Research Interests
My current research focuses on how human-driven changes in forest structure (i.e., urbanization, plant invasion, canopy harvesting, and fire) alter animal behavior, and the resulting impacts on native plant and animal communities. I conduct fieldwork in the longleaf pine forests of South Carolina and in the heavily invaded forests surrounding Madison, WI. Through my research on seed dispersal, invasion ecology, and tick-borne illnesses, I aim to provide actionable guidance to land-managers attempting to restore forested ecosystems in an era of extreme global change.
What made you choose this program at UW–Madison?
I chose this graduate program due to the enormous breadth of research conducted by ecologists within the program, and the university as a whole.
Education
BS, Conservation Biology, SUNY-ESF, 2024