I am an ecophysiologist studying how Southern pine species respond to short-term (environmental) and long-term (structural) drivers and limiters of transpiration, with the goal of informing sustainable forest management in a changing climate.

I recently defended my dissertation to earn a PhD in the Environment program at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment, under the advisement of Dr. Ram Oren.

For most of my time at Duke University, I've worked with data from the Five Pines Site, a common garden study site located in the Duke Forest and jointly managed and supported by the US Forest Service. There, we monitored sap flux, environmental, and edaphic conditions continuously from April 2018 - December 2022.

This study brings together five species of Southern pine - Pinus virginiana, Pinus echinata, Pinus taeda, Pinus elliottii, and Pinus palustris - representing a five fold range in needle length and a wide range in canopy architecture and growth strategies. These ecologically and economically important species provide an opportunity to explore how canopy architecture may manifest in the water use strategies of these species within their shared environment, both on the daily scale and throughout a period of significant growth and development.

As a scientist, an educator, and a scholar, I love to ask the question: "How can we make our science not just interpretable, but intuitive?"

When we work to make what we do make sense to many different audiences, we find new ways of understanding our own work: we answer new questions; we find new analogies; we stay connected with our "why."

This is why I always prioritize opportunities to talk science with different communities - whether I'm in the field with the Summer field work students, leading a lecture, or convening with colleagues at AGU, I'm thrilled to have a chance to connect with other curious people about ecology, ecophyiology, and all things plants.