I am a Ph.D. candidate in the
Will lab at the University of California, Berkeley. My research focuses on the taxonomy and systematics of the ant-like leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Aderidae). My dissertation work will include a cladistic analysis utilizing molecular and morphological character data to resolve the higher-level classification of this group. More broadly, I am interested in systematic theory, biogeography, and insect behavior.
In addition to my research, I am also strongly passionate about teaching and outreach education. Currently, I am the graduate student coordinator for the Berkeley Natural History Museums East Bay Science Café. For the 2011-2012 academic year I will be participating in the NSF GK-12 program "Exploring California Biodiversity".