BA in Biology
Thesis: The growing resistance: an overview of Haemonchus contortus and a proposed novel PCR method for its identification in small ruminants
MS in Applied Ethology and Animal Biology
Thesis project: Domestication effects on the human-chicken relationship
PhD in Animal Behavior
Small-scale and backyard poultry behavior
I have been working with animals for over a decade, in contexts ranging from the lab to the pasture, and this experience has inspired in me both a deep curiosity and great passion for organismal biology. Whether I’m standing in a foot of snow to record birdsong, setting up mist nets in a forest in the middle of the night, or vaccinating goats in the summer heat, I love every minute of the labor and adventure of field work. These experiences have taught me to work quickly yet calmly and to use my best judgment when unsupervised. Altogether, they have led me to think deeply about human-animal interactions, and to question how some animals are better suited to human environments than others.
Audience Engagement Intern: 09/2020 – 02/2021
Producer: 02/2021 – 10/2023
As an intern for Big Biology, I regularly created native content and posted on our social media channels to promote upcoming episodes. Then I took over as the producer and team manager, and from episode 58 to episode 107, I was responsible for episode production, intern management, and podcast promotion. Podcast episodes were released every two weeks. I transformed each recorded interview into a polished product. In addition to the audio editing itself, this process involved daily team management to ensure that every component (e.g. episode summary, promotion, and cover art) contributed to a cohesive and high-quality piece of science communication.
I developed a number of projects aimed at audience growth, including increased social media engagement, an active merchandise store, and intern-led projects.
Nature Walks with Ruth is a video series for the Palmer Public Library. Together, we observe wildlife and ask questions about the natural world, recording what we find in a field journal. Check it out!
Other projects!
I had the pleasure of working with creators Tieren Costello and Keating Shahmehri on both The Storyboard and Snap!, and I am VERY excited to be the producer of their newest project, Game Jelly! Game Jelly is a comedy/game design podcast where Tieren and Keating come up with a new game each episode.
Full CV can be found here: