About me

I am an evolutionary biologist interested in using sophisticated statistical methods to model the evolution of complex and understudied natural phenomena, particularly in plants. I will be joining the Zenil-Ferguson Lab at the University of Hawai`i, Manoa this fall. I recently finished my PhD in the Integrative Biology Department at UC Berkeley where I studied the evolution of unique underground morphologies in the order Liliales. I was also a trainee in a National Science Foundation (NSF) training program in interdisciplinary data sciences (DS421) and an NSF GRFP Fellow. I am interested in understanding trait evolution and adaptation in plants, the role of human influence on evolutionary processes, and the application of data sciences to social justice problems. Check out my research page for more information on my current projects.In my free time, I enjoy baking award-winning (and often botanically or phylogenetically inspired) cookies and hiking with my rescue pup Kula.​