I am currently based in Helsinki, Finland, at the Luomus Finnish Museum of Natural History as an Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Researcher with Dr. Thomas Lilley in BatLab Finland. My research is focused on viral and bacterial diseases carried by bats in Europe with a focus on the Nathusius's pipistrelle—a bat which has shown changes in its range resulting from climate change.
Formerly, I was on a 9-month Fulbright Fellowship in Finland (read about my travels here) where I continued to work on understanding the spread of WNS in North America under the supervision of Dr. Lilley. In addition to my focal project, I assisted with several other projects pertaining to bats in Chile and bats in Finland.
I completed my Ph.D. under the direction of Dr. Michael Morrison in Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences while working as Research Associate at Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute. My research focused on documenting the distribution and abundance of Texas winter bats and describing the environmental characteristics of bat roosts prior to the arrival of white-nose syndrome (WNS)—a disease of bats caused by a cold-adaptive fungus known as Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Since 2006, the disease has led to the death of millions of overwintering bats in the United States and Canada. Along with my coworker Dr. Samantha Leivers, we worked collaboratively with private and public entities and individuals to document bat winter roosts across Texas. Results from this research helped further our understanding of the potential threat WNS is to bats in Texas and helped to inform management plans and conservation actions.
I earned a M.S. degree in Animal Behavior from Bucknell University, PA, where I studied physiology and behavior of WNS survivors under the direction of Dr. DeeAnn Reeder. I received a bachelors of arts in Psychobiology and Studio Art from Ripon College, WI, where I studied paternal care of Eastern Bluebirds with Dr. Memuna Khan. Broadly, I am interested in animal behavior, conservation, and disease ecology, and I enjoy bridging the gap between the scientific community and the general public.
For more information regarding my professional career, please see my Curriculum Vitae.
Outside of work, I enjoy oil painting, listening to music, and traveling.
Formerly, I was on a 9-month Fulbright Fellowship in Finland (read about my travels here) where I continued to work on understanding the spread of WNS in North America under the supervision of Dr. Lilley. In addition to my focal project, I assisted with several other projects pertaining to bats in Chile and bats in Finland.
I completed my Ph.D. under the direction of Dr. Michael Morrison in Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences while working as Research Associate at Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute. My research focused on documenting the distribution and abundance of Texas winter bats and describing the environmental characteristics of bat roosts prior to the arrival of white-nose syndrome (WNS)—a disease of bats caused by a cold-adaptive fungus known as Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Since 2006, the disease has led to the death of millions of overwintering bats in the United States and Canada. Along with my coworker Dr. Samantha Leivers, we worked collaboratively with private and public entities and individuals to document bat winter roosts across Texas. Results from this research helped further our understanding of the potential threat WNS is to bats in Texas and helped to inform management plans and conservation actions.
I earned a M.S. degree in Animal Behavior from Bucknell University, PA, where I studied physiology and behavior of WNS survivors under the direction of Dr. DeeAnn Reeder. I received a bachelors of arts in Psychobiology and Studio Art from Ripon College, WI, where I studied paternal care of Eastern Bluebirds with Dr. Memuna Khan. Broadly, I am interested in animal behavior, conservation, and disease ecology, and I enjoy bridging the gap between the scientific community and the general public.
For more information regarding my professional career, please see my Curriculum Vitae.
Outside of work, I enjoy oil painting, listening to music, and traveling.