I am an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Department of Evolution and Ecology at the University of California, Davis. My interests are in quantitative reasoning in ecology education and inclusive teaching methodologies in STEM. I’m specifically interested in improving student engagement, identity, and belonging, especially for students from underrepresented groups. I have experience teaching a variety of undergraduate biology courses as a lecturer, both at UC Davis in the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, and at Sacramento State University in the Department of Biological Sciences.
As biology, especially ecology, continues to become increasingly quantitative, exciting opportunities arise for students to build valuable quantitative skills in data analysis, mathematical modeling, and computational reasoning. One of my current interests is how ecology students learn and engage with mathematical modeling, and how using models can help students learn ecological concepts. When teaching mathematical modeling in ecology courses, my goal is to make complex topics accessible, engaging, and useful for all students.
I am also interested in how shared, place-based ecological research can build community, cultural relevance, and motivation in STEM. I have some experience working on Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) and how these can help shape students’ identity and belonging in science. I’m currently interested in exploring the potential for collaborative, multi-campus field data collection projects in ecology coursework to increase students’ belonging, scientific identity, and self-efficacy in science. I am particularly interested in how students from underrepresented backgrounds, transfer students, and students with disabilities experience their education. Part of my work focuses on how inclusive course design can reduce barriers while creating connection, confidence, and purpose for STEM students.
My disciplinary research investigates how climate change and other global stressors shape the distribution and abundance of plant populations and communities. I use data-driven mathematical models to uncover the underlying mechanisms of these processes, drawing on my background in theoretical population biology and spatial ecology.
Explore my site to learn more about my teaching, research, and ongoing projects.