About Me
I am a biologist interested in understanding the evolutionary processes that have generated the amazing biodiversity that surrounds us. My research interests range from lizard sociality and behavior, phylogenetics and taxonomy, to broad-scale evolutionary patterns of phenotypic diversification. My work primarily centers on the African continent, with a special focus in Namibia, where I’ve conducted most of my fieldwork over the past decade. In addition to research, I thoroughly enjoy communicating my work through the mediums of writing and photography.
I recently completed my Ph.D. at the University of California-Berkeley in the Department of Integrative Biology, where I studied the evolution of nest design in weaver birds as a member of the Bowie Lab in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology.
I am currently located in southern California, where I hold a joint position as a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology. My NSF project will focus on studying the evolution of plumage and egg coloration in weaver birds, work that will be conducted alongside Dr.’s Allison Shultz (Assistant Curator of Ornithology, NHMLAC) and Linnea Hall (Executive Director, Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology).
Current Projects
Phylogenetics and Taxonomy of Southern African Lizards
Evolution of Elaborate Nest Design in Weavers
Science Writing & Photography
