Presenting my Master’s thesis project at the Association for Science Teacher Education International Conference, Baltimore 2018.
Me and colleagues at the Technical University of Munich after finishing the ‘Berglauf’ (7k mountain run) in Freising, Germany while I was there through the German Academic Exchange Service’s DAAD RISE program Summer 2014.
Practicing wheel pose in the mountains of western North Carolina near Chimney Rock. Photo credit: Dan Mele.
Collecting Byttneria microphylla flowers from Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden for part of my PhD project.
I'm interested in approaches that maximize the scientific utility of collections-based research efforts and ways to effectively communicate these efforts to the public using data visualization, microscopy and educational technology.
Currently, I am studying 3D pollination biology of cacao (the source of chocolate) and its relatives in the Byttnerioideae as a PhD Candidate at University of Miami. To do this, I am using a combination of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging, field-based camera traps, and computer vision.
Alongside my main project, I am using computer vision to develop automated, large-scale image processing pipelines as a contractor for the Encyclopedia of Life Database at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. I also do web design, social media, and data visualization for Taxon-omics, a German research collaboration between 27 natural history museums, research institutes and universities that are focused on combining taxonomy using natural history museum specimens with new approaches for discovering and naming biodiversity.
Web Presence: You can also find me on ResearchGate, GitHub, Sketchfab, MorphoSource, Google Citations, ORCID iD, Scopus, Mendeley, LinkedIn, and Wikipedia
Outside of research, I enjoy travelling, running, doing yoga (I was an instructor in a past life), and developing new vegan recipes for my aspiring cookbook.
My favorite ooey, gooey vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe made with olive oil and dark chocolate.
Vegan Tempeh Reuben on a homemade whole grain rye bread.
With my husband and one of my favorite hikes in Maryland, near where I grew up.
Visiting Venice with my mom for my 26th birthday.