I became interested in academia after my first opportunity to do ecological research in a lab at SUNY Cortland and landing a position as a supplemental instruction (SI) leader for introductory biology and chemistry courses. As an SI leader, I wanted to help others succeed by providing strategies for excelling in tough courses. Although I intended to enter the medical field, this interest was soon superseded by a desire to investigate ecological questions and teach others the process of science. After taking several immersive learning ecology and field courses in the Adirondack Mountains and Costa Rica, I knew I wanted to attend graduate school and continue learning.

I attended Hofstra University for my Master’s degree where I studied seasonal changes of trematode prevalence, intensity, and transmission in mudsnail and terrapin hosts. While at Hofstra, I took another immersive learning course in the Amazon rainforest and Galápagos islands. I also worked as an adjunct professor who taught introductory labs for various biology courses. These experiences solidified my decision to continue on for my Ph.D at Ball State University. At Ball State, I studied host-parasite interactions and parasite effects on host nutrient recycling and metabolism in ecosystems and I was a fellow in the Scientific Teaching Fellowship Program where I learned how to use and assess a variety of teaching strategies. Through this program, I attended pedagogy workshops and presented a teaching module I designed, implemented and assessed.

Cumulatively, these experiences have lead me to join the QUBES team starting in January 2018. At QUBES, I will be facilitating faculty mentoring networks, developing and implementing quantitative teaching strategies, and assessing the effectiveness of these various strategies. I am excited to start my adventure with QUBES because I feel that through cooperative efforts, educators could share ideas and supplies to help mitigate constraints that may impede student learning. I want to continue to work with students to help them accomplish their goals by providing research-based experiences and igniting interest in learning. Outside of academia, I enjoy rock climbing, hiking, and kayaking adventures.