Research Interest
biological pest control, climate warming, physiology, population ecology, agroecologyFaculty Advisor(s)
Kimberly SheldonDegree Pursuing
PhDEducation
Princeton University, BA in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2016
Biography
I am a broadly-trained biologist pursuing a PhD at UTK EEB. During my time here, aside from my dissertation, I have worked on collaborative projects, including an ongoing study on metabolic rate variation across dung beetle species and morphs, and a review of microbial ecology studies using macroecological frameworks.
Before joining the Sheldon Lab, I coordinated field courses and academic outreach programs at the conservation-focused Mpala Research Centre (Kenya) as a Princeton in Africa Fellow. I continue to engage in my passion for science education by mentoring undergraduate researchers and conducting outreach activities at schools in my area.
Research
My PhD research investigates the effects of temperature variability and extremes on a widespread agricultural pest (fall armyworm) - specifically, on its life-history and physiology, and its interactions with parasites. In doing so, this work seeks to understand how environmental variability may influence pest population dynamics and the effectiveness of biocontrol in a warmer and more variable world.