Education

• B.S. | 2022 | John Carroll University, Biology

Research Interests

I am a second-year PhD candidate interested in how the abiotic environment influences the physiology and distribution of Rhododendron minus, a species native to the Southeast United States. I am currently working on a species distribution model to elucidate how factors like climate, topography, soil pH, and vegetation impact where this species grows. In addition to modeling approaches, I am conducting manipulative greenhouse experiments to see whether there is trait divergence across different R. minus populations. R. minus can be found along a broad light gradient, with plants in the understory receiving far less light than plants in light gaps. Hence, one of the greenhouse experiments examines how light intensity influences growth and pigments of R. minus to infer differences in light responses across the range.