About Me

Born in Durham, North Carolina, I wanted to be a scientist for as long as I could remember. Whether it was a geologist collecting rocks, helping my dad plant flower beds during the spring, pretending I was on a safari in my backyard, or mixing toiletries in my parent's bathroom, the sounds, smells, and sights of science always left me in awe and wonder. While I was fortunate enough to have hard-working working, successful adults care for me, the many disciplines of science were not all that evident. Like many high school students who are good at science and math, I went into undergrad thinking I would major in biology. Huge mistake!

I have so much respect for the biologists, those who go on to study protein synthesis and cellular defenses, but it was not for me. By the time I realized my mistake, I was barely keeping my GPA afloat, felt dread that my dream of being a scientist was slipping away, and had no clear vision of how to correct it. I loved being outside, loved the wonder of kids learning new concepts that governed their world, and knew I wanted to make a difference. 

Still wanting to be a scientist, I enrolled in a second bachelor's program for middle grades education at North Carolina Central University, an HBCU in Durham. My thinking was that if everything worked out, I'd be the best professor the sciences had ever seen.  While taking an environmental course, I met Dr. Carressa Gerald, an environmental toxicologist. The conversations around pollution, the environment, and how society played a role in risk were new to me and sparked a passion that still runs through my work today.

I asked Dr. Gerald if they had any opportunities to join a lab; I was desperate for any entry-level position.  It was serendipity! Earlier that day, an email had come across her desk looking for HBCU students to apply for a Wildlife internship at the University of Michigan. Fast forward almost a decade later, and here I am.  The last years of my life have been some of the most rewarding, from speaking at conferences, submitting articles, learning new lab work techniques, and overcoming the perils of remote fieldwork. I went from wanting to be a scientist to becoming an ecologist to now a cross-cutting scholar. 

I look forward to using my future positions to champion diverse voices and continue creating ecology opportunities for students to find their footing and contribute to meaningful changes in our environment that govern a healthy and thriving world.