I grew up in Redding, California, and I became interested in planetary science when I joined my middle school’s NASA team. I earned my BS in Physics with a concentration in Astronomy and a minor in Mathematics at Cal Poly Humboldt. My undergraduate research experience was in better understanding gravity: working to analyze short-range gravitational interactions and more precisely measuring the Newtonian gravitational constant G.
My research interests are focused on the evolution and habitability of terrestrial planets. I believe that the search for life beyond our planet is a fundamental human curiosity, and an important way to better inform our understanding of life on Earth. I am particularly interested in the science involved in understanding how planets may evolve to be hospitable to life.
Aside from academics, I love to spend time reading, hanging out with my two cats, and exploring the natural world (especially by rockhounding).