Personal Statement
I am a Wildlife Biologist with broad interests in spatial ecology, anthropogenic effects on wildlife, exploring mitigation techniques, disease ecology, torpor physiology, reproductive tradeoffs, and ecological genetics. I am a Biology Master’s student at Arkansas State University researching the distribution and roost preferences of Eastern Small-footed bats in the Ouachita Mountains. I collaborate with the US Forest Service, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and the Arkansas State Parks system to implement a novel survey regiment at rock formations in remote locations of Western Arkansas.
Bats provide billions of dollars in pest control and are a particularly vulnerable group in the US as White-nose Syndrome continues to decimate species across the country. I feel incredibly proud and privileged to be fulfilling my childhood dreams of researching a data deficient species so it’s vulnerability status may be more effectively evaluated. Ultimately, I would love to become a Department of Interior biologist and help conserve and manage our Nation’s public lands for the benefit of the people and the persistence of our native flora and fauna.
In my spare time I am a huge book worm and outdoor enthusiast. I love paddling, mountain biking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, hunting, fishing, foraging, and exploring public lands. I want to spread my love for the natural world to others and promote human powered travel, hunting, and more sustainable ways of life. I hope to one day own land and delve into the world of homesteading.
Bats provide billions of dollars in pest control and are a particularly vulnerable group in the US as White-nose Syndrome continues to decimate species across the country. I feel incredibly proud and privileged to be fulfilling my childhood dreams of researching a data deficient species so it’s vulnerability status may be more effectively evaluated. Ultimately, I would love to become a Department of Interior biologist and help conserve and manage our Nation’s public lands for the benefit of the people and the persistence of our native flora and fauna.
In my spare time I am a huge book worm and outdoor enthusiast. I love paddling, mountain biking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, hunting, fishing, foraging, and exploring public lands. I want to spread my love for the natural world to others and promote human powered travel, hunting, and more sustainable ways of life. I hope to one day own land and delve into the world of homesteading.
Research History
Prior to graduate school, I graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia in 2016 with a B.S. in wildlife sciences. From there, I worked as Backcountry Steward for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) in the Adirondack Park assisting forest rangers with rescue missions and conducting restoration projects in the St. Regis Canoe Area.
I then worked for the Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands (CEMML) in Fort Campbell, Kentucky assisting with monitoring efforts and maintaining compliance regulations of multiple endangered bat species. During my time with CEMML I also took part in a large camera trap study on whitetail deer and had the privilege to lead a study on Bobwhite Quail nesting. In 2018 I returned to New York to work for the State Wildlife Bureau first on Long Island studying River Otter and Northern Long-Eared Bats, then in the Adirondacks surveying the American Black Duck.
I joined the Rolland Lab at Arkansas State University in January 2019 and after completing my two seasons of field work, I am currently exercising my statistical analysis skills and have recently accepted an internship position assisting with cave research for Carlsbad Caverns National Park. While my interests and experiences are quite varied, spatial ecology has been a consistent theme throughout my career and enjoy GIS work. During my Master’s I have become increasingly interested in bat roost microclimates and am excited to work with National Park Service officials analyzing cave climate and visitation.
I then worked for the Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands (CEMML) in Fort Campbell, Kentucky assisting with monitoring efforts and maintaining compliance regulations of multiple endangered bat species. During my time with CEMML I also took part in a large camera trap study on whitetail deer and had the privilege to lead a study on Bobwhite Quail nesting. In 2018 I returned to New York to work for the State Wildlife Bureau first on Long Island studying River Otter and Northern Long-Eared Bats, then in the Adirondacks surveying the American Black Duck.
I joined the Rolland Lab at Arkansas State University in January 2019 and after completing my two seasons of field work, I am currently exercising my statistical analysis skills and have recently accepted an internship position assisting with cave research for Carlsbad Caverns National Park. While my interests and experiences are quite varied, spatial ecology has been a consistent theme throughout my career and enjoy GIS work. During my Master’s I have become increasingly interested in bat roost microclimates and am excited to work with National Park Service officials analyzing cave climate and visitation.