I am a post-doctoral research fellow, fascinated by the natural world surrounding and supporting us. Wildlife and ecosystem health are integral to the health of human populations. I have become increasingly interested in how anthropogenic factors have changed the dynamics of diseases in natural systems. But I am also greatly interested in boots-on-the ground conservation and how to involve people in conservation efforts.

Currently, I am working on the Texas tortoise repatriation program in the McCracken Lab at TAMU-CC. We took in former pet Texas tortoises and are studying the efficacy of releasing these tortoises back into the wild! This work is informed by many dedicated researchers and through the involvement of several organizations.

For my Ph.D., I am studied mycoplasmosis and Necrotizing scute disease in the Texas tortoise. Additionally, I explored the use of trail cameras as a method to increase the detection probability of Texas tortoises in different habitats. With the use of the trail camera data, I created a computer vision model that can be used by anyone to search their trail camera photos for Texas tortoises.

Before my Ph.D., I have been lucky to have diverse experiences in undergraduate research and my master's. I've explored the diversity of beetles in Ecuador across a vertical and longitudinal gradient and mammal communities across an elevational gradient in the Christmas Mountains. I've assisted on projects establishing a baseline  of small mammal community diversity in forest and abandoned agriculture for comparison after agroforestry practices begin. I have helped collect data on anuran communities and the presence of Bd in coastal Ecuador.