she/her/hers
Education
M.S.c Fish, Wildlife, & Conservation Biology
Colorado State University, Fort Collins
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow
2023-Present
B.S. Marine Science, Minor: Statistics
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
University Honors Program, Dean's List,
Magna Cum Laude, GPA: 3.75
2017-2021
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I aspire to lead a Fisheries and Restoration Ecology Lab that conducts co-created, collaborative research and community engagement, and provides exemplary mentorship for future fisheries scientists. The Fish, Wildlife, & Conservation Biology department at CSU has been an incredible home for me to work towards this goal through my graduate education .
While at Cal Poly, I excelled in our small marine sciences program, however courses were just one element of my education. I contributed to many research projects, and gained invaluable skills and mentorship from research advisors. This effort culminated most notably in my first co-authored publication, but more subtly in the evolution of my character as a scientist.
Additionally, I held positions of leadership as the student manager of our campus climbing park, the founder and president of the Cal Poly climbing club, a teaching assistant for upper-level marine science classes, and a field research team leader. If you're a current undergraduate student looking for advice or mentorship, please reach out!
Colorado River Cutthroat Trout
2023-Pres
Coho Salmon & Steelhead Trout
2021-2022
Pismo Clams
2018-2021
> Paper - Aquatic Biology 2021
> Virtual Speed Talk - Western Society of Naturalists 2020
Shellfisheries Association - Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association 2020
California Groundfish
2019-2021
In January 2023, I started an MS assistantship studying Colorado River Cutthroat Trout (CRCT) genomics. I am using whole genome sequencing and demographic reconstruction techniques to further elucidate the evolutionary history of two lineages (blue & green) of CRCT in the Southern Rocky Mountains to better inform coldwater fisheries conservation management by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Recent molecular work has led to the rediscovery of two lineages of cutthroat trout which were previously thought extinct (Greenback CT in Metcalf et al. 2012, and San Juan CT by CPW surveys in 2018).
I am not originally from Colorado, but I've been working my way through the literary history of Colorado's native trout! This figure shows the putative native range of each of the 6 lineages of CT in the SRM (Rogers et al. 2018).
In August 2022, I finished a 10.5 month term of service through WSP with the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Santa Cruz, CA. In this position, I contributed to the long term research and monitoring of the southernmost extant population of ESA-listed Central California Coastal coho salmon, and an ecologically important population of threatened steelhead trout.
Our first returning adult coho salmon of the water year, trapped and released at our weir on Scott Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains, CA.
The Pismo clam project is where the bulk of my growth as a budding fisheries scientist took place. In this lab, I developed an independent project through the Frost Undergraduate Research program, worked my first summer field technician position, and published a portion of my senior thesis in 2 peer-reviewed publications. Our work in this lab represents the first life history update of the Pismo clam species in more than 50 years and has provided important management information to the CA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife.
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Showing off a young Pismo clam during one of our monthly population surveys on Pismo beach, CA.
Before working with CCFRP and the Dean E. Wendt lab at Cal Poly, I knew I wanted to work within collaborative resource management. My two field seasons, data analysis, and public outreach with CCFRP solidified my commitment to a career in fisheries science, especially with economically, culturally, and ecologically significant species.
A beautiful Bocaccio rockfish, captured by volunteer anglers and released as part of our work to understand the impact of marine protected areas (MPAs) on recovering groundfish species.