I grew up in the northeastern corner of Maryland, on a peninsula nestled between the North East (pictured above) and Elk Rivers at the head of the Chesapeake Bay. My life has always been intertwined with water. Growing up exploring rivers, ponds, and streams led to me pursuing a B.S. in Marine Sciences - Biology at the University of Tampa, which I received in 2015. Although I majored in marine biology, UT is where I started working with fish communities and invasive species in freshwater ecosystems. I completed my PhD at Florida International University (FIU) in 2022, where I investigated drivers of trophic dynamics (e.g., spatiotemporal variability, ecosystem engineering, and invasive species). During my PhD, I was also responsible for leading a portion of an Everglades restoration project monitoring aquatic fauna in response to restored water delivery. Currently, I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Michigan where I am studying the effects of climate change on fish growth using museum specimens and a trait-based approach. I also have a courtesy postdoctoral appointment at FIU through their NSF Center for Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program. When I'm not in the lab, at the museum, in the field, or behind a computer screen, I enjoy spending time with family, running, sports (playing and watching, especially basketball), board games (Wingspan anyone?), and I have a terrible condition with books - when I pick one up I have trouble putting it down.Â