Doctoral Student        Ecology and Evolutionary Biology        University of Colorado, Boulder

My Research

Local adaptations and evolution -- I study tree defenses against insects and fungi along climatic/elevational gradients. My goal is to understand how adaptations to local conditions will influence interactions among trees and pests as climate change promotes insect range shifts (advised by Jeffry Mitton).

Microbial community ecology -- I study soil microbial community assembly following disturbances like wildfires and tree death. My goal is to understand how microbial communities 'reassemble' after disturbances of varying intensity (collaboration with Diana Nemergut, CU, Boulder).

Disturbance ecology -- I study the responses of ground-dwelling arthropods and understory vegetation to overstory tree death in high elevation forests. My goal is to understand how tree death influences forest ecology in a broad sense (work done at the CU-Mountain Research Station).