Associate Professor Biology, STEM
I got my bachelor's degree in microbiology from the University of Arkansas with the intent of joining the health professions. While I find the microscopic world amazing and fundamentally super important, my true passion was learning about the Earth as a whole and studying environmental issues. I soon found myself at the University of Central Arkansas completing a Master's in Zoology while conducting my thesis research on water quality issues on the Buffalo National River. Floating the Buffalo while conducting research ignited a passion for the outdoors and understanding how ecosystems “work”. I wanted to study the planet in the most pristine places available to me, so I headed to Idaho State University for my doctorate degree in Ecology with an emphasis in freshwater systems. I was incredibly fortunate to conduct research in the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park, Frank Church Wilderness, and the Sawtooth Wilderness. After many years of backcountry research, I found myself in Montana settling down and starting a family. Turns out teaching and sharing what I know about how biological systems work was also a passion. I taught for many years outside Glacier National Park at Flathead Valley Community College. I even got to teach in part of the headwaters of the Amazon river in Ecuador and twice on the Galapagos islands. But “home” always calls, and I missed the night sounds and biodiversity of Arkansas – so here I am. My students know I truly care about their success as students and as humans of Earth. While you may find me inside teaching, just know I wish I was outside teaching.
