Hello! I am currently pursuing a PhD with Dr. Matt Bowker and Dr. Anita Antoninka at Northern Arizona University. Born in Alabama, I moved west to get my Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science – Biology from Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA. I found a new home in arid landscapes and have spent the last ten years living and working in arid landscapes across the western US. Beginning as a botanist, I worked for The Nature Conservancy, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management before beginning graduate school in Flagstaff. My dissertation focuses on the use of soil organisms to improve restoration outcomes on highly disturbed areas of the Mojave Desert, in collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management. I am grateful for this opportunity to develop new restoration methods which will be used to improve public lands.