About

I am a NSF and UC Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Irvine. With my postdoctoral mentor Dr. Kathleen Treseder, I am examining agroecological approaches that could harness biodiversity and ecosystem functioning for improved agricultural resilience. Specifically, I plan to investigate biotic interactions in soils that could improve crop tolerance to drought and mediate carbon allocation and resource exchange belowground. The overarching goal of my research program is to support farmers, especially those who are historically underserved, through research, education, and outreach that builds on their innovations and demonstrates ecological pathways to agricultural resilience.

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Previously, I completed my Ph.D. with Dr. Claire Kremen and Dr. Timothy Bowles in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at UC Berkeley. For my Ph.D., I am worked with small-scale farmers embedded in the monoculture landscape of California's San Joaquin Valley. My research investigated how on-farm diversification practices impact soil health and link to other ecological processes (i.e. pollination) on agroecosystems. 

Education:

University of California, Berkeley

Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management

Dissertation committee: Claire Kremen (co-advisor), Timothy Bowles (co-advisor), Mary Firestone, and Britt Koskella

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University of Wisconsin, Madison 

Bachelors of science in Botany and Environmental Studies

Minor in Chicanx & Latinx Studies