photo by Garry Norman

I am a paleobotanist! I study plant fossils to understand what our Earth looked like millions of years ago and provide us with tools to predict what Earth might look like into the future.

I received my bachelor's degree with a double major in Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences from Dartmouth College. I am currently a PhD candidate at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. I work with Drs. Caroline Strömberg and Greg Wilson Mantilla to study plant fossils from the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary in northeastern Montana. I am studying new macrofossils from the Hell Creek and Fort Union Formations for both taxonomic as well as ecological and climate data. I utilize leaf physiognomic methods to estimate paleoclimate across this interval and to interpret the ecology of these ancient plant taxa. I also collaborate with vertebrate and invertebrate paleontologists to understand how communities changed through time and the response of terrestrial ecosystems during the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction event.

In addition to my research, I am passionate about outreach and science communication. I spend most quarters working as a Teaching Assistant in the Earth and Space Sciences Department at UW where I collaborate with faculty on lesson development and curriculum planning. I have served as an instructor, organizer, and curriculum developer for the Discoveries in Geosciences (DIG) Field School and the Girls In Science programs at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. I also served as the coordinator of our Earth and Space Sciences departmental K-12 outreach program Rockin' Out for two years. As a researcher at the Burke Museum I acknowledge that our museum and the University of Washington stand on the lands of the Coast Salish Peoples, whose ancestors resided here since time immemorial. Many indigenous people thrive in this place--alive and strong.

As an early career scientist I also feel it is my duty to foster a welcoming, diverse, inclusive, and equitable space within my community. As such, I have served on the coordinating committee of the Midcontinent Paleobotanical Colloquium in 2020 and 2021 and have been involved in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) efforts within my department and beyond (e.g., the URGE program, Girls In Science). Increasing diversity in the geosciences and paleontology is an ongoing effort, built by actions taken in each sphere of our broader research community. I acknowledge and thank the tireless efforts of researchers before me to push the boundaries of our scientific community.