People

Bio

I am originally from Schwenksville, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia. I went to Allegheny College in Meadville, PA where I earned my Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Spanish. While there I completed a senior thesis looking into two freshwater fishes Etheostoma caeruleum and Semotilus atromaculatus and the impact a man made marsh had on their genetic connectivity. After Allegheny, I went to Pensacola, FL to obtain my Master of Science in Biology under Dr. Toby at the University of West Florida. My thesis work focused on the genetic connectivity and relatedness of tiger sharks Galeocerdo cuvier between the Gulf of Mexico and North West Atlantic. During my time in Dr. Toby's lab I was able to go offshore longlining with several of our collaborators where I was able to sample my study species and aid in other research projects. Also in Pensacola, I met my now husband. We currently live in Virginia Beach, VA with our dog and cat. I am an educator at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center as well as an adjunct professor at Virginia Wesleyan University. Dr. Toby and I are also working on getting the tiger shark research published in a peer reviewed journal.