My Story
I have loved science for as long as I can remember. I was lucky enough to go to a high school with a Science and Technology program that allowed me to take additional science courses rather than electives. One of these classes was AP Environmental Science. This was the first time I learned about climate change. I learned about the damage climate change is causing and what really struck a chord was the bleaching of coral reefs. I got the great opportunity to go the Great Barrier Reef when I was 13 and it broke my heart to think of that amazing, diverse and colorful world dying in my life time. It was these experiences that led me to wanting to be a climatologist.
Receiving a BS in meteorology and climatology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln give me a chance of a lifetime. Through a chance connection through my dentist office, I was hired as an operational meteorologist at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. While I was working as a meteorologist, this frozen desert solidified my determination to become a climatologist to help protect the beautiful I have been able to experience.
Received my Master's degree in earth science with a focus on climatology at the University of Northern Colorado. My research centered around using multimedia to help students grasp some of the fundamental concepts for understanding climate change. Due to the educational element of my thesis, I got the opportunity to intern and later work for The COMET Program at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).
In 2018, I began my PhD under Michael Hayes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Natural resources specializing in climate assessment and impacts. For the past 3 years, we have worked with scientists from New Mexico State University on drought's impact on New Mexico's Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Systems. I am continuing research into what drought will look like in a changing climate in states spanning from New Mexico to Nebraska and how scientists and decision-makers can work together to mitigate future impacts.