I earned my B.S. from Drake University in Des Moines, IA, in environmental science and policy. Then I went on to study at the University of Maine, where I recieved an M.S. in forest resources, specifically focusing on outdoor recreation and tourism. At UMaine, I worked with Dr. Sandra de Urioste-Stone. 

I then worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Mississippi as a fellow evaluating the recreational entrace fee program at Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge. After this, I headed west to work as a (contractor) social scientist for the USGS Fort Collins Science Center, where my research focused on informing the 2018 adaptation of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. 

I then headed farther west, to Utah State University, where I earned my Ph.D. in Environment and Society with a concentration in Climate Adaptation Science. At USU, I worked with Dr. Jordan W. Smith in the Institute of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism. During my Ph.D., I used social media to investigate the impact of weather and climate on visitation to public lands. I currently work as a social scientist in Colorado.