Faculty Profiles

I joined the Biology Department as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in 2020, and then as a visiting faculty member in 2023. Throughout my PhD and teaching career, my research has focused on the intricate relationship among lichens, bryophytes, host trees, and the surrounding ecosystem, all set against the dynamic backdrop of climate change and urbanization. My work has taken place around the globe, most notably in tall trees species, urban environments, and polar ecosystems. I have worked locally and internationally guiding and teaching tree climbing research techniques, as well as spending five field seasons on the Western Antarctica Peninsula, where I co-led a collaborative project examining warming effects on polar moss communities. As a longtime Oregonian, I received my PhD in Biology from Portland State University and a B.S from Oregon State University. At Reed, I teach courses on the Lichens of the Pacific Northwest (BIO 113), Forest Canopy Ecophysiology (BIO 313), and a seminar on Advances in Forest Canopy Research (BIO 431). I am excited to bring a diverse array of field-based experiences and methodology to Reed students, and I hope to foster a sense of excitement and awe for the often overlooked, yet fascinating world of Pacific Northwest epiphytes (lichens and bryophytes)! In my spare time, you will find me seeking out type II fun and flow on my bikes, skis, and feet.