I am intrigued by animal cognition, human-animal interactions, and individual differences in behavior. Specifically, I investigate personality and problem-solving abilities of zebra finches and Asian elephants. I also enjoy reading and writing, traveling, going to the beach, and tap dancing!

I grew up playing vet for my dog and conducting Jane Goodall-inspired observations of deer in my backyard. After attending a primate behavior and conservation field course in Costa Rica during my time at Michigan, I decided to pursue a career in animal behavior and conservation. I completed my honors thesis on tolerance of humans by squirrels. I worked for Think Elephants International, a nonprofit in Thailand, designing and carrying out cognitive experiments with Asian elephants. This experience solidified my interest in comparative animal cognition research as well as in designing conservation education curriculum. I am pursuing a Ph.D. to ultimately achieve my goal of becoming an animal behavior research professor.