​I'm from the west coast of Florida, and much of my childhood was spent in, on, or near water. I’ve always been intrigued by animals, and I first realized that a career in science was possible when I attended a marine biology camp for girls at the age of 14 at the University of South Florida. I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Florida. During that time, I spent a year at the University of Queensland in Brisbane (Australia). There, I took courses on evolution, coral reef ecology, and rainforest biology. These courses were more hands-on than I’d experienced previously and allowed me to do a huge amount of diving and traveling. After returning from Australia, I gained research experience with fish and fruit flies at the University of Florida. I remained at the University of Florida for my PhD, and I was fortunate to work with international collaborators in Finland and Oxford during that time. My post-doctoral life was spent in Finland, Australia, and New Haven.

In 2011, I joined the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in a tenure-track position. I was thrilled to move to Chattanooga; one summer during undergrad, I'd worked as a raft guide on the Nantahala River, so I was familiar with the mountains, lakes, rivers, and streams of this region. During my free time, I enjoy paddle boarding, rock climbing, hiking, traveling, cooking, and spending time with loved ones (including my sweet pups).