About
I am a fully funded doctoral student in the School of Biology at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and an active member of the research group Cognition in the Wild. My current research examines social learning in nest-building behavior in birds.
Originally from the sun-drenched coasts of Santa Barbara, California, I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2013. I was awarded distinction for my undergraduate thesis that investigated potential sex differences in the acoustic structure of songs in Brown-headed cowbirds (Molutherus ater). Following graduation, I immediately took a research assistant position on a collaborative project between the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of Auckland, New Zealand to aid in investigations into social and physical cognition in New Caledonian crows. Most recently, I have acclimated to the rain-drenched coasts of Scotland where I obtained a Master of Science degree with distinction in Evolutionary & Comparative Psychology from the University of St Andrews under the supervision of Dr. Sue Healy. Here, I investigated physical cognition and nest-building behavior in male Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata).
When not doing all of the above, I continue to pursue what originally sparked my academic endeavors: bird watching. How I do not tire of these feathered dinosaurs remains a mystery...
Originally from the sun-drenched coasts of Santa Barbara, California, I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2013. I was awarded distinction for my undergraduate thesis that investigated potential sex differences in the acoustic structure of songs in Brown-headed cowbirds (Molutherus ater). Following graduation, I immediately took a research assistant position on a collaborative project between the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of Auckland, New Zealand to aid in investigations into social and physical cognition in New Caledonian crows. Most recently, I have acclimated to the rain-drenched coasts of Scotland where I obtained a Master of Science degree with distinction in Evolutionary & Comparative Psychology from the University of St Andrews under the supervision of Dr. Sue Healy. Here, I investigated physical cognition and nest-building behavior in male Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata).
When not doing all of the above, I continue to pursue what originally sparked my academic endeavors: bird watching. How I do not tire of these feathered dinosaurs remains a mystery...
