What did you study?
I majored in biology, with minors in Spanish and mathematics. Rather than choosing a specialized biological sciences major, I wanted to explore the many subfields of life sciences as an undergraduate. This broad approach not only helped me refine my specific interests but also gave me a holistic perspective when approaching biological questions. I enjoy answering ecological questions across scales, from molecular to landscape levels. Following where my interests and passions led paid off in a big way. Now, as a quantitative and field ecologist working primarily in Ecuador, I use my major and both minors every day.
What field of work are you currently working in?
I am an ecologist and have had the privilege of working with incredible systems around the world – from studying the status of desert tortoises across the Mojave Desert to uncovering the natural history of endemic flies across the Galápagos Archipelago.
For my doctoral work, I study the cascading ecological effects of introducing giant tortoises to Santa Fe Island as a keystone species, 200 years after the native species went extinct. This research is a key step in the de-extinction artificial breeding program for Galápagos tortoises and will inform management decisions as previously extinct species are reintroduced to their native islands. It also provides insights into trophic rewilding, a novel conservation strategy where species are reintroduced, introduced, or augmented to restore ecosystems with minimal direct human intervention.
My passions are focused in fieldwork, quantitative ecology, and mentorship. Currently, I am finishing my Ph.D. at the University of Southern California (USC) and seeking postdoctoral positions as I continue on my path toward leading my own research lab as a professor.
What is your fondest memory of being in CBS?
My time in CBS was a formative and exciting chapter in my life, making it difficult to choose just one fondest memory. However, Nature of Life stands out as an incredible experience that set the momentum for my undergraduate career and connections to community. As I have progressed through academia, I’ve only grown to appreciate how unique this program truly is.
I met my best friends in CBS during Nature of Life, many of whom later lived with me in the biology section of Frontier Hall. We continued to grow together throughout our undergraduate years, forming a strong support network that gave me the confidence to fully explore my interests. The Dean’s Scholars Program added another layer to this community, allowing me to translate the science I was learning into leadership opportunities. The capstone project presentations especially stand out in my memory. It encouraged me to reflect on what I had accomplished rather than always focusing on what was next. Looking back on how my peers and I had grown over those four years was a truly impactful experience.
How did you become interested in this field of work?
I have always been fascinated by the natural world. To this day, I still have the insect collections I made as a child as well as my childhood pet turtles. Growing up, my dream was to meet Lonesome George, the famous Galápagos tortoise, and I loved attending Como Zoo Camp. In high school, AP Biology was my favorite class, and I was thrilled to be accepted into UMN’s selective CBS program.
Like many of my peers in CBS, I pursued a pre-med track as an undergraduate. After graduation, I completed the entire medical school application process: shadowing, taking the MCAT, and applying. But when I clicked “submit” on my application, I felt no excitement. I had enjoyed learning along the way, but I admitted to myself that my true passions lay in ecology, not medicine.
With this realization, I made a major shift. I left behind my lab work, sold most of what I owned, and moved to Ecuador with my partner to fully immerse myself in the career path I was truly passionate about. I have not looked back since, and I continue to be inspired by the interwoven connections of the natural world.
What do you enjoy doing when you aren't working?
Work-life balance is important to me, so despite my busy doctoral schedule, I make time for playing music and rock climbing. Music was an important way I built community outside the classroom as an undergrad, and it continues to be a great way for me to unwind. I discovered rock climbing while working at UMN after graduation, and for me, it provides another way to connect with nature while staying active. Unexpectedly, it has also opened up career opportunities. I relied on my climbing and anchoring skills while studying bat habitat use in the abandoned mines of New Mexico with a team of climber/biologists.
Where has life taken you since graduating from the U?
I’m proud to say that I recently got engaged to my partner – we met as undergraduates at the U! Go Gophers!
Is there anything you learned from the Dean’s Scholars Program that you continue to utilize or reflect back on in your personal or professional life?
Throughout my career, I’ve taken on many mentorship roles, most recently leading a team of assistants conducting fieldwork in extremely remote and challenging Galápagos environments. Mentorship has always been deeply rewarding for me. Compared to traditional leadership programs, the Dean’s Scholars Program was uniquely useful because it focused on leadership for scientists. I applied these concepts immediately after graduation in my first job in a UMN lab, as one of my titles was undergraduate lab manager. I have continued to build on this strong foundation throughout my career through many leadership positions in science.
Did you face any challenges during your undergraduate career and how did you overcome them?
I graduated during the aftermath of the Great Recession, which made entering the workforce a daunting experience. Fortunately, I overcame this challenge by leveraging the strong connections I had built during my undergraduate years. As graduation approached, I emailed the mentors I had connected with inside and outside the classroom – thanking them and letting them know I was job hunting. This directly led to a full-time position in an immunology lab immediately after graduation.
Do you have any advice for current students about continuing on their path or advice for life after graduation?
It can be hard to appreciate while you’re in it, but college is a brief and unique time in your life. There may never be another period where you have access to such an immense variety of resources, opportunities, and dedicated mentors invested in helping you learn. Because of this, my advice is to say "yes" to opportunities as much as possible. Later in life, as you refine your interests, you’ll need to prioritize and say no to many things. But in college, you have the freedom to explore rapidly – when else can you switch internships every three months, even across completely different fields? Don’t get discouraged if you don’t find the perfect fit right away. Finding what you don’t like is just as valuable as discovering what you do.
As for purely concrete advice: use GitHub to back-up and track your coursework, learn R and/or python, and take a statistics class, preferably one that includes Bayesian statistics. These skills will be useful and marketable no matter what field you end up in, even outside of STEM.