I joined the Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit as the Assistant Unit Leader in 2021. Prior to working with USGS, I performed postdoctoral research at Michigan State University, graduate work at the University of Maine (Ph.D.) and Grand Valley State University (MS), and earned an undergraduate degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University.
I enjoy teaching courses focused on conservation genetics, R and UNIX-based computer programing for ecologists, and professional development for students interested in fish and wildlife research and management.
I am a conservation geneticist that focuses on ecological and evolutionary questions that have immediate potential to influence policy and inform conservation. My research program is highly collaborative across disciplines, universities, and agencies. My past work has focused on understanding and anticipating ecological and evolutionary responses to environmental pressures, including climate change, land-use change, disease, and harvest. At UW-Stevens Point, I direct the Molecular Conservation Genetics Laboratory where we emphasize research that addresses Unit cooperator needs using genomic, bioinformatics, and statistical toolsets.