Thesis topic: Evaluating habitat requirements of Lewis's Woodpeckers in Oregon 

Advisors: Dr. Fogarty and Dr. Wan

Undergraduate degree/institution: B.S. Conservation Biology, St. Lawrence University

Bio: I was born in Beverly, Massachusetts, but spent most of my childhood in southwest Florida. Growing up, most of my time was devoted to sports or the outdoors, and I was especially fond of my backyard bird feeder. I volunteered extensively with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida doing wildlife rehabilitation and public outreach. Once I had my first field job working with piping plovers in Massachusetts, I knew wildlife research and conservation was something I wanted to pursue. From there, I left the bitter cold of the Northeast to go back to Florida where I worked with red-cockaded woodpeckers and frosted flatwood salamanders at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. I spent some time doing grassland bird research on active cattle ranches near Lake Okeechobee, and working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to manage flatwoods in central Florida. Somehow, I've made my way out west to continue working with wildlife. At Humboldt, I'll be researching habitat requirements of Lewis's woodpeckers in Oregon. In my freetime, I enjoy reading, cooking, paddleboarding, birding, holding frogs, and pretty much anything else that involves being outside.