I'm a PhD candidate in Dr. Cayelan Carey's lab at Virginia Tech, where I study ecological forecasting of water quality variables and spatial heterogeneity of biogeochemistry in reservoirs (see the Research page for more information).

I have over seven years of experience working as a Peace Corps Volunteer, a research technician for the U.S. Geological Survey's Great Lakes Science Center, and an undergraduate research at Eastern Michigan University.

My time spent working with farmers in rural Zambia to implement aquaculture promotion techniques solidified my drive to combine technical experience to benefit society and communities, and emphasized the importance of applied science.

As a technician in the Great Lakes basin, I worked across Lakes Erie, Huron, and Michigan to examine differences in drivers of algal dynamics, and also assisted with a global analysis of fisheries production in inland waters.

During my undergraduate career, I got my feet wet in Great Lakes Science and algal microscopy, analyzing samples of "muck" deposition from near-shore benthic algal mats.

My interest in freshwater science in general stems from my upbringing in southeastern Michigan, spending time camping, swimming, and enjoying the beautiful freshwater ecosystems of the Great Lakes region! The cultural, economic, and ecological influence of the Great Lakes and other inland water bodies has inspired me to continue my career understanding how humans and freshwater ecosystems interact.