Striking a balance between the needs of local communities and the fragile ecosystems that surround our human-dominated landscapes requires an interdisciplinary approach to geographic, social, and biological systems. Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, I am interested in the ecological mechanisms that promote the facilitation of strong ecosystem services across the land cover gradient from the concrete sprawl of Center City to the farms of rural Chester County. In the Integrative Ecology Lab at Temple University, I currently work on a project through the Diamond Research Scholars Program studying the strength of biological control through natural arthropod predators across a land cover gradient. Under the mentorship of Dr. Jocelyn Behm, I have approached this project through a multifaceted lens of local and landscape variables that affect arthropod diversity and pest control in farm environments.
At Temple, I am a senior with majors in environmental science and Spanish literature and language. Hoping to return for more research tropical ecology and related ecosystem services, I have studied sustainability and the environment in Monteverde, Costa Rica, the home of resplendent quetzal and more than few sloths. Beyond ecosystem services, I am interested in the speciation and biodiversity of Neotropical amphibians. In my free time, I love to run (I highly recommend the Philly Broad Street Run), to backpack around the Appalachian Mountains, and to learn new languages.