Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States
Current research intern at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with the Department of Energy SULI program. Working in the Ecosystem Processes Group with the SPRUCE Experiment to assess the long-term response of a boreal peatland bog to climate change. Undergrad: Majored in Earth & Climate Sciences and minored in Environmental Sciences at Duke University. Worked as a research assistant in the GAIA Lab for isotope geochemistry. 2-year captain and 4-year letterwinner with Duke Track & Field - 3x All-American in the 400m and 4x400 relay. Involved with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Duke Sustainable Athletics Group. Research interests: Geochemistry, paleoclimate, earth system processes, climate science.
I'm happy to be returning to ORNL this spring to continue my research with SPRUCE under my mentor, Dr. Joshua Birkebak. This semester, I'm continuing with my research assessing changes in peatland nutrient stocks while also studying responses within the shrub community at SPRUCE. I’m excited to spend the fall semester interning at Oak Ridge National Lab through the DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships program! I’ll be working in the Biological and Environmental Sciences Division and conducting research for the SPRUCE Project.
This summer, I participated in the Duke/Stanford ACE in Costa Rica program for student-athletes. I spent three weeks immersed in the village of Gandoca, where I worked with local community members to assist environmental conservation projects and developed my Spanish language skills. During my time in the ACE program, I became a better communicator in multiple languages and strengthened my team-based leadership skills while working closely with our in-country partners and the other student athletes in the program. Most importantly, the program solidified my passions for the environment and sustainable resource use.
In this position, I've had the opportunity to engage directly with fans at a wide variety of Duke Athletics sporting events while simultaneously working behind the scenes to make each game, match, and meet a memorable experience for all in attendance. From operating a kids' tailgate at football games to choreographing the construction of a temporary stage in Cameron Indoor Stadium during Countdown to Craziness, working with the Athletics Marketing team has taught me to think on my feet and outside the box when it comes to problem-solving.