I was born and raised in Austin, Texas and attended the University of Texas at Austin, where I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Marine Science. For my Master’s thesis, I studied how habitat use in Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) is influenced by the caloric distribution of their bivalve prey in the Hanna Shoal region of the northeastern Chukchi Sea. This research contributed to an executive order from the Obama Administration which established Hanna Shoal as a protected area in 20151.
As a doctoral student at the University of California Santa Cruz, I study the ecology and population biology of marine mammals. My areas of interest include foraging ecology, spatial ecology, and population biology, with a special interest in high-latitude cetacean populations.
In my spare time, I enjoy hiking with my partner and our dog, watching and reading science fiction and fantasy, and finding new hidden gems in Santa Cruz!