Areas of Interest

Freshwater | Climate | Data


Freshwater systems and community ecology

  • Measuring the Effects of Salmon Presence on Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Communities in Streams in Thurston County, Washington – Bachelor of Science capstone research project, Winter 2022
  • Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Taxonomy – LeRoy Aquatic Ecology Lab, Spring 2022
  • Restoration Ecology/Biological Technician Internship – JBLM Fish & Wildlife, Jan-Sept 2020

Quantitative analysis and environmental modeling

A tool of major interest is using statistical and spatial analyses to answer questions about current and past distributions of species in order to make predictions about their future distributions. During my graduate education, I hope to learn systems-oriented methods, such as ecological network analysis, and learn Bayesian inference and modeling. I also have interest in using analyses of intraspecific genetic diversity over temporal and spatial scales to identify conservation concerns, especially with the increasing emergence of no-analog communities in urbanizing regions. Ultimately, I keep in mind the adaptation of these models by applied scientists and decision-makers in order to effectively protect and maintain biodiversity.

  • Existing building stock inventory for the City of Olympia – Climate Program internship, Spring 2022
  • Ecological Statistics with R Specialization – Independent Study, Spring 2022
  • Statistics Peer Tutor – Freshwater Ecology and Hydrology, Fall 2021

Food-water-energy nexus

In the time of the Anthropocene, and perhaps ever since humans first began modifying landscapes for agriculture and permanent settlements, the functioning of ecological systems can’t be fully understood without considering human impacts. I deeply believe that our ecological crises are social crises, and that we can’t disentangle our species’ survival from those of more-than-human species. Urban development and expansion, as well as mass conversion of grasslands to commercial agricultural lands, make us confront how our use of land and water drive evolutionary processes and ecological communities. I’m interested in how policy and land-use decision-making have top-down effects on human-dominated ecosystems, and how both scientific research and citizen participation can effectively inform and guide those decisions to the benefit of all organisms.

My independent research project on food systems and grassroots citizen activism in regions impacted by radioactive environmental contamination, specifically Japan post-Fukushima Daiichi disaster and central-eastern Washington state near the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, was an eye-opening exploration of the political and social issues at the nexus of food, water, air, energy, militarism, and natural disaster. Who determines what is “safe”, and how do individuals determine which declaration of safety is trustworthy (or not)? Does the burden of risk assessment and tolerance lie with public officials, private citizens, businesses, or regulatory agencies? How does a regional environmental disaster spill outside of state or national borders, and what is the proper response in a globalized society and economy?

  • Existing Building Decarbonization Strategy Research – CivicSpark Fellow 2022-23, City of Olympia Climate Program
  • Chain Reactions: Nuclear States and Food Sovereignty – Independent Learning Contract, Spring 2021

Environmental outreach and climate action

Building a better environmental future isn’t possible without an informed, engaged public outside of the highly specialized world of scientific research. As an aspiring ecologist, I hope to inspire interest across all demographics in accessible, interesting, and informative ways. My own path has been shaped by direct observations and moments of wonder; I believe facilitating and encouraging personal experiences with the natural world is the most effective (and fun!) way to get people involved with climate action and environmental conservation efforts.

  • Outreach and Education Coordinator for Energize Olympia Campaign – CivicSpark Fellow 2022-23, City of Olympia Climate Program
  • Community Outreach Internship – Thurston Conservation District, Spring 2022
  • Co-Curricular Community Garden – Evergreen State College, Spring 2021

“Conservation of diversity is, above all, the commitment to let alternatives flourish in society and nature, in economic systems and in knowledge systems. Cultivating and conserving diversity is no luxury in our times. It is a survival imperative, and the precondition for the freedom of all, the big and the small.”

Vandana Shiva