Bio: I was born in Chicago and grew up in Huntsville, a city in northern Alabama. During my undergraduate studies at Tufts University, I started out as a Cognitive and Brain Sciences major (psychology and computer science courses), then switched to Environmental Studies, and, finally, at the end of my junior year, added Biology as my principal focus of study. After graduating from Tufts, I worked with the Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) region 8 (California and Nevada) inventory and monitoring office for one year. I implemented a survey at multiple wildlife refuges that quantifies the mass of seed heads of target plant species present at the refuges that are important sources of food for migratory waterbirds. The folks I met at the FWS and their experiences encouraged me to continue my education at an institution with more of a focus on wildlife biology, which led me to joining Cal Poly Humboldt. I am interested in conducting applied conservation research after completing my degree and working with geospatial data, though the specifics are yet to be determined.