I am an ecologist who studies the impacts of insect outbreaks and wildfire on vegetation across the Arctic-Boreal system. I use satellite imagery and field data to better understand how these landscapes are changing.
My dissertation work focused on mountain pine beetle outbreaks that are followed by wildfire in British Columbia, Canada and how tree mortality affects the severity of the ensuing fires and ecosystem recovery. Before joining Woodwell Climate, I was a postdoctoral researcher at Colgate University, mapping wildfires in Siberian larch forests. I also worked with Inspiring Girls Expeditions, a tuition-free program for high school girls focused on expanding their opportunities in science careers. I was an instructor for their Girls in the Forest program, which examined fire ecology in interior Alaska.
I enjoy spending time outside and I am an enthusiastic outdoor educator. I have spent approximately 90 weeks combined in the field observing landscapes in transition— especially alpine and subalpine ecosystems. I have seen glaciers shrink and fire-scarred landscapes recover, and watched trees die from insect attacks. The time I’ve spent in transformed ecosystems has motivated me to study the ecological impacts of climate change.
In my free time, I enjoy hiking, biking, running, and paddling, as well as spending time with my dog, a black lab.
