About me
CV
I am an Associate Professor of Bioinformatics/Mycology at Utah Valley University and Visiting Professor of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth College. Starting Fall of 2025, I will be joining the Applied Science Department at the College of William & Mary. My students and I investigate how microbiome communities influence host organisms’ fitness and recovery from disturbance. We also study the factors that shape microbiome community formation. I am broadly interested in microbial ecology and biogeochemistry, but am particularly drawn to applied questions and manipulative experimentation.
I did my postdoctoral work at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa where I investigated fungal ecology and used microbes to advance plant conservation efforts. I received my PhD in Biology at the University of Arkansas, where my research focused on the distributional and functional ecology of slime molds. I received my B.S. in Biology at Missouri State University where I became interested in conservation.
When I am not playing with my microbes I enjoy hiking, brewing, kayaking for days at a time, and cooking.
