About me

I'm a graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis in the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS). I conduct research in the Olsen Lab, investigating various facets of Camelina evolution. My last rotation was in the Kutchan lab, investigating lipid and terpene production in transgenic lines of Camelina sativa. My second rotation was in the Kellogg lab, analyzing meristem differentiation and development in Poaceae. My first rotation was in the Olsen Lab, looking at population structure and oil profiles within Camelina.

​I received my B.S. in Plant Sciences from the University of Arizona where I worked in the Beilstein Lab. I studied the evolutionary history and phylogenetics of Camelina, made possible by several field collection trips to the Irano-Turanian region, Eastern Europe, and the United States. 

I have a broad range of skill sets and interests including biochemistry, genomics, systematics and evolution. I'm especially fascinated by plant evolution in the context of crop domestication because it allows me to bridge all of my interests. My aim is to glean insight to how plants are able to withstand extreme genome instability (polyploidy) but moreover how to deal with polyploid data in the high-throughput sequencing era.

Supporting me
Washington University (2015-present)
USDA-ARS NPGS Plant Exploration Grant (2020)
Danforth Endowment Seed Grant (2019 and 2020) ​
​National Geographic Young Explorer's Grant (YEG) (2017)
William H. Danforth Fellowship in Plant Sciences (2016)
International Center for Advanced Renewable Energy and Sustainability grant (I-CARES)

University of Arizona (2012-2015)
​Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP) 
Biomedical Research Abroad: Vistas Open! (BRAVO!) 

Awards
James I. and Cora Swift Miller Scholarship (2018)
​NSF Graduate Research Fellowship - Honorable Mention (2016 and 2017)
Organization for Tropical Studies tuition scholarship (2016)
​Outstanding Senior in the School of Plant Sciences (2014)
Arthur J. and Mary Faul scholarship (2014)
​CALS general scholarship (2013, 2014)
Muramoto family scholarship (2013, 2014) 

Leadership & Outreach
Director of Finance Young Scientist Program (YSP) (2017-2019)
Graduate Council representative on behalf of DBBS (2017-2018)
Graduate Student Senate (GSS) representative (2016-2017)
Student Advisory Committee (SAC) representative (2015-2018)
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