About Me
I was going to try to describe my own personality, but then I decided asking my friends and family to describe me in 3-5 words would be both funnier and more honest. According to them, I'm "Ms. Frizzle meets Bill Nye." I'm pretty sure that the "Ms. Frizzle" label encompassed my approach to both science and relationships, including mentions like "thoughtful*," "kind," "innovative,"* "creative," "enthusiastic," "empathetic leader," and "people-focused." Then "Bill Nye" was the touchstone for more traditional associations with succesful scholarship like "hard working intellectual," "detail oriented professional," "dedicated," "organized," "insightful," and "driven."*
*I got thoughtful from three different people! I also got innovative, empathetic, and driven respectively from two different people!
Education and Early Life
I was born in Montana, but I grew up in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho! I completed K-12 in the Idaho public school system, the least-funded one in the United States, and I consider myself a major beneficiary of the dedication of excellent teachers who put the children in the community above their own opportunities to be paid a more livable wage. This early experience contributes to my passion for teaching, as I know how life-changing one good class can be.
University of Idaho | 2017-2020
Summa Cum Laude, 4.0 GPA
Bachelors of Science, Anthropology
Bachelors of Science, Psychology
I was a third-generation student at the University of Idaho, a land grant university in Moscow, Idaho. While I was there, I balanced my responsibilities as an NCAA Division I athlete with a rigorous program of study that allowed me to graduate in three years with two degrees.
Wayne State University | 2020-Present
Ph.D., Anthropology (expected May 2027)
Dissertation defense scheduled for March 2027
Following my bachelor's degrees, I was pleased to be accepted directly into Wayne State's anthropology Ph.D. program. Moving to a new city where I had no connections during the COVID-19 lockdown was difficult, but I am glad I did! Living in a city with such a rich cultural and historical background has informed my development as an anthropologist, which has been well stewarded by Wayne State's R1 program.
Hobbies and Fun
I am the kind of person who is always pursuing at least two hobbies with abandon. I feel that it helps me balance my life and stress levels, and I love mastering new skills! In fact, building this website has been one such quest for me. Here is a list of some of the key ones:
- Being Obsessed With My Cats You may be thinking this is not worthy of counting as a hobby, but if you knew Poppy (very evil but also very sweet little calico with one good eye) and Roo (shy old lady tripod), you'd change your mind.
- Fiber Arts I love knitting and crocheting! Currently, I am on a knitting kick. However, I also enjoy crocheting plushies. I even had a successful small business selling them to supplement my income for about a year!
- Poppyroos: Named after a combination of my two cats' names, Poppyroos was a staple in the 2024-2025 public vendor market circuit! I sold thousands of hand made plushies in settings ranging to farmers markets to a lavender festival to a science museum.
- The CVNT Collective: From 2024-2026, I founded and chaired a fiber arts based 501(c)(3) nonprofit called The CVNT Collective. The Collective had 130+ members across the United States and sold hand made goods to raise money to donate to other nonprofits. I taught five craftivism (crafting + activism) workshops, including one to middle schoolers, and we raised over $500. Proceeds were donated to the National Immigration Law Center, the ACLU, the Gender and Sexuality Network, and Trans Lifeline. The Collective was dissolved in Summer 2026 so I could focus on writing my dissertation and other board members could pursue other projects.
- Painting and Drawing Drawing was my first major craft. It was the result of being bored in junior year US History class, but I am proud to be self-taught and occasionally improving whenever I pick it back up. As for painting, both of my grandmas are/were painters, so you would think I would be a bit better, but I have been working on the same painting of my cats for 2.5 years! In my defense, it's a really big canvas.
- Track and Field I was a thrower in track and field from 2013-2020! I mainly threw discus and hammer, but discus was always my favorite. I was attracted to the sport by its healthy and supportive culture, and I enjoyed the task of perfecting the details of a fine movement. I ended up being an NCAA Division I scholarship athlete in the Big Sky Conference, but my throwing (and olympic lifting) career came to an end when my back went bad and COVID cancelled my final season.
- Staying Active Today, I like to stay active. Recent fixations have included basketball (I was the captain of the Wayne State Women's Club Basketball team for two years) and running.
- Jag Lär Mig Svenska! I am teaching myself Swedish! This is in part because I am interested in learning more about the Nordic child welfare systems, and I would like to one day gather data in Sweden. However, learning has become a daily hobby for the past year.