Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, I am a lifelong Midwesterner and enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Ten years ago, I left my hometown and embarked on an educational journey across the US. Needless to say, it's been quite an adventure!
I began my undergraduate degree at Simpson College (Indianaola, IA) in 2017, where I was a student-athlete and George Washington Carver Fellow. During my summers, I interned at Kansas State University's Department of Chemistry and at the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center (Manhattan, KS). In 2020, I graduated from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry with Honors and High Distinction.
In 2020, I moved to Purdue University to study molecular plant-pathogen interactions in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology. My research focused on understanding how tomato roots recognize and respond to soil-borne bacterial pathogens at the cellular level. Additionally, my graduate training included intensive professional development in teaching philosophies and practices, as well as membership in several future faculty programs.
In 2025, I joined the University of Kansas Center for Genomics to evaluate flagellin-mediated immune responses in maize roots, linking receptor activity to microbiome composition and overall effects of immunity on plant growth and phenotypic plasticity in hybrid maize. This project was funded through the NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology, and works to translate molecular biology to real-world agricultural applications.
In Spring 2027, I will be joining Haskell Indian Nations University as a Professor of Biological Sciences, bringing together my interests in cell and molecular biology, microbiology, and plant pathology.
As an Indigenous plant scientist and educator, I investigate plant–microbiome interactions to better understand how plants and their associated microbes shape health, resilience, and adaptation. My work bridges research and teaching through student-centered, inquiry-driven learning experiences that empower students to see themselves as scientists.
SIGP Students at the SREB Institute on Teaching and Mentoring (2024)
AIP Lab members learning about the birch bark canoe at Purdue's NAECC (2022)
AIP Lab members Sana Mohammad, Denise Caldwell, Abigail Rogers, Kathe Rivera Zuluaga (2021)
Meeting Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer with SIGP students (2023)
Purdue SIGP Students and Alumni at the Inaugural SIGP Symposium in Tucson, AZ (2024)
Purdue Plant Science Symposium (2023)
NAECC & West Lafayette Community Three Sisters Garden (2023)
Iyer-Pascuzzi Lab (2021)
