ABOUT ME

My love for arthropods began in my freshman year at Iowa State University, when I worked for the ISU Insect Zoo. There, I reared over 100+ species of exotic arthropods and traveled around the state of Iowa to give presentations with live creatures, educating all ages about the amazing world of arthropods. 

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In May 2020, I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Animal Ecology and minors in Entomology, Leadership Studies, and Speech Communication. I worked as an undergraduate research assistant for PhD candidate Jerilyn Calaor under the mentorship of Dr. Haldre Rogers.

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I am incredibly passionate about science communication and community science. Right now, I am interested in the intersections of video games and biology. Think Resident Evil, Last of Us, Webbed, Pokemon, and pretty much any video game that features nature, both realistic and fantasy! I am also strongly focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in STEM. How can we make STEM accessible to everyone?

I graduated in December 2022 from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a master's in Environmental Science and Policy. Studying under the wonderful Dr. Mike Draney, I focused on arachnology and spider identification. My masters thesis research focused on spider diversity at Red Banks State Natural Area in Green Bay, a rare and endangered habitat in the state of Wisconsin. I wanted to understand how plant community assemblage and structure influenced spider community composition.

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I have recently accepted a PhD in Biological Sciences offer from the University of Nebraska Lincoln to work with Dr. Eileen Hebets on arachnid behavior. I am excited to work in the Hebets Lab and professionally explore both arachnid behavior and science communication!