CO-FOUNDER/DIRECTOR

I grew up romping around the humid wetlands of Maryland. While I didn’t know it at the time, my passion for plants had already germinated. I migrated to New England where I completed my B.S. in Plant Biology at The University of Vermont, and then my Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. As a classically trained botanist and evolutionary biologist, I ask how plants build their bodies, how they function, and how they have evolved across time. Given their impressive diversity and long evolutionary history, I focus group on the ferns. In addition to my research, I am passionate about outreach, education, art, and creating a more equitable and inclusive field of science.

CO-FOUNDER/DIRECTOR

I am a curious naturalist raised in the forests of the northeastern US (New Jersey and Massachusetts), where I learned to fish, birdwatch, and identify plants. I studied Ecology and Evolutionary Biology as an undergraduate at the University of Rochester before earning my Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. During graduate school, I discovered that the abundance and importance of plants makes them an ideal focal group to combine my passions for research, conservation, and environmental education. I currently design and manage higher education programming at Harvard Forest, and I also serve on the board of directors for the Mamoní Valley Preserve in Panama.

DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY

My interest in plants started when I was an undergraduate studying forestry at the University of Vermont. I grew up hiking and canoeing in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State and initially wanted to pursue a career in land management. However, I became more excited about plant identification, ecology, and ultimately how processes of evolution shape biodiversity. I completed my PhD at Utah State University studying fern systematics and population genetics. I'm currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Arizona working to better understand the evolution and structure of fern genomes. Let's Botanize is a way for me to share my interest in plants with the public, and I hope it helps more people enjoy the beauty of our natural world.

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION RESEARCH

I grew up in the beautiful outdoors of New Hampshire, exploring the White Mountains, coastline, and the forest in my own backyard. I loved all things nature and was especially enamored with all the critters I found. I earned my B.A. in Zoology from the University of New Hampshire, then traveled cross-country to earn my M.S. in Zoology from Colorado State University. While at CSU I realized my passion for teaching, thus beginning my journey in Discipline-Based Education Research (or DBER)! I earned my Ph.D. in Biological Education from the University of Northern Colorado, where my dissertation work focused on comparing and quantifying learner-centeredness in undergraduate biology classrooms, as well as how undergraduates learn biology in informal settings like zoos. I also have myriad interests within biology education research, including assessment of biology undergraduates’ critical thinking, development of pedagogical tools focused on learner-centeredness and inclusive teaching, and evaluating the effectiveness of social media as a venue for science learning. Read more on my website.