddling and toys. 

Aside from spending time with my family, I love to bake, play Stardew Valley, watch Rupaul's Drag Race and explore the local arts. You can often find me out on the town attending concerts, art shows, or drag performances. When I'm not home or out on the town, I'm enjoying the great outdoors. I love to picnic, walk my dogs, hike, and bird watch. 

Fun fact about me: my favorite bird is the American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus).

Included above is a short slide show of pictures of some of my favorite people and memories!