My scientific journey has been motivated by understanding how aquatic ecosystems, ranging from organismal to ecosystem level scales, respond to anthropogenic influences. My research so far has focused on the effects of climate change, species losses and addition, and land use change on the structure and function of both tropical and temperate streams and rivers. As a technician with Dr. Jennifer Tank at the University of Notre Dame, I was part of a collaborative research team to determine the effects of genetically modified corn on agricultural headwaters. I received my Masters degree with Dr. Matt Whiles at Southern Illinois University, where I investigated the potential effects of the amphibian decline on food web dynamics in a Panamanian headwater stream. After, I worked as a research associate for Dr. Rich MacKenzie at the Institute of Pacific Island Forestry, where I examined how climate change could impact the community structure in Hawaiian rivers. I completed my Ph.D. with Dr. Rana El-Sabaawi at the University of Victoria, studying the effects of climate driven changes in rainfall, introduced species, and the interaction of the two factors on tropical island streams. After, I joined Drs. David Post and Amanda Subalusky labs at Yale University to determine the influence of wildlife subsidies on the Mara River food web in Kenya. I recently started as an assistant professor in the department of Biology at Colgate University, where I am continuing to dive into the impacts of human-related stressors on freshwater ecosystems. 

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