Research Interests
My research focus lies at the intersection of community and ecosystem ecology, with a particular interest on how dominant or foundational species structure biological communities and mediate ecosystems. My background is in wetland community ecology, including work on invasive plant species dynamics in Great Lakes coastal wetlands and the Gulf Coast. I am interested in extending this lens to the Lake Mývatn system in Iceland, where midge population cycles drive food web structure. I am broadly interested in questions of population dynamics, consumer-resource interactions, and cross-ecosystem linkages, and I look forward to developing specific projects within the Ives lab as I gain more familiarity with the Mývatn system.
What made you choose this graduate program at UW–Madison?
I chose UW–Madison for the opportunity to join a lab with such a strong, established research program, while still having the freedom to shape my own research questions and within that broader work. UW–Madison’s deep history in ecology made it clear this was a place where I could build on decades of ecological tradition, contribute to active, hands-on research, and grow as an independent scientist capable of structuring my own projects.
Education
MS, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, 2024
BS, Environmental Biology, Tulane University, 2023