I am currently a Knauss Marine Policy Fellow working with NOAA's Senior Advisor for Coastal Inundation and Resilience.
I my PhD at the University of Georgia's Odum School of Ecology, advised by Dr. Craig Osenberg. I graduated from the University of Florida in 2014 with a BSc in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, and a minor in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. Over the past 12 years, I have conducted research along the Atlantic coast, particularly focusing on salt marshes, rocky shores, and bay estuaries. While building my research program, I also worked to promote public awareness of the coastal environment and to cultivate an inclusive scientific community. As an early career professional, I hope to continue developing a suite of skills that will allow me to approach increasingly complex and interrelated questions using a range of analytical and interdisciplinary techniques. The experiences and the skills I have gained throughout my scientific career have culminated in my desire to better understand the ways in which scientific research can guide policy decisions made at local, state, and federal levels, particularly with regard to coastal resilience and conservation. Today’s coastal challenges cannot be solved by research, communication, or policy alone, but by their synergy resulting in informed, inclusive, and adaptive decision making. |