About me.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Geosciences at Trinity University

I am a paleoceanographer studying how the geochemistry of planktic foraminifera can be used to understand past ocean conditions. My research interests span both the modern and paleo-oceans, with an overall goal of better understanding how the past can inform what to expect in our future oceans. 

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I grew up in Austin, TX eating tacos, swimming as much as possible, and riding my bike around looking for Upper Cretaceous shallow marine fossils. I spent my summers at a wonderful outdoor-focused summer camp in the Adirondacks where I eventually became a counselor and waterfront director. For my undergraduate degree, I went to Hamilton College in Clinton, NY where I was a geosciences major and a hispanic studies/biology minor while playing Varsity Field Hockey. 

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After taking a year off to volunteer at Verdiazul (a sea turtle conservation program) in Costa Rica and working as an au pair in Melbourne, Australia, I completed a MS in geology at Penn State University, working with Dr. Tim Bralower.   

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I completed my Ph.D. at the University of California Davis working in the Ocean Climate Lab with Dr. Tessa Hill on refining our understanding of N. pachyderma geochemistry, and applying those results to the fossil record. I am very interested in all things planktic foraminifera, teaching and curriculum building, justice equity diversity and inclusion in academia and geology, and outreach and community building through science. 

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I am currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Geosciences at Trinity University after spending two years in a similar position at Northland College. Courses I taught at Northland include Introductory to Physical Geology, Paleoclimates, Geoscience Honors Research, Senior Seminar in Geosciences, Senior Seminar in Climate Science, and Lake Superior Field Camp. In addition, I was a first-year advisor for ~20 new students, and oversaw/was involved in a handful of capstone research for seniors. At Trinity University, I am teaching Volcanology and Earth's Environmental Systems intro classes.

 

My teaching and research interests intersect at the incorporation of undergraduate students into both paleoceanographic/climate studies and accessibility in Geosciences research.