I come from a maternal line of bird watchers—both my mother and grandmother have traveled the world in pursuit of birds—and I am continuing this tradition through a career in ornithology. Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, I learned to appreciate biodiversity through camping, skiing, and birdwatching with my mother.

 

I spent my undergrad involved with several projects, spanning breeding biology of Northern Saw-whet Owls, to bird banding, and to molecular phylogenetics of paintbrushes (Castilleja). After I graduated with dual majors in Biology and Wildlife Resources from the University of New Mexico in 2015, I worked in the Colombian Andes, studying tropical bird breeding biology, then as a curatorial assistant in the ornithology collection at the Burke Museum at the University of Washington. 

 

In 2016, I joined the Michael Andersen's lab at the University of New Mexico and the Museum of Southwestern Biology, first as a lab technician, then as a Masters student, and now I continue as a PhD student. In 2018, I defended my thesis, titled Systematics and Diversification of the Pantropical Avian Order Coraciiformes. This work was published in Royal Society Proceedings B, and the American Naturalist.   

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As a PhD student, I'm focused on studying the taxonomy, systematics, and diversification of Todiramphus kingfishers. Along the way, I am also keen on contributing to collections-based research and our collective knowledge on the natural history of birds.  

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