Biography

I am pursuing a MS in Ecology with Dr. Howard Epstein. My research is focused on how invasive species (specifically Buckthorn) affect the composition, regeneration, and characteristics of early successional forests. Dahurian Buckthorn is a shrub/small tree species that has taken over large areas of regenerating forests at Blandy Experimental Farm. In areas where Dahurian Buckthorn dominates, there is little to no native woody plant regeneration. I am working to find the driver(s) behind Buckthorn's invasive properties through field measurements and greenhouse experiments. I graduated from James Madison University with a BS in biology and concentration in ecology and environmental sciences. In my undergrad, I studied the American Chestnut and blight-resistant hybrid introduction to Appalachian Forest systems. I also studied soil respiration in response to rainfall events at the Jornada Long Term Ecological Research site in the Chihuahuan Desert for a REU program in 2018.