I am a guide at Acton Academy Venice Beach -- a learner-driven micro-school. We foster children's character development and love for learning.

I earned my PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCLA, advised by Debra Shier and Greg Grether. My dissertation was on the impacts of introduced species on native carnivoran behavior and ecology. I am passionate about mentorship, pedagogy, and conservation.

Outside of work I enjoy painting, baking, and kayaking.

​photo: Cody Limber 2018

News

Spring 2026 - I'm looking forward to giving a seminar in my hometown at the University of Dubuque in February!

Fall 2025 - I started a new position as the lead guide in the Spark/Foundation studio at Acton Academy Venice Beach! It is challenging, rewarding, and fulfilling. I enjoy every day and am always learning. Our movement diversity paper is being published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.

Summer 2025 - I attended ABS 2025 in Baltimore, MD this summer, where I presented my ringtail research. I especially enjoyed the Urban Wildlife Symposium. Our porcupinefish paper was published in The Southwestern Naturalist -- hooray! We were so lucky to observe such an interestingbehavior that contributes to our sparse knowledge of this ringtail subspecies. Lastly... I graduated!

Spring 2025 - Check out my interview for UCLA Radio with Megan Grace Li! I also had a great time discussing my gray fox behavior research at the Urban Biodiversity Symposium at SCAS 2025 in Irvine, CA. 

Fall 2024 - Voces en EEB hosted another international potluck this year, with even greater success! Additionally, my role as the grad student rep on the grad admissions committee has been very informative. Research-wise, I am happy to say that my collaborators and I have submitted two papers (one is posted on EcoEvoRxiv as a preprint). Stay tuned!

Spring 2024 - The Voces en EEB group hosted a really fun international potluck event for the department; thanks to all who showed up! Tiffany, Ellie, and Madilyn all completed awesome projects this year and Lily has received a grant from the La Kretz Center for her bat project this summer. I'm looking forward to attending the American Society of Mammalogists and Animal Behavior Society meetings this June to discuss my ringtail and fox projects. Thanks to Claudia Alli and the SDZWA for sponsoring my my Safe Capture training for chemical immobilization of wildlife --  a really cool and worthwhile course.

Fall 2023 - Field work in Mexico has drawn to a close. I'm so lucky to have awesome collaborators and a great team of undergraduate students to help me process all of these camera trap photos and videos!

Spring 2023 - Thank you to the La Kretz Center for another grant for local field work. I am beginning to work on eDNA analysis for sand samples from Mexico. Luke and Liam have both completed their projects -- awesome work!

Fall 2022 - Field work, both in Mexico and locally, has ramped up! I'm grateful to the UCLA LAI institute for the opportunity to write a blog post on cacomixtles (ringtails) and how they are affected by global change. The first in-person booth at Exploring Your Universe since the pandemic was a great success too!

Summer 2022 - We returned from the Espiritu Santo archipelago! We set 27 cameras and saw a live ringtail at the campsite. It was paradise and I am looking forward to going again. I am grateful to receive grants from the UCLA Latin American Institute and the EEB department to support this work.

Spring 2022 - I have advanced to candidacy! We also received a grant from the Animal Behavior Society to support ringtail research in Mexico. Looking forward to coordinating travel this spring so I can get my hands on some data :^) Nada, a stellar undergrad honors researcher in our lab, is launching her study on attitudes and behaviors of residents of the Santa Monica Mountains towards wildlife!

Fall 2021 - Many thanks to Claudia Alli at the UCLA field safety office for sponsoring my certification as a Wilderness First Responder.

Summer 2021 - I am thankful to the UCLA EEB department for awarding me a departmental quarter fellowship for the upcoming year! This summer I finished a CIRTL class: An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching. 
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Spring 2021 - Starting off the new year with funding from the La Kretz Center/Stunt Ranch Reserve! I'm also grateful to have received an Honorable Mention from the NSF GRFP.

Fall 2020 - We are starting the Santa Monica Mountain carnivore study at Stunt Ranch. Such a beautiful reserve! I'm incredibly grateful to the Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society and the UC Natural Reserve System for funding our research in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Summer 2020 - Yay! My first first-author manuscript was accepted at the Journal of Mammalian Evolution! Work is slow during the pandemic but this was a happy milestone. The manuscript is now available online here. Time for the ice cream :)
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Fall 2019 - I am starting my PhD journey in the EEB department at UCLA. I'm excited to begin my doctoral research with my advisors, Greg Grether and Debra Shier!

Summer 2019 - I graduated! I am incredibly grateful for the mentorship and opportunities I received at Berkeley. 

Forestry platform presentation in Russia - 3rd place! (2016)

Field work near Iquitos, Peru (2018)