Hello there!
I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Biological Station. I work in the labs of Will Wetzel (Montana State University) and Kadeem Gilbert (Michigan State University). My research focuses on plant-herbivore interactions and the functional ecology of trait variation and stochasticity. I am broadly interested in the ecology of plant-insect interactions, particularly in identifying general patterns that can be derived from the statistical properties of these interactions. To explore these questions, I use a combination of lab and field experiments, mathematical modeling, computer simulations, and data synthesis. My dissertation examines the emergent system properties of variation in plant traits, with a specific focus on phytochemistry and its implications for plant defense. I am also passionate about statistics education and helping students develop their own research projects.
