Hi
I’m an Environmental Data Scientist, Ecologist, and Geographer. But that’s only part of it.
I like thinking about a lot of things. I like thinking about where things are and why they’re there, for one, and ecology is a good place to do some of that work. I spend time in Antarctica looking at penguins and seals and getting really excited about finding mites under rocks and weird marine creatures floating around. I like exploring and it’s pretty thrilling going on expeditions to places that no human has ever set foot before.
A lot of my work revolves around finding new ways to get environmental and ecological data, and how to use those data to meet the urgency of the moment, understanding and communicating the realities of climate change and biodiversity loss to effect change.
I think a lot about justice too, and I’m unapologetic about my view that scientists should always be looking in that direction. Ecology and Evolution are rife with historical injustices and injustices that we continue to perpetuate.
I ride bicycles and motorcycles, grow common weeds as houseplants, and sew fun western shirts. I like Bayesian stats, hoverflies, jumping spiders, and berry-picking, and reading books in between sets at shows in little venues. I’m a Fellow of the Explorers Club, which you should definitely check out.
I received a PhD in Ecology & Evolution from Stony Brook University, and a BA in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic. I direct the Conservation Data Science team at Defenders of Wildlife and am currently based out of Washington, DC.