I grew up mostly in and around Phoenix, Arizona, so I am a desert gal at heart. I loved doing science experiments as a kid, which led me to study science in school. I graduated with my Associate’s degree from Glendale Community College and later my Bachelor degree from Arizona State University with a major in Anthropology and minor in Biology.

Now at UT, I am co-advised by Dr. Kemp and Dr. Deborah Bolnick (University of Connecticut), and am studying anthropological genetics. My dissertation research takes a critical biocultural approach to the study of genetic adaptation to both natural and social environmental pressures in human populations by integrating data from archaeology, ethnography, and history with genomic analyses from ancient and contemporary peoples.

I am also passionate about public STEM outreach, and I plan to continue doing STEM outreach and genomics research after I complete my PhD.