I joined the faculty at Keystone College in Fall 2023 and teach in the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences at both the undergraduate and graduate level. My teaching areas focus on ecology and botany, teaching courses such as Botany, Dendrology, Mycology, Introductory Ecology, Stream Ecology, and Forest Ecology. I also teach the General Biology sequence, Introduction to Field Biology, and Geospatial Methods. Prior to coming to Keystone College, I taught for two years at Defiance College, teaching the Principles of Biology sequence, Field Botany, Field Zoology, Ecology, Fisheries and Wildlife Management, Restoration Ecology, and Research Methods.
My research interests include invasion ecology, landscape ecology, ornithology, entomology, and soils.
I earned my Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from Oregon State University in 2021. My dissertation focused on invasive earthworms and their effects on leaf litter and soil carbon dynamics, along with using citizen science to predict suitable habitat for future jumping worm (Amynthas spp.) invasions. My M.S. in Biology came from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, where I studied the effects of Japanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) on riparian bird communities. I also earned my B.S. in Environmental Biology from Keystone College. My senior capstone project focused on the allelopathic properties of Japanese Knotweed.
I am also passionate about teaching and education. I earned a Graduate Certificate in College and University Teaching from Oregon State University in 2018, as well as Scholar, Practitioner, and Associate level credentials from the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL). My teaching goals at Keystone College are to better integrate active learning and universal design into my course design and to incorporate authentic research experiences into my laboratory courses.
Download my full CV.
My research interests include invasion ecology, landscape ecology, ornithology, entomology, and soils.
I earned my Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from Oregon State University in 2021. My dissertation focused on invasive earthworms and their effects on leaf litter and soil carbon dynamics, along with using citizen science to predict suitable habitat for future jumping worm (Amynthas spp.) invasions. My M.S. in Biology came from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, where I studied the effects of Japanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) on riparian bird communities. I also earned my B.S. in Environmental Biology from Keystone College. My senior capstone project focused on the allelopathic properties of Japanese Knotweed.
I am also passionate about teaching and education. I earned a Graduate Certificate in College and University Teaching from Oregon State University in 2018, as well as Scholar, Practitioner, and Associate level credentials from the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL). My teaching goals at Keystone College are to better integrate active learning and universal design into my course design and to incorporate authentic research experiences into my laboratory courses.
Download my full CV.