I am an aquatic critter originally from western Iowa. I grew up exploring the limitless swamps, forests, and lakes of the Northwoods of Wisconsin. I was fortunate enough to spend my junior year of high school on foreign exchange to Finland, which instilled a life long curiosity for travel and culture.

When I started school at Nicolet Area Technical College in 2013, I initally wanted to be an anthropologist or sociologist, but I had an excellent professor in Botany and Biology that sparked my interest in biology. I had always been a naturalist, but had never seen myself in STEM.

After two years at community college, I transferred to Northern Michigan University to complete my BS Biology-Ecology in 2017. I had the formative research opportunity of working in the Leonard fish lab conducting independent studies on temperature effects on predator avoidance and brook trout metabolism.

I received my MS Fisheries Management from Montana State University in 2022. My research investigated mechanisms leading to failure to thrive of cutthroat trout in hatcheries. This experience taught me the value of working closely with stakeholders to resolve applied management problems. My research was also fairly complex and involved many different aspects of fish physiology, and I enjoyed learning about how each biological component created the sum of the individual fish and subsequently scaled to population level effects.

Regardless of where I am, there is always something beautiful in nature or in people. From the smallest salamander to the biggest white pine, there are many wonders to appreciate.

I enjoy my work, but it is only a small part of who I am. I am also an enthusiastically mediocre knitter/painter, trail runner, and nordic skiier. I just got my first full suspension mtn bike and now I am a menace to myself and others. Most of all, I value quality time with my partner and dog.

Mtn biking in Copper Harbor, a blue spotted salamander, skiing at Winman, and trailrunning with my dog