I am a water quality biologist with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and specialize in benthic macroinvertebrates. I collect, process, analyze, and synthesize macroinvertebrate samples and data to make inferences about water quality.
I graduated with my Master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in 2021. My thesis described the benthic macroinvertebrate communities of lower Green Bay, Lake Michigan and the lower Fox River, compared them to historical conditions, and identified major environmental drivers of community structures.
Although my background is broadly fisheries and aquatic ecology, I solidified my passion for macroinvertebrates early on in my career. While earning my Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, I was employed at the Aquatic Biomonitoring Laboratory, where my interest in benthos was ignited. After school, I applied my knowledge gained in the lab, summer internships, and coursework to lotic environments in northern Minnesota.
Aside from macroinvertebrate ecology and taxonomy, I enjoy spending time bow hunting, waterfowl hunting, fishing, kayaking, hiking, and snowmobiling.
