I am a PhD student at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  This will be my third degree at UCSB.  ​​

I grew up in San Diego, California and was a competitive figure skater for most of my life before I went to college.  I have a national silver medal in synchronized figure skating to show for it at least!  I also played water polo, swam, and was the captain of my high school field hockey team.  ​

​In college, I moved on from frozen water to ocean water and received my B.S in Aquatic Biology from the University of California.  Once I graduated, I became the lab technician for the Moorea Coral Reef LTER and traveled to Moorea, French Polynesia and was smitten immediately.  I am now working on my PhD in Moorea, and I am interested in how coral communities are shaped by the interaction of  biotic and abiotic drivers following disturbance, particularly mass bleaching events. I seek to apply this knowledge and experience to a career in large scale management of marine ecosystems. 
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My non-research interests include stand up paddling, my dog Scallop, weightlifting, anything with cardamom, and hiking.