I am broadly interested in how wildlife respond to land use change, especially when those changes are the result of human activity. I work at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station in Dr. Nick Haddad's lab, where I am involved in a projects at an LTER site exploring the effects of different agricultural practices on insect abundance, diversity, and ecosystem services like pollination and predation. In 2019, we installed prairie strips in two treatments to determine if the restoration of native plants and diversification of habitat in agricultural landscapes will increase biodiversity and promote ecosystem services while maintaining crop yield. 

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My first research experience as an undergraduate introduced me to a host-parasite system that would eventually become the focal point of my Master's degree. I earned my B.S. and M.S. in Biological Sciences in Dr. Maarten Vonhof's lab studying the effects of urban land use on avian blood parasites. I discovered that parasite prevalence and richness both decrease with increasing urbanization, and you'll have to wait for a forthcoming publication to learn more!